Ace: aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com
Buck: buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com
CBD: cbd at cutjibnewsletter.com
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MisHum: petmorons at gee mail.com
J.J. Sefton: sefton at cutjibnewsletter.com
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
Today, the task force and the DOJ announced a massive take down of two of the largest Medicaid fraud cases in Minnesota state history, as well as the largest autism fraud scheme ever charged by the federal government. Our message is simple: if you're committing fraud, we will find you, and we won't rest until justice is served.
They caught the Somali pirate who jumped from a fourth story roof to avoid capture:
BREAKING: Muhammad Abdulqadir Omar, one of the Medicaid fraudsters in Minnesota who was recently indicted for stealing $3.3M, was caught and arrested after he attempted to FLEE from the FBI.
Footage captures Omar limping away during his attempted escape after he jumped from a… pic.twitter.com/PXLxaywNY3
🚨 OMG. Trump SBA chief Kelly Loeffler just revealed the Biden admin ORDERED their staff to ignore the US Treasury's "do not pay list" for grants -- and 70% WERE FLAGGED FOR FRAUD.
"That's how $14 BILLION got out the door so quickly!" 🤯
"They ordered SBA employees to take 4 hours per applicant and not any more."
This is criminal.
"Then we come to find out in the GAO report that 70 percent of it was fraudulent!"
"Now we, from day one at the SBA, have come in with a zero-tolerance policy on fraud. And so we began cracking down on it right away."
"We've already sent out 1,000 demand letters demanding that those who took the money -- now these were not loans. These were grants. These were the federal government writing checks of taxpayer money!" @RapidResponse47
California high-speed rail cost now up to $231 billion. That means the average worker in the state will pay out over $12,000 to fund a single project that almost no one will ride.
CA rail will be studied for generations, a truly once-in-a-lifetime level of government failure.
Ron DeSantis
@RonDeSantis
Is this $200+ billion dollar "high-speed" rail a policy failure? Of course.
But if the goal was simply to commandeer tax dollars for distribution to politically-connected constituencies then I'd imagine those with that goal are probably quite pleased.
Flashback: Ilhan "Omar" declared that the Real Victims of fraud were the Somalis themselves.
Some people did some things to some buildings, doncha know.
THE MORNING RANT: Election Prediction Markets Are Now Push-Poll Mechanisms, not Gauges of Likely Election Results
—Buck Throckmorton
As Ace wrote about a few days ago, voters in the state of Georgia chose two state Supreme Court justices in Tuesday’s election. Although the “non-partisan” candidates couldn’t identify by a political party, in each race there was a clearly defined conservative and liberal. The conservative candidates won both races. While the big election takeaway is that Georgia is not going to get a “Wisconsin court” that will serve as a left-wing super-legislature, there is another big takeaway - the election prediction markets are now total garbage that should be completely dismissed.
Polymarket and Kalshi are among the biggest “prediction markets,” making it possible to trade/gamble on the likelihood of a specific candidate winning an election. In recent years these prediction markets have been treated as a form of polling. The assumption is that people gambling on election outcomes have their finger on the pulse of the electorate, and that they will rationally put their money on the candidate mostly likely to win.
Apparently these prediction markets were relatively accurate in predicting some prominent races in recent years. But political partisans are not rational, and liberal political obsessives have started putting money on their favored candidates so as to move the prediction market odds in their favor. They somehow believe those distorted odds will become real-world outcomes.
This is analogous to when I was a little child going fishing with my dad, and he told me that when the bobber goes under water it means I’d caught a fish. My little brain soon discovered that if I reeled the line in toward the rocks of the jetty we were fishing from, the bobber would go under water! That must mean I caught a fish! No, I merely had an underwater snag. But every time I snagged my line and the bobber was pulled under water by the resistance against my reeling, I still wanted to believe I had a fish on the line.
The Lightbringer himself, Barack Obama, had involved himself in these Supreme Court races, and left-wing political observers were very excited that trading at Kalshi showed the Supreme Court races to be breaking overwhelmingly in favor of the liberal candidates.
In the race between conservative Sarah Warren and liberal Jen Jordan, Ms. Jordan was maintaining about a 55% odds of winning until a few days before the election, when suddenly the odds broke further in her favor. By election day her odds of winning exceeded 90%. Once upon a time this might have meant that traders could sense the election was breaking Jordan’s way and they were therefore gambling heavily on the likely winner.
But the conservative candidate won. In fact, Sarah Warren crushed Jen Jordan by winning 61% of the vote to Jordan’s 39%. In the other race, won by conservative Charles Bethel, traders at Kalshi had his opponent, Miracle Rankin, as the likely winner at odds exceeding 80%.
At this point, using prediction markets to measure voter sentiment is as worthless as relying on candidate-produced push-polls, whose purpose is to influence voter sentiment, not measure voter sentiment.
When partisans move a betting line in the hope it will affect the election’s outcome, that is like snagging a fishing line so as to pull the bobber under water, and then pronouncing that a fish is about to be reeled in.
My latest piece at the The American Spectator has been published. “There’s No Reason to Fear an Invasion of Chinese Electric Vehicles” discusses the preposterous media narrative that Americans will fall in love with Chinese EVs if/when they hit the U.S. market, and that Chinese auto manufacturers will capture significant U.S. market share.
Volkswagen’s U.S.-made ID.4, an all-electric car, was such a sales flop that when VW became desperate to unload its glut of unsold units, it offered a $99 lease promotion. But even at $99 per month, Americans still found the price to be about $99 too high, as the unsaleable ID.4 became America’s slowest-selling car. If Americans will not drive an electric Volkswagen for $99 per month, there is zero chance they will buy a Chinese EV of dubious quality at any price. (U.S. production of VW’s ID.4 has since been permanently suspended.)
This piece is not behind a paywall. I’d be honored if you’d give it a read.
My latest at the American Spectator: “There’s No Reason to Fear an Invasion of Chinese Electric Vehicles”
If Americans won’t lease a Volkswagen EV for $99 per month, they’re certainly not clamoring for a BYD hatchback.https://t.co/DIhTssCNOA
— Buck Throckmorton (@BuckThrockmort) May 19, 2026
Besides running a teenage male prostitution ring out of his home, he was one of the key architects in the collapse of the housing market and the tanking of our economy in 2008 among other Democrat/Leftist catastrophes that we are still digging our way out from the rubble lo these many years later... His worldview and voting record over the ouse of his career are a testament to Democrat/Leftist scietal destruction in pursuit of absolute power. Period full stop. Odd that on his deathbed he publicly chastised his party for the positions it held and advanced. Nearer my God to Thee or an attempt at taqqiya sunrising to prevent future Democrat electoral wipeouts?
Barney Frank Warns the Left is Destroying Democrats . . ."Many of my colleagues who I know agree with me but are inhibited from saying so.”
Congressional Democrats are moving to shut down President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund, escalating a political fight over compensation for Americans who say they were targeted by politically motivated prosecutions and federal lawfare.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, is introducing legislation aimed at preventing any federal money from being used to create or distribute payments through the fund. . .
At the same time, some establishment Republicans are also voicing opposition to the fund. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick told reporters Wednesday that he would “try to kill” the program.
. . . Supporters of the fund argue it represents a long-overdue effort to compensate Americans harmed by politically driven prosecutions and abuses of government power.
Critics, meanwhile, claim the program would improperly use taxpayer money to compensate individuals tied to controversial investigations, including those connected to the January 6 Capitol protest.
Two law enforcement officers who were present at the Capitol on Jan. 6 have already filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the fund entirely.
Well as to Jamie Raskin, Cancer is as cancer does. He and his party led by Malig-Nancy Pelosi either directly engineered and orchestrated the events of 1/6 or else created the conditions and fiction that Trump was inciting an insurrection when it was in fact an entrapment sting to create that pretext and illusion to oppress and suppress the enemies of the Left and Deep State. And GOP confederates like Fitzpatrick et al are equally guilty of perpetuating the corrupt status quo regardless of the consequences to the American people and Republic.
The Senate is heading home until June without finishing a reconciliation bill, after Republican tensions over the package coincided with President Donald Trump’s endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). Brendan Pedersen, a senior reporter with Punchbowl News, posted on X: “Thune asked if Senate Rs are responding to politics — ie, Trump endorsements and snubs this week ‘It’s hard to divorce anything that happens here from what’s happening in political atmosphere around us,’ Thune said. ‘You can’t disconnect those things.’”While Republican Senators publicly claim substantive issues with the bill were the driving factor behind the early vacation, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) acknowledged President Donald Trump’s Tuesday endorsement of Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) weighed heavily on Republican Senators’ minds as they skipped town instead of advancing a top Trump priority as planned.
