The Morning Report — 3/11/26

Good morning kids. We're into the twelfth day of military operations against the Iranian regime and while we seemingly have blown their navy out of the water, the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most strategic waterways in the world is where much of the action is now focused.

A projectile hit a cargo ship Wednesday in the Strait of Hormuz, setting the vessel ablaze after the United States targeted Iranian minelaying vessels that could target the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, run by the British military, said the vessel had been hit just north of Oman in the strait.

It said the crew was evacuating the ship.

Iran did not immediately claim the attack though it has been targeting ships in and around the strait, disrupting a waterway that sees a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded pass through it.

Along with lobbing missiles at neighboring nations, the intentional targeting of foreign flagged ships by Iran is likely an attempt to force external pressure by the rest of the world on President Trump to cease fire and call it quits. It's a race against time for the US and Israel to either destroy and/or degrade Iran's retaliatory/strike capabilities before they have a chance to use them or otherwise exhaust their stocks of these missiles and make them surrender. My concern is the Chi-Coms. They are desperate for and rely heavily on Iranian oil. If the Strait of Hormuz is cut off, how will they react to force it open. And in any case, a collapse of the Mullahocracy means loss of a strategic regional ally, assuming a Trump-approved government takes its place, which might also put a serious crimp in China's access to the oil it needs. All of that in my mind could perhaps push Xi to make a move on Taiwan.

Whatever one thinks about the President's attack on Iran, back here at home this report is a head-scratcher and frankly pissing me the hell off:

In a private meeting, James Blair, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, encouraged House Republicans to adjust how they discuss immigration. He suggested shifting away from talk of “mass deportations” and narrowing the administration’s efforts to deport only confirmed dangerous criminals.This guidance arises from worries that Democrats are effectively painting Trump’s immigration approach as excessively sweeping, despite President Donald J. Trump campaigning on an ambiguous promise to deport all illegal aliens. Blair reportedly shared these thoughts in a policy discussion at the yearly House Republican retreat held in Doral, Florida. . . The shift is drawing sharp criticism from many in the President’s MAGA base, some of whom were already unhappy with the administration’s embrace of neoconservative foreign policy by launching the ongoing war in Iran. “I voted for no new wars & mass deportations. Why are we stopping the mass deportations and starting a new war?” asked Caroline Sunshine, who acted as deputy communications director for the Trump 2024 campaign.

Regarding the attack on Iran, lest we forget that Iran via its terror proxies and its own capabilities has spilled rivers of blood and quite a bit of it American since Jimmy Carter helped the current regime take over 47 years ago, and since then they have been hell bent on bringing about armageddon — primarily via the acquisition and use of nuclear weapons — as the precursor for the arrival of the 12th Imam to usher in the internal age of Islam ruling the world.

"Death to America" is not merely a sweet little nothing you whisper in a Vassar co-ed's ear to get her to hop into the sack with you (Of course failing that, there's always rape in the name of decolonization!) This has been Iran's national motto and battle cry since 1979. President Trump is merely the first president in all that time to take them at their word and is doing what he can and must to prevent that from happening, unlike any of his predecessors in all that time, one in particular who actually shared that view. Of course I mean Barack Hussein Obama who did more to aid and abet the Iranian nuclear weapons program by giving them political/diplomatic cover/legitimacy and shoveling billions of dollars at them. Obama was the black Tucker Carlson of the Rosenbergs.

But I digress. Wow did I digress! As far as illegal aliens are concerned. Sorry, but all of them regardless of criminal record or lack thereof are a danger and threat to our safety, security and to societal cohesion in general.

To James Blair, I say, justify to me how it is in the best interest of this nation to allow anyone who came here illegally to remain here and benefit — and that is the perfect word to use — from being here at the cost to our fellow citizens, monetarily and otherwise. Awarding and encouraging criminal behavior is antithetical to the founding of this nation and to its moral and ethical underpinnings that are the basis or are supposed to be the basis of our society and government.

Sorry, this is an absolute non-starter for me. Every one of the millions, perhaps 44 million or more by now, foreigners here on our soil without our approval and permission must be removed. No ifs ands or buts. With that in mind, I give you this, your emetic of the day:

Rachel Zegler, the woke actress who played the woke Hispanic Snow White for the 2025 live action Disney movie recently addressed the tremendous backlash she received for her performance in the film, finally concluding with this sentiment: “I refuse to assimilate for anybody else’s comfort.”

