WendyMcElroy.com

From Human Events: ARI HOFFMAN: I saw a modern day pogrom in Seattle. [Ed: I have been shocked and repulsed by the rise of antisemitism in N. America. I guess it is inevitable given Israel's aggression and migration from Muslim nations...but...goddamn it.]

From Waggington Post: Unwanted Dog Now Has The Best Sister From Another Mother

Southern Poverty Law Center. From the Department of Justice: Federal Grand Jury Charges Southern Poverty Law Center for Wire Fraud, False Statements, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. From PBS: Justice Department charges SPLC with fraud over paid informant program "...defrauded donors by using their money to fund the very extremism it claimed to be fighting, [Ed: one of the most corrupt, divisive organizations standing. Good if it falls.] From Jonathan Turley: The Southern Poverty Law Center Indictment: Can Public Interest Groups Run Alleged Black-Bag Jobs and Confidential Informants?

From the Daily Bell: Internet Content Regulation is Coming To Canada

Everyday Finances. From Zero Hedge: Nearly 1 In 4 Americans Over 65 Are Still Working. The New England states of Vermont and New Hampshire (both 28.6%) lead the country in the number of seniors still working, followed by South Dakota at 27.6%... From Captain Compliance: Maryland’s Bold Stand Against Dynamic Pricing: The First State to Ban Surveillance-Driven Grocery Prices. [Ed: good description of dynamic pricing.]

From the Babylon Bee: Mamdani, Obama Treat Preschoolers To Reading Of 'The Communist Manifesto'. [Ed: at least one person I know mistook this for a real news item. Understandable.]

From Jonathan Turley: The Disbarment of John Eastman: The California Bar Bags a Trump Lawyer and Leaves Troubling Questions.

Iran. From CNBC: 3 Ships Attacked in Hormuz, Jeopardizing Peace Talks. New attacks by Iran on cargo ships heighten tensions in key oil shipping lane. From Simplicius: Left With Nothing But Gimmicks, Trump Gets Bluff Called Again By Confident Iran. As the Iranian talks collapsed, Trump again issued a series of major threats about wiping out all Iranian power plants and the like. From Mises: Who Pays the Hormuz Toll?

From Reason: The Least-Psychedelic President in History Supports Psychedelic Research More Than Any of His Predecessors. Donald Trump is an unlikely but powerful champion of drug reform. [Ed: by the excellent Nick Gillespie.]

From DailyBB News: From Abandonment to Healing: Sissy the Rescue Dog Transforms Lives

Ilhan Omar. From FOX News: Omar ducks questions as scrutiny grows over filings that slashed her reported wealth by millions. [Ed: I dislike the woman so much that it colors my judgment of this matter, perhaps, but I don't see how she can escape fraud charges.] From Gateway Pundit: Ilhan Omar’s California Winery LLC Dissolved Just 9 Days After She Scrubbed Millions from Her Financial Disclosures

2019 Coup Attempt. From Just the News: Unmasked: Secret ‘Witness 2’ was anti-Trump intel officer pushing Russiagate, Ukraine impeachment. "Witness 2" helped the Ukraine whistleblower in 2019. The witness was also tied to Peter Strzok and the 2016 intel assessment on alleged Russian meddling.

From Lew Rockwell: The Regrettable Death of the Stupid Question. How Too Much "Knowingness" Kills Lively Intelligence. [Ed: by Naomi Wolfe...a name I haven't heard in a while.]

Israel. From Anadolu Agency: Israeli occupiers’ fire turns morning at Palestinian school into panic and bloodshed. "...a deliberate terror offensive to force people to give up their homes." [Ed: it is difficult not to flatly condemn Israel.] From the Dissident: IDF Gives Order To Fire On Civilians In Southern Lebanon. "The Jerusalem Post Admits The IDF Has Been Given The Order To Fire On Civilians In South Lebanon."

From Drop Site News: Rare Survivors of Pacific Boat Strikes Allege U.S. Forces Kidnapped and Tortured Them. As airstrikes and reports of torture under Ecuador’s U.S.-backed military regime continue to mount, fishermen tell Drop Site News they were blindfolded and held hostage for eight days. [Ed: I have been amazed/appalled that the U.S. can kill civilians at will without due process or any backlash.]

