SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S OWN:  We can start our own institutions:  The example of Hildegard College.

(Yes it might be more fun to have Elon Musk take over Oberlin College, but he can’t do everything.)

TO BE FAIR, HE’S BUSY WELDING HIS OWN CITIZENS INTO THEIR HOMES: Why Xi is trapped in Ukraine. “Among the Ukraine war’s surprising geopolitical takeaways—such as Russia’s military ineptness and the transatlantic alliance’s unexpected resilience—is that China is not yet a great power. Beijing has proven incapable of influencing either Russian President Vladimir Putin’s calculus in Ukraine or the West’s response to Russia’s unprovoked invasion. What’s more, Chinese President Xi Jinping has been reduced to a bystander seemingly at the mercy of decisions made not in Beijing but in Washington, Brussels, and, more importantly, Moscow. None of this was part of Xi’s plan.”

SHUT UP, THEY EXPLAINED: YouTube Bans Video Featuring Conservative Expert on Voter Fraud.

HMM: Apple was a key reason Google and Snap had a terrible quarter, and it suggests Facebook’s troubles are far from over.

Google-owner Alphabet and Snapchat-parent Snap posted lackluster first-quarter results as the effect of a privacy change from Apple continues to squeeze big tech — signs that Meta is set to suffer a similar fate.

Analysts also expect the privacy change to have dragged down on Facebook and Instagram-owner Meta’s first-quarter ad sales. Meta is due to post its earnings after markets close on Wednesday. Twitter, also affected by the update, is set to report earnings on April 28.

By one count, Apple’s privacy changes are expected to dent Meta, Google’s YouTube, Snap, and Twitter’s revenue by almost $16 billion in total this year, according to analysis from data management company Lotame, which was shared exclusively with Insider earlier this month.

Introduced in April 2021 and known as App Tracking Transparency, Apple’s update forced app developers to ask permission from users before being able to track them across other apps and websites. With the majority of users opting not to be tracked, tech platforms and advertisers have less visibility over the exact audiences they are targeting and whether their ad campaigns are working.

I don’t care much for Tim Cook, but App Tracking Transparency is putting the screws to all the right data hoovers.

UNEXPECTEDLY! U.S. economic growth rate unexpectedly declined in the first quarter by 1.4%.

Can you say “stagflation?” I knew that you could. Welcome back, Carter!

CRISIS BY DESIGN: Sheriffs shocker: ‘No border left.’ “President Joe Biden’s 15-month dismantling of U.S.-Mexico border protections and policies has essentially eliminated efforts to keep illegal immigrants out of the nation, according to the nation’s front-line sheriffs. ‘We simply have no border left in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, or Southern California,’ said the nation’s sheriffs in a four-paragraph letter to Senate leaders and provided to Secrets.”

ONE MAN WITH COURAGE MAKES A MAJORITY:

OR IN MY CASE, JOY MOUNTS OVER DEMOCRATS’ INABILITY TO MOVE BIDEN’S AGENDA: Politico: Dems’ “despair mounts” over inability to move Biden agenda.

NO MORE ROMNEYS, THEY’RE OUT OF STYLE: Kurt Schlichter: Conservatives Are Not Giving Spineless Leaders Any Second Chances.

DEAL OF THE DAY: Stalwart Electronic Digital Steel Safe Box with LED Keypad. #CommissionEarned

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Looks Like We’ll All Be Biden Broke Soon. “It’s the age-old, classic tale of just how wrong things can go when the government tries to ‘help.’ There is no shortage of historical evidence regarding exactly what can go wrong, yet politicians — especially those on the left — usually ignore it all and wreck things for the long term in order to win a popularity contest in the short term.”

DEMOCRATS LIKE HIGH GAS PRICES, THEY WANT HIGH GAS PRICES: Pain at the Pump: Virginia Dems Block Youngkin’s Gas Tax Holiday.

Related: Don’t pretend that high prices and American suffering are a ‘bug’ for the establishment — it’s a historic feature.

OUR CENSORS DON’T WANT TO STOP NAZIS, THEY WANT TO BE NAZIS: “Would Censorship Have Stopped the Rise of the Nazis?”

BECAUSE OF COURSE: Evan McMullin comes out for gun control. “McMullin thinks he can defeat Lee in Utah, which I suppose is theoretically possible. However, he’s taking on some odd positions if he wants to win there.”

IT’S NOT THE BURNING ISSUE IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO: Dems grow alarmed by lack of fear over Roe’s future.

But don’t worry, Democrats, you’ve got a friend: Is Chief Justice Roberts trying to turn votes to save Roe v Wade?

ANN ALTHOUSE ON ELIZABETH SPIERS ON ELON MUSK:

“It is easy to assume” a lot of things! It’s also easy to splatter opinion columns with the idea that Musk is a racist, sexist pig and that to declare that you’ve made “a moral and ethical case” for censorship… and — paradoxically — that you’re fighting misinformation.

It’s interesting how much free speech the opponents of free of speech already have.

And they want to keep it to themselves. They’re absurdly transparent about it.

IF YOU HAVE TO ASK, YOU CAN’T AFFORD IT: How Bad Will the Biden Recession Be?

THE CHINA SYNDROME:

Bezos’ commentary on Tesla’s relationship with China is peculiar given a Reuters investigation in December [accessible online here] that found Amazon had capitulated to demands from China to continue doing business and grow the company there.

And, in 2019, the Washington Post – which Bezos bought in 2013 – included an eight-page “advertising supplement” touting the achievements and talking points of the Chinese government in a section that was off-limits to the paper’s editors.

Yeah, just another excuse for not wanting anyone not of the group to own media.

BY PETER RABE:  A House in Naples (Annotated): The classic pulp crime thriller.  #CommissionEarned

After World War 2, Charley and Joe made a good living on the black market in Italy. They didn’t like each other. Didn’t even trust each other. But they worked well together.

Now it’s been ten years, though, and after Martha shows up, things are starting to come apart.

This iktaPOP Media edition includes a new introduction by indie author D. Jason Fleming giving genre and historical context to the book.

WAIT, WAIT, SMOD MIGHT SAVE US ALL:  Enormous ‘potentially hazardous’ asteroid to soar past Earth tomorrow.

THE ONLY CLIMATE ANXIETY I HAVE IS WHATEVER THE HECK THE LIBS WILL DO WITH THAT EXCUSE:  Comedy Gold: How To Cope With Your “Climate Anxiety”.

GEE, WHAT COMMON FACTOR COULD THERE BE?   Global child hepatitis outbreak sparks concern: Warning signs and what to look for.

WE KNOW:  You Can’t Have a Functioning Nation without Free Speech.