JAMES PETHOKOUKIS: NASA and the New Space Age: My chat (+transcript) with James Meigs.
Archive for 2025
June 13, 2025
LEADERSHIP MATTERS:
That is so weird that they would take credit for something that they are 100% responsible for. #Journalisming.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) June 13, 2025
MAKE CALIFORNIA MEXICO AGAIN: LA riots are descending into ethnic conflict.
The Right’s preferred take on the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles is that they’ve brought together the full spectrum of hard-Left ideals — what Mary Harrington has labelled the “Omnicause”. At National Review, Jeffrey Blehar sighed that in LA, “all the radicalisms combine into one.” Some of the riots’ college-age protagonists no doubt accept that framing, donning kaffiyehs to signal that they are united in one universal struggle against white supremacy (or whatever).
Yet the most dominant images and slogans from the riots suggest that the motive force might be something else entirely. Consider the numerous photos and videos of balaclava-clad rioters waving the flags of Mexico and other Latin-American nations and shouting slogans such as “Viva La Raza!” — long live the race. Rightly understood, these symbols and watchwords evoke not progressivism, but instead nationalism and reactionary cultural revanchism, with Mexico and Hispanic identity as their objects of devotion.
What we’re dealing with, in other words, is a scenario more akin to banlieue riots in France, in which a subset of the population feels little to no attachment to their country of citizenship and is bent on claiming — or reclaiming — space for other national or civilisational identities. Every few years, rioters claim the Parisian suburb of Saint-Denis for Algeria or Islam. Likewise, LA is being claimed for the spiritual geography of Hispanidad.
Read the whole thing.
BREAKING: President Trump Speaks Out About Israeli Air Strikes on Iran. “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!”
If this goes on another 48 hours, there might not be any leadership left to cut a deal with.
FUN GIFT: DJI Mini 4K, Drone with 4K UHD Camera for Adults. #CommissionEarned
A NEW SKY CANDY FOR A NEW WEEK [VIP]: Sky Candy for a Slow News Day.
I MEANT TO POST THIS EARLIER BUT IT GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE:
WOAH 🚨 Colorado Democrats just used imminent domain to seize this farm’s land
Democrats recently voted to create an entity called Parkland Metropolitan District which won the imminent domain case
The head of the government agency IS THE DEVELOPER WHO WILL PROFIT FROM THIS LAND… pic.twitter.com/go6bwOqzFQ
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) June 7, 2025
Full text:
Democrats recently voted to create an entity called Parkland Metropolitan District which won the imminent domain case
The head of the government agency IS THE DEVELOPER WHO WILL PROFIT FROM THIS LAND
“What does it mean to be a private landowner here in Colorado? Well, it means in some rare cases, the government can just come in and take your private land or a portion of it for the public good. I’m talking about eminent domain. I am standing here next to Polizi Farms in Brighton, Colorado. And recently, this farm lost an eminent domain case to an entity called the Parkland Metropolitan District.
This is a quasi government agency that won the rights to take a portion of this farmland right in the middle. And this entity, this district, is going to put a drainage pipe right in the middle of this farm. The farm worries that this drainage pipe is going to mess with their whole operation. It’s going to ruin the drainage of the farm, and then the farm is going to be done. It’s going to be done for the pipe is moving forward.
But what is the Parkland Metropolitan District? It was created very recently after a vote by the Brighton City Council. And guess who used to sit at the very head of this government agency, the chairman of this government agency, the private developer who was going to benefit from this drainage pipe. It’s not a public highway that’s going to be benefiting from it. It’s not a public road.
It’s not a freeway. It’s a private development. How is that for private land ownership in Colorado?”
About what I’ve come to expect, sad to say.
JUST SAY NO TO TERRORIST DOCTORS: Doctors urge Brown not to rehire Hezbollah-supporting physician deported by DHS.
MEANWHILE, OVER AT VODKAPUNDIT: Oops!… Mossad Did It Again. “Like so many others, I spent last night glued to the news — here at PJ Media and on X — marveling at the breadth, depth, and mind-blowing precision of Israel’s initial strike on Iran. No surprise here: Mossad and Israeli special forces were the real stars of the show.”
ANOTHER SLOW NEWS DAY: Appeals Court Humiliates Newsom, Restores Trump’s Control of National Guard.
YES:
Newsom's line of argument, advanced often by rich progressives, that we need a caste of illegal labor to do jobs that are too crappy for Americans, is ground zero for how the Democrats lost the working class. My @TheFP column on the LA riots: https://t.co/uCYngYJYAz
— Batya Ungar-Sargon (@bungarsargon) June 12, 2025
The Dems do love their imported servants.
