Sartorial Son

@GavinNewsom Only on paper big shot. Can't buy a burger with that stock. Only if your friends in the banks lend him money with the stock as collateral can he eat. You and your cronies can't fool us anymore

Americans are struggling to pay for groceries and gas while Elon Musk becomes a TRILLIONAIRE. When the federal government is for sale, the rich get richer and everyone else gets shafted. The system is rigged.

@Amena__Bakr @zerohedge Doubt it.

Iran’s Mehr News claims a draft Trump-Iran deal would leave the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian control, provide $300B in reconstruction funding plus $24B upfront, suspend sanctions, withdraw U.S. forces from the region, ease pressure on missiles/proxies, and restrain Israel in Lebanon. #OOTT

@OwenGregorian Third world country stuff. Consenting to be governed under this law breaking group is our fault. Move or refuse to recognize them as legitimate. Voting doesn't fix this.

The LA Election Steal | Daniel Greenfield The most incredibly impossible election ever In 2022, with over $100 million spent on a heavily contested mayoral election in Los Angeles, 646,058 votes were cast in the first round of voting In 2026, with hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on an election most people were ignoring, the current totals for the first round is at a staggering 723,472 votes. And the election isn’t even done yet. There had been suspicions about an influx of late arriving ballots that put Karen Bass over the top in 2022 and allowed Los Angeles to burn considering that primary turnout in the previous mayoral elections in 2017 and 2013 had been around 400,000. 2026 looks to double that. It was already pretty impressive when the voter totals rose around 50% in 2022 even as the population increased by less than 3%, but in a truly miraculous event, they’re now about to rise 100% even as the population shrank and even during expected low voter turnout. All the reporting indicated low early voting in the LA area only to somehow achieve an unprecedented record turnout on behalf of Mayor Karen Bass who, after letting parts of the city burn and then lying about it, enjoyed a 56% unfavorable rating and only a 31% approval rating. In 2022, Bass had gotten 278,511 votes in the primary. Now, after burning down the city and having the approval rating of a rotten fish, she’s set to blow past her 2022 primary totals. How does a politician with a 31% approval rating turn out more voters than she did in 2022? This was already pretty amazing, but then the miraculous really happened when Councilwoman. Nithya Raman, who spent less time in the city than I did, who had come in third place on Election Day and lost her own district, somehow surged and won majorities of late ballot drops. Raman began by picking up 40% of late arriving ballots. Sure, we’ve always been told that Democrats benefit from late-arriving ballots because they just can’t be bothered to vote in person or on time, but this was a unique example of the late-arriving ballots benefiting the losing Dem in such a strategic way as to lock out Spencer Pratt: the non-establishment candidate. The leftist councilwoman doubled her polling numbers in late arriving ballots, she performed better with those late arriving ballots than the Democrat front runner, and outperformed Pratt even while Bass performed just well enough to loosely keep her roughly 35% front slot. That’s not the kind of outcome that happens organically in a normal election. The ‘surge’ of late-arriving ballots, which usually boosts the Democrat front runner, instead boosted the Democrat third runner, while making the general election a battle between two leftist Democrats, one of whom supported Communist Cuba, and an even more radical newcomer. More significantly it shuts down Pratt’s critiques of the same broken system. LA’s last mayoral election in 2022 had a similar enough twist with Rick Caruso, a successful developer, winning both the primary and the general election on Election Day, before more ‘late arriving ballots’ conveniently put Bass over the top. Caruso went from winning the primary by 5% to losing it by 7% once those ‘late arriving ballots’ showed up. Then he won the general 51% to 49% only to lose it from those same ballots. While Bass lost on Election Day, taking in less than 49%, she picked up around 60% of every subsequent late arriving ballot drop. That was suspicious enough, especially with turnout somehow up around 50%, but we were told that late-arriving ballots (naturally) favor Democrats, but how does one explain turnout rising by 100% and the late-arriving ballots favoring not just Democrats, but one specific Democrat. Why would late-arriving ballots behave so differently from all the previous votes that had been cast? Some have tried to find excuses. They’ve pointed to the one poll that favored Raman. They’ve claimed that she did better with younger voters who voted late. They’ve argued that Democrats were voting ‘strategically’ to box out Pratt. But none of those excuses makes sense. Polls can be wrong, but the poll numbers were reasonably predictive. There was no sign of a surge for Raman anywhere, especially online, where younger voters are more active and reactive. And while the party establishment may have strategic intentions, voters do not cast their ballots ‘strategically’ by voting for a losing candidate on the theory that she would end up in second place out of fear that the candidate they really support might end up losing the election. The only people who can direct votes ‘strategically’ are the ones who command not individual ballots, but tens of thousands of them, and that is what happened in the mayoral election. Late voter dumps consisting of harvested ballots and other dubious schemes can be used to make a mockery of elections and representative government, but when ballots are added in such numbers, they distort the overall totals leading to absurdities like voter turnout continuing to increase for Democrat candidates even as the public grows less enthused with them. Electing Bass in 2022 required faking a massive turnout surge and 2026 has an even bigger surge. As public discontent with the political machine grows, increasingly bigger surges will have to be faked until there will be more voters than there are people living in Los Angeles. And as the city’s population shows signs of shrinking due to miserable mismanagement by the same political machine rigging elections, that is becoming a very realistic prospect. Meanwhile with the mayoral race now a contest between two leftists, it will be interesting to see what the turnout numbers for the general look like, and whether one or both sides will perform ballot dumps to change the outcome, and that potential civil war between election riggers will tell us a good deal about who’s rigging elections and how they’re going about doing it. The lack of any meaningful election integrity means that worthless ballots with no valid signatures can be dumped and counted as long as they put the right people over the top. The ballot dumps for Raman locked out Pratt, but if the Left is serious about replacing Bass with Raman the following months will see an ugly showdown between the city’s top political crooks. And that may be the only way the machine exposes itself. danielgreenfield.org/p/the-la-elect…

