HOW IT’S GOING:

"Those that oppose my nomination — are accusing me of being Trump’s puppet, Putin’s puppet, Assad’s puppet, a guru’s puppet, Modi’s puppet — what truly unsettles them is I refuse to be THEIR puppet." -Tulsi Gabbard pic.twitter.com/pEYofy9n0i

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 30, 2025

Meanwhile, Kash Patel’s hearings are also going on: Nominee For Top Criminal Justice Position Interviewed By Nation’s Top Criminals.

GREAT MOMENTS IN JOURNALISTIC PRIORITIES: Washington Post’s Above-the-Fold ‘Priorities’ After Aviation Disaster Spark Outrage, Questions.

Likely some editor/paginator/page designer (do they still do all that locally??) didn’t want to mess with the original design of the package at the top. My former publisher would have me in his office as soon as I walked in the next day wanting to know why I buried that info.

It would have been easy enough to move the entire top package down and add the crash at the top. Not that difficult.

This is exactly the type of story for which the old newspaper cliche of “tear up the front page” was invented for. But evidently, the Post would rather be something akin to a leftist political magazine like the New Republic or the Nation instead of an actual newspaper.

PRO-CHOICE: School Choice for Everyone? Trump’s Latest Round of Executive Orders.

INSTITUTIONAL DECAY, HENRY VIII’S BIG FAT LIBIDO, AND THE ETERNALLY RADICAL IDEA: When you add billions of eyes to the problems of the world, the result is not just noise but incredible breakthroughs.

ABOUT TIME: Joel Kotkin: Trump’s assault on DEI will bring us closer to a post-racial America: The biggest winners from an end to racial identity politics will be ethnic minorities themselves.

CHRISTIAN TOTO: The Real Reason Stars Are Suddenly Targeting Trump. “The answer is simple. The stars in question are now in Campaign Mode. No, they’re not running for office. They’re trying to snag more votes for their Oscar-nominated films.”

Much more at the link.

BLUE CITY BLUES: Goodbye Pacific Palisades, Hello Full Communism.

NO SURVIVORS: 67 Feared Dead in DC Mid-Air Collision (Updates).

UPDATE: Trump said in his press briefing that there are no survivors in the crash.

THEY WORKED VERY HARD TO GET TO WHERE THEY ARE TODAY:

I’ve never seen a poll like this…

🔵Democratic Party:
31% – Favorable
57% – Unfavorable (-26)

The Democratic Party has never been more unpopular in modern-American history. pic.twitter.com/R4vbXZYA3A

— Geiger Capital (@Geiger_Capital) January 29, 2025

THREAD: “I’m friends with a military helicopter pilot who set up the rotary component of Operation Noble Eagle, (the layered air defense system to secure DC after 9/11). I write books about transportation incidents (mostly ships). Here’s what he told me with a breakdown for laymen.”

But we learn nothing by blaming the pilots or air traffic controllers. Worse still it takes pressure off the airline executives, manufacturers and bureaucrats who contributed to the incident.

This is why NTSB being independent is SO important

— John Ʌ Konrad V (@johnkonrad) January 30, 2025

Read the whole thing and let the NTSB get to work.

I CAN SEE WHY SHE’D WANT TO BELIEVE THAT: ‘Maternal instinct’ is socially constructed ‘myth,’ Arizona State U. professor says.

THAT WOULD BE NICE: Utah Senator Wants to Let Kids Be Kids.

“RULE OF LAW:” Fordham president sends email expressing solidarity with illegal aliens in face of Trump crackdown.

THE EV BUBBLE CONTINUES TO DEFLATE: Volkswagen Cancels the ID.7. It Won’t Be Coming to America After All.

The German automaker was originally planning to launch the mid-size sedan in the US in 2024, a year after starting to market it in Europe, but decided to move back the date, waiting for the right time. However, the right time never came.

Late last year, Pablo Di Si, former President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, who has since resigned, claimed the electric sedan could still hit the market in 2025. However, Volkswagen officially announced it changed its mind and the model would not be coming to the US after all.

A spokesperson from the brand confirmed the information for Automotive News, explaining that the ongoing challenging EV climate is to blame for the decision. However, EV sales figures went up by 9% in 2024, while the ICE-powered car market continued its decline down the slope it has been sliding for the past few years.

Left unsaid: the adoption rate for EVs is decelerating and autmakers like VW that went all-in on giving up ICE are feeling the pain.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Trump’s Rebranding Will Bring an All New Clientele to Guantánamo Bay. “As surprises in the news go, this is one of the greatest ones I’ve had in a while. After four years of a presidential administration that celebrated criminality, we now have someone in charge who revels in proving that he is the opposite of whatever the hell went on during the Biden slog. Trump is willing to treat heinous people like they’re heinous people. That’s a radical departure from Team Biden’s approach.”

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: “Today, over 100 members of Congress support a bill to fund Ozempic with Medicare at $1,500 a month. Most of these members have taken money from the manufacturer of that product, a European company called Novo Nordisk.”

DON SURBER: Trump has power. He is using it wisely this time.

WHEN YOUR PRIORITY ISN’T EXCELLENCE, YOU GET LESS EXCELLENCE:

Elon warned about this a Year ago! pic.twitter.com/A4MLdYQlhh

— Global𝕏 (@GlobaltrekX) January 30, 2025

FOLLOW THE MONEY?

The hostility @RobertKennedyJr experienced at his hearing was directly proportional to how much Pharma money each Senator received. In fact, each of them simply repeated the same attacks we just saw flood the mass media (all of which were blatant lies). 🧵 pic.twitter.com/ND7jqU4B1F

— A Midwestern Doctor (@MidwesternDoc) January 30, 2025

OH, SHE’S GOOD:

🇺🇸 PRESS SEC: TAXPAYERS EXPECT FEDERAL WORKERS TO SHOW UP

Reporter:

“But is there any concern that we risk losing people with years of experience, like doctors and, let's say, scientists?”

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt:

“Most doctors who work in actual hospitals and… pic.twitter.com/msUgR5sVwG

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 29, 2025

To be fair, it probably doesn’t take any great skill to make a GMA anchor look ridiculous.

MOVEMENT: Laken Riley’s Mother Gives Tearful Remarks After Trump Signs Law Named For Late Daughter.

ANOTHER PERFORMATIVE PALESTINIAN FIRED: 2 High School Basketball Coaches Fired for Antisemitism and Pro-Hamas flags: Denver.

This was at the Lotus School for Excellence, a STEM (or STEAM) charter school that’s actually in Aurora, a Denver suburb. The website shows a number of girls wearing headscarves and a thoroughly mixed student population. Denver has a pretty substantial Jewish population, so the odds are good some of the students there are Jews.

CHANGE: Things Suddenly Looking Chilly for Milley.

MEAN GIRLS: Fashion Mag Mocks Melania (And It’s Pretty Nasty).

THEY DON’T HEAR THEMSELVES, DO THEY? WATCH: Mass Deportations Mean No More Migrants To Harvest ‘Blueberries’ for Women’s ‘Smoothies,’ Dem Strategist Says.