The Morning Report — 3/16/26

Good morning kids. With all the attention on Iran, and all of us anticipating (foolishly? TBD) a popular uprising of the Persian people, under the cover of American and Israeli bombs to at long last have the ability to shake off the shackles of decades of oppression . . .

For decades, critics of regime change in Tehran have invoked the specter of chaos – often assuming that the only alternative to the Islamic Republic would be instability. But regime change from within, a concept I have explored in my scholarship, offers a fundamentally different pathway than externally imposed transformation. . .

Rather than  externally engineered governance, regime change from within involves the transfer of sovereignty to the Iranian people themselves, enabling them to dismantle authoritarian rule and construct democratic institutions through their own political agency.
The objective is the replacement of the ruling theocracy with a democratic republic grounded in pluralism, secular governance, and the rule of law. The political blueprint for such a transition already exists in Rajavi’s Ten-Point Plan, which calls for universal suffrage, gender equality, freedom of expression and assembly, separation of religion and state, and a non-nuclear Iran that lives peacefully with its neighbors – a plan that former National Security Advisor General James Jones recently referred to as “Jeffersonian.”
What Rajavi’s February announcement makes clear is that the Iranian opposition is not merely protesting the current regime – it is preparing for governance after its fall.

. . . Well, this kind of scenario might just be the case 90 miles from Florida,

A group of residents in Moron, central Cuba, protested early Saturday, targeting the local headquarters of the ruling communist party.The demonstration, reportedly tied to the island’s energy and food supply issues, resulted in the partial destruction of the building, and five individuals were arrested.

WIth the Maduro junta gone and the Mullahs on the ropes, Cuba's access to oil has effectively been cut off. The Russians have, or had propped up the Casto-ite communist Cubans decades and that mostly ended with the collapse of he Soviet Union leaving the Chi-Coms and other regional Latin-American Communist redoubts their only allies.

Will the rest of Cuba catch Moron fever?! Let a thousand AOSHQ puns bloom!

So if the government collapses, or is overthrown, don’t expect a peaceful transition of power as was the case in Czechoslovakia or Hungary or East Germany. Expect a bloodbath. Cubans are very vengeful. And they have decades of anger, suffering, and deprivation to fuel that overdue bloodbath. The rulers know this. If the regime makes a deal with Trump on time in order to obtain some oil it might, just might survive, albeit weakened, but if Trump and Rubio walk away and keep the pressure on, it’s the end.

Incidentally, notice that the demonstrations in Cuba are not anti-American (after all, the Cubans are not liberals). And they are not protesting the boycott. . .

. . . And if the Cuban regime is overthrown, what then? Chaos. There is no organized resistance in the country that could take over. Possibly there may be a military coup d’etat. Possibly Cuban-Americans will step in. Either way, do not expect the new government to pay off the defaulted national debts and diplomatic agreements of the previous government.

Have a great Day!

And lastly, a quick shout-out and a huge thank you for your continued support in hitting our tip jar. It truly is appreciated more than you can know.

AMERICA & ISRAEL STRIKE IRAN!
• It looks as though the Iranian regime can’t last much longer.
  Iran Update: Are You Tired of Winning Yet?
  
• Asked what such an agreement would require, Trump declined to spell it out publicly, though he indicated that a full Iranian abandonment of nuclear ambitions would be central to any acceptable arrangement.
  Trump: Iran Wants Ceasefire but ‘Terms Aren’t Good Enough’ — Questions Whether Mojtaba Khamenei Is Even Alive
  
• Fox News: “Israeli intelligence has opened what they are calling the “Quds file,” an effort to systematically target Iran’s Quds force and infrastructure across the Middle East.” 
  Israel Hunts for IRGC, Quds Operatives as Op Epic Fury Enters Third Week
  
• Thanks to the U.S. president’s keen political acumen, the Islamic Republic has lost a key point of leverage.
  How Trump Is Defusing Iran’s Oil Bomb
  
• On the other side of the river counter-demonstrators waved US and Israeli flags along with the the Lion and Sun Iranian flag favoured by exiles. They also held up placards with the words “Make Iran great again” and “Standing with my Jewish friends”.
  Hundreds Rally in London for Iranian Regime at Banned Pro-'Palestinian' Protest
  