Oh, you don’t say. . .

. . . So Zegler doesn’t want to assimilate because she comes first—like every other foreigner living off the comforts and privileges America affords while actively working to destroy it.

And Zegler I am assuming is a legal immigrant! To me this is someone defecating on the grave of my dear mother of blessed memory, who survived Mauthausen, forced labor brigades and a death march and waiting for four years to arrive here and kissed the ground when she stepped on American soil. She refused to teach me her native tongue, Hungarian, because of what they did to her and her family in aiding and abetting the Nazis in virtually wiping out the second largest Jewish population in Europe. Fuck you, and vayr gehargit, Rachel Zegler.

Have a great Day!

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AMERICA & ISRAEL STRIKE IRAN!
• Iran did not immediately claim the attack though it has been targeting ships in and around the strait, disrupting a waterway that sees a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded pass through it.
  British military says a cargo ship is ablaze in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile

• The U.S. military has experienced casualties and incurred significant costs.
  Pentagon Confirms 140 U.S. Military Casualties in Iran War.
  
• Both Caine and Hegseth suggested the U.S. would probably help oil vessels safely through the Strait of Hormuz if the need arose.
  ‘This Is Not 2003’: Hegseth Promises Iran War Will Not Turn Into Nation-Building
  
• CENTCOM already said that the military has struck 5,000 targets and damaged or destroyed over 50 ships.
  Hegseth: Today Will be ‘Our Most Intense Day of Strikes Inside Iran’
  
• Shipping companies have been asking for protection almost every day since the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran more than a week ago.
  Trump says US destroyed 10 'inactive' Iranian mine-laying ships in Strait of Hormuz, 'more to follow'
  
• The IDF strikes regime airfields, deepens ‘aerial superiority over Iranian skies.’
  Op Epic Fury Updates: Iran’s Top Regime Operative Threatens to ‘Eliminate’ Trump

• Seven U.S. troops have tragically died in Iranian regime counterstrikes since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, and the president paid his respects to the remains of six of them last week at Dover. Subsequently, Trump also spoke to the press on Monday and emphasized that parents of the service members who gave the last full measure of devotion want the president to finish off the task that their loved ones offered their lives to achieve. This must be no Vietnam War, no waste of the lives of our most courageous and honorable young men and women.
  Fallen Troops’ Families Told Trump ‘Finish the Job’ on Iran
  
• Allowing zero refugees to resettle on American soil should be the absolute minimum requirement for any U.S. military action in the Middle East.
  No Matter How The Iran War Ends, We Absolutely Cannot Take Any Refugees
  
• The Space Force that Democrats sneered at is now saving American lives and protecting our allies from hostile missile fire.
  Space Force Proves Its Worth as Trump’s Vision Pays Off During Epic Fury, Midnight Hammer
  
• . . .he ugly truth about the Islamic terrorist campaign against America and its alliance with the Marxist Left —The Freedom Center’s new pamphlet reveals the hidden history of Iran’s 47-year war against America.
  Why We’re At War With Iran
  * * * * *

• The only thing that matters to them is winning elections.
  Dems Place Their Bets Against The U.S.
  
• Lefty advocates for women in sports like Megan Rapinoe, Jemele Hill and Keith Olbermann — who normally race toward open microphones to fulminate about Trump, trans kids, ICE and pay equity — are remarkably quiet over the plight of the Iranian women’s soccer team. These brave footballers held their ground at an Asian Cup match in Brisbane last week, refusing to sing the anthem of the brutal Islamic Republic, fresh off slaughtering tens of thousands of heroic protesters demonstrating against the despotic regime.
  Why isn’t motormouth Megan Rapinoe using her megaphone for Iran’s female soccer team?

  
  CIVIL WAR 2.0, LEFTIST PERSECUTIONS, DEMOCRAT PUTSCH, AMERICAN DISSOLUTION

• This picture, more than any other image I've ever seen, encapsulates the ideology of modern Leftism.
  This Insane Moment Belongs In A Dystopian Novel

  "DEMOCRAT/LEFTIST/GLOBALIST BORDER BLOODBATH," AMNESTY, IMMIGRATION, BORDER SECURITY

• The potential sea-change in White House and GOP strategy on immigration could alienate much of the MAGA movement.
  White House Abandons ‘Mass Deportations’ Campaign Pledge, Demands GOP Congress Does Same.
  