PRO-ACTIVE: Abbott Calls Out National Guard Before Leftists Can Loot. “So why don’t Democratic governors take similar precautions to prevent ‘peaceful protests’ from turning into the usual riot, arson and looting sprees we keep seeing over and over again?”
To ask the question is to answer it.
KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: Israel Surgically Delivers Multiple Packages of ‘FO’ to Iran. “There are always a lot of moving parts in situations like this. By the time you read this there will probably be a lot more information. I’ll give you a few things here without much commentary from me, then move onto the Mailbag of Magnificence.”
KAROL MARKOWICZ: I’m a legal immigrant — don’t you dare lump me in with border-jumpers. “This should be no surprise: Legal immigrants, who waited their turn and struggled to become Americans, have little in common with those who broke the law to arrive in our country ready for someone to take care of them — and are increasingly angered by politicians who coddle the criminals.”
THE ENEMY WITHIN: PSU professor placed on leave after ‘I am Hamas … we’re all Hamas’ comment.
The professor of Arabic language and literature was placed on leave on Friday, according to a June 6 statement from the university’s President Ann Cudd.
“PSU stands unequivocally against antisemitism, terrorism, and hate of any kind, including the statements made in this video. … The statements made in this video are absolutely unacceptable,” Cudd stated.
“PSU is conducting an investigation of this incident and the faculty member involved has been placed on administrative leave.”
Cudd does not identify the scholar by name but The Oregonian and KOIN Portland both identified her as Professor Yasmeen Hanoosh of the Department of World Languages and Literatures.
She could use an educational trip to Gaza.
ONE OF MY FAVE CABINET MEMBERS OF ALL TIME: Bessent Identifies New Strain Of TDS, Reminds Dems They Lost The Election.. “A higher decibel level does not give your statements more veracity.”
BEWARE:
I don't expect a symmetric retaliation by Iran. Rather the Ayatollahs, now clearly in an existential struggle with Israel, will likely attempt to expand the conflict to the West. The Trump admin may believe Iran has infiltrated the southern US border. Watch this space.
— wretchardthecat (@wretchardthecat) June 13, 2025
Kurt Schlichter’s The Attack made real?
The threat we face right now inside the US is activated Iranian-allied terror cells.
This is where the Democrat "No Border" policy has created huge risks.
Hundreds of thousands of military aged men made it into the country without any encounter with US immigration personnel.…
— Shipwreckedcrew (@shipwreckedcrew) June 13, 2025
Plus:
Wow, yet another surprise attack against internal strategic targets using smuggled shorter-range drones.
Given the near-complete lack of hardening in CONUS, and the volume of goods that comes in from China every day, this should be making hair stand on end in the Pentagon. https://t.co/W4DGmzBxqD
— Tom Shugart (@tshugart3) June 13, 2025
Will we learn from this?
DON SURBER: Sucks to be Iran this morning: Trump gave them a 60-day notice to negotiate.
Well, it sucks to be the Mullarchy, anyway. For actual Iranians, it’s a major opportunity.
🔴 Iran's King in Exile speaks:
"My message to the military, law enforcement, and security forces is clear:
This regime and its corrupt and incompetent leaders do not value your lives or our Iran. Separate yourself from them and join the people." pic.twitter.com/tEvuRRQiT7
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) June 13, 2025
AN OVERNIGHT WIN FOR TRUMP, AT THE COURT OF APPEALS AND IN THE POLLS:
TODAY – 57% Approve Trump Deploying National Guard in LA
Even while President Donald Trump’s immigration policy remains controversial, most voters support his decision to use the National Guard to stop attacks on federal immigration agents in Los Angeles. https://t.co/oBPqbSiqT7
— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) June 13, 2025
UPDATE: But a good point from Adrian Vermeule:
If your reaction to this is that “the process is working,” you’re missing the point. Any one of almost 700 district judges might intervene at any time to block anything the President does, even within the core of his Article II powers. The overhang of uncertainty and confusion… https://t.co/l93r1M78qA
— Adrian Vermeule (@Vermeullarmine) June 13, 2025
Plus:
In my review of the decision I don't see where Breyer even addressed this issue.
If calling into federal service is a POTUS function, how can he enjoin that decision if he has no jurisdiction over POTUS on separation of powers grounds.
That is black letter law. https://t.co/hhoibH9C2w
— Shipwreckedcrew (@shipwreckedcrew) June 13, 2025
IT’S TRUE, YOU KNOW:
They treated a Democratic Senator like an elderly pro-lifer at an abortion clinic.
— BT (@back_ttys) June 12, 2025
A HISTORIC ACCOMPLISHMENT:
Congratulations @SpaceX team on 500 Falcon flights! https://t.co/Wf2XweIkrX
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 13, 2025