@OwenGregorian Of course, Iran is not to be trusted. No, this is something else. An escape for the elites and military leaders, save face and slowly disappear while the people elect a new government. No public hangings but many money stuffed suitcases.

What’s the deal? What we know about the US-Iran peace agreement to be signed as soon as this weekend | Caitlin Doornbos, New York Post President Trump on Thursday said Iran has pledged never to build or buy a nuclear weapon in an agreement accepted by the US and to be signed in days, marking a breakthrough in negotiations that have been months in the making. “We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “And we’re going to be subject to finalization of documents, we should get done over the next few days.” “[Iran] will not only not have — they will not purchase, develop in any way, any shape, in any way, shape, or form, a nuclear weapon. They will not have a nuclear weapon,” he added. The deal, which Trump said was approved by Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, is expected to be signed as soon as this weekend, with Trump saying he would send Vice President JD Vance to sign the document in-person, “maybe in Europe.” “It’s a great thing,” Trump said. “Stock market’s up 1,000 points. That means they like the deal.” It comes after The Post reported Iran finalized and submitted a draft to Qatari authorities Wednesday night. But what is in the agreement, which has taken more than two months to achieve? Here’s what we know: Nuclear negotiations The memorandum of understanding, once signed, will kick off nuclear discussions between the US and Iran. Trump’s north star — stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons — is nominally achieved in the text of the MOU itself, as the president said Tehran agreed in the document to never develop or buy a nuclear warhead. “Most importantly, we have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which was the whole purpose of what we had to go through to get this, so it was a big, very big thing,” he said. But words alone are not enough to satisfy Trump, as Iran in its 2015 nuclear deal with President Obama had already promised never to develop a nuke. That’s why further negotiations will still be necessary, with the US seeking the abandonment of Iran’s uranium enrichment program and the destruction, degradation or transfer of the “nuclear dust” still buried deep below the Iranian nuclear sites the US destroyed in last June’s “Operation Midnight Hammer” strikes. Trump also promised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that he would pursue in negotiations limits on Iran’s missile program and Tehran’s financial support of proxy terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. “The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for President Trump’s commitment that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations will include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region,” Netanyahu’s office said in a readout of their call. Strait of Hormuz Iran has agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz during a 60-day cease-fire and negotiation period — if the US lifts its blockade of Iranian ports that has been costing Tehran an estimated $500 million per day. But Trump on Truth Social said that won’t happen until pen is put to paper on the MOU. “The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized,” he said. Tehran has claimed ownership of the strait, and in recent weeks set up a “Persian Gulf Strait Authority” to charge fees to commercial vessels seeking passage. The US has opposed Iran charging a toll for access to the oil chokepoint, which is considered international waters by most of the world. Details were immediately unclear on what the reopening would look like, and whether it would include efforts to de-mine the strait. European leaders have previously pledged to help with such efforts in the event of a deal. “Economic sweeteners” The biggest mystery remains the issue of financial incentives to bring Iran to the table. Tehran has previously demanded the release of frozen Iranian assets and the lifting of US sanctions before coming to the table to discuss nuclear concessions. The US has indicated openness to unfreezing some Iranian assets in exchange for nuclear concessions, but how and when that could happen has been a major sticking point preventing the deal’s acceptance, a US source familiar with the negotiations told The Post. “Differences to date have been over sequencing, not substance,” the source said. Details on that issue — which was described as the most important element of the deal for the Iranians — remained sparse Thursday evening. “Iranians would like some economic relief in any shape,” a regional source familiar with negotiations told The Post. “They want a sweetener.” Two US officials told Axios on Thursday the to-be-signed agreement made progress on the “mechanism” of how the funds would be released. Iran has also repeatedly requested the US lift its sanctions, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week told Congress that would only be done if Tehran makes tangible changes to its nuclear program. That means Iran could see sanctions relief as a result of the upcoming nuclear negotiations, but not before. nypost.com/2026/06/11/us-…

@OwenGregorian Imagine a tyrannical judge accusing another government official of tyranny. Why do we consent to be governed by any of them.

