And the Hits Just Keep on Coming

EPA Chief Keeps on Digging

Lee Zeldin is Trump's new head of EPA. A huge part of his mandate is twofold is to reduce nonsense regulations that interfere with commerce and kill all garbage grants, which in most cases are outright thievery of taxpayer monies.

I shared the gold bars off the Titanic analogy last issue. Here's some more -

Friday Zeldin reported he has canceled a Biden-era $50 million environmental justice grant to an organization that believes "climate justice travels through a Free Palestine."

"Just earlier today, I canceled a $50 million grant to an organization called the Climate Justice Alliance," he said. "They say that climate justice runs through a free Palestine. I think that the American taxpayer wouldn't want $50 million going to this left-wing advocacy group. It’s canceled."

I guess you can invade your neighbor, murder its citizens, rape its women and put babies in ovens BETTER if you have clean air.

You also might remember one of Kamala's very few responsibilities as VP - overseeing an electric school bus project.

Here's an update.

The EPA sent $160 million to a Canadian electric bus manufacturer under the Biden administration. Zeldin said the Biden administration sent the full amount to the manufacturer, rather than making payments along the way as school buses were being produced and delivered.

Since receiving the money, he added, the company has declared bankruptcy. "They still haven’t provided $95 million worth of school buses to the 55 school districts," Zeldin said. "Once again, the American taxpayer gets screwed."

Sound like Obama's Solar Energy boondoggles.

Bobby Jr Has a Plan

RFK Jr, whom I thought might well be a sacrificial lamb, made it through. He is the new HHS Secretary. His plan - RADICAL TRANSPARENCY.

He believes...many Americans feel "disconnected."

"You have a whole generation of kids that feel alienated, dispossessed, and they are in a[n] existential crisis, not only because their health is, you know — 77% of our kids can't qualify for military service. There's no sense of usefulness or effectiveness or connectedness to their communities."

Based on what Trump lieutenants have uncovered so far, I bet there's a whole bunch of Pols and Pharma/Food execs quaking in their boots. While those fearful of his mission will keep harping on vaccines, Bobby has a lot more in store. No more quarter pounders or KFC for Donald. This is gonna be fun. Let's see what he does.

Surprised?

A new poll shows liberal women are the most unhappy and lonely. Liberal women between ages of 18-40 are nearly 3X as likely as conservative peers to report frequent feelings of loneliness.

Liberal women are the least likely to report being fully satisfied with their lives and are far more likely to report feeling lonely often, according to a recently published poll. The 2024 American Family Survey found that 37% of conservative women and 28% of moderate women, between the ages of 18-40, reported being "completely satisfied" with their lives, but just 12% of liberal women in the same age group said the same. 

Liberal women were also nearly 3X more likely than conservative women to say they experienced loneliness at least a few times a week.

Brad Wilcox, a sociology professor at the University of Virginia and fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, said he believes there are a couple of reasons why conservative young women are more likely to be happier than their liberal counterparts. "We've seen in the research that conservative women are more likely to embrace a sense of agency and to have the sense that they are not, in any way, the victim of larger structural realities or forces."

Another fact is only 31% of liberal women are married vs. 51% of conservatives. Maybe this has something to do with compatibility and commitment, eh? Conservative women are also more likely to embrace the gender differences between men and women and prioritize family and attending religious services, which also contributes to happiness.

Lots of anger out there, for sure. And, it starts on our campuses.

Good for Jamie. No More Pajamas.

"Don't waste time on it. I don't care how many people sign that f---ing petition," Jamie Dimon, CEO of Chase Morgan, said when asked about the in-person work policy during a town hall meeting Wednesday.   

Dimon was referring to a petition that had been circulating among a group of workers opposed to the company's latest policy, requiring hybrid workers to come back to the office full-time. 

The company told employees in January that its new policy would take effect in March, effectively dissolving its hybrid model. It ignited frustrations among certain staffers, causing 950 people to sign a petition to do away with the policy, according to Reuters.

I haven't been too keen on several of Dimon's left-leaning positions, but he got this one right. The times they are a-changin'.

It's Not Only Because She's a 10

It's her competition. No wonder Karoline Leavitt, Trump's Press Sec, is hitting home runs, here's what her predecessor thinks.

Jen Psaki was rewarded for her performance art as Joe Biden's press secretary, in which she repeatedly covered for her boss's mental decline, misleading the public and the media, with a lucrative new job at MSNBC. Not much about her job has changed since moving to the country's most embarrassing "news" outlet.