• Iran responded to the U.S. military’s Operation Epic Fury by firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at targets in Israel, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The seemingly indiscriminate retaliation prompted the terrorist group, which has been backed by the Iranian regime, to express “deep concern” about the conflict in its first such appeal to the regime.
  Even Notorious Terror Group Hamas Thinks Iran’s Retaliatory Strikes On Neighbors Are Too Much
  
• During an interview with MS NOW on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to claims that he told the U.S. that Iran had enough uranium to make multiple nuclear weapons by saying that he did say they had enough material that, if enriched further, could make ten nuclear weapons, but claiming that this was actually just trying to convey how big of a concession Iran was willing to make and not making a threat.
  Iranian Foreign Minister Admits Mentioning Nuclear Bombs Like Witkoff Said, Claims It Wasn’t a Threat
  
• After years of domestic unrest, economic collapse, and growing popular resistance, the durability of the ruling system in Iran is increasingly uncertain. What matters now is not merely whether the current system crumbles, but whether a credible democratic alternative is ready to assume responsibility when it does.
  Preparing for Iran’s Democratic Transition
  
• Victor Davis Hanson: In sum, no one — with the exception of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — apparently realized that beneath its shell, theocratic Iran was rotten and decayed.
  Trump challenged 50 years of Iran fears — and revealed the rotten, decaying truth
  * * * * *

• “He just ordered our military to give “no quarter” during an active war against Iran. Just giving this order constitutes a war crime. Trump must fire him immediately, & retract this order.”
  What the Increasing Pettiness of Democrat Attacks on Trump’s War Leadership Tells Us
  
• ‘If your energy supplies depend on a foreign choke point, that’s a national security issue.’
  The Crisis In The Strait Of Hormuz Is Worse Because Of Dems’ Disastrous Energy Policy
  
• The risk is real, but we almost certainly already have a system in place that, if deployed, could drastically reduce it.
  The Iranian War Can Come Home
  
• Burning the Canadian flag is however legal.
  Canadian Cops Arrest Man for Burning Iranian Flag

  WE-ALL-SLAM-FOR-I-SLAM

• A violent synagogue terror attack takes on an even darker dimension after new intelligence revealed a chilling connection.
  New Intel Reveals Killer Blood Tie To Hezbollah Behind Synagogue Terror Attack
  
• No injuries or deaths were reported but the worrying trend of terrorist attacks aimed at both the Jewish and general population continues.
  Amsterdam Jewish School Latest Target In A Week Of Antisemitic And Islamist Violence
  
• Isn’t Islamic terrorism worse than ‘Islamophobia’?
  The ‘Religion of Peace’ Sure Likes to Kill and Maim
  
• Islamic terrorists are showing us what they can do when they have the numbers.
  4 Islamic Terrorist Attacks in Europe in 1 Week
  
• Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi is blaming pro-gun advocates for the shooting, deflecting from the likely Islamist motivations of the shooter.
  Soros-Backed DA Blames ‘Pro-Gun Lobby’ for ISIS Supporter’s Shooting Attack.
  
• The truth behind the label.
  Muslims Run Catholic Group Bringing Muslims to America
  
• Imagine a world without refugee resettlers and a world without the Taliban in Utah.
  Did You Know There’s a ‘Taliban’ Gangs of Iraqi Refugees in Utah?

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

• The DOJ and FBI are starting to expose how much the Deep State has wrongly hidden from the public, but they’re still hiding what happened to Seth Rich.
  Deep State Protection Of The Seth Rich Files May Be Ending
  
• Tuberville reposted an image circulating online that paired a photo of the Sept. 11 attacks with a picture of Democratic New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Newsom fired back in a post on X, launching a personal attack against Tuberville and accusing him of racism.
  Gavin Newsom Calls GOP Senator ‘Racist Piece Of Sh*t’
  
• “Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that…calls for the overthrow of the,…Government, law enforcement authorities, and our system of law.”
  Eight Found Guilty in Antifa Terror Attack on Texas ICE Detention Center
  
• The city makes clear in its public description of the policy that 'environmental justice communities' are minority neighborhoods
  NYC Congestion Pricing Scheme Prioritizes 'Environmental Justice Communities,' Pumps Money Into Minority Neighborhoods in What Could Be Illegal Discrimination

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

• Thursday’s attacks are just the latest reminder that good immigration policy isn’t simple a matter of legality.
  This Week’s Terror Attacks Prove Immigration Isn’t ‘Good’ Just Because It’s Legal
  
• “Healey-Parera told police he bought the rifle to ‘shoot an ICE agent as a last resort if they were to come to his home in Ithaca,’” according to police.
  Police: Cornell Student Bought Rifle to Shoot ICE
  