NEW: Clinton Judge Blocks Paxton's Lawsuit Against ActBlue | Cristina Laila, The Gateway Pundit A federal judge on Thursday blocked Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against ActBlue. In April, Paxton announced that he filed a lawsuit against ActBlue “for deceiving Americans by lying about its donation processes that allow fraudulent and foreign donations.” BREAKING: I just filed a landmark lawsuit against ActBlue for deceiving Americans by lying about its donation processes that allow fraudulent and foreign donations. — Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) April 20, 2026 US District Judge Richard Stearns, a Clinton appointee, issued a preliminary injunction and said Paxton has a history of ‘retaliatory lawsuits.’ Reuters reported: A federal judge on Thursday blocked Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from continuing to pursue a lawsuit against the Democratic fundraising platform ActBlue over its donation practices, saying he was retaliating for fundraising on behalf of his opponent in the race for the U.S. Senate. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston issued a preliminary injunction at the behest of ActBlue, which argued Paxton infringed its free speech rights by suing the organization in April while campaigning against Democrat James Talarico for a Senate seat up for grabs in November’s election. Stearns, who was appointed by Democratic President Bill Clinton, said Paxton had a “well-known history of filing retaliatory lawsuits,” which continued with his filing of a lawsuit against ActBlue aimed at suppressing political speech in violation of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment. Paxton previously said his investigation into ActBlue uncovered a large number of suspicious donations made through obscured identities and untraceable means. “Our investigation into ActBlue has uncovered facts indicating that bad actors can illegally interfere in American elections by disguising political donations,” Ken Paxton said in 2024. “It is imperative that the FEC close off the avenues we have identified by which foreign contributions or contributions in excess of legal limits could be unlawfully funneled to political campaigns, bypassing campaign finance regulations and compromising our electoral system,” Paxton said. “I am calling on the FEC to immediately begin rulemaking to secure our elections from any criminal actors exploiting these vulnerabilities,” he said. James O’Keefe previously brought attention to the ActBlue donation mules in a report. ** MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DONATION HARVESTING ** HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL DROPS ** CROSSING NUMEROUS STATES! thegatewaypundit.com/2026/06/new-cl…

@OwenGregorian Bravo, but think a little. How does a bank extend federally backed loans without due diligence. Backstopping irresponsible banks is just as much a moral hazard as this criminal. Stop it and these crimes become rare.

Lawful Permanent Resident From India Living in Upscale Corona del Mar BUSTED for Defrauding Bank of Nearly $100 MILLION – Forged Title Policies in Adobe, Altered Metadata, and Lied to Lenders! | Jim Hᴏft, The Gateway Pundit Mahender Makhijani, 44, a lawful permanent resident from India residing in the upscale enclave of Corona del Mar, was arrested this morning on a federal criminal complaint charging him with bank fraud. Makhijani controlled Cantor Group V LLC, a Newport Beach-based outfit that had a lending deal with a federally insured bank. Under the agreement, the bank advanced nearly $100 million so Cantor could originate or purchase real estate loans, but only first-lien loans where Cantor held the top position on the collateral. Instead of playing straight, Makhijani and a subordinate spent months from September 2024 through April 2025 systematically falsifying title insurance policies. They used Adobe software to doctor the documents, making it appear Cantor held first-lien positions when other creditors were actually ahead in line. They altered or stripped metadata — including by printing out the fakes and rescanning them — then submitted the bogus records to the bank. Makhijani didn’t stop there. He personally joined teleconferences with bank reps and fed them misleading explanations. In December 2024, he caused a spreadsheet full of false information to be sent over. The bank relied on these lies when deciding to keep advancing funds. Had the truth come out earlier, the bank would have declared Cantor in default and demanded immediate repayment of the full $100 million. If convicted, Makhijani faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in federal prison. “Today’s arrest highlights the strength of IRS Criminal Investigation’s financial expertise. As alleged, Mr. Makhijani falsified title insurance records, concealed true lien positions, and used a network of shell companies to mislead a federally insured bank out of nearly $100 million,” said Darren Lian, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Our special agents followed the money through layered transfers and disguised accounts, uncovering a scheme designed to deceive at every turn. When individuals manipulate documents and abuse financial systems for personal gain, IRS CI will expose the truth and ensure they are held accountable.” “When criminals are allowed to deceive lenders, the spillover effects can harm consumers and businesses,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Today’s arrest highlights our office’s continued determination to combat threats to our nation’s banking system.” thegatewaypundit.com/2026/06/lawful…

@OwenGregorian This is similar to why Hipaa rules were developed in healthcare. Anyone with computer access could see medical info about anyone in the system. Not effective.