One of Psaki's many talents is blaming "misinformation" for anything that doesn't go exactly according to her or her party's plan. But her latest attempt to do so bordered on the absurd, even for her.

Jon Stewart, another left wing media partner, interviewed Psaki on "The Weekly Show With Jon Stewart" recently to discuss how their party lost comprehensively in the 2024 election. Her answer was spectacularly misinformed, inaccurate, and proved yet again that she is remarkably unaware of her own actions.

Psaki blames "misinformation and disinformation" for Democrats losing. Does she not remember sharing the now-discredited Politico story on Hunter Biden's laptop in 2020? Because we do.

"Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say," Psaki posted. Heck, it's still up now.

Amazing. 

Which party threw massive riots in the summer of 2020, causing billions in property damage, and leading to dozens of deaths, all while demanding the police be defunded? Which party turned their states into authoritarian nightmares during COVID, punishing people for not wearing a useless mask or getting vaccinated? 

Which president tried to force every private business to fire unvaccinated workers, before being shut down by the Supreme Court? Which president said he'd ignore the Court's ruling on student loan debt forgiveness? That's respect for the rule of law, separation of government, and institutions that make the country run? In Psaki's warped, anti-reality worldview, that's principled governance. 

Her lack of understanding and willful disregard for objective fact exemplifies the problems with the modern Democrat Party. They don't get it, and they never will. In some ways, that's the best possible news for the country's future.  Just like Fetterman said.

And what about CNN giving her a job? Not quite as bad as a leading talent agency signing Biden, but still.

Gotta Love It

I read recently that Donald Trump is the "Master of Incendiary Common Sense". He describes issues in a way that forces opponents to defend the indefensible. What Trump manages to do, time after time, is frame a common sense issue in a way that is so offensive to Democrats, seems so over-the-top and ludicrous, that they cannot resist attacking him for it.

For example...

• Haitians eating cats and dogs in Springfield, OH.

• Referring to Pierre Trudeau as Governor of Canada.

Trump is not, however, the first politician to invoke incendiary common sense.

That would be Thomas Paine, who, after being chastised for his rhetoric, declared...Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general Favor; a long Habit of not thinking a Thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of Custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more Converts than Reason.

"A Billion Here, A Billion There...

Pretty soon you're talkin' bout real money."

Long-time US Senator Everitt Dirksen (R-IL) deadpanned over 20 years ago. He was, of course, referring to government's frivolous waste of taxpayer money. Clearly such concerns apply more than ever today.

Here's yet another example.

DOGE (By now we all know - the Elon Musk-led group tasked with eliminating wasteful spending) on Friday reported it found $1.9 billion that was misplaced by the Biden administration. 

The funds were from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and have been recovered. 

"$1.9 billion of HUD money was just recovered after being misplaced during the Biden administration due to a broken process. These funds were earmarked for the administration of financial services, but were no longer needed," a DOGE post on X stated.

It's one thing for Joe to get lost walking off the stage. Quite another to have a $ billion go missing.

Second Super Bowl Being Played Now!

Patriots versus Stealers in DC.

What Do You Think?

The ACLU recently penned an editorial expressing their concern over Free Speech and some of the actions President Trump is contemplating. Here are 3 things they say should be done to protect free speech.

1. Protect Free Speech: Should Platforms like Facebook, X and Tik Tok bear any responsibility for the posts of their users? Should they be required to monitor and moderate posts that contain positions of defamation, liable and outright falsehoods? Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields these mega corporations from nearly all responsibility in this regard. Trump has intimated he intends to strengthen it. The ACLU warns against.

2. Protect the Press: Similarly, should media be allowed to run free with respect to its reporting and opinions? Regardless of mis & disinformation, falsehoods, bias, select6ed editing, etc. A nation relies on its media. Should there be no rules, no consequences for breaking them? The ACLU want lawsuits contesting inappropriate reporting to be stopped.

3. Protect Speech on Campus: All agree students must be able to access education free from identity-based harassment. The ACLU wants all plans stopped that will limit harmful, incendiary speech. In particular, anti-semitic, pro-jihadist, and hate speech. Let the epithets roll.

   
   
   
   

What do you think? Should speech be responsibility-free? Protected from scrutiny or consequences regardless of maliciousness, bias or dishonesty? Many of the opinions we hold and the principles upon which we rely for guidance, direction, stability are formed over time by the information we receive from media and educational institutions. Or at least strongly influenced. Is it more important to be able to say whatever the hell you want without any form of oversight than to have guardrails, which protect against the harm and injury caused by false, biased, malicious material put forth under the guise of facts?