Yes, the Barney Franks, Jamie Raskins and Malig-Nancy Pelosis we are afflicted with are horrid enough but Thune and his ilk and their criminal fecklessness and naked, shameless collusion with them and farcical kabuki "opposition" as is embodied in the likes of JOHN THUNE and sadly many like him all over the GOP is why our nation is circling the drain, or at least was until enough decent people said enough is enough and elected a man who to greater or lesser extent recognized that were headed off a cliff and now 11 years since descending the golden Trump Tower escalator, he has almost singlehandedly at a minimum put the brakes on and has attempted to throw us in reverse. We shall see if MAGA is indeed the start of the movement for American renaissance or merely a speed bump on the road to Hell.
Thomas Massie’s defeat in Kentucky’s Republican primary was not merely the fall of one Republican congressman. It was the collapse of an illusion -- an illusion that has grown inside parts of America’s online Right over the past few years: that a few million followers, a handful of popular podcasts, several viral clips, and some anti-establishment slogans can replace party machinery, voter loyalty, local networks, money, organization, and real political power.
Kentucky shattered that illusion. Not in a television debate, not in an intellectual quarrel, not in another online shouting match, but in the one place where politics strips away fantasy and reveals itself: the ballot box.
Just like the Leftists, you can expect the voices on the Right to become even more shrill, vulgar and vituperative in their attacks on all of us than even the most strident of Lefties.
Whom we are at long last rejecting for their duplicity and fraudulence in foisting RINO globalists and big government stooges on us. It will be a long time in coming but when all of them are gone from the scene, it will be glorious.
Have a relaxing, fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!
ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
On the one hand, there is the risk of AI letting rip without thought for the consequences. On the other there is the risk that America’s competitive advantage will be lost and that other countries will make the inevitable advances anyway. Some of this may still sound abstract. But it isn’t going to be for very much longer. I’ve been thinking about this in recent months because AI started coming for me Douglas Murray: I see dangers of AI firsthand — as people make doppelgangers of me!
Before the gas chambers came the lies, the laws, and the excuses. . .read this piece again and stop when the circumstances begin to feel familiar.. . Don’t wait... for another Auschwitz to be under construction. Auschwitz Wasn’t Built Overnight
A man arrested last year has been charged with espionage and attempted participation in murder after an Iranian intelligence agency tasked him with gathering information on the head of Germany’s main Jewish group and three others with a view to carrying out attacks, German prosecutors said Thursday. The suspect, a Danish national identified only as Ali S. in line with German privacy rules, was arrested last June in Denmark. An alleged accomplice, an Afghan national identified as Tawab M., also was arrested there in November. Federal prosecutors said they filed an indictment against the pair at the Hamburg state court on May 7. Germany Charges Man Allegedly Planning Attacks on Jewish Figures For Iran
CIVIL WAR 2.0, LEFTIST PERSECUTIONS, DEMOCRAT PUTSCH, AMERICAN DISSOLUTION
So this is exactly what the Founding Fathers, what the Constitution was meant to protect against. And, Republicans right now realize that this is political Kryptonite.” (Democrats are Political (and soon to be literal( Zyklon B - jjs) Markey: Trump’s Anti-Weaponization Fund Is an ‘Impeachable Offense’
Underneath the feel-good politics of it, the practical questions sink the whole enterprise. Reparations: Who Pays Whom?
The song ‘My Old Kentucky Home’ reflects how America revises its past while the same arguments over race and power resurface in new forms. Jim Crow and the Blame Game
Another horrific murder shows what we’re up against — not just the illegal aliens, but the judges who keep releasing them. Illegals Are Killing America
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) raised the issue during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing Tuesday while questioning acting Attorney General Todd Blanche about the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on waste and fraud in federally funded programs. California Medicaid Program Under Fire for Covering Exorcisms, Tribal Prayers
FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, FAKE NEWS, MEDIA, BIG BROTHER TECH
NPR is “offering buyouts to approximately 300 employees, mostly within newsgathering desks in the newsroom. Staff of NPR’s news programs, including hosts, are not eligible,” reports NPR about NPR. More Far-left Media Shrinkage as NPR Slashes Dozens of Jobs
If upheld, the Pentagon’s policy would limit reporters’ ability to interact with government employees willing to leak confidential information to them. Secretary Hegseth explained in a memo last year, “While the Department remains committed to transparency, the Department is equally obligated to protect [classified national intelligence information] and sensitive information – the unauthorized disclosure of which could put the lives of U.S. Service members in danger.” The New York Times is Suing the Pentagon Again.
* * * * *
Raw Egg Nationalist: Should we be worried that AI becomes more left-wing if it doesn’t like you? The Marxist in the Machine
Until the tax burden is acknowledged, until waste and fraud are confronted, until government spending is aligned with reality, and until the system stops placing disproportionate pressure on the families who fund it, the American Dream will remain out of reach for far too many. The American Dream And Taxes
RED-GREENS, CLIMATE CHANGE HOAX, DEMOCRAT-LEFT WAR ON FOSSIL FUELS,
The initiative marks a significant shift in government policy, which has been accused of taking insufficient action against the huge number of vape stores, Turkish barber shops, phone repair stores, and so on, often staffed and owned by immigrant and immigrant-background individuals, that have proliferated across Britain in recent years. Migrant Crime Networks Are Operating Through Vape Stores, Barber Shops.
EDUCATION, AND WHAT PASSES FOR IT
The complaint alleges Smith “determined these searches to be a racist threat” and likened the student’s pro-ICE emblems to “a burning cross” before suspending N.C. pending expulsion. That expulsion was later upheld before an Expulsion Hearing Panel and Expulsion Review Board. Las Vegas Student Sues School District After Being Expelled for Displaying Pro-ICE Signs
While Republican Senators publicly claim substantive issues with the bill were the driving factor behind the early vacation, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) acknowledged President Donald Trump’s Tuesday endorsement of Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) weighed heavily on Republican Senators’ minds as they skipped town instead of advancing a top Trump priority as planned. Senate Abandons Trump’s ICE, Border Funding Bill for Early Vacation; Thune Admits Paxton Endorsement Played Role
Thomas Massie’s defeat in Kentucky’s Republican primary was not merely the fall of one Republican congressman. It was the collapse of an illusion. Kentucky Just Humiliated the Podcast Right
The 192-page report, which was concluded last December and authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.” Facing Intense Internal Pressure, DNC Releases 2024 Election Autopsy
The report took forever to see the light of day, and DNC Chairman Ken Martin's explanation for the delay was something else. "When I received the report late last year, it wasn't ready for primetime — not even close — and because no source material was provided, it would have meant starting over. I could not in good faith put the DNC's stamp of approval on the report that was produced," Martin said. So the party that wants to run your healthcare couldn't manage to produce a competent internal review? That’s comforting. The DNC’s 2024 Autopsy Is Here, and Oh Boy, It’s a Dumpster Fire
Trump is using justice — some of it long delayed — as an instrument of foreign policy to advance freedom and American interests abroad.For years, the targets of US sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba have treated those restrictions as mere inconveniences. Bad actors have routed around them through shell companies in Panama, gold flights to Turkey and friendly bankers in Madrid and Geneva. Now, the president is sending a message to the world: Obey our sanctions or pay a price. Castro charges tighten Trump’s noose on anti-American corruption
Fred Fleitz: Trump’s Cuba strategy combines economic pressure, targeted humanitarian aid, and direct outreach to Cubans to weaken the regime—not invasion or appeasement. Trump’s Cuba Gambit
Officials in nations bordering Russia urged President Donald Trump not to retreat from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), arguing that America still has too much at stake in Europe even as Trump grows increasingly frustrated with the alliance and its response to Iran. EXCLUSIVE: European Officials Warn Trump Against Leaving NATO As US Weighs Its Own Priorities
ISRAEL vs IRAN & GAZA/HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH . . . AND LEFTISTS. . . AND HISTORY
The State Department will abide by the Taylor Force Act 2018 for the next 10 years. The Palestinian Authority’s Martyrs Fund, referred to by critics as a “Pay to Slay” scheme, will be impacted by the State Department’s renewed commitment to the act as the U.S. ceases financial aid. State Dept Settles $1.5 Billion Lawsuit Over Biden Funding 'Palestinian' Terrorists.
If AI is as powerful as its creators claim, it needs to start solving problems that people care about. AI Needs to Cure Cancer (I approve that message! - jjs)
One trivia fact noted during today’s broadcast. With its new more powerful Raptor-3 engines, Superheavy produces about 18 million pounds of thrust at launch. That is more than twice that of either the Saturn-5 rocket (seven million pounds) or the SLS rocket (8.8 million pounds). And remember, everything about Starship/Superheavy is intended to be reused, with Superheavy already proving its ability to do so. Starship/Superheavy launch scrubbed at T-40 seconds
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.