Cops Keep Getting Arrested for Using Flock to Stalk People | Jason Koebler, 404 Media For months during the summer of 2024, Jarmarus Brown, an Orange City, Florida police officer, ran his ex-girlfriend's license plate through the Flock automated license plate reader (ALPR) system lookup database at least 69 times. He searched for the license plate belonging to her mom at least 24 times, and searched for the license plate belonging to her dad at least 15 times. Brown’s searches were happening so often, and were so commonplace, that even one of his colleagues noticed Brown researching his ex-girlfriend's whereabouts while the law enforcement officers sat in their police cruisers, according to court records obtained by 404 Media. “While they were sitting there, Officer [Shadrich] King noticed Jarmarus was on the Flock system and a license plate reader image of [Brown’s ex-girlfriend] was on the screen,” a police affidavit about Brown’s behavior obtained by 404 Media reads. “Officer King said he mentioned to Jarmarus that he needed to stop running her vehicle in that system because he could get in trouble. Jarmarus responded saying that he knew that, and he was going to stop.” Flock’s automated license plate readers document every car that drives past them, creating a broad network of people’s movements around the country. Police can then look up license plates to learn where a specific car and, by extension, person, has traveled over time. On another occasion, Brown told King that he believed his ex was lying about her whereabouts. She “told Jarmarus she was at her house with her mother, but Jarmarus knew for a fact she was not. When questioned by Officer King as to how he knew for a fact she was lying, Jarmarus said he used the Flock system and saw that her vehicle was elsewhere,” the affidavit reads. “Jarmarus then asked Officer King if he wanted to join him on a ‘stakeout’ to try to see where her vehicle was located.” According to Brown’s ex-girlfriend, while they were dating he would “constantly require [her] to either be on FaceTime with him or be on the phone with him, even while she was working […] Jarmarus would try to control aspects of [her] life, such as the amount of makeup she would wear and the length of her fingernails.” According to the affidavit, Brown’s stalking extended beyond license place lookups; at one point while they were dating, he put an Apple AirTag in her wallet. But the bulk of his surveillance came through Flock, the affidavit says, noting that he kept “randomly showing up at the places she was at.” The affidavit states Brown told investigators that “he would occasionally run her tag through Flock to track her whereabouts” because he believed she was lying to him. “It was dumb as hell on my end, emotions flowing, mind going,” he told investigators. The investigators ultimately determined Brown “knowingly and intentionally accessed the password protected computer systems, Flock and DAVID [a Florida DMV vehicle information database], to run the license plates of vehicles [she] frequently drove, for his own personal reasons. There was no work related, justifiable, reasons to do so, other than to track [her] whereabouts.” Brown was ultimately charged with stalking and hacking-related charges; he served one day in prison and was sentenced to five years of probation. Brown’s case was not a one-off. Local news reports from around the country repeatedly detail police abusing the Flock surveillance systemic order to stalk their partners or ex-partners. The contours of each story are much the same, with the police officer in question using their access to the system to repeatedly track a specific person over the course of weeks or months. The cases highlight the fact that Flock can be used to track the whereabouts of individual people, that police do not get a warrant in order to use the system, and that, if they have access to the system, they have the technical ability to look up any license plate they want for any reason they want. An April study by the civil rights group Institute for Justice found that at least 18 police officers have been caught around the country using Flock to stalk a romantic interest in the last few years; another database, called the ALPR Abuse Library, has documented 20 specific cases of “stalking/targeting” around the country. The known cases of police stalking are almost certainly a vast underreporting of the overall abuse, because they largely include only cases in which the behavior was so egregious that it led to police officers being fired, arrested, or both. Flock told 404 Media that it is “aware of 15 incidents of abuse, each surfaced because of the transparency and accountability features deliberately built into our platform.” “There are also 140,000 monthly active users of Flock, so the relatively rare instances of abuse, while obviously wrong and awful, are exactly that—rare,” a Flock spokesperson told 404 Media. “Humans are fallible; unlike most tools society provide law enforcement, Flock ensures that in the instances when our technology is misused, the evidence used to hold responsible parties accountable, is right there in our system. We also encourage all our customers to have a usage policy, regular training, and to implement our Audit Assistance tool, which proactively flags unintended use.” It is definitely the case that Flock’s audit tools have proven useful in holding police accountable, because journalists, activists, and concerned citizens from around the country have pored through Flock audit logs that they have obtained through public records requests to document abuse. But it is also the case that Flock has strenuously fought against lawsuits and potential regulations that are seeking to require police to get a warrant to use the system. And many cases of abuse have not been detected by police departments themselves but by those private citizens, journalists, and stalking victims who have found patterns of abuse in public records files they have obtained