• Yeah, her and every other foreigner.
  Colombian actress talks her ‘refusal’ to ‘assimilate’ to American values and culture

  DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, THE COURTS, WASTE/FRAUD/ABUSE

• More than seven million borrowers will need to transition to new repayment plans.
  Court Halts Biden-Era Student Loan Repayment Plan.
  
• Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves on technological competition, the politics of AI, and how a poor state became a model for American growth
  The State That Says Yes
  
• Due to sky-high taxation and all-around government incompetence, California has shifted from the Gold Rush state to the Outrush state.
  Failifornia
  
• Betsy McCaughey: It’s not just New York and California: All across the nation, blue states are committing political and economic suicide by targeting millionaires with high taxes. Who will suffer most from this ideologically driven push to punish the wealthy? Wage workers and the poor.
  Blue states are committing tax suicide — their mania is contagious

  WE-ALL-SLAM-FOR-I-SLAM

• "A lot of people, after October 7, started learning about Islam"
  Muslim Police ‘Liaison’ Who Defended Hamas Supporters Busted for 3 Sexual Assaults
  
• “On Saturday,” Mamdani began, “a protest was held outside Gracie Mansion, where I live with my wife Rama. Neither of us were home at the time. This was a vile protest rooted in white supremacy, entitled Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City.” To lead off with this is to try to give the impression, as the establishment media did, that the “vile” protesters who opposed the “Islamic Takeover of New York City” were behind the bombing.
  After ISIS Bombing in New York, Mamdani Condemns Islamic Terrorism — Nah, Just Kidding
  
• Who knew the Islamic rape enthusiasts would rape me too?
  Hamas Rape Enthusiasts at College Encampment Were Raping Each Other

  
  FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUES, CENSORSHIP, FAKE NEWS, MEDIA, BIG BROTHER TECH

• The incident highlights ongoing issues with free speech on social media platforms, and the influence of foreign censorship laws on American citizens, including elected officials.
  Musk’s X Censors GOP Congressman for Anti-Islam Tweet.
  
• “I think this has been another real significant pain point and frustration in most Americans’ lives. You call up a company, try to resolve an issue, [and] you end up with a call center outside of the U.S., there’s language, there’s communication barriers, it’s just difficult to resolve your problem,” Carr said.
  Exclusive–Brendan Carr: FCC Is Cracking Down on Overseas Call Center Scams, Requiring Standard English Proficiency, Reducing Robocalls
  * * * * *

• Congress says the App Store Accountability Act will protect children. In reality, it risks creating a massive digital surveillance system while undermining privacy and free speech.
  The App Store Accountability Act Is a Privacy Nightmare Disguised as Child Protection
  
• Establishment elites have begun seeding the narrative that Vice President JD Vance and the GOP are locked in an internecine battle over artificial intelligence, one that could derail Vance’s ascent as the heir apparent to carry President Donald Trump’s MAGA mantle forward.
  CODE RED: Why JD Vance’s Framing of AI Will Define the Future of Global Politics

  THE ECONOMY, STUPID

• “This is going to hurt Gov. Newsom who has had a lot of success chasing out hundreds to thousands of California businesses or subsidiaries”
  Yamaha Leaving California for Greener Pastures in Georgia
  
• Rising costs for fertilizers and diesel, potential farm bankruptcies, and increased consumer prices for food.
  American Farmers Struggle as Iran War Sparks Fertilizer Crisis, Surge in Fuel Costs.

  CRIME & PUNISHMENT, NON-DOSTOYEVSKY

• So much for ACAB.
  ‘No Kings’ Sued After ‘Armed Volunteer’ Killed Bystander

  EDUCATION, AND WHAT PASSES FOR IT

• President Jim Davis’ decision to consolidate four “studies” departments is about more than just fiscal prudence.
  UT Austin Strikes a Blow to Critical Theory
  
• Mohamed Abdou’s 'Death to the Akademy' discussion at Union Theological Seminary will offer 'strategies for student organizers who seek to confront the liberal Akademy'
  'Decolonial Organizing Lessons from Gaza's Warrior Mujahideen': Union Theological Seminary, A Columbia Affiliate, To Host Talk From 'Activist-Scholar' Banned By Columbia for Endorsing Hamas

  POLITICS

• Toth, who defeated Crenshaw Tuesday in the Republican primary for Crenshaw’s House seat, is endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is his bid to defeat Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in the primary runoff to represent the Lone Star State in the United States Senate.
  Exclusive – Steve Toth Endorses Ken Paxton for Senate over John Cornyn
  
• The Evangelical Immigration Table has received millions in funding from Soros’s Open Society Foundations via the National Immigration Forum to advance open borders and pro-mass immigration policies among evangelical leaders.
  Paxton Rival John Cornyn Launches ‘Faith Advisory Council’ Helmed by Soros-Linked Pro-Amnesty Pastors.
  