I use DuckDuckGo (have for years) and Brave. DuckDuckGo was originally noticeably less complete than Google, but Google has fixed that by diligent strategic incompetence.
It's claimed to be 70% faster than existing 192-core Zen 5 models, which is plausible since it also jumps from TSMC's 4nm process to 2nm. Server CPUs are limited by power and heat more than raw clock speeds, and 2nm uses a lot less power.
It exists. It actually works, which requires a lot of work. And at around $500 it's not the most expensive option.
The article notes the Nvidia's previous-generation low-end RTX 4060 is 20% to 70% faster, but that's not correct. The 7G100 actually delivers 20% to 70% of the performance of the 4060.
The Flipper 0 is a pen-testing (security testing) multitool, a single device that can scan for security issues on a range of wired and wireless connection methods.
The Flipper 1 while keeping the same multi-tool form factor is a general purpose Linux computer that you can clip to your belt. Perfect for technicians who need to be able to plug into whatever device you have locally and figure out why it's not talking... Whether they should be doing that or not.
Howdy Hordelings! Thanks for entrusting your need for whelm to the Thursday night ONT. Content provided for those who care. Open thread, as always. What's on YOUR mind tonight?
Mystery click - Happy Birthday to Martin Blunt, bassist of The Charlatans
NASCAR icon Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races across the sport's three national series than any driver in history, has died at the age of 41, the racing series announced Thursday.
The Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday, saying that Busch died after being hospitalized earlier in the day as the result of a severe illness, three days before he was to compete at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. No cause of death was given.
"On behalf of the Busch family, everyone at Richard Childress Racing and all of NASCAR, we are devastated to announce the sudden and tragic passing of Kyle Busch," NASCAR said in a statement. "Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans."
More from ESPN
• 2-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion (2015, 2019)
• Ranks 9th on the all-time Cup Series wins list (63)
• Holds record 234 combined wins in NASCAR's top three series
• Holds wins record in O'Reilly Auto Parts Series (102) and Craftsman Truck Series (69)
• Won a Cup Series race in record-breaking 19 consecutive seasons from 2005 to '23
• Most recent win came in the Truck Series at Dover on May 15
• Most recent Cup Series win came June 4, 2023, at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
• Had competed in 397 straight starts in the Cup Series, the 4th-longest active streak behind Joey Logano (624), Brad Keselowski (592) and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (412)
A rooftop restaurant in Beverly Hills responded after a viral social media post claimed it charged a $110 cake cutting fee during a group dinner. The restaurant, Poza, is located on top of L’Ermitage Beverly Hills and came under criticism after a food influencer shared a photo of the bill on Instagram.
The influencer, known as @justinelovesushi, posted that the restaurant added a cake cutting fee of $10 per person for a party of 11 people. The total dinner bill was more than $1,100, but the extra charge quickly became the center of attention online.
The video received more than 355,000 views and thousands of comments. Many people debated whether the cake cutting fee was reasonable. Some users said high-end restaurants often charge service fees when customers bring in outside desserts. Others felt the restaurant should have clearly explained the cake cutting fee before serving the cake.
***
After the backlash, Poza released a public response on Instagram. The restaurant apologized and admitted the guests should have been informed about the cake cutting fee when they brought the cake into the restaurant.
Yet another reason to stay the eff out of California
-----
What came first - the bio-engineered chick or the 3D-printed egg?
A Dallas-based biotech company claims to have developed a “fully artificial egg” that allows it to hatch a variety of avian species, which could, theoretically, allow it to bring back extinct species and help save endangered ones. One of the stated goals of Colossal Biosciences is to bring back the South Island giant moa (Dinornis robustus), a 3-metre-tall New Zealand bird that went extinct in the 14th century.
Colossal Biosciences’s artificial egg looks like a simple plastic cup, but it’s a small 3D-printed miracle that allows chicken embryos to develop into living chicks. The true innovation lies in the silicone membrane coating the inside of the lattice structure, which allows sufficient oxygen to pass through, just like that of a natural egg.
***
Interestingly, Japanese scientists successfully hatched quail chicks from artificial eggs in 1998, and others have done so with other bird species since, but their system required oxygen supplementation, which caused some chicks to suffer genetic defects or fail to hatch altogether. The membrane created by Colossal Biosciences allows enough oxygen to permeate naturally.
Just because we CAN do this, does that mean we SHOULD??
This woman had the brilliant idea to haul her dirty living room area rug straight to the self-serve car wash for just $5 — soap, high-pressure spray, and all!
She goes after a stubborn blackberry stain and shows the nasty water that pours out when she’s done.
DJ Doof - This Date In Music History Edition
from thisdayinmusic.com
On this date in 2007: Former singer with Creed, Scott Stapp was arrested at his Florida home and charged with assault. The 33-year-old was held without bail following the charges, which related to a domestic assault.
On this date in 1983: David Bowie went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Let's Dance', featuring blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan. It was Bowie's first single to reach number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
Born on this date in 1948: British born singer-songwriter Leo Sayer
Disco Doof approves!
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Tonight's ONT brought to you by goals
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Doof Enterprises, LLC thanks you for being you. Really - you are the best you we know!
Your feedback may or may not be very important to Doof Enterprises. Follow Mr. Doof on X @doof2112 or do the email thing – doof2112 at proton dot me.
Johnson has been receiving expensive personal gifts like cufflinks and Gucci bags from people and organizations he refuses to disclose. He says he accepts these personal gifts "on behalf of Chicago," but I don't think Chicago is wearing the cufflinks or toting the Gucci bags. I think it's Johnson himself.
THE PITBULL BRANDON GILL: "On June 12th, 2023, you received HUGO BOSS cufflinks and a personalized Montblanc pen. Do you know who gave you those?"
Johnson: "So I did not receive those personally. The city of Chicago..."-
Gill: "You received those on behalf of the ciry of Chicago. I understand the difference Do you know who has provided those to the city of Chicago? Do you know who gave those to the city of Chicago?"
Johnson: "So again, on behalf of the city of Chicago, there are..."-
Gill: "It's a yes or no question."
Johnson: "I do not accept. Those are not my personal gifts..."-
Gill. "I'm reclaiming my time here, sir. On March 18th, 2024, you received a Gucci tote bag. Do you know who gave you that? Gave the city of Chicago that?"
Johnson: "Again, I was here and I was invited..."-
Gill: "I'll also take that as a no. On March 19th, 2024, you received a Davinci bag, a Kate Spade purse, and Carucci shoes. Do you know who gave the city of Chicago those?"
What's Chicago's shoe size?
Johnson: "Again, I was brought..."-
Gill. "I'll take that as a no. I'm reclaiming my time... This raises serious ethical concerns. You're providing an enormous amount of aid to illegal aliens, aiding and abetting criminals who have come into our country illegally. And you yourself are receiving an enormous amount of gifts, and you won't even tell us who they're coming from. That raises serious ethical concerns."
— GRANDPA’s FREE ADVICE (@GOP_is_Gutless) May 21, 2026
Patty Murray attempted to smear Sean Duffy with some question I frankly don't know the context for. She seems to be saying that the Department of Transportation accepts donations to some bullshit organization and that entitles you to invites to department functions.
I don't know if that's true and I don't like the sound of it, to be honest, but on the other hand, that kind of "give us money for X building and we'll give you ten minutes with the president and a photo" is utterly common and just the way things work. No one handing over a $50,000 or $100,000 check is doing so without getting to chew the ear of a politician or his senior staff for an hour or two.
But like I said, this kind of low-grade corruption is the law of the land and always has been.
But while Murray demands answers about that, she does not want to answer what $2 million from lawyers' lobbyists buys them. And she, he says, has jurisdiction over those affairs.
She insists that it's completely out of line to ask her the same question she just asked Duffy.
I just enjoyed this exchange so much. I paused it and went and got some popcorn. 🍿 pic.twitter.com/RomgrzckIM
I already linked this one, but if you missed it: Duffy did come prepared, as Murray whined, with a list of all the million dollar plus donations from lobbyists and industries these senators have direct legislative jurisdiction over.
Eric Daugherty
@EricLDaugh
May 19
🚨 HOLY SMOKES. Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy just DEMOLISHED insufferable Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D)!
GILLIBRAND: Your [America250] road trip was paid for by companies you oversaw!
DUFFY: Do YOU have jurisdictions over law firms? You received $7 MILLION DOLLARS from the TRIAL BAR!
GILLIBRAND: Oh my god!
DUFFY: You receive $7 MILLION DOLLARS, and you have jurisdiction on the trial bar! Want me to go on the list of WHAT ELSE you received?
GILLIBRAND: This hearing is about YOU!