• Trump’s base didn’t elect him for half measures on immigration; they expect mass deportations—and the scale of enforcement between now and November may decide the 2026 midterms.
  The Path to a Million: Why Mass Deportations are the Key to 2026

  DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, THE COURTS, WASTE/FRAUD/ABUSE

• Multiple agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are being subjected to “emergency measures” due to the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), according to a release by DHS. Fetterman said he spoke with TSA agents during his frequent travels about the effects of the shutdown.
  ‘Why Would You Wanna Punish All These Workers?’: Sen Fetterman Does Not Spare Fellow Dems Over Gov’t Shutdown Effects
  
• Homeless spending tripled, homeless population up 26%
  NYC Spends $81,705 Per Homeless Person

  SHAMPEACHMENTS, 2016 CLINTON/OBAMA COUP, CONGRESSIONAL PERSECUTION, SPYGATE, DEEP STATE, MUELLER DECEPTION

• The move by Judge Boasberg is relatively unprecedented, and U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro says her office will appeal the decision.
  Anti-Trump Judge Boasberg Blocks Grand Jury Subpoenas in Jerome Powell Investigation.

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

• The media is the enemy.
  ‘Sneaker Salesman’, ‘Quiet Restaurant Worker’: Media Works to Humanize Islamic Terrorists
  
• The problem is not the mistakes -- it's the direction of the mistakes ...
  When 'Teenagers Enjoying the Day' Throw Terror Bombs
  
• Roger Kimball: A media class addicted to anti-Trump theatrics manufactured a “surf-and-turf scandal,” only to reveal its own irrelevance as Trump’s agenda—and America’s leverage—keeps advancing.
  Surf, Turf, and Another Media Meltdown
  
• Carr wrote in an X post he was giving broadcasters who were “running hoaxes and news distortions ‐ also known as the fake news” the chance to “correct course before their license renewals come up.” His warning came in response to a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump slamming “the Fake News Media” for what he called an “intentionally misleading headline” about U.S. Air Force planes reportedly hit by an Iranian missile strike.
  ‘Fake News’: FCC Chair Warns Broadcasters To ‘Operate In The Public Interest’ Or Risk Loss Of License
  
• David French’s praise for a progressive Christian candidate reveals a deeper problem in modern moral thinking: feelings and intentions now outweigh doctrine, truth, and the consequences of policy.
  Is James Talarico Really a Christian X-Ray?
  
•  The company has indicated it does not currently have sufficient assets to fund its 2026 cash obligations.
  BuzzFeed Lost $57 Million in 2025, May Not Survive 2026.

  THE ECONOMY, STUPID

• Inflation ensues.
  Politicians Fail the Marshmallow Test
  
• “Heck, we just announced yesterday bringing on a meaningful amount of oil production in the state of California from offshore that California has fought foolishly to prevent new American oil to go into their own state,” the Trump administration energy secretary continued. “And we said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and we’ve got new oil production coming on in California. So lots of actions we’re taking to mitigate this price rise.”
  Energy Secretary Chris Wright Says Trump Admin Has Trick Up Its Sleeve To Ease Oil Price Rise Amid Iran Conflict
  
• He's only good at parroting Democrati talking points.
  Why Hasn’t Moody’s Fired Mark Zandi Yet?

  
  CRIME & PUNISHMENT, NON-DOSTOYEVSKY

• The train passenger apparently bumped into the suspect on the northbound C and E train platform at the 34th Street-Penn subway station just before 7 p.m., law enforcement sources told the New York Post.
  New York Man, 55, Dead After Being Punched out on Subway Platform

  EDUCATION, AND WHAT PASSES FOR IT

• Parents who spoke to The Federalist allege the policy is meant to silence critics of the private school and its theological direction.
  FTC Tells ‘Woke’ Christian School To Rethink Speech-Freezing Code Of Conduct
  
• I taught high school English at an independent school in New Jersey for seven years. I loved the school’s focus on resilience and growth. I loved my colleagues, who challenged and nurtured our students, including my own children, who attended the school. And I felt lucky to be part of such a vibrant learning community. That all changed in 2014. 
  The DEI scourge in K-12 education has only gotten worse since I blew the whistle on my own school

  SECOND AMENDMENT

• When activists claim guns make no one safer—not even police—they reveal the endgame: disarm the law-abiding and hope criminals politely follow the rules.
  Gun Control’s Endgame: No Guns for Anyone
  
