VDH: The Newsom Nightmare: Why California’s Elites Refuse to Face Reality.

Every time Gov. Gavin Newsom is presented with a critique of his leadership, he said, “We’re the fifth-largest economy in the world.” He never says that I’ve driven out oil refineries. I prohibited pipeline construction. I drove out the timber industry, and that I, as a San Francisco County official, as a mayor of San Francisco, as a lieutenant governor of the state, and as governor, I’ve had over 32 years, and no one is more responsible for California as it is today than Gavin Newsom.

No, he won’t talk about any of these problems. He just talks about Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Donald Trump. He has these nasty sort of Truth Social people who use capital letters, foul language, and threaten people. I’m gonna hit Trump in the mouth, or people in Europe got on their knee pads, kind of foul imagery, thinks it’s really neat.

He gives these interviews where he kind of wiggles his shoulders, but he doesn’t talk about his record. So how did we get here if they didn’t tell us? How did a state that was well-governed and had a natural paradise and was the envy of all 50 states in matters of energy production, defense, production, tripartite higher education system, a solid K-12 educational, system, great infrastructure—

Why would the American Trucking Association say, “I don’t want you driving on the 99 or north-south lateral”? Most dangerous highway in the nation per miles driven. What happened? Well, how did these people come to power? The first thing was that we had an explosion in technology in the 1970s and ’80s, and due to the location of Stanford University and UC Berkeley, in between was Silicon Valley.

And that boomed as the creators of everything from computers to iPhones to iPads to Adobe to everything. Now it’s AI, and that has now ballooned to $14 or $15 trillion in market capitalization, and it’s left-wing. At least it was until recently. The state has turned on them. We’ll see what happens.

The short version is that California’s elites refuse to face reality because it still remains profitable not to.

But as VDH said, we’ll see what happens.

ROBERT SPENCER: Waging War on the Time Clock. “The November election is coming, and Iran will be an issue. It could still be an issue in the 2028 presidential election. The Democrats are certain to claim, whatever is really happening, that Trump has gotten us mired in a needless ‘quagmire’ there.”

NO MORE FREE RIDES: Saudi warplanes struck Iran-backed militias in Iraq during war, sources say.

Saudi fighter jets bombed targets linked to powerful Tehran-backed Shi’ite militias in Iraq during the Iran war, while retaliatory strikes were also launched from Kuwait into Iraq, multiple sources familiar with the matter said.

The strikes are part of a broader pattern of military responses around the Gulf that remained largely hidden during a conflict that began with US-Israeli attacks on Iran and has spread to the wider Middle East.

For this report, Reuters spoke to three Iraqi security and military officials, a Western official, and two people briefed on the matter, one of them in the US.

The Saudi strikes were carried out by Saudi air force fighter jets on Iran-linked militia targets near the kingdom’s northern border with Iraq, one Western official and the person briefed on the matter said. The Western official said some strikes took place around the time of the April 8 US-Iran ceasefire.

They targeted sites from which drone and missile attacks were launched at Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, the sources said.

Plus: UAE secretly launched strikes on Iran during war, attacked oil refinery.

KRUISER’S MORNING BRIEFING: We Never Want to Hear ‘House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries.’ “One thing is fairly certain, however. If the Republicans don’t manage to pass the SAVE America Act, it won’t be long before the Democrats get their one-party rule fantasy and we’re all wearing Pride flag gulag jumpsuits.”

SKIN IN THE GAME: Trump, Bessent Say China May Help Reopen Strait of Hormuz.

Bessent, speaking to CNBC from Beijing, said reopening the waterway is “very much” in China’s interest and predicted Beijing would work “behind the scenes” to influence Iranian leaders. Reuters reported Bessent said, “I think they’re going to do what they can” to help reopen the strait.

Trump, in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, said Chinese President Xi Jinping “would love to be a help” and wants to see the strategically vital shipping lane reopened.

But China itself has not publicly committed to any concrete intervention or mediation effort aimed specifically at forcing Iran to reopen the strait.