DUFFY: I didn't make any money [on the road trip]. Maybe YOU should answer for getting $7 MILLION from the trial bar! $7 MILLION. That goes in state dinners, to put your ad on TV, that's all to YOU! YOU spend that money.
GILLIBRAND: You are using your position for political ways.
DUFFY: $500K from the TRIAL BAR to fly you on a PRIVATE JET! They paid for you to fly. Answer to that. I made NOTHING. They put your face on TV, your dinners, your vacations. I make NOTHING on this. I make no money.
🚨 HOLY SMOKES. Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy just DEMOLISHED insufferable Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D)!
GILLIBRAND: Your [America250] road trip was paid for by companies you oversaw!
DUFFY: Do YOU have jurisdictions over law firms? You received $7 MILLION DOLLARS from the… pic.twitter.com/2DSGYze1Hj
Gillibrand insisted there that she's never been on a lobbyist-funded private plane, but this old article names her and Chuck Schumer as Frequent Flyers on Graft Airlines.
There's a bit of news:
BREAKING!!!
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has just now Ordered the convictions the Oath Keeper and Proud Boy defendants be vacated, and that the cases be remanded to the District Court in anticipation of a motion by DOJ To Dismiss. pic.twitter.com/0xMHoAwG22
But... I don't think this represents the courts admitting these prosecutions were flawed. I think this is just a procedural step given the pardons and commutations of these sentences by the president.
John Thune Declares: I Demand a Well-Funded MAGA Primary Opponent In 2028 and I'm Going to Stamp My Little Feeties and Hold My Breath Until I Get It!
—Disinformation Expert Ace
You got it, Princess.
Bill Melugin
@BillMelugin_
CBP/ICE funding bill will not be on President Trump's desk by June 1st, as he had said he wanted.
Senate going home. Bad vibes on the Hill today.
Supposedly this is over his pique at the weaponization compensation fund, but, as with Thomas Massie discovering the Epstein files for the first time weeks afterTrump called for him to be replaced -- that's creating a fictional "policy" cover because the power-politics "I'm in charge" gripe is too petty to be admitted.
Julie Kelly 🇺🇸
@julie_kelly2
2h
So Thune and company having a temper tantrum over Trump's Paxton endorsement so he's using the weaponization fund as an excuse to once again not do his job.
Senate leadership is an absolute disgrace and every single one should be replaced.
🚨 IT'S OFFICIAL: Senate Republicans will now MISS President Trump's June 1 deadline to pass ICE and CBP funding, as John Thune decides to RECESS the Senate until NEXT MONTH
The movie was previously tracking at a low $80 million for its three day debut. That's on the level of Soylo: A Soy Wars Soyry (as Ethan Van Sciver called it), which was the first Star Wars movie to lose money.
Note this weekend is a four day weekend, but that projection was for the actual Fri-Sat-Sun frame. They estimated that with Monday included, it would make $105 million for the four day weekend.
I mean: It's opening tonight so it's a five day "weekend," but the industry pretends that Thursday receipts are really Friday receipts. Which just another lie from the Industry of Lies.
But that's been revised. Downwards. Now it's projected to make $80 million... for all four days of the weekend.
Maybe $60 million for the three day weekend.
Disney doesn't like that headline, so now they're bragging about a $160 million opening weekend.
The catch? That $160 million is for the global debut, not the North American debut we always talk about.
So this is a big revision downwards which Disney is spinning, incredibly, as double the previous projection.
Disney looked around for a shill propaganda outlet that was desperate enough and corrupt enough to print up this corporate lie.
Gentlemen, you asked for a miracle. I give you Deadline.
'Star Wars: Mandalorian & Grogu' Hopes To Hyper-Space To $160M Global Opening Over Memorial Day Weekend -- Box Office Preview
By Anthony D'Alessandro (Chief Corporate Shill)
The good news is that this Memorial Day weekend won't be the lowest post-Covid, and Lucasfilm/Disney's Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu won't open as low as Warner Bros' Furiosa did two years ago at this time with a $32.3M 4-day. The new hope is that the pic from director Jon Favreau co-written with EP Dave Filoni and Noah Kloor will meet or exceed its $80M 4-day tracking in North America.
Comparing this opening with the lowest Memorial Day opening ever -- from two years ago. Nice job of bar-lowering!!!
That all depends on whether families show up and push the first Star Wars film in seven years to a bigger number. Burger King is a promo partner on the pic, so hopefully Whoppers will have more influence on potential moviegoers than blue milk did for Luke Skywalker nearly a half-century ago.
Wow they have a fast-food promotional tie-in? That means it will make a huge amount of money -- No Star Wars film or other corporate IP slop has ever had a Burger King tie-in before!!!
The global outlook is $160M worldwide, with $80M of that from a 98% footprint offshore.
In other words, the global debut is juiced because most movies do not open in every country in the same weekend. In some cases, very big countries like Brazil or Japan or China or the UK have openings weeks after the North American debut.
But this is opening everywhere, except Korea.
The only territory not going this weekend is Korea. That start for the $165M net production would be slightly ahead of the global opening of 2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story in like-for-likes. That box office low point in the franchise -- which went into theaters with a lot of behind-the-scenes melodrama (Lord & Miller were fired and the directing reins handed to Ron Howard -- posted a 4-day over Memorial Day weekend of $103M domestic and another $52M abroad.
Even shill critics are panning the movie. It is currently just over "rotten" at Rotten Tomatoes, but the bulk of reviews currently tabulated are from hand-picked shills and influencers. It will be Rotten within hours.
Most are complaining that it's "meh" or "mid" or a TV episode with a slightly larger budget (but still a cheap, TV look).
Those who are sick of masculine action hero and self-declared "Big Bougie Daddy Bitch" Pedro Pascal will be happy to know that he's not really in the movie much, because it's almost always his stunt-doubles in the armor when he has his helmet on. Which is 96% of the time.
They're also complaining that it is plainly for children, and by "children," I don't mean 12 year olds. I mean little children. I mean babies.
That's not a terrible reposition for the franchise, as it's lost all older fans and all teen fans. Maybe it's best to start over with a New Modern Audience that doesn't know tha Disney Star Wars is a pathetic joke yet.
But it's obviously going to result in a low take.. Only babies want to see movies about a baby for babies.
And if you want to see a good movie aimed at a younger crowd -- I keep hearing The Sheep Detectives is wonderful. Chris Gore and Allen Ng of Film Threat both praised it, only disagreeing about what audience it's for. Gore thought it was a kid's movie that was also interesting enough for adults, whereas Ng thought it was a good and "worthy" kid's film, but not really one that adults would like.
Surprise! The DNC's "Autopsy" Is a Sham, a Deliberately Incomplete Document Left Unfinished Because Democrats Don't Dare Tell the Truth About Their Collapse
—Disinformation Expert Ace
You don't need an autopsy to know why the Democrats lost in 2024. No one does.
The Democrats know as well. The problem is, they are beholden to their extreme left wing, and they're beholden to the extreme left wing because the extreme left wing in the majority of the Democrat Party.
Democrats now know -- if they didn't before -- that transgender "science" is a propaganda lie spun up by WPATH, an organization funded by J.B. Pritzker's transgender brother "Jennifer" Pritzker. It was never true that "gender affirming surgery" reduces suicide -- and multiple studies now prove that beyond doubt. It was never true that "gender affirming" "medicine" improves mental health or well-being.
And on top that: The politics of it are horrible. It's a 20-80 issue.
But the Democrats cannot admit this because the 20% that is gonzo for gay and transgender extremism is the core of the activist class.
Likewise, the Democrats know that Obama's and then Biden's open border policy is absolutely toxic political poison. It's another 20-80 issue.
But the Democrats cannot admit this because the 20% that supports the Great Replacement is the core of the most partisan Democrat voters.
And they know they foisted a brain-damaged demented fool and corrupt grafter on the country in the form of Joe Biden. But they can't admit that because most of the Democrat Party -- and the media -- is in legal jeopardy should the entirety of their massive conspiracy be revealed.
So the "autopsy" is a sham. They never bothered to complete it and left most the issues that actually caused the loss entirely unmentioned.
Not underplayed. Not under-analyzed.
Unmentioned entirely.
The only fake conclusion the sham "autopsy" is certain of...?
Live Updates: Democrats' Draft Report on 2024 Loss Reopens Political Wounds Ahead of Midterms
An incomplete examination of what went wrong for the Biden and Harris campaigns in 2024 was released after it had become an embarrassment for the Democratic National Committee.
The Democratic National Committee on Thursday released a draft of an autopsy of what went wrong in the 2024 presidential campaign, highlighting a series of failures and placing blame for Kamala Harris's defeat partly on former President Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s political operation.
...