• Democrats are determined to undermine the Constitution.
  Democrats go gun crazy

  THE 2020 and SUBSEQUENT ELECTION HEISTS , SHENANIGANS/FRAUD and AFTERMATH

• The movement to put federal agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies at polling places is having the effect of flushing out into the open those from the left who want to protect shady election systems. 
  New Mexico Is the First State to Ban Armed Federal Agents from Voting Locations
  
• Some Republicans care much more about enriching themselves than saving the republic. So much for the ‘will of the people.’
  Senate RINOs Are Squandering Golden Opportunity To Fix Cracked Election System (Squandering = Sabotaging - jjs)
  
• Virginia Democrats are now attempting to reverse what the majority of Virginians voted for in order to revive the practice of gerrymandering. 
  Virginia's Redistricting Subterfuge

  BIDEN CRIME FAMILY REVELATIONS

• The scandal is no longer about the Biden family, but about the FBI agents and DOJ employees responsible for conspiring to thwart the investigation into the former [so-called quote-unquote] president.
  ‘Round River’ FBI Op Was A Deep State Conspiracy To Thwart Investigation Into Biden Family Corruption

  DEMOCRAT/LEFTIST AND RINO SCANDALS, MESHUGAS, CHUTZPOCRISY, INSANITY

• Why did Crockett let a dangerous criminal into Congress?
  Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s Guard Killed in SWAT Standoff
  
• Davis also spent nearly $7,000 on airfare around the time of the trip
  Riding in Style: North Carolina Rep. Don Davis Billed Taxpayers $2,300 in Ride Shares on Day He Toured Southern Border

  POLITICS

• Jim Messina explained to Axios that while Democrats are planning to rely on voters’ frustrations with President Donald Trump and his administration to pick up additional seats in the upcoming midterm elections, that is not enough to win the presidency.
  Former Obama Campaign Managers Warn Democrat Party Is a Mess
  
• California Democrats built a coalition of factions and identities—but without a leader to discipline them, that coalition is splintering just in time to hand Republicans an opening.
  Intersectionality and Abandoned Leadership Are Killing the Democrats
  
• Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton are vying for Trump’s endorsement, which may influence the outcome of the runoff and the passage of the SAVE America Act.
  ‘I Don’t Know That to be a Fact,’ Trump Says of Cornyn’s Claim to be the Best Texas Senate Candidate.
  
• It’s easy to get discouraged about the ongoing redistricting wars with recent developments in California and Virginia, but Republicans did score a significant victory last week that may help. A Missouri judge has cleared the way for a new congressional map that strengthens the GOP’s position and puts a longtime Democratic stronghold squarely in play.
  GOP Wins Another Redistricting Battle
  
• The current system, which is meant to protect against mindless populism, is broken, for it will allow Progressives to destroy the Constitutional system.
  Republicans: Restore The Speaking Filibuster Or Destroy It Entirely
  
• Thad McCotter: “Jane the Plumber” embodies the American Dream: hardworking, determined, and her vote this fall could shape the midterms.
  Jane the Plumber

  ISRAEL vs IRAN & GAZA/HAMAS . . . AND LEFTISTS

• Axios: “Israel is planning to significantly expand its ground operation in Lebanon, aiming to seize the entire area south of the Litani River and dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure…”
  Report: IDF Planning Ground Offensive as Lebanon’s Hezbollah Declares “Existential Battle” Against Israel

  THE UKRAINIAN "FRONT"

• Reuters Television footage showed emergency crews at work amid piles of rubble and twisted metal.
  Russia Launches 400+ Drones, Dozens Of Missiles In Ukraine Strike, Killing 6

  FOREIGN AFFAIRS, INTERNATIONAL

• In Hungary, even without USAID funds, Democrats are using money from a network of oligarchs and NGOs to crush Viktor Orbán and MAGA.
  Democrats’ Dirty Central European War

• The incident highlights Cuba’s ongoing energy crisis, worsened by a lack of fuel shipments and U.S. sanctions.
  Cubans Storm Communist HQ.
  