The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920. While once unbiased, it has become increasingly left-leaning. It frequently uses the courts to subvert the Constitution, protect criminals and attack religion.

Regardless of what it believes, what do you believe?

My view? Guardrails are necessary. The permissiveness of the past 15+ years has contributed mightily to the divisiveness, rancor and mistrust that now permeate our society. Much of the blame, beyond our leaders, must be ascribed to the media and the education system. So much for unfettered free speech. Say whatever the hell you want. Lie and malign all you want because there are no consequences. How's that working?

It's Not Only the US Military...

that has a recruiting problem. Apparently, the Sicilian Mob can't fill their slots created by hundreds of recent arrests.

"The level is low, today they arrest someone and when he becomes a turncoat they arrest another... wretched low-level," former Cosa Nostra boss Giancarlo Romano said in a wiretapped conversation right before he was killed in a shootout, according to BBC News. 

Good paying jobs, too. Longevity - err, that can be a problem.

Finally...Maybe

Star Wars is coming.

Forever I have been nonplussed why the great power, our US of A, has such an anemic missile defense system. Year after year we witness the value of an Iron Dome. If it did not exist, unlikely Israel still would.

A nuclear electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strike could cripple the U.S. electrical grid, communications, transportation, and other critical infrastructure for months.

Historian William Forstchen, a New York Times bestselling author and an expert on EMPs, discussed with Fox News how the U.S. – and everyday Americans – would be affected

.

"This is a very real threat," he said. "EMP is generated when a small nuclear weapon, 40 to 60 kilotons or about three times the size of a Hiroshima bomb, is detonated 200 miles out in space above the United States. It sets up an electrostatic discharge that cascades to the Earth's surface, feeds into the millions of miles of wires which become antennas, feeds this into the power grid, overloads the grid and blows it out."

The effects? Cars would be paralyzed. Airplanes would fall out of the sky. Natural gas pipelines would explode. Nuclear reactors would overload. A protracted blackout would ensue. The very survival of the American people would be in serious jeopardy.

Forstchen, citing Congressional reports from 2002 and 2008, said that 80%-90% of Americans would be dead a year later if an EMP strike happened.

"The threat of an EMP was first realized during the 1962 Starfish Prime high-altitude nuclear test. What happened was that it blew about 500 miles away from Hawaii and 200 miles up," he said. "They were able to bring the system back within a matter of days, but what would it be like if it took a month, six months, a year, or five years to fix?"

Now Trump plans to do something about it.

Similar to Israel, the U.S. needs an Iron Dome.

Ronald Reagan proposed it in the '80s. It was known as Star Wars. Then it was politically and, likely, technologically impossible. With the technology we have today and guys like Musk, it's very possible that we could make one for relatively minor cost compared to some other things.

Trump has ordered the construction of an advanced, next-generation missile defense shield to protect the United States from aerial attack. In January, he signed an executive order that tasks Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with drawing up plans to build an "Iron Dome for America" that will protect Americans from the threat of missiles launched by a foreign enemy. 

For obvious reasons, the existence of an impenetrable MDS would change the dynamic of interaction with the growing list of US enemies...in a good way.

Sure hope our Dysfunctional Congress lets him follow through.

Different When It's Closer to Home.

A wealthy California beach town is skirting the state's sanctuary law in an attempt to implement a migrant boat crackdown. San Clemente is asking border authorities about installing and monitoring cameras 24/7 to detect panga boats carrying illegal migrants. Not so sanctuary-esque when illegals show up in your backyard, eh?

Hypocrite Central

Or Hypocrite of the Month. Thinking about a new section. Lord knows they'll be plenty of material.

Fact or Fiction

As long as Bobby Jr is investigating food effects, he should look into blue hair dye. It's definitely making people fat.

JD tellin' like it is.

JD Vance went off when addressing attendees at the 61st Security Conference in Munich on Valentine's Day.

Vance cited multiple examples where European allies abrogated basic citizen rights including:

• The Romanian government's anullment of an entire election following reports of Russian internet and Tiktok campaigns to promote the nationalist independent candidate Călin Georgescu, who had come first. European Commissioner Thierry Breton, was caught on TV saying he was delighted that the Romanian government had just annulled an entire election.

• Belgium warning citizens they will shut down social media during times of civil unrest.

• The British government arresting a 51 year old physiotherapist because he was praying silently within 50 meters of an abortion clinic. And doing so as a sign of his deep regret that he and his wife aborted their unborn son years earlier. This heinous act was deemed a violation of the "buffer zone" law.