from their local police departments. In most cases of Flock-related stalking reviewed by 404 Media, the abuse occurred over the course of months or years, and the victims were subjected to dozens or hundreds of lookups. Other abuse cases have been discovered using the website HaveIBeenFlocked.com, a website that compiles Flock searches released via public records requests and turns them into a searchable database. Flock has repeatedly tried to get that website taken down, as we have previously reported. In Wisconsin, a stalking victim checked her own license plate on HaveIBeenFlocked.com and learned that City of Milwaukee Police Officer Josue Ayala had searched her license plate more than 100 times. After reporting this alleged abuse to the police, the agency ran its own audit and learned that Ayala had also searched the license plate of a second victim 124 times in a two-month span last year, according to court records. Each time, Ayala simply listed “investigation” as the reason for his search. In another alleged abuse case in Idaho, the police chief used Flock to allegedly stalk his wife using the reason “test” in the Flock system. A citizens’ anti-surveillance organizing group, called Deflock Joplin, found anomalous searches by a police officer in Joplin, Missouri, last year. Using Flock audit logs they obtained using a public records request, they found one single license plate that was searched by one specific police officer 395 times in a 10-month span in 2025; they found that a second plate had been searched 147 times (the police officer’s name was redacted in the records). “The activity presented here is startling and damning,” Deflock Joplin wrote in a blog about its investigation. “One user's account at JPD has surveilled people for around a year without detection. We see no conceivable way the Joplin Police Department is auditing these logs. This activity was blatant and obvious if anyone had bothered to take a look. We were able to find this data, file records requests, create a website, and share them in our spare time […] This system must be removed or severely curtailed to protect residents and their privacy.” Soon after Deflock Joplin shared its findings with the city, the police officer in question was fired: “During that investigation, it was found that this single Joplin Police Officer did violate the policy regarding department equipment and systems,” the city wrote in a press release. “Any misuse of the Flock system or any other Joplin Police resource will not be tolerated, and discipline will be administered swiftly and in accordance with policy.” In Orange City, Florida, Brown’s ex suspected she was being stalked and spoke to a friend within the police department, who told her that Brown “used law enforcement databases to track her whereabouts.” She then made a stalking complaint, which started the investigation, according to the affidavit. In Coffee County, Georgia, officer Chris Rozar was charged with eight crimes, including computer invasion of privacy, prohibited use of captured license plate data, and stalking, because he allegedly “did knowingly misuse the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office Flock Law Enforcement Camera System and Tag Reader System […] for the purposes of stalking,” and that he “did follow, track, and surveil [the victim] throughout multiple locations in Coffee County, without the consent of said person, for the purpose of harassing and intimidating said person.” This case, too, was not discovered through Flock’s auditing tools: “The investigation began about two years ago after a woman came forward with allegations that Rozar had [been] stalking her,” a press release about Rozar’s arrest reads. In Bonner Springs, Kansas, a police officer allegedly used Leonardo-brand license plate reader cameras to stalk his ex wife as part of a horrifying and extensive hacking and spying campaign; the officer was also found to have beastiality and child sexual abuse material on his devices. There are more than a dozen other cases from around the country where the story is much the same; a police officer stalks their partner or an ex for months before ultimately getting caught and fired or arrested. These cases repeatedly show that, because there are few limits on what police can use Flock for, they are often able to abuse the system for months or years before being caught. Many of the known cases of police abuse were only discovered after the victim reported being stalked or after data crunching by journalists or local government transparency groups; many of the cases of abuse happened over the course of months. 404 Media is also aware of several instances in which an officer improperly used Flock and was simply warned or made to take leave, which did not rise to the level of being arrested or fired. 404 Media is also aware of at least one case that has not yet been reported in the media; in Dunwoody, Georgia, several police officers were fired or made to resign for improperly researching people through the Georgia Crime Information Center, a state database. At least one of the fired officers also improperly searched the city's Flock cameras, according to an internal investigative report shared with 404 Media by Jason Hunyar, a Dunwoody resident who has been investigating Flock. Dunwoody has a very close relationship with Flock and the company used Dunwoody as a demonstration for other police departments during sales pitches until Hunyar discovered that the company was accessing cameras in a children's gymnasium during these sales pitches. “The fundamental problem with these systems is that they place private information about people’s movements over time in the hands of every officer,” Michael Soyfer, an Institute for Justice attorney, said in the organization’s report. “Without the constitutional safeguard of a warrant requirement, that predictably allows officers to abuse their access to these systems for things like stalking romantic partners.” 404media.co/cops-keep-gett…