The draft report, which is disorganized and leaves empty entire sections, blames both the Biden and Harris campaigns for failing to successfully drive a negative view of Mr. Trump. But it otherwise offers only vague or limited conclusions about the party's failings.
Mr. Martin had tapped a longtime ally, Paul Rivera, to oversee the creation of the autopsy. But Mr. Rivera's final product was "wasn't ready for prime time. Not even close," Mr. Martin wrote on Thursday. Atop each of the document's 192 pages is a bright red disclaimer that the D.N.C. "was not provided with the underlying sourcing, interviews, or supporting data for many of the assertions contained herein." (Mr. Rivera declined to comment.)
There is not a single mention of Mr. Biden's age, a regular concern of voters and Democratic officials throughout his presidency, nor of Israel and Gaza, an issue that dogged Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris in 2024 and has since fractured the party.
Still, it does include a number of revelations, including the conclusions of pollsters who found that a Trump ad attacking Ms. Harris for expressing support for taxpayer-funded surgery for transgender inmates had been highly effective.
So one single sub-issue regarding transgender extremism was mentioned. One specific issue about forcing taxpayers to pay for "transitions" of fucking criminals.
Limited conclusions: The draft report's findings were limited, often veering into political clichés and hard-to-follow explanations.
From 2020 to 2024, I documented Kamala Harris complaining a thousand times -- and leaking her complaint to the media anonymously -- that Biden had "failed to position her for success." This began, if I remember right, when he made her the Border Czar. He had failed to position her for success by giving her a tough assignment and not an easy one like making her the Black Women are Awesome Czar.
When she constantly embarrassed herself by being entirely unprepared at briefings and press appearances, she then blamed her staff for not adequately preparing her. Her staff, she complained to her media allies -- again as an anonymous source familiar with the Vice President's thoughts -- failed to position Kamala Harris for success.
Obviously she then complained throughout the campaign that Biden had Failed to Position Her for Success when he anointed her the new candidate.
I say all this because what key finding do you think made it into the sham autopsy?
But it argues that Mr. Biden's team failed to position Ms. Harris for success in the race after it became clear she would be the party's nominee and relied too heavily on an assumption that voters would reject Mr. Trump without making a sufficiently strong case for the vice president.
Biden called Trump Hitler in a nationally televised address, ranting while bathed in blood-red light.
Was that too subtle for the alcoholic and barren Coconut Kamala?
Again, we see that the sham autopsy refuses to find fault with Kamala Harris, too. She didn't lose. She just wasn't positioned for success by White Men.
This is her narrative, one that she's pissed into the media for four years.
And then it babbles about -- get this -- messaging.
Failed strategy: The Harris campaign's inability to diminish Mr. Trump's standing with voters was a "major failure," the report said. It suggested the Harris campaign should have been able to "remind voters of his incompetence," and found that a Trump campaign ad showing Ms. Harris expressing support for taxpayer-funded transition surgeries for transgender inmates had been particularly effective.
Midterm worries: Findings from the most recent New York Times/Siena poll underscore the concerns raised in the report that Democrats did not effectively make their case against Mr. Trump in 2024. Nearly 60 percent of Democratic supporters in the Times/Siena poll said they were not satisfied with how much the party was fighting back against Mr. Trump.
Democrats "have proven incapable of projecting strength, unity, and leadership, and voters have drifted away," Democratic strategist Paul Rivera, who authored the report but is not mentioned in the published version, writes. The autopsy was first released by CNN and shortly after published by the DNC.
The incomplete report doesn't mention a number of key issues that continue to dog the Democratic Party, including the issue of the war in Gaza. In 192 pages, it sparsely touches on former President Joe Biden's decision to drop out.
It also appears to lack any formal conclusions about what went wrong.
Both the report and the process drew immediate, scathing criticism from prominent Democrats.
...
"It feels like what the DNC is doing is cherry-picking the parts of it that it wants to actually release, that [are] less problematic for the party going forward, because most of the stuff that we're reading right now is ... not groundbreaking."
...
"The report's so stupid, it's hard to make sense why something's in there and why it's not," another senior Democratic operative close to the process who was granted anonymity to speak candidly told POLITICO in an interview.
The owner of a Minneapolis day care featured in a viral video by Nick Shirley exposing fraud has been federally charged with wire fraud and conspiracy for allegedly stealing over $4.6 million through false claims to federal nutrition and state childcare assistance programs.
Fahima Egeh Mahamud, CEO of Future Leaders Early Learning near George Floyd Square, is charged with falsely claiming to serve thousands of meals through Feeding our Future while defrauding Minnesota's Child Care Assistance Program.
The day care allegedly pocketed more than $4.6 million in fraudulent claims before closing in January following state investigations triggered by a viral Nick Shirley video in December.
🚨UPDATE: Minnesota fraudster is charged for childcare fraud. Fahima Mahamud received 3.67 million dollars for her “daycare” and tried to escape America prior.
This is the SAME daycare where the $250 million dollar “feeding our future” scam took place
BREAKING: Minneapolis daycare owner featured in Nick Shirley’s video Fahima Egeh Mahamud, CHARGED with wire fraud and conspiracy for allegedly stealing over $4.6 million through false claims to federal and state programs pic.twitter.com/OJ6plcQ7lq
David Strom links this embarrassing act of anti-journalism from CNN, in which an anti-journalist attempted to debunk a plainly true story by calling up the pirates and asking them "Are you doing a piracy?" When they said "no," CNN said "Ah-ha, we have disproven the racism!"
The CNN “reporter” on the phone in the hotel wasn’t even interested in the fraud — she was interested in investigating Nick Shirley and “his claims."
She was hoping to discredit Shirley. It was utterly pathetic.
Nick just exposed some more Somali pirates, who cursed him and threatened him for asking questions about their " " " " business. " " " "
Ilhan Omar still has not said ONE WORD about the fraud in Minnesota. Not once has she addressed the fraud or spoken out against the blatant fraud. Investigate Ilhan.
More fraud exposing coming soon, support my work on 𝕏 by becoming a subscriber 🙏🏼 https://t.co/6gqsnSA4r0
What kind of " " " " business " " " " owners get threatening and violent when people knock on the door to inquire about what services the " " " " business " " " " offers?
Home prices are squeezing American family budgets. The median home price is up 60% since 2019, now five times the median household income. The country is short more than 4 million homes, and a record 22.6 million renter households are spending more than 30% of their income on rent. Housing costs have risen another 14% in just the last two years.
While Americans are fighting for a place to call home, a recent Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Homeland Security investigation revealed major eligibility errors in HUD housing programs. HUD found nearly 6,000 confirmed ineligible tenants, and another 200,000 more tenants who have gone through zero eligibility verification. In addition, HUD identified 25,000 deceased tenants still living in taxpayer-funded housing units. These aren't likely empty units. Someone is wrongly receiving this benefit.
You'll be shocked to hear this, but Congress passed laws to restrict public housing to US citizens, but were conning the rubes as usual. On paper, illegal aliens weren't allowed.
In reality -- no one bothered checking, so illegal aliens were allowed.
But the rubes didn't know so the rubes couldn't complain.
Federal law is clear: Section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act limits HUD housing assistance to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens. In addition, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 prohibits public welfare benefits from going to illegal aliens and requires HUD housing programs to verify immigration status at the point of application, now a nearly instantaneous process through the SAVE program. Yet HUD rules have systematically avoided this verification until now.
Instead of using the existing Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, HUD created two workarounds. The first is the "do not contend" provision, under which a tenant declares they do not contend their non-citizen status and receives prorated assistance anyway. This is blatantly illegal. The second workaround is an age exemption HUD fabricated 15 years ago under the Obama administration. Current regulations exempt anyone 62 or older from verification, but this has no basis in federal law.
It turns out, in contrast to federal law, the federal government has been incentivizing illegal immigration by offering taxpayer-subsidized housing along with other welfare programs by not using any verification to ensure benefits are going to only eligible individuals. Hundreds of thousands of tenants, including able-bodied adults, have spent years, even decades, in federally subsidized units still needing eligibility checks. This is exactly what has been prohibited for 30 years, and it's part of what's driving up housing prices today.
Thanks to President Trump and HUD Secretary Scott Turner, every housing authority in the country must finally verify eligibility. This is a strong step towards restoring public trust in HUD housing. For the first time, the system Congress mandated will be employed.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing banks to more aggressively scrutinize illegal immigrants, closing a fiscal fence around American taxpayer interests and resources, and likely further incentivizing self-deportations.
"80% of voters believe that illegal immigration is bad for America, and by the way, the flip side of it is 80% believe that legal immigration is good for America," veteran pollster Scott Rasmussen told Just The News.