• The Scottish government distributing letters to citizens warning that prayer within their homes could be a violation within so-called "safe zones".

He went on to chastise Europeans for retreating from the fundamental values it has shared with the US and is the basis of our alliance and support. Vance observed that European democratic institutions and rights to freedom of speech were being undermined (in the interest of wokeness and migrant tolerance).

"... the threat I worry the most about vis-a-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. What I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values: values shared with the United States of America." Vance openly criticized European Union leadership for what he described as backsliding on freedom of speech and democracy.

Importantly this was not a people in glass houses speech. Vance talked openly about the last four years in America and the massive disinformation the media was encouraged to disseminate starting with Covid and the Wuhan lab.

Needless to say, most of Europe has their knickers in a twist. Macron of France is calling for a meeting of EU leaders to discuss dealing with Trump. The speech had one clear message - Europe's free ride on America's back is over. Wanna bet who blinks?

JD was yet another misread on my part. While I loved what I saw in JD, I found fault with Trump's selection of him for Vice President. I thought we don't need another white guy to round out the ticket. Turns out Donald could have won with a three-headed monkey as running mate in all probability. So, what we are stuck with now is a highly educated, highly eloquent, highly likeable #2. With boatloads of courage. Ready to take over in four years and finish the job.

My bad.

Bulldog Off to Resounding Start

Tom Homan reports that "ENCOUNTERS", which are illegals trying to sneak in who are confronted by US immigration officials, are down from 11,000 a day in December under Biden/Harris to 200 per day.

Setting the Record Straight on the Department of Education

As well-documented, thought is being given by the new Administration to eliminating the DOE. This objective is being met with outrage by guess whom? Yup, Randi Weingarten and her teachers union colleagues.

Let's be clear. Trump has no intention of eliminating valuable, core functions of the DOE. Rather they will be devolved to the states. Federal funding for public schools, student loans and policing of civil rights and educational standards will be vested in the individual states and governed by the citizens of each particular state. The DOJ and others will oversee.

So what is the problem? Why are teacher's unions up in arms? Because it shreds their power and influence on elections and other matters. If the $$$ is split 50 ways it cannot controlled by a national union - pure and simple.

As discussed many times, ultimately it all comes down to the moola. Trump has decreed that all federal funding used for DEI, woke, critical race theory and other such programs be stopped. Hundreds of millions of taxpayer money.

Trump noted we are #40 among 40 nations in education quality. Yet we are #1 in cost per pupil. This is not the first time the DOE has been on the chopping block. Reagan wanted to eliminate the DOE when Bill Bennett was Secretary. Eventually he punted because of other bigger priorities...like the Cold War.

This is not incendiary common sense. It is a 90-10 issue. Just good old fashioned, barnyard common sense.

Ka Ching

A few other uses of "your" money that have been uncovered -

• $10M for Mozambique voluntary circumcision

• $10M for Cambodian enterprise skills training.$3M for Cambodian independent voices

• $32M to the Prague Civil Society Centre

• $40m for a Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Hub

• $14M to improve procurement in Serbia

• $22M for inclusive and participatory political process in Moldova

• $20M for fiscal federalism in Nepal

• $47M for improving learning outcomes in Asia (while we are #40)

• Granite Public Schools in Utah spent their COVID-relief funds on $86,000 in hotel rooms at Caesars Palace.

• Santa Ana Unified spent $393,000 to rent out a Major League Baseball stadium.

• Schools spent $60,000 of COVID-relief funds on swimming pool passes.

• A California district used its funds to purchase an ice cream truck.

• And on and on.

Big thanks to my buddy, Tom, and his coterie of former US Marines for this insight.

Dirty Pool

What is wrong with President Trump? Don't you sometimes sit back and wonder? Didn't he get the memo? C'mon all kidding aside. Presidents aren't supposed to REALLY do what they promised. No wonder the libs and Euros are in shock. This is dirty pool - clearly.

No Time for Gloating.

While the new Administration has swept in with a tidal wave of promises kept, Americans must expect tough sledding ahead. Yes, DOGE and other key agencies are make inroads on reducing waste and corruption, but even the most optimistic predictions fall far short of what is needed.

Entitlements...specifically Social Security and Medicaid need restructuring. Retirement age must increased. Drug and other healthcare costs must come down. Medicare and Medicaid fraud must be rooted out. As noted, entitlements make up roughly 50% of all US spending. Add in interest payments and military spending and the number goes way up. Even if DOGE and other cost cutting efforts hit a grand slam, they can only scratch the surface.