• Chaos or no chaos, anything will be an improvement over Communism.
  Expect Chaos in Cuba
  
• "Based on current assessments, this event does not pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies."
  North Korea Fires 10 Ballistic Missiles During U.S.-South Korea Military Drills
  
• Merkel, who served as the architect of the European Migrant Crisis in 2015, when she unilaterally decided to open the EU’s borders to unprecedented waves of foreigners from the Middle East and Africa, resulting in dramatic demographic transformations in her country and across the continent, appears to have let the cat out of the bag as to her motivation for doing so.
  Merkel Blasted for Calling on Migrants to Vote Against Populist AfD Party
  
• To date, Azerbaijan’s destruction of historical monuments and various structures of Armenian origin in Artsakh has been numerous. At present, the free entry of journalists and experts into the territory of Artsakh is generally prohibited. 
  Armenian Cultural Heritage Sites Facing Destruction in Nagorno-Karabakh
  
• The bounty offer represents a significant escalation in threats against American forces and intelligence operations in the region.
  Iran-Backed Iraqi Militia Places Bounties on U.S. Officials.

  DEFENSE, MILITARY, SECURITY AFFAIRS

• Israeli military adviser Amir Avivi told the Free Beacon that the United States learned from the war in Ukraine, where Russia has employed its own modified Iranian drones
  The US Military’s Newest Low-Cost Weapon: Reverse-Engineered Iranian Drones

  ACTUAL SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY

• This is really the only close look we have of this distant world. The other hemisphere remains a mystery, as it was in darkness when Voyager-2 zipped past. And though some of the individual shots that make up this mosiac are more detailed, they don’t provide that much more information.
  Miranda, the smallest of Uranus’ spherical moons (Klingons yet to be detected - jjs)
  
• They only have two years to get the spacecraft built, and it involves “an orbiter, a returner, a lander, an ascender, and a service module.”China to begin construction of its Mars sample return spacecraft

  FEMINAZISM, TRANSGENDER PSYCHOSIS, HOMOSEXUALIZATION, WAR ON MASCULINITY/NORMALCY

• How is the unprecedented growth of lesbianism contributing to America’s demographic demise, and what can be done?
  Is Lesbianism Ruining America’s Future?
  
• Dissent: “This is a case about swinging dicks…. But as much as you might understandably be shocked and displeased to merely encounter that phrase in this opinion, I hope we all can agree that it is far more jarring for the unsuspecting and exposed women at Olympus Spa— some as young as thirteen—to be visually assaulted by the real thing.”
  Appeals Judges Upset By “Crude” Dissent Mocking Majority For Permitting Naked Men In Women-Only Nude Spa
  
• Their stories highlight not only the difficulties they have faced but also the possibility of healing and renewal.
  Detransitioners were once marginalized, now they lead the fight against gender ideology
  
• Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister, downplayed concerns about men in women's sports.
  WATCH: Democrat Candidate Says Christians Who Oppose Trans Ideology Are Racist

  CULTURE WARS, NATIONAL SUICIDE

• A culture that once celebrated heroes now prefers sneering at them—proof that Western self-forgetfulness has turned admiration into ridicule and criticism into a spectator sport.
  Melania: The Age of Jeerleading
  
• The Oscars have become siloed, watched mostly by an older, affluent, coastal audience.
  The Oscars Audience Today Reveals Something About America’s Divide
  
• From the countryside to Canterbury, the nation’s elites have contempt for all things English.
  British Culture Under Attack—by Its Curators
  
• Christian Toto: Conan O’Brien leads Trump Derangement gala at worst possible time
  Oscars 2026 Review: Resist, They Must
  
• Toto Too: Far-Left sketch show avoids talker's sad, outrageous decline in recent months
  ‘SNL’ Mocks Tucker Carlson, Gets Pundit 100 Percent Wrong
  
• “The male gaze was blindfolded...The code remained in place...It is obvious why a movie like this was panned by the critics.”
  The Movies Against MeToo
  
• The slide toward cultural suicide accelerates.
  England Forsakes its Heroes

  HITHER & YON

• Modern sentimentality is hurting man's best friend.
  The De‑Evolution of the American Dog

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.

And. . . PODCASTING NEWS: the Podcast feeds have been fixed so you can now listen to them on the RSS feed as well as Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and of course directly at the CutJibNewsletter site. We also post a version on our Rumble channel within 12-24 hours of going live at the above.

Also, do follow us on X (Twitter): @CutJibNews

And my X (Twitter) account at: @therealJJSefton

and on Instagram: @Cutjibnewsletter

TIP JAR : Your support helps keep the lights on and is truly appreciated. Note: We are on Stripe, not PayPal.

posted by J.J. Sefton at 06:55 AM

| Access Comments