Trump's Tuesday order, titled "Restoring Integrity to America's Financial System", directs federal regulators and the Treasury to issue guidance strengthening banks' customer due diligence, identify red flags/suspicious activity linked to undocumented immigrants (such as Individual Taxpayer Identification Number misuse, payroll tax evasion, or off-the-books wages), and manage credit risks from extending loans or services to non-work-authorized individuals who may face deportation or wage loss.
...
On limiting illegal immigrants' access to banking and financial products, the administration's stated goal is to reduce risks to the banking system -- such as people getting deported and then defaulting on loans or credit cards.
Banks are now encouraged by the Trump administration to be more careful with loans and services to those without work authorization, but the order does not require them to check every customer's citizenship status.
"The Trump administration is committed to reestablishing an immigration judge corps that is dedicated to restoring the rule to the law in our nation's immigration system," acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement. "Today, we are onboarding the largest immigration judge class in agency history. This could only happen thanks to President Trump's decisive leadership and commitment to securing our borders. I also applaud EOIR's leadership team for helping facilitate these hiring efforts and recruiting highly qualified and talented personnel in record time."
Trump campaigned on a promise of mass deportations, but has faced considerable legal pushback to his efforts to speedily remove large numbers of people from the country. The DHS has estimated that as many as 22 million illegal aliens were in the country when Trump took office.
The prospect of an American Islamist winning the Democrat primary for a New Jersey congressional seat would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. 750 New Jersey residents died on September 11th, 2001, which in and of itself should have made Hamawy's candidacy a punch line in every bar in New Jersey.
But the Democrat party, ably aided by a gerrymandered district, is interested in one thing, and that is power. Electing a terror-supporting, malpracticing physician as a United States congressman is perfectly reasonable in their singleminded quest for control. They have a few Islamists from other states: brother-f*cker Ilhan Omar, the shockingly ugly Rashida Tlaib, Lateefah Simon... But they are from states far from the tragedy of 9/11. New Jersey electing an Islamist is a bellweather of the rise of Muslim political power, and the huge chasm that has developed between mainstream America and the rabid left of the Democrat party.
Adam Hamawy, a Princeton plastic surgeon, is a frontrunner in a crowded Democratic primary to replace retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D.) in New Jersey's deep-blue 12th Congressional District—despite his years-long friendship with Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Muslim extremist cleric who was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 1993 bombing.
He is a run-of-the-mill Muslim political activist who is pro-Hamas, and has gotten a huge amount of support from a Palestinian PAC ($1,000,000 so far, with plans for another $1,000,000). If elected, he will vote reliably leftist, and vote against all American support for Israel, our only reliable ally in the war against militant Islam.
But that isn't the worst part...he is credibly involved with, and a supporter of a man and a movement that took an active role in the murder of Americans as part of a religious/political philosophy that is incompatible with Western culture and American political philosophy.
That is how far from sanity the Democrat party has slid, and I see no signs that it will moderate. At least until the Republican party is purged of its RINOs, and voting is once again reserved for American citizens.
[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, and apologies in advance, as it's going to be another one of those nothing but scum on parade posts to whet your appetite or induce projectile vomiting before or during your breakfast. On a positive note, President Donald Trump despite the ongoing muddied and muddled state of affairs with Iran has done more to bring about peace and security in service to our real national interests than perhaps any president since Ronald Reagan if not since the end of the Second World War. Finally, after 66 years it looks as if the Socialist hellhole of an island gulag, Cuba might actually be on the brink of at least overthrowing the Communist dictatorship and breathing free once again. Certainly removing the Maduro regime in Venezuela as well as severely crippling their Iranian benefactors have brought Cuba to the verge of liberation.
Federal prosecutors on Wednesday charged former Cuban President Raúl Castro with ordering the 1996 shootdown of civilian planes operated by Miami-based exiles, a major escalation of pressure by the Trump administration on the socialist government. President Donald Trump has set a calamitous energy blockade on the island and has been threatening military action ever since U.S. forces captured the Cuban government’s longtime patron, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. . . Top Communist Party leader praises Raúl Castro, says Cubans will defend his legacy ‘at any cost’ . . . Cuban president condemns Castro indictment
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment of Raúl Castro and accused the U.S. of lying and manipulating the events of 1996. He called it “a political action without any legal basis” that only seeks to “bolster the case they are fabricating to justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.”
The question is how are we going to actually slap the cuffs on him, since as with Nicolas Maduro it would obviously entail some form of military action. While the operation in Venezuela that led to his apprehension was minimal and textbook, Attempting the same in Cuba might be much more problematic. This is a smart military blog after all so I'll leave it to the commenters here who have given us that reputation to discuss how best to bring about Castro's capture and the downfall of the regime as quickly and neatly as possible.
On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT) discussed possible legal action against Raul Castro and said that “Legal accountability is critical. And, by the way, the Trump administration people may think about that as they undertake illegal wars and illegal actions, for example, the double-tap strike on the two individuals, the drug runners who were clinging to a sinking boat.” And “It is possible that Raul Castro undertook criminal activities, not a concept that would be entirely foreign to the occupant of the Oval Office himself.”
Wednesday on MS NOW’s “Ana Cabrera Reports,” political commentator Stacey Abrams said Democrats have to “fight back against” President Donald Trump’s “authoritarian regime.” . . . Abrams said, “Well, Ana, that’s the work that I’m doing with the 10 Steps Campaign. We are fighting to show that Democrats and people who believe in democracy can fight back against an authoritarian regime that is doing everything in its power to create harm and chaos. I’m here right now because we believe that in Georgia and across the country, the — the false incarceration of families and children show that we have to stand up for and defend our people, that we can have safe borders without denying the humanity of the people that we serve. And so what Democrats have to do in Georgia and across the country is actually fight. We have to show that we will make certain that democracy delivers . .
That Democrats deliver fake ballots by the tractor-trailer load like they did in 2020 as well as real bullets like in Butler Pa, and at synagogues, churches, pregnancy crisis enters and schools by transexual maniacs and others. . .
The obligatory mass-shooter manifesto has been recovered in the wake of Monday’s San Diego mosque shooting carried out by two teenage losers, and predictably, it is a testament of nihilistic rage directed at just about everybody and everything.
Apparently the truth can be ignored, because this is an absurd smear. There is no “state-funded demonization of Muslim Americans.” The San Diego mosque shooting notwithstanding, there is no climate of “anti-Muslim bigotry” in America. There is no such thing as Islamophobia, the “irrational fear of Islam.” There most certainly is, however, a growing, justifiable frustration among American patriots who are fed up with surging Islamic supremacism, Islamic antisemitism, the demonstrable threat of spreading sharia, and outright Islamic terrorism not only in this country but throughout the Western world.
Based on their own statements in the manifesto, the Jew-haters Clark and Vasquez were more likely to attack a synagogue than a mosque; in fact, the manifesto confirms that they hoped to have opportunities to hit “a diverse selection of targets,” but proximity may have prompted them to target the Islamic Center of San Diego first (it’s in the same neighborhood as the house where Clark lived).
Psaki-Psircling back to Tank Abrams, it's noxious blathering like her oral flatus that drives maniacs like the ones in San Diego which was a one-off of extreme rarity, compared to Leftist violence (and the San Diego duo are freaks who have been disowned by everyone on our side of the divide, although that is never reported of course) which is praised and even sanctioned by Democrats and Leftists at every level of influence...
Two police officers who defended the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021, are suing the Trump administration in an attempt to block a new $1.8 billion Justice Department compensation fund designed to provide relief to Americans the administration says were targeted by politically motivated Biden-era prosecutions.
Former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn and Metropolitan Police officer Daniel Hodges filed suit this week against President Donald Trump, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, claiming the administration lacks the authority to establish what critics have labeled an “anti-weaponization” fund without congressional approval.The lawsuit argues the fund could ultimately compensate some January 6 defendants and members of “paramilitary groups,” with the officers warning it could embolden political violence.
I imagine somewhere up in Heaven, Ashli Babbitt and Roseanne Boyland are looking down and shrieking "you bastards can go straight to Hell!!!"
I know I am. And hopefully the murdeous Michael Byrd, who executed n unarmed and harmless, Ms. Babbitt in cold blood, will descend to a fiery damnation before too long, having escaped justice in this world, aided and abetted by a system that enabled the murder of those women and the persecution and ruination of hundreds of other decent American citizens on that black day. What happened on 1/6 was engineered by and/or approved by none other than Malig-Nancy Pelosi herself. Her complicity or dereliction of duty in the proper deployment of the Capitol Police and refusal to allow National Guard Troops to secure the area resulted in the chaos and indeed she used that as pretext to declare an insurrection wanting to use it as a political weapon with which to destroy President Trump and indeed all political opposition to the Democrat Party if not to seize power with her bony claws and never let go.