Plus Trump plans to help Americans by reducing the tax burden. This will temporarily reduce - not increase - revenues.

Tariffs could increase inflation. Although I doubt much as trading partners will ultimately capitulate and absorb. Still inflation may actually tick up before the impact of reduced regulations, increased energy independence and government cost cutting get a chance to do their thing.

It will be critical for Americans to remember - no pain, no gain. If the myriad of common sense solutions this Administration plans to implement are curtailed by future election outcomes, we will be right back where we started. We must have the stomach to see things through. Or once again be the paper tiger of the last four years.

Flipped the Damn Plane Over

Now how in blazes do you do that? Must have been caused by Trump or Elon. Except it happened in Toronto, which will likely be named capitol of our newest state. Not to worry, Mayor Pete will find a way to hang it on us.

SEAN DUFFY: America’s air traffic systems need an urgent upgrade.

December report said 51 of FAA’s 138 systems are unsustainable and department's planned modernization could take

10 years. More to come.

Banker's Hours!

Drove by a public middle school here in Fort Lauderdale this morning. Sign outside proclaimed school hours to be 8 am to 2 pm. Let's subtract an hour lunch, an hour for recess, another hour for total transit time between classes. That leaves us with a whopping four hours of educational instruction. Lord knows how much of that is dedicated to gender dysphoria and slamming America as racist.

No wonder we're 40th among nations in educational effectiveness.

More like Teachers Union "hours".

Not So Fun Fact

Taiwan makes 60% of the world's semiconductor chips. Ninety per cent (90%) of the advanced chips. Kinda makes you think they have strategic significance and we better make it clear to China - hands off.

Disarming Common Sense

I enjoyed the heck out of watching Hannity interview Trump and Elon Musk together. Elon Musk is very cool.

Not only is he unquestionably the greatest entrepreneur of the modern age, he has this almost quizzical way of expressing his views. Disarming but incisively logical. It's almost like he's saying...I can't believe everybody doesn't see it this way.

While Trump may have incendiary common sense, Musk exudes an almost boyish version. If you get a chance do watch him interviewed.

OK, ok - like everyone, he has flaws. A bit of an uber-procreator. As smart as he is, I'm surprised he hasn't heard of protection.

This is Sicko

Hamas on Thursday put on a macabre handover ceremony in central Gaza to return the bodies of four Israeli hostages taken on October 7, 2023.

It was the first time the militant group has released the remains of dead hostages since its attack on Israel, and marked a somber turn for a country more used to elation when former captives returned home alive.

Among those released were thought to be the bodies of Shiri Bibas, aged 32, and her sons Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months, who were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz, southern Israel by Hamas-led terrorist. Israeli tests later revealed the alleged body of the mother did not belong to her. The body of an 83 year old Israeli peace activist was also returned.

Half of the alleged 60 hostages STILL remaining in Gaza are believed dead.

What a deal. Israel releases 1900 Palestinian prisoners and Hamas releases 33 Israeli & Foreign hostages.

Not sure but isn't that like 60 for 1?

Hypocrite of the Month (20th Century?)

First Nominee: Europe, the EU, NATO.

After they were decimated in WW2 by Hitler, we stepped in. First to win the war and give them back their sovereignty. Then rebuild, rebuild, rebuild. Then we protected them from the USSR in the Cold War, finally winning and giving Eastern Europe back it's freedom.

And the thanks we get? Nada, zip, zilch. They won't even pay for their own security. Let the crass Americans foot the bill. Can anybody tell me why we put $200 billion more than Europe into supporting Ukraine? Or why we're taking the lead in negotiating a stop to this endless war? We're an ocean away and the fighting and dying are in the EU's backyard.

Guess they're too busy letting in millions upon millions of migrants then figuring out to pay for them. Or crushing attempts at free speech, silent prayer or dissent against the Far Left. Europe wrote the book on Woke when embattled leaders tried to hold their jobs after WW2. Six week holidays, mega-benefits, no force reductions. Never been the same since.

My Head is Spinning

Up until November 5, the US Constitution was a tool of white supremacy and racism. Now everything Trump tries to do is un-constitutional. Which is it?

I'll Close with this Gem

The harpies are ringing alarm bells that Elon is getting access to their Social Security and other private information. The implication being he's going to rob seniors.

For God's sake, the man owned owned Pay Pal!

Have a Jolly Weekend.