@OwenGregorian Because economic freedom interferes with the profits of the banks and financial institutions, which in turn funds the power fantasies of the elected central government. It's not difficult to understand.

Why are Republicans and Democrats abandoning economic freedom? | John Stossel, Reason Magazine "It's really important that people step back, look at economic history," says economist Donald Boudreaux. "They'll see that we prosper more the more economically free we are." Politicians promise they'll "help" us. President Donald Trump says he'll "create the jobs and future you deserve." President Joe Biden liked to say, "Help is on the way." I prefer President Ronald Reagan's: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'" An economy runs best when government gets out of the way and lets free market competition work. Economist Donald Boudreaux gets that, and it's why The Triumph of Economic Freedom is the title of his new book. Boudreaux explains in my new video: "The more we move away from free markets, the worse things become." Biden's spending increased inflation, and his administration gave billions of dollars to politically connected companies like Intel. Now, Trump's doing similar things. "Free markets are on the ropes now," says Boudreaux. "It's really important that people step back, look at economic history…they'll see that we prosper more the more economically free we are." Now, people blame greed and free markets for the high cost of housing and daycare. "Housing is rising in prices chiefly because of government!" says Boudreaux. "Land use restrictions reduce the supply and restrict building. Rent control reduces the supply of rental housing….Daycare is riddled with government regulations, which raises the cost of those things." Houses and daycare would be cheaper and better if capitalists were allowed to freely serve their customers without government intrusion. Likewise, AI will lower costs, but it will also eliminate jobs, so ignorant politicians like Sen. Josh Hawley (R–Mo.) want laws to protect existing jobs. Bad idea, says Boudreaux. "Some jobs are destroyed, but others are created. The jobs created tend to be better….If we had today the same technology we had 40 years ago, the only web designers would have eight legs….Our living standards rise as a result of these innovations….People might not like change, but you can't get economic growth without it." Some politicians want to tell stores how many self-checkout lanes they're allowed and how many employees must work at registers. "How does government know the 'right' number of workers in any business? That's up to those businesses," says Boudreaux. "It's in their interest to run their companies as efficiently as possible, which keeps down prices. When government does things like this, that's going to raise the prices." Seattle's new socialist mayor Katie Wilson says she'll help people by making sure they have more leisure time. "You should have time to read a book and lay on the grass," she says. "We need bread. But we need roses, too." "Pretty words," laughs Boudreaux, "but what business is it of government to decide how people should spend their time? That's an individual decision. Why should government put its finger on the scale?" "To make life nicer," I say. "If I want to work more, you're making life worse for me, not nicer. I can smell the roses on my own time." Mayor Wilson also says, "We cannot allow giant grocery chains to…close stores at will and leave behind food deserts." "What she's proposing," replies Boudreaux, "is to prevent stores from closing or downsizing. Once she does that, she'll find that fewer stores will move in. The long-run effect will be fewer grocery stores in Seattle." Politicians' belief that they know better how to help people sometimes leads to absurd ideas, like a Minnesota legislator's plan to study the "benefits of shoplifting" because "perhaps people are relying on that…maybe it's assisting them." "Let's then also study the benefits of pickpocketing, armed robbery, and burglary," replies Boudreaux. "After all, those people get income from that." "These politicians just want to be kind," I push back. "It's not kind to people victimized by shoplifting. [It] raises the cost of operating grocery stores…which raises grocery prices that low-income families have to pay." More often than not, government tries to help but makes things worse. reason.com/2026/06/10/why…

@zerohedge In other words, the adulterer is a victim. Got it.

Bill Gates Tells Congress That Epstein Exploited Knowledge Of His Adultery zerohedge.com/political/bill…

@finebaum Dude needs a QB and he is taking a chance on a young man that made a mistake. Just admit it and be ready to cut him loose if he screws up. Look at the rest of society and yourself. Make mistakes and move on. Josh Allen got a second chance.

"It's crazy...because it's not murder, it's not beating somebody..." Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire defends his QB Brendan Sorsby, who's under fire for gambling on his own team's football games:

@DerrickEvans4WV @elonmusk 30 days in coconut grove, a little therapy and load him up with antipsychotics and release him. He's a new man and of course a victim of racism.

They ruled Iryna’s killer is incompetent to stand trial. The same system ruled this man was plenty competent enough to be released back into society dozens of times. It’s past time to remove these left wing activist judges.

@SenseReceptor @DavidBCollum She's got a schtick and as long as they keep paying her, she's going to use it. It's good though, she has no credibility. The circle jerk of money changing continues.

Covid fan favorite Leana Wen is back, talking about what else but possible "asymptomatic" hantavirus spread "There may well be more cases that arise" "We know the incubation period is long" "Then the question becomes: Are we going to see cases of asymptomatic transmission?" "Right now we do not believe there is asymptomatic transmission. If there is, that would change things" "Also, it might change things too if we see cases in people who do not have direct connection with that cruise ship. For example, if there are passengers on board the flights or who are not on the cruise ships, or family members, if they start testing positive" "That requires careful monitoring"

@zerohedge Yikes, how surprising!!!

*SENATOR SANDERS SAYS HE WILL NOT SUPPORT TRUMP'S PICK FOR BLS

@OwenGregorian Got it. But understand that most have never heard of anyone on that list. Nor do they care. But writing about your fellow talking heads only gives them amplification. You are part of the problem, not a solution.