From Salon: “People are choosing this fate”: Measles will get worse before it gets better

Virginia Redistricting. From the Independent: Trump Claims Virginia Redistricting Vote Was 'Rigged'. [Ed: my default position on an election these days is that it's rigged.] From FOX News: Trump has a bold option to counter Virginia's new gerrymander scheme. Returning Arlington to the District of Columbia would fight fire with fire. [Ed: heads will explode.] From National Review: Virginia’s Gerrymandering War Moves to the Courts. BREAKING. From Red State: After the Vote, a Judge Just Upended Virginia’s Redistricting Plan "Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. ruled that Tuesday's referendum is unconstitutional and issued an injunction preventing the certification of the election maps. Judge Hurley has also denied any motion to stay his ruling pending appeal." [Ed: that didn't take long.]

From antiwar: Trump’s Iran Fiasco’s Silver Lining – The End of NATO

From the BBC: Elderly dog helps save girl lost in Australian bush

From Reuters: Flow of Russian Oil Unlocks $106B European Loan to Kyiv. Hungary lifts veto after oil resumes moving through Ukrainian section pipeline. [Ed: would not have happened if Orban had been re-elected.]

AI. From Of Two Minds Blog: The Questions Nobody Asks as AI Replaces Human Workers AND When the Cost of Truth Is High, We--and AI--Lie

From the Smithsonian Magazine: A Brief History of the St. Bernard Rescue Dog. The canine’s evolution from hospice hound to household companion

BREAKING. From Times: What the Passage of the Virginia Redistricting Plan Means for Control of Congress. [Ed: redistricting passed.]

Oh Canada! From Zero Hedge: Canada's Prime Minister Doubles Down On Militant Anti-US Rhetoric. Is globalist Mark Carney setting Canada up for economic disaster...or a war with the US? [Ed: Carney wants to cement his place on the global stage. Screw Canadians if they get in the way.]

From Pupvine: A Blind And Deaf Puppy In Alabama Got A Very Different Future Because One Vet Said No

Iran-U.S. Talks. From antiwar: Iran’s 10-point Plan Is Still a Workable Basis for Negotiations. From CNN: Iran demands immediate release of seized vessel as ceasefire deadline looms. [Ed: last minute preconditions for a talk are not a good sign.] From Son of the New American Revolution: Is Trump Going for Armageddon? From Zero Hedge: Trump Blinks Again, Unilaterally Extends Iran Ceasefire After Pakistan Talks Fail To Launch. Says US naval blockade of Iranian ports stays in effect...

From the Volokh Conspiracy: Leaked Supreme Court Memos Reveal Why Court Stayed Clean Power Plan (Setting Important "Shadow Docket" Precedent in the Process). A New York Times scoop reveals that Chief Justice Roberts was concerned that the EPA would (again) get away with imposing unlawful burdens on utilities. [Ed: hints at Sotomayer being responsible.]

2016 RussiaGate. From Zero Hedge: DOJ Shakeup In Florida Signals Major Escalation In Russiagate Criminal Probe. "The Department of Justice appears to be gaining fresh momentum in its criminal investigation into the 2016 Trump-Russia collusion narrative, with a significant overhaul of the team handling the case in southern Florida."

2019 Attempted Coup. From Just the News: Five stories Democrats told during Trump’s 2019 Ukraine impeachment have fallen apart. Years of belated bombshells have eroded most of the narrative Democrats sold to America, from the credibility of the initial whistleblower to Joe Biden's claims. [Ed: 2019 was a de facto coup...attempted.]

NATO. From Anderw Korybko: The US Demanded That Europeans Accelerate Their Transition To 'NATO 3.0'. This might be the US’ final warning before it takes drastic action to punish those who continue to reject Trump’s demands... [Ed: I hope this is a prelude to the U.S. quitting NATO.] From Washington Times: Lavrov targets NATO as Europe readies for a reduced American role. [Ed: Trump has already talked about leaving NATO. Difficult to see how it could continue, if he did.]

Everyday Finances. From Kiplinger's Personal Finance: The Best Money Advice Of All Time. Good money habits - not shortcuts - are what build lasting wealth...

From People: Senior Living Employee Surprises Daughter, 7, with a Dog, Fulfilling Resident's Dying Wish That Pet Would Go to a Good Home

From Reuters: Kuwait Declares Force Majeure As US Seizure Of Iranian Ship Escalates Tensions. Kuwait has declared force majeure on shipments of crude oil and refined products after disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz prevented some vessels from entering the Persian Gulf... [Ed: this may well set a precedent for other oil producing nations.]