• Calling Texas’ Democrat senatorial candidate James Talarico, even derisively, a “bible-banger” is a disservice to bible-bangers. 
  Talarico, With His Left Hand on the Bible

• California’s ruling machine survives by repackaging the same failed policies with new faces—and Matt Mahan may be the latest “moderate” mask for the state’s tax-and-spend status quo.
  California’s Future: Matt Mahan, the Bogus Conservative Whisperer
  
• Dem seat flips Republican.
  Mohammed Loses Election for Dems in Blue Virginia

  FOREIGN AFFAIRS, INTERNATIONAL

• The apparent lack of broad European support for the U.S. strikes on Iran signals the continent could be approaching a turning point by deciding whether it will maintain economic dependence on Washington or Beijing — or take matters into its own hands.
  Europe Leaving America In Dust After Years Of Being Beholden To China

  HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE

• The tracking system is perhaps the most revealing part of the whole thing, because it shows how the state wants this market treated.Georgia would require retailers to enter purchaser information into a real-time electronic logging system, complete with names, addresses, identification details, product information, and timestamps, and law enforcement would have direct access to the data.
  Georgia’s Kratom Crackdown Runs Against RFK’s Health Vision, Creates Govt Database of Buyers.
  
• Oz now oversees the agency responsible for administering federal health programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace. During remarks on the problem, Oz stated that fraudulent enrollments and unauthorized changes to insurance policies resulted in significant financial losses for the federal government. Oz also warned that the system's structure made it easier for dishonest brokers to exploit weaknesses in the enrollment process. Federal officials have begun tightening verification requirements to prevent additional abuse.
  Dr. Mehmet Oz Says Millions Lost to Obamacare Fraud. What Else Were We Told Wrong?

  ACTUAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

• The spacecraft weighs a bit over 1,300 pounds, which places it among the larger objects expected to reenter Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled descent. Most of the structure will burn up during reentry, although some components could survive the intense heat and fall to the surface. NASA engineers believe the risk of injury remains extremely low, though the spacecraft's exact landing can't be predicted with precision.
  A 1,300-Pound NASA Satellite Is Falling Back to Earth. What Could Go Wrong?
  
• I want to highlight two numbers — 19 and 39 — in order to illustrate how SpaceX does things versus NASA. Not only has SpaceX already completed eleven test flights of Starship/Superheavy, it has tested or flown 19 and 39 prototypes of each, in one manner or another. The company has a very rich history of hardware and testing as it ramps up towards operational flights. This practically guarantees that those operational flights will not only occur relatively soon, they will be relatively safe and robust.
  SpaceX now targeting early April for next Starship/Superheavy test flight
  
• I have searched the New Horizons’ press release archive, and as far as I can tell, this sequence of images and the terrain it shows was never highlighted publicly by the science team.
  Pluto’s cratered glacial terrain

  CULTURE WARS, NATIONAL SUICIDE

• Christian Toto: Podcaster laments the good the first black president could have done for U.S.
  Adam Carolla on Obama: ‘All He Does Is Race Hustle’
  
• Toto Too: Director's tart response to Rosanna Arquette means more than media bickering
  Quentin Tarantino Did What Foster, Scorsese and More Refused

  HITHER & YON

• Fischer takes full advantage of this very complete record, which made it possible for him to tell the story of almost every participant, in a human and very personal way. Thus, as you read his book it actually feels like you are on our modern social media, where everyone takes out a smart phone to record what’s happening, thus providing us all with many different perspectives of the same event. Only here those perspectives come from the written word, penned with thoughtful attention and a passionate dedication to telling the truth, as each person saw it.
  Who fired “the shot heard round the world?” (Bobby Thomson for $500, Alex- jjs)
  
• No one should be laid to rest without relatives, but especially our veterans.
  Hundreds Attend Funeral of Tennessee Navy Veteran Who Passed With No Living Relatives

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posted by J.J. Sefton at 06:45 AM

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