Instead, Beijing has issued broader diplomatic statements calling for stability, restraint and the preservation of commercial shipping routes.

Iran is a global pariah and China wants to be a global player.

Maybe Beijing can and will help promote freedom of navigation in an internationally responsible way.

Or maybe inviting PLAN in to help will turn out to be a big mistake.

ICYMI: Wait, China Is Gonna Buy Oil From WHERE?

IMPRESSIVE. MOST IMPRESSIVE:

AOC will look at this and unironically declare that Elon is one of the stupidest people alive and not an engineer pic.twitter.com/KbLp8COMPQ

— Arthur MacWaters (@ArthurMacwaters) May 14, 2026

The New Space Race really is SpaceX vs. the world.

WHCD ATTACK REVISITED: One Loser Got Far Too Close… So What Happens When Four Pros Show Up? “The mental lightweight amateur was stopped cold the first time around. But four trained professionals? You know America’s enemies are thinking about it after watching the near success of Mr. Call of Duty. Pros wouldn’t be livestreaming or hesitating. They’d roll up on that checkpoint locked and loaded with suppressed rifles, plate carriers, comms, and a plan honed from hard experience in real war zones.”

DISPATCHES FROM THE EDUCATION APOCALYPSE:

NEW: In a mandatory anti-racism class, Penn State told 1L law students they must "acknowledge the reality of systemic racism" and "dismantle systems that racialize, subordinate, and oppress."

One student withdrew from the law school over the class. We obtained shocking audio.🧵 pic.twitter.com/zPxbqVY0K8

— Aaron Sibarium (@aaronsibarium) May 14, 2026

“Credentialed, not educated” has rarely seemed so relevant.

THE CHICAGO WAY: Spencer Pratt Can Win Because Angry People Vote. Just Ask Former Chicago Mayor Michael Bilandic.

THIS IS NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION IT MIGHT DESERVE: Explosive device found, detonated at Mobile water reservoir. “The reservoir and dam are federally designated critical infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been made aware of the incident.”

THE DEER IN FRANCE PRANCE MAINLY IN A TRANCE:

Police in France are warning drivers in rural areas to be on the lookout for "drunk" deer exhibiting erratic behavior caused by the consumption of fermented fruits — or as police called it, a “forest aperitif.” https://t.co/uGT1Vy45cD pic.twitter.com/JVf2HS8QRR

— ABC News (@ABC) May 13, 2026

ICYMI: One of Our Congresscritters Is Missing.

SPIRIT AIR LIVES ON IN SPIRIT: Insanely drunk mom punched, bit flight attendant on low-cost international flight.

THE SUMMIT IS GOING QUITE NICELY: Wait, China Is Gonna Buy Oil From WHERE?

THIS IS JUST PAINFUL: ‘Simpsons’ Standout Goes Full Trump Derangement Syndrome. “The song, and describing it that way, is generous, has Trump recalling some of the people in his orbit like Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein.”

HIT BACK TWICE AS HARD, THE WISE MAN SAID: Israel Sues New York Times and Exposes Iranian Terror Network in Australia.

ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Education meets the free market: Who wins and who loses?

IT’S NOT THE HEALTH ISSUE OR WHATEVER IT IS, IT’S THE COVERUP: One of Our Congresscritters Is Missing.

HMM: Gallrein takes the lead over Massie in latest Kentucky primary polling.

Quantus Insights polled 908 likely GOP voters and found that Gallrein holds 48.3% of the voters’ support, while 43.1% support Massie. Just 7.6% of polled voters remained undecided, with the majority of those undecided voters leaning toward Gallrein. The pollster reported that while “the race remains competitive,” their survey “points to a clear advantage for Gallrein.”

“Massie continues to hold a durable base of support, especially among Republicans drawn to his independent brand and willingness to break with party leadership,” the poll analysis reads. “But in a primary shaped heavily by Trump’s endorsement, national attention, and outside spending, Gallrein’s lead on both the initial ballot and leaner allocation shows the Trump-backed challenger in the stronger position entering the final stretch.”