Food Insecurity. From Economic Collapse Blog: 70% Of US Farmers Say That They Won't Be Able To Buy All The Fertilizer They Need In 2026. ... prices have skyrocketed and farmers all over the planet are facing some incredibly tough choices... [Ed: stock up now. However, high food prices are, they're going higher.] From Ag Clips: US Set to Use Tariff Funds to Address High Fertilizer Prices Morning.

Undermining Elections. From the Post Millennial: Hundreds of unopened ballots found near dumpster sparking concerns over Washington's mail-in voting system [Ed: the only thing remarkable here is that they were found.] From NBC Washington: Virginia voters deciding on redistricting plan that could boost Democrats' seats in Congress. If enacted, Virginia's redistricting measure could lead to Democrats picking up four more seats in Congress. [Ed: blatant gerrymandering.]

From Behind the Narrative: Everyone Is Lying to You About the Palestinians. Seems like a useful and interesting history of the Palestinian conflicts, but I wish I knew how much is accurate and how much a competing narrative. As the author says, "Everyone Is Lying to You About the Palestinians."

From Zero Hedge: Data Analytics Company Palantir Publishes An Ideological Manifesto. CEO Alex Karp rails against the failings of the progressive order, but seems to place far too much faith in the power of AI and Silicon Valley to fix things... [Ed: a politically powerful company.]

From Remix News: Ukraine looks to import African migrants to fill labor shortage after hundreds of thousands dead or wounded at the front. Last autumn, a former FM said that Ukraine's only option would be to bring in foreign workers...

From Doog Lovers: Meet Yogi The Adorable Dog With A Human-Like Face Captivating The Internet And Sparking Curiosity

U.S. & Iraq. From the Cradle: Washington cuts flow of US dollars to Iraqi central bank until ‘acceptable’ government formed. "Washington opposes both Mohammad Shia al-Sudani and Nouri al-Maliki for the post of prime minister, which has not been filled for over five months since parliamentary elections." [Ed: yeah, and the U.S. howls about foreign interference in their elections.] From Iraqi News: US urges citizens in Iraq to leave.

AI. From Financial Times: America’s coming revolt is in the ‘wired belt’. Anger in the rust belt propelled Trump to victory — the rage of suburban knowledge workers will drive the AI backlash. [Ed: reader friendly.]

Government Fraud. From GAO: Fraud Risk Management: 2018-2022 Data Show Federal Government Loses an Estimated $233 Billion to $521 Billion Annually to Fraud, Based on Various Risk Environments. From AOL: Nick Shirley confronts California Democrats over 'Stop Nick Shirley Act,' pressing on First Amendment rights. [Ed: the Act has passed initial stages and is in the California Assembly Judiciary Committee.]

From NDTV: Hero Dog In Peru Saves Family After Dynamite Thrown Into Journalist's Home: "She Chewed It And..." From Sunny Skyz: Hero Dog Saves Family By Defusing Dynamite In Home Attack. {Ed: I have to check this story out to make sure it was true. Apparently, it is.]

From the Future of Freedom Foundation: Civil Society Needs the High Trust that Only Individuals Can Provide by Wendy McElroy.

From Ken Klippenstein: Exclusive: ICE Glasses. “Homeland Security is making “smart glasses” to collect intelligence on Americans.” ...specialized smart glasses that will allow federal agents on American streets to automatically identify “illegal aliens” [Ed: not sure what to think of this report.]

IRAN-U.S. CEASEFIRE EXPIRES TODAY.

BREAKING. From Hot Air: Islamabad II Back On (?) As Trump Issues Warning; UPDATE: Trump Won't Extend

Talks Between Iran and U.S. From the Middle East Eye: Iran rejects second round of talks, cites ‘excessive’ US demands. From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Talks Kiboshed, U.S. Seizes Iranian Tanker, Leaks Confirm Mad King Claims UPDATE. From Anadolu Agency: Iran to attend 2nd round of talks with US despite Strait of Hormuz hostilities: Pakistani sources. Iranian delegation expected to arrive for much-publicized talks on Tuesday, according to Pakistani sources

From Unherd: [/i]Obama is anointing Mamdani as his Democratic successor. [Ed: that's what the much publicized meeting in NYC at a child care center is all about.]