Call It 'The Brown-Shirt List': Curating the Media Backers for Nazi Candidate Graham Platner | Brad Slager, RedState After years of the charge of "Nazi" being thrown more freely than plastic beads at Mardi Gras, we currently find ourselves marveling at the press swooning over Senatorial candidate Graham Platner, as a new dose of oppo research has come out with disturbing aspects of his personality being revealed. Yes, again. The amazing thing is that there are those getting upset that anyone would DARE question the character of the guy who has been shown to have fabricated much of his biography, who has made past comments about being a communist, also about sexual abuse victims being responsible for their attacks, and suggesting a Purple Heart recipient should have died. I'm sorry, it seems near impossible to besmirch someone sporting his resume. His collective issues were already bad enough, and that has not even addressed the infamous Nazi tattoo. He has been shown to have lied about that image on his chest as well, and yet Der Oysterführer has been deeply supported by media that would never accept a fraction of these flaws from a GOP candidate. The sad irony they have missed is that in their desire to counter the accused fascist President Trump, they have thrown in behind an actual Nazi. Now, the Democrat politicians are expected to behave this way. Their desire for naked power is a known entity; Back the Blue, no matter what, after all. But the press is another matter. For the media to follow suit (though expected) becomes revealing. These are the same people who have spent at least the last decade describing anyone on the Right as a “Nazi,” when convenient. The media have told us that innocuous things like Hawaiian shirts, exercise and working out, or making the “Okay” hand symbol are all indicators of being fascist adjacent. But now a man sporting the Totenkopf emblem above his heart, seen on those SS soldiers working the death camps, is to be completely excused. They seem to have abandoned the “Punch a Nazi” narrative to now go with “snuggling a Nazi to beat Trump!” So it is with this wild swing of the pendulum that we begin drawing up a list of those outlets and journalists who are today perfectly willing to lend support to the type of person they never would have tolerated, let alone supported. This is not a type of Blacklist developed for aggressive purposes. But it is to serve as a tool moving forward, for those moments when these same people or outlets revert to hurling their empty accusations by rote. So, to draw up and collect those outlets and names, here is a not-at-all-comprehensive but completely needed list of media sources with disqualifying support of this disaster. THE BULWARK: This outlet of ne'er-do-competent pundits has completely compromised itself with the wholesale staff - ANDREW EGGER tried to dismiss the controversies. - JV LAST not only supports the man who sports a laundry list of controversies and has never held a leadership job, but amazingly, he declares that Platner is presidential material for 2028. - TIM MILLER contorted himself marvelously to make excuses he would never accept from a Republican. ABBY PHILLIP – She actually compared the Nazi-adjacent man to Jesus: “Listening to Graham Platner just now was just how scripted he was in that moment. Suddenly, he is like a politician, just like any other person, trying to turn water into wine, effectively.” CHRIS HAYES – brought on Platner to address each of his accusations in scripted fashion and spin his answers with no pushback or follow-ups. PODSAVE AMERICA – Platformed Platner on their show to clear his Nazi tattoo controversy. - JON FAVREAU - Denies Platner ever said anything Nazi-related. - TOMMY VIETOR – Had numerous posts excusing Platner, and now those have been deleted. JEN PSAKI – She gave the man a tongue-bath interview to platform his campaign. MOLLY JONG-FAST – She tried to sound concerned about the various problems with Platner, but could not push the man away, saying that ultimately it is about what the man will do in the Senate. JONATHAN CAPEHART – "I look at Platner through the prism of where we are in terms of the Trump administration and the Trump world, given who Trump is, given the allegations against the president, given the way that lots and lots of people in the Republican Party just turned a blind eye and decided, we still want to vote for this guy.” JAMELLE BOUIE – “There’s a level of, 'OK, so what?' There’s also this question of, you know, he’s still polling quite well against Susan Collins — and there’s a real desperation to beat Susan Collins.” MORNING JOE – Scarborough puffed up Platner in a promo interview. JONATHAN LEMIRE – He tries to minimize the death camp logo above Platner’s heart as “a Nazi-style tattoo.” CHARLES BLOW – “Who ever goes up against Susan Collins – I’m for. At the end of the day, I'm going to support whoever comes out of that primary.” TIME MAGAZINE – Maybe call it poor timing, but the rag put him on the cover the same week of the port-a-john masturbation story coming out. DAVE WEIGEL – "It complicates the narrative that this is a man who went through PTSD and remade his life and is now ready to serve in the Senate." JESSICA TARLOV – She essentially says Mainers want Platner, so it is all good. CLAIRE MCCASKILL – “I don’t think ANYBODY should take a lecture from the Republican Party about the morality of people that run for office. The difference between Graham Platner and Donald Trump is pretty stark when it comes to owning his bad behavior.” JENNIFER WELCH – Of COURSE the Democrats' latest podcasting krone has gone full-in for Der Oysterfuhrer. THE VIEW - Unsurprisingly, the unhinged hens on this show back the man. Making it funnier is saying Trump is horrible, so vote in the horrible Platner. MEHDI HASAN – Because we all knew he would support an anti-Israel candidate. ADAM JENTLESON (former Harry Reid flak, on with Sarah Miller from The Bulwark) – “The big tent includes Platner.” AMY SISKIND - Delivers a long-winded explanation to excuse and back him. JILL FILIPOVIC - Strains much to explain how Platner’s problems are not disqualifying. ROTIMI ADEOY (NY TIMES) - Supports Platner for agreeing politically. ASTEAD HERNDON (Vox) - He says Platner is kind of a rejection of who the establishment thinks should be the candidate. JOHN HARWOOD – The disgraced newsman further smears his reputation by touting the need to elect Platner. ADAM MOCKLER - Still supported the Nazi-lover even after the Kik sexting news broke. KRYSTAL BALL – She praises Platner for surviving the ultimate oppo dump. JACOBIN - Declares Platner succeeding could be the bellwether of new US populism. NEW REPUBLIC – Stipulates that we bypass all of his issues, because he needs to win. CARI CHAMPION – Says you cannot condemn Platner for having a Nazi tattoo with Trump in office. KYLE KULINSKY - After the Kik scandal, he said he would be fine with Platner sexting to his mother. JUSTICE DEMOCRATS – "The morality of the Senate is something I don't think will be brought down by the addition of Graham Platner. I believe, in fact, the morality of the Senate will COME UP a notch by the addition of Graham Platner." BRUCE BARTLETT (historian) – “The only issue in the primary should be which candidate has the best chance of beating Collins. I also think many of Platner's critics are Republicans in sheep's clothing.” SEBASTIAN JUNGER – The smart writer went to Maine to tout Platner as the savior of the Democrats. And, just to close with an example that typifies the cynical approach to all of this, we have this admission by a still respected voice in the Democrat universe. This example says everything about the bifurcated standards they are straining to push on us: accept this guy for problems they would NEVER accept from a Republican. JAMES CARVILLE – The Cajun Raisin was asked directly by Jake Tapper if things would be reacted to differently were it a Republican with the death camp tattoo controversy. “It’s true. I would say you're exactly right.” ________________ And there you have it; all the previous accusations of this nature were based on little to nothing, and the current excusals mean that going forward, these people need to be shut down and then ignored. This is by no means considered the comprehensive list, and it is expected to continue growing. Any additional examples will be added, so feel free to add any in the comments. We know this is purely a result of the naked ambition for power. The press wants Democrats in control so much they toss over the transom their own standards — and those they try to force on others — so blithely it shows they stand for very little. This list needs to be retained, and those on it who try to impose restrictions or level accusations trending anywhere near claims of “fascism” or related content need their Platner positions thrown in their faces. Graham Platner is a gift, but not for the Democrats, and certainly not for the press; he will serve as the keepsake for those who come under fire from the press over charges that fall well short of Nazi standards. Der Oysterführer should be politically significant for years to come, even if he is probably dropped from this year’s ballot, for obvious reasons. This list will serve as a helpful tool to combat all future accusations that are being lobbed. redstate.com/bradslager/202…