Along with their aiding and abetting the Dresdenization of America's cities during the summer of 2020, the events of that black day of 1/6 underscores the lack of trust in law enforcement and our justice system — not only by those who become "involved" with it but by ordinary law-abiding Americans who want nothing more than to be left alone to go about their lives and whose taxes have paid for their own abuse, at the hands of said corrupt justice system and of course by an out of control bureaucracy.
Okay, I'm exhausted.
¡Cuba Libre!
Have a good day.
ABOVE THE FOLD, BREAKING, NOTEWORTHY
Victor Davis Hanson: The 'Thucydides Trap' is a misread of history: wars are not inevitable between rising and ruling powers, and today’s US-China balance points more to deterrence than destiny. America Is Not Caught in a ‘Thucydides Trap!’
Once you create a moral framework in which violence is not merely understandable but righteous — once you argue that certain institutions are so corrupt, so "murderous," that the people who participate in them deserve to be killed — you are no longer condemning violence. You are licensing it. (What if the allegations are true, as when Democrats rile?! - jjs) When Political Violence Becomes Acceptable, It Becomes Inevitable
The charges against Lineberger, which include theft of government property and altering public records, validate concerns over officials’ handling of sensitive government materials. The indictment is likely to cast further doubt on the impartiality of the DOJ’s now-defunct case against President Trump. Ex-Prosecutor Charged With Stealing Trump Case Documents Authored by Jack Smith.
FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, FAKE NEWS, MEDIA, BIG BROTHER TECH
The Post is such a failure it has lost around a quarter of a billion — with a “B” — dollars since 2023. Since 2022, the Post has laid off around 40 percent of its staff. Still, this guy is asking, “Why lay people off?” Imagine those losses without the layoffs. Jeff Bezos Refuses to Subsidize Failing Washington Post
Some might say that social media is good. It connects us, educates us, and makes us more tolerant by expanding our social circle to include people of different races, religions, ethnic backgrounds, sexual preferences, etc. That is total BS. The reality is that social media connects sick, twisted, deviant people who, prior to social media, could only meet on darkened street corners, wearing long raincoats and carrying paper bags with porn or other paraphernalia used by pedos, perverts, and purveyors of the prurient. A 'Mangionista' Press Corps of Groupies and Genuine Crackpots
CRIME & PUNISHMENT, NON-DOSTOYEVSKY
The significant reduction in violent crime is a major boost for law enforcement and public safety, with the data suggesting that reforms within the FBI and its collaboration with local agencies are yielding tangible results. FBI Reports Biggest Drop in Violent Crime Since 1937.
If successful, the lawsuit could overturn FOID’s requirements to own a firearm, potentially setting a precedent for similar laws in other states. The FOID Act has been in effect since 1968, so overturning the law would mark a significant change for the state. Illinois is not the only Democrat-run state that has pursued questionable gun laws. Dem State Sued for Forcing Gun Owners to Carry ID Cards.
THE 2020 AND 2022ELECTION HEISTS & AFTERMATH
Manhertz faces two charges: one count of casting a fraudulent ballot and one count of illegal voting by an alien. This case strengthens the argument for stricter voter ID at elections. It also underscores the problem with relying on the honesty of applicants to confirm their citizenship. President Donald J. Trump has pursued a number of election integrity measures, including a ballot security executive order which a coalition of left-wing activist groups are trying to block via the courts. DHS Arrests Canadian for Voting Illegally in U.S. Elections.
DEMOCRAT/LEFTIST AND RINO SCANDALS, MESHUGAS, CHUTZPOCRISY, INSANITY
Thomas Massie embodies George Carlin’s observation: “People who say they don’t care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don’t care what people think.” ...After all, Massie’s performative brand of anti-conformity doesn’t work without an audience — and after 14 years in Congress, his national platform has never been greater. If you think he’ll squander this opportunity to slop pigs in Kentucky, you’re flippin’ nuts. Why Thomas Massie Wanted to Lose
After losing his primary to former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, incumbent U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is about to have a lot more time on his hands to hate Jews and pretend he cares about Jeffrey Epstein’s victims. Disgraced Jew-baiter Thomas Massie Humiliated by 10 Point Loss
“It couldn’t win the wars it started...A strictly oppositionist ideology could find a niche in the GOP...This vision was adapted to the dark side of globalism...Anti-Zionism already has a home in Democrat primaries.” Thomas Massie’s Dead-End Libertarianism
Massie lost because he went from being perceived as a quirky but lovable nerd who seemed to genuinely believe everything he said, to looking like a clout-chasing influencer who cared more about getting TV time with Democrats on an issue he clearly never cared about until five minutes ago than he did about representing his voters. Why Thomas Massie Lost
Governor McMaster summoned state legislators for a special session after a small number of Republican-in-name-only (RINO) state senators sided with the Democrats to block a previous redistricting measure. South Carolina House Passes Redistricted Midterms Map.
Folks, I think we've officially reached the tipping point when it comes to the fall of communist Cuba. If anyone else was president, I wouldn't buy it myself, but Donald Trump is, and I do. Ironically, it happened on May 20, when the country should be celebrating its independence, but it's a day that the regime refuses to acknowledge. Cuba Falling: Today Is 'the Beginning of the End' — and Rubio's Powerful Message
“A deal is a deal, and the E.U. honours its commitments,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media. “I welcome the agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on reducing tariffs for U.S. industrial exports to the E.U.” E.U. Finally Strikes Deal on U.S. Trade Pact Ahead of Trump’s Tariff Hike Deadline
FEMINAZISM, TRANSGENDER PSYCHOSIS, HOMOSEXUALIZATION, WAR ON MASCULINITY/NORMALCY
The ruling forces CHC to resume providing these controversial treatments while a lower court finalizes an injunction. This decision sets a precedent for how state anti-discrimination laws can override federal guidance, raising concerns for healthcare providers navigating conflicting legal and ethical obligations. State Supreme Court Orders Children’s Hospital to Administer Gender Transition Drugs to Kids.
As we all know by now, the most ironic thing about feminist tropes is how often they revolve around men. Either they pantomime us, define themselves around our (mis)behavior, or join pout circles in which our behavior is more often than not the focus. Even so-called independent women are defined in terms of men, ie, not needing no man. What Has Women’s Studies Gotten Us? Blame Men
Jordan Randall’s 2023 novel Pinkface follows Alfred Hall, a wealthy suburban high school senior who, after being rejected from his backup college, pretends to transition into a woman in an attempt to gain an advantage in admissions—only to go viral and unexpectedly become a prominent public figure within the trans community. EXCLUSIVE: Woke DC Coffee Chain Sued After Dropping Author Over Transgender Book
There is far more to life than politics and policy, pettiness and division. Take a moment to appreciate it. Ode To A Beagle Named Rocky
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.
Where low-end now means six-channel RAM and up to 84 cores. All full Zen 5 cores too, none of this efficiency nonsense.
And 96 lanes of PCIe 5.0, all in a 225W TDP. It runs at up to 4.5GHz, which is pretty good for a server processor (and would make for a good workstation CPU), but due to thermal constraints the base clock of the 84 core model is just 1.6GHz. (The slower models are faster in that respect.)
It's something of a legend, since AMD killed it because it was competing to well with its own newer and more profitable models like the 7800X3D. Plus it works with DDR4 memory, so if you happened to nab of cheap 128GB of DDR4 at the end of last year just before the door slammed shut, it would make fine use of that... If it were available.
Not only has the 5800X3D been removed from sale, so has the slower 5700X3D. The 5600X3D is a Micro Center exclusive, and the 5500X3D is China-only.
But all of that looks set to change with packaging and pricing showing up ahead of release: It looks set to cost around $300, compared to $450 when it originally launched.
The flagship is a 32" 6k OLED panel running at 165Hz - or if you're playing professing esports after hours, 330Hz if you reduce the resolution to 3k.
No graphics card on Earth is going to drive a 6k display at 165Hz in AAA gaming titles, but if you want to show off how fast your 5090 can run stock Minecraft, this is the monitor for you.
Railway moved most of its services out of Google Cloud already but kept a few unfortunately critical items running there because surely, surely what happened last time wouldn't happen again.
Every memory, SSD, and even hard drive manufacturer is selling everything the can make right now at enormous margins, but there is real doubt whether the bubble will last, leading to a slow and measured approach to expansion even while customers die of starvation.
But you have to word it a bit better than that.
Looks like the share price bounced back the next day anyway.
Good evening Horde. The time has come for mid-week shenanigans. This will be a colorful ONT. The bar is open.
