New Beard, Same Buttigieg Stephen Green

I wish I could locate the Twitter wit who said, during the Biden administration, that "Pete Buttigieg is so bad at being Secretary of Transportation that people actually know the name of the Secretary of Transportation."

That line stuck with me — because it’s true. 

And yet, here he is again, back on the virtual campaign trail with a town hall-style appearance for Vote Vets in Iowa.

• Nothing seems to stand in the way of the unaccomplished former Indiana mayor taking another stab at his party's presidential nomination — and he's so serious about rebranding himself that he's even grown a beard.
• The beard jokes write themselves, but I'm not here to take cheap shots at Buttigieg; I'm here to take high-class, data-rich cheap shots.

Join me, won't you?...

AM Fruitcake

 

History for May 15

History for May 15 - On-This-Day.com

Katherine Anne Porter 1890 - Journalist, essayist, short story writer

• 1911 - The U.S. Supreme Court ordered the dissolution of Standard Oil Company, ruling it was in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.
• 1930 - Ellen Church became the first female flight attendant.
• 1940 - Nylon stockings went on sale for the first time in the U.S.
• 1948 - Israel was attacked by Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon only hours after declaring its independence.
• 1972 - Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot by Arthur Bremer in Laurel, MD while campaigning for the U.S. presidency. Wallace was paralyzed by the shot.
• 1988 - The Soviet Union began their withdrawal of its 115,000 troops from Afghanistan. Soviet forces had been there for more than eight years.

Gavin Newsom orders California cities to shut down homeless encampments: 'There are no more excuses' | Blaze Media

Gavin Newsom orders California cities to shut down homeless encampments: 'There are no more excuses' | Blaze Media: 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, ordered cities to shut down homeless encampments in public spaces after a Supreme Court ruling eased restrictions on enforcement.

The way we were-----France Starts the Vietnam War - 1946

Defective Memories

"To the marxist, it's not a bug, it's a feature."

 

Instapundit - GEORGE GASCON SMILES

...under California‘s youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26.

GEORGE GASCON* SMILES: Menendez brothers have sentenced reduced to 50 years in prison opening possibility for parole.

Erik and Lyle Menendez are eligible for parole 35 years after they were imprisoned for murdering both of their parents.

The brothers faced Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday, where Judge Michael Jesic reduced their sentences from life without parole to 50 years to life.

This change means they’re now eligible for parole under California‘s youthful offender law because they committed the crime under the age of 26.

* Which means George Soros smiles. 

Gascon may have been tossed out of office, but plenty of Soros-backed D.A.s remain. 

As Tom Cotton wrote in 2021: Recall, Remove & Replace Every Last Soros Prosecutor. - Ed Driscoll

DHS sets sights on California for allegedly providing federal benefits to illegal aliens | Blaze Media

DHS sets sights on California for allegedly providing federal benefits to illegal aliens | Blaze Media: 

'If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over.'

The Department of Homeland Security released a statement on Monday explaining that Homeland Security Investigation is looking into whether the state of California knowingly provided federal benefits to illegal aliens.

The HSI field office in Los Angeles issued a Title 8 subpoena to California’s Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI). According to DHS, this program provides benefits to aliens who are ineligible for Social Security benefits because of their immigration status.

Kabuum

The Chinese admit that Joe Biden’s weakness fed their trade depredations - Andrea Widburg

First, it reveals how utterly feckless Joe Biden was and, second, it reveals how America benefits from a manifestly strong president.
Here’s Bessant explaining that the groundwork for the deal was already laid by the agreements reached with China during Trump’s presidency, deals China unilaterally ignored because it rightly understood that Biden was too weak to matter:

Here’s the money quote:

...The Chinese delegation basically told us that, once President Biden came into office, they just ignored their obligations.

Lunch video-----Trump’s former trade chief on how tariffs affect the economy...

Noon-toon

 

Newark Airport Suffers Cancellations and Delays as Tech Chaos Continues

Newark Airport Suffers Cancellations and Delays as Tech Chaos Continues: 

Travel disruptions persist at Newark Liberty International Airport, with the Trump administration announcing plans to reduce flights in the coming weeks to mitigate ongoing tech issues like radar screens blanking out in front of harried air traffic controllers.

🚨 HOLY SMOKES: Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis.

 

Another Deportation Sob Story Has Gone Viral. There's Just One Minor Problem With It.

The following social media post has generated millions of views, as well as tens of thousands of retweets and likes.
After a small amount of digging, I easily uncovered a string of omitted facts that flipped this story on its head...

 But millions of people appear to have taken this version of events as reality:

Martin Diaz came to the U.S. as a toddler, fleeing cartel violence. His family had proof of the danger—and hope for safety here...

Additional video appears to depict him fleeing the agents and resisting arrest. 

 As for this poor, innocent, all-American DREAMer who was so unjustly targeted and abused by ICE, here is the actual reality about him:

The loudest fools are NOT the majority!

 

I mean, their leaders are on video calling for the murder of South African whites.

And they’ve spent the last 20 years stealing land and murdering South African whites.

#1 This day 1970-----The Guess Who - American Woman (Official Audio)

US Tariffs and What’s Next for Canada: Trump’s Strategy Through a Canadian Lens

Unlike the United States, Canada’s economy relies largely on exports, which made up about one-third of its GDP in 2023. 

In contrast, U.S. exports accounted for just 11 percent of its economy that year.

At the same time, more than 75 percent of total Canadian exports went south of the border in 2023, while Canada received only 18 percent of total U.S. exports that year...

• China Would Use Canada as a ‘Storehouse of Natural Resources’

The United States may require Canada to align with its China trade policy as a condition for continued access to the U.S. market, says Crowley, particularly to ensure Canada does not become a “backdoor” for Chinese goods entering America...
“That will be a tough pill for the Liberal Party of Canada to swallow because they have, to a considerable extent, hitched their wagon to China as a rising power,” he said, arguing that the Liberal Party “has been an active promoter of China as an important partner for Canada for many years.”

• In addition to aligning with the United States on trade policy, Crowley says Canada must also contribute more on security and defense. 
• “I think the biggest role that we play in that is that we have become a haven for money laundering, for the people who are actually behind the drug trade, which is mostly China,” he said...

Pretty clear!

 

Trump Takes Major Action to Reduce Drug Costs for Americans

Trump Takes Major Action to Reduce Drug Costs for Americans: 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday to reduce drug prices in America to rates similar to what those in other nations pay. Trump signed the order during a press conference in the Roosevelt Room flanked by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and Food and Drug Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary.

Okay... Here's the Truth About the Qatar Jumbo Jet Story - Matt Margolis

The Democrats have been desperate to find a scandal to pin on Trump, and their latest attempt may be the stupidest yet. 

It was recently reported that the Trump administration is gearing up to accept a high-end Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family—a luxury aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One during President Trump’s second term. 

• Naturally, the left is already losing its mind, but here’s the reality: this is a win for taxpayers.

In the wake of media hysteria over the offer from Qatar to provide the United States with an aircraft, Buzz Patterson, a retired Air Force pilot, White House military aide, and carrier of the nuclear football, has stepped in to inject a dose of reality—and firsthand experience—into the conversation...

AM Fruitcake - Cognitive dissonance!