Food Insecurity. From Lew Rockwell: Iran War: Sleepwalking Into Starvation.[Ed: N. America will not feel the brunt of food shortages but prices will rise significantly.] From the Guardian: Oats, sardines and crisps: emergency foods to stockpile – and why you should share them. In turbulent times, experts recommend building up a store of food if possible – focusing on long-life, no-cook items. [Ed: interesting thing is that a mainstream media paper is spreading this sort of advice.]

From Dogster: From Grief to Gratitude: How One “Potato” and a Road Trip Changed Everything

Kash Patel. From Just the News: FBI director says arrests are coming related to 2016 Russia probe: 'Never going to let this go'. Maria Bartiromo asked Patel if the FBI has evidence of election fraud in 2020. From CNBC: Kash Patel Sues the Atlantic for $250M. FBI director alleges critical article was published with known falsehoods. [Ed: it is official.]

From Of Two Minds Blog: Sell Now: Here's Why. [Ed: recommended.]

From the Express: Nigel Farage vows to deport 400,000 to end 'invasion of Britain'. [Ed: this pledge may win him the next election.]

AI. From Futurism: Millions of Americans Are Talking to AI Instead of Going to the Doctor, and It’s Giving Them Horrendously Flawed Medical Advice. [Ed: and, yet, many drs are using AI these days, so you don't know who/what is diagnosing you when you are in the drs office.] From Blood in the Machine: Why the AI backlash has turned violent. And why it's probably only going to get worse from here. From Start Up Fortune: Thousands of CEOs say AI has delivered almost nothing and economists are dusting off a 40-year-old paradox to explain why. [Ed: the Solow Paradox: you can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.] From BM Open: AI Chatbots Confidently Deliver Bad Cancer Advice. Study finds nearly half of medical answers from chatbots 'problematic'

From Pinterest: A Rescue Full of Love!

Iran War. From Scott Ritter: The Consequences of Incompetence. The US lost the first round of the war with Iran decisively. If Trump decides to go a second round, the results will be disastrous for American and its allies. From Moon of Alabama: War On Iran: – All Signs Point To Escalation. [Ed: I fear this assessment is correct.] From Zero Hedge: 'Highly Unlikely' US Will Extend Iran Ceasefire, 'Lots Of Bombs Will Go Off' If No Deal: Trump. Ghalibaf: about to reveal new cards on the battlefield...

From IEEE Spectrum: How Engineers Kick-Started the Scientific Method. Francis Bacon was inspired by the inventors of his day. [Ed: for Brad.]

From Jonathan Turley: “Use the Momentum”: The EU Moves to Destroy the Last Vestiges of National Sovereignty. [Ed: Orban's defeat means the EU loses its most effective barrier to its policies.]

From Newsweek: Dog Skips Vet Appointment to Show Up at Daycare Unannounced: ‘Zero Remorse’.

Strait of Hormuz. FromInternational Man: The War Will Be Won or Lost at the Strait of Hormuz AND Hormuz Blockade, Fertilizer Shock, Food Crisis — What Most People Don’t See Coming. From Portfolio Armor: Schrödinger’s Strait. "Over the weekend, the Strait of Hormuz became Schrödinger’s Strait: open and closed at the same time, depending on which headline you were reading." From Zero Hedge: Hormuz Traffic At Standstill After US Ship Seizure. Confirming the Schrodinger nature of the notorious waterway, the Strait of Hormuz is now just closed even more than before Iran and the US said the vital oil channel had been reopened.

From Newser: Botched Launch Is a Big Setback for Blue Origin. FAA is investigating failure to place satellite in the right orbit

From Al Jazeera: What’s behind the US army’s decision to raise enlistment age to 42? Changes in the US Army's enlistment standards could be an effort to boost recruitment, as numbers have lagged in recent years. [Ed: recruitment is reportedly very good. Why do they need to swell the ranks? Precaution or is something coming?]

From USA Today: Police K-9 heroically tracks down missing autistic child in Florida.

Money. From Bitcoin Magazine: When Quantum Computers Come for Your Bitcoin: What Classical Property Law Says Happens Next. A look at the legal aspects and relevant laws regarding a hypothetical theft of bitcoin utilizing quantum computers. From Unherd: Cash makes a comeback as Europeans prepare for war. [Ed: withdrawals, credit cards, crypto...what do you do if the grid is down?] From AARP: 5 Financial Mistakes That Will Make Your Kids Hate You. Don’t let estate planning blunders, money secrets or other slipups create a rift

From Wag: How Do Dogs See?