The survey, taken between May 11 and 12, is the first poll to show Gallrein in the lead, as other surveys had shown Massie up by single digits. The trend does not bode well for Massie, who has won every primary challenge since entering Congress with over 70% of the vote.

We’ll find out soon enough.

IS THERE ANY REFORMING THE CIA? CIA Went Rogue, Raided Tulsi’s Office to Seize Papers.

AND A FAIR AMOUNT OF GRIFT, I’D WAGER: California University Worked With Globalist NGO To Make Mexico’s Judicial System Gay. “More than 220 Mexican judges, secretaries and officers in Mexico’s judicial branch participated in a virtual University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law course from October to November 2022 on upholding gay and transgender rights, according to materials received in a public records request and translated by the DCNF. The law school’s Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law and Public Policy provided the course in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Mexico’s Federal Judiciary Council, an agency that oversaw the country’s court system before legislative reforms delegated its authority elsewhere.”

HMM: Polymarket: Thomas Massie Now Predicted to LOSE Reelection (Buh-Bye!).

THE NEW SPACE RACE: SpaceX unveils sweeping Starship V3 upgrades ahead of May 19 launch.

Here is an explicit, broken-down list of the key changes, first starting with the changes to Super Heavy V3:

• Grid Fin Redesign: Reduced from four fins to three. Each fin is now 50% larger and stronger, repositioned for better catching and lifting performance. Fins are lowered on the booster to reduce heat exposure during hot staging, with hardware moved inside the fuel tank for protection.
• Integrated Hot Staging: Eliminates the old disposable interstage shield. The booster dome is now directly exposed to upper-stage engine ignition, protected by tank pressure and steel shielding. Interstage actuators retract after separation.
• New Fuel Transfer System: Massive redesign of the fuel transfer tube—roughly the size of a Falcon 9 first stage—enables simultaneous startup of all 33 Raptors for faster, more reliable flip maneuvers.
• Engine Bay / Thermal Protection: Engine shrouds removed entirely; new shielding added between engines. Propulsion and avionics are more tightly integrated. CO₂ fire suppression system deleted for a simpler, lighter aft section.
• Propellant Loading Improvements: Switched from one quick disconnect to two separate systems for added redundancy and reduced pad complexity.

Next, we have the changes to Starship V3:

• Completely Redesigned Propulsion System: Clean-sheet redesign supports new Raptor startup, larger propellant volume, and an improved reaction control system while reducing trapped or leaked propellant risk.
• Aft Section Simplification: Fluid and electrical systems rerouted; engine shrouds and large aft cavity deleted.
• Flap Actuation Upgrade: Changed from two actuators per flap to one actuator with three motors for better redundancy, mass efficiency, and lower cost.
• Faster Starlink Deployment: Upgraded PEZ dispenser enables quicker satellite release.
• Long-Duration Spaceflight Capability: New systems for long orbital coasts, orbital refueling, cryogenic fluid management, vacuum-insulated header tanks, and high-voltage cryogenic recirculation.
• Ship-to-Ship Docking + Refueling: Four docking drogues and dedicated propellant transfer connections added to support in-space refueling architecture.
• Avionics Upgrades: 60 custom avionics units with integrated batteries, inverters, and high-voltage systems (9 MW peak power). New multi-sensor navigation for precision autonomous flight. RF sensors measure propellant in microgravity. ~50 onboard camera views and 480 Mbps Starlink connectivity for low-latency communications.

Believe it or not, there’s more.

Two years ago, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever flown was Starship V1. Last year, it was Starship V2. V3 is about to become the biggest and most powerful rocket ever flown — but don’t worry, the company already has plans for V4.

YEAH, NO: Democratic Socialism Works! Leftists Go Nutty for Mamdani After He ‘Balances’ the NYC Budget. “Hochul helped out by giving the city $4 billion, so Mamdani’s balanced budget is indeed a triumph of socialism: the city is solvent not because it spends responsibility and within its means, but because it got a handout.”