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 and are eligible for comment of the week consideration. Pants are optional (but pants or the lack of pants has no role in comment of the week consideration). Be nice to your fellow commenters and AoS contributors (being nice has an impact on comment of the week consideration). This is a Tucker, Candace, Megyn and Bill Kristol free zone. Please (violations definitely impact comment of the week consideration).
Will you be smarter after reading this ONT? Will you be better looking? Will you be more fun at parties? Will you lose weight? Will you be wealthier? Will you be more fashionable? If you skip the content, you'll never know!
[Top photo: Guess how many jelly beans are in the jar.]
This seems to miss the point (presuming there is any point to naming a "Color of the Year).
Introducing Pantone Color of the Year 2026, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, a lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. A billowy white imbued with serenity, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer encourages true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation.
No offense to "Cloud Dancer," but with all the possibilities and candidates, the color of the YEAR perhaps could involve something with...more color? This must be a troll or a practical joke, right?
Maybe Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute explains:
At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete white hue offering a promise of clarity. The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences.
Nope.
Playdough is going to make a special edition to showcase the "color." I think. I'm not sure whether they're kidding or not. Does it matter?
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Prince and the Revolution:
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Eiffel 65:
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Billy Idol:
AC DC:
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In Living Color:
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Got money? Buying a new Porsche? Want something beyond standard colors? You can choose from over 230 colors from the "Paint to Sample" program. Think an extra $13,000 or so (availability varies by model).
If you really want to spend money and want Porsche to paint your car with a specific custom color, they will do it for a prices that start at around $30,000. The more bespoke, the more expensive. It is a shockingly popular (and profitable) program but the truth is that Porsche doesn't love it because anything custom requires exceptions from the usual production line process. The pricing is partially to discourage people (in other words, extracting money from people who really, really want it and are willing to pay). Some are willing to pay because it makes their car unique - no other cars in the world will have the same color.
The department that takes on truly custom jobs used to be known as "special wishes" or "Sonderwunsch."
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Christmas nostalgia:
Who had one? Who still has one? Who is going to Amazon and spending $36.99 to buy a new color wheel?
Written correspondence can be sent to moronhobbies at protonmail dot com. Are you lurking ?? Does anyone read the disclaimer? Is there anyone out there? (tap, tap) Is this thing on? If you have read this far, you deserve a reward. The jellybean count answer is here .
Prosecutor charged for allegedly emailing self sealed Jack Smith Trump report veiled as cake recipes
The Justice Department has identified prosecutor as Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, the managing assistant U.S. Attorney of the Fort Pierce branch of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.
By Jerry Dunleavy
A federal prosecutor in the office that helped handle Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith's classified documents case regarding his investigation into Donald Trump was charged Wednesday for allegedly illegally emailing herself a copy of the materials disguised as cake recipes.
The department announced the indicted prosecutor as Carmen Mercedes Lineberger, a managing assistant U.S. attorney of the Fort Pierce branch of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Lineberger has been charged with two counts of theft of government money or property; the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations; and with the concealment, removal or mutilation of public records.
The charges against Lineberger were filed in the Northern District of Florida. She pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.
The department, in announcing the charges, said that in separate instances in late 2025, Lineberger altered the electronic file names of government records that she received in her official capacity "to conceal" her unauthorized electronic transmission of the records to personal email accounts belonging to her "without being detected."
The altered government records included a document that included parts of internal DOJ electronic messages, an internal DOJ memorandum and a DOJ report related to a criminal prosecution that had been court-ordered to remain under seal and prohibited from distribution or disclosure outside of the department, the DOJ also said.
Lineberger allegedly attempted to conceal her actions by saving electronic copies of the government records in question under misleading file names such as "chocolate cake recipe" and "Bundt cake recipe" before emailing the documents to her personal email accounts.
The DOJ also said Wednesday that Lineberger also acted "knowing that her transmission of the record outside DOJ directly violated the court order and impaired the proper administration of the underlying criminal prosecution."
"This afternoon, a former managing assistant U.S. Attorney who supported Jack Smith's politicized investigation of President Trump has been charged with stealing the confidential investigation documents," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a Wednesday afternoon X post. "This FBI will not hesitate to bring to account those who violated the trust of the American public in an investigation that should've never been brought to begin with."
Podcast: CBD and Jim Lakely of The Heartland Institute chat about Heartland's two recent discussions: The affordability crisis in America, and The UN retreating from their most maniacal climate projections. Along the way we talk Democrat insanity and the changing electoral map...and more!
After threatening that the "clock is ticking" for renewed strikes on Iran, Trump once again calls them off to give negotiating a chance. I can't even cover this any more. It's embarrassing. It's like covering the endless negotiations over DHS funding. Trump is going to drag this out through the midterms and then lose them.
Note to the president: At some point, allowing the Regime to remain in power without actually forcing them to give up nukes is just a back-door, unacknowledged renewal of the Obama policy. Well, I guess we just have to wait for their economy to collapse and their troops to desert.
Podcast: Sefton and CBD are joined by Jeff Carter, candidate for NV treasurer, and seasoned finance professional, for a discussion of the issues facing Nevadans, and the larger financial challenges in America.
Few people remember that Norm MacDonald began his career as a ventriloquist MacDonald's old partner Adam Egot revealed that MacDonald repurposed a bit with one of his ventriloquist dolls -- that he was a "bad guy" who "didn't believe the Holocaust happened" -- for the Norm MacDonald show, in which he claimed Egot didn't believe in the Holocaust.
Funniest thing I've read about the Virginia mess. Back when they were hustling the referendum through the assembly both Senators, Warner and Kaine, advised them to go slow and play by the rules. Louise Lucas said she respected them but didn't need advice from the "cuck chair" in the corner. The gerrymandering was overturned and Louise is heading for the big house. Edward G. Robinson voice "where's your cuck now?"
Posted by: Smell the Glove
"Ahhhhh ahh I put my career on the line for Louise Lucas and Jay Jones thinking they'd vault me into presidential contention and we ended up costing Democrats 20 House seats and unleashing a Reverse Dobbs ahhhhh ahhh"
"It's f**king f**ked." -- reportedly a genuine comment offered by a "senior Labour source" Correction: I wrote that Labour is losing 88% (now 87%) of the seats it is "defending." I think that's wrong. The right way to say it is the seats they are contesting -- that is, they don't necessarily already hold these seats, but they have put up a candidate to run for the seat. It's still very bad but not as bad as losing 87% of the seats they already held.
Basil the Great
@BasilTheGreat
🚨ED MILIBAND [a Minister in Starmer's government] SAYS KEIR STARMER WILL RESIGN AS PRIME MINISTER
He has reportedly reassured Labour MP's that Starmer will be resigning following the disastrous results tonight
It's over
"The end of the two party system in the UK" as first the Fake Conservatives and now Labour chooses political suicide rather than simply STOPPING THE INVASION Incidentally, the only reason this didn't already happen in the US is because of the Very Bad Orange Man (who is right on 85% of all policy calls and extremely, existentially right on 15% of them)
No political party that is NOT also a doomsday religious cult would EVER choose a cataclysmic loss -- and possible extinction as a party -- to support a toxically unpopular favoritism of NON-CITIZEN ILLEGAL MIGRANTS over actual citizen voters.
Only a cult does this.
Now they've lost 84%.
Annunziata Rees-Mogg
@zatzi
If this continues Labour loses 2,148 seats tonight.
That is much worse than the worst case predictions I’ve seen.
Cataclysmic
Update: They've now lost 88% of the seats they're defending. As I mentioned earlier, I think I heard that London will not bail them out, as many of those Labour seats will probably flip to "Muslim Independent" or Green. Detroit's 5am vote will not save them.
Yup, Labour is losing 80% of its seats...
The British Patriot
@TheBritLad
🚨 BREAKING: Labour have lost 80% of all seats contested as of 2:25 AM.< br>
If this continues, Keir Starmer will be out of office next week.
Reform has surged and projected to pick up between 1700-2100 seats.
Wow, up to 1700-2100 seats. It's not incredible that this is happening. It's incredible that the Davos crowd is so absolutely determined to privilege Muslim "migrants" over the actual native population who elects them, no matter how loudly the natives scream that they want to be prioritized, that they will gladly self-extinguish as a party rather than simply representing the interests of their own voters. Astonishing.
Remember, when they call other people "cultists" -- they are the ones so imprisoned in their social reinforcement and discipline bubbles that they will choose political death rather than dare upset the Karen Enforcement Officers of their cult. Update: Now they've lost 83% of the seats they were defending.
(((Dan Hodges)))
@DPJHodges
Reform are basically wiping Labour out in the North. It's not a defeat. It's not even a rout. Labour are simply ceasing to exist.
Nick Lowles
@lowles_nick
Tonight’s results are calamitous for Labour. Not just for Keir Starmer's leadership, but for the very future of the party