@GovPressOffice Interesting. I guess you think you can get away with an Italian slur against the man. You showed your true colors, racist.

California added 131,500 jobs in the past year. Meatball lost -30,800 :(

@CathPoaster Wait, where is your self respect? Wearing hats, doing pushups? Come on, man. They punked you and you fell for it. I wouldn't give you a penny. You don't deserve it.

my first vc story is a crazy one. my 2 cofounders and i met the gp and his investment committee at his office. they were extremely rowdy, couldnt tell if they were taking us serious or not. spoiler: they weren't. right as were about to start the pitch some assistant walks in with three hats and the gp tells us to put them on. a rainbow propellor hat, a magicians hat, and a dunce cap. i wore the dunce cap. couldnt believe it was happening but whatever. gp is now laser focused on our pitch while the peanut gallery throws charcuterie at us and interjects by calling us names. halfway through the gp yelled and asked us what our moat was. a wrong answer was given, he made one of us do pushups until he said stop. a little later he asked the other cofounder to recite the greek alphabet, backwards. his punishment was wall sits. a series of wrong answers and punishments. he made us pitch again a couple nights later. thats another story

@zerohedge Again, are you sure the source isn't Baghdad Bob?

*IRAN SAYS US CAN'T USE FROZEN ASSETS TO COMPENSATE ALLIES

@JoeSquawk @zerohedge Well, there's your answer.

omg

@ekimallis @DefiantLs Not today.

@sartorial_son @DefiantLs I was given liquid cocaine for a nose bleed. In front of my mom when I was 15 no less. They dip it cotton and flush it back into your nose. They tried gauze packing and cauterizing first.

Charlie Sheen: "I was shooting a film and I wound up with this terrible 34-hour nose bleed that I couldn't stop." "You know what they give you for a cocaine nose bleed? Cocaine. I only know that because I found out in person"

@Jen88656398 @DefiantLs "Used to", not today. Nasal balloon tamponade, IR procedures, etc. Try to get cocaine from your hospital pharmacy today. Won't happen. Epistaxis is life threatening in some circumstances.

@sartorial_son @DefiantLs Having worked in ER for years (30), I can tell you that we absolutely used to use cocaine in the past. Now we have things like Afrin, which basically does the same thing. Vasoconstriction.