Sunday, February 23, 2025
Note to Ldotters:
Please remember, no duplicates, no blog posting
unless you have permission from staff, no local crimes and
no posting just to elicit nasty reactions.
Any post with three lines or fewer will be deleted.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Lucianne.com Ad-Free Subscription
Learn More or Enter Code
Latest Posts
Greg Gutfeld is going gangbusters and proving that conservatives have made huge headways in the culture wars. The Fox News star and late-night comedian, who hosts the eponymous show “Gutfeld!” was featured in a splashy Variety cover story Wednesday. Just that fact alone is a victory for conservatives, as the story was fair, far from a hit piece. But Gutfeld’s indisputably superb ratings are yet more proof that the right is ascendant in the culture wars and that more and more Americans are craving comedy and commentary from fresh, independent voices.
DOGE wants to see where our tax dollars go, and we should let them. No surprise that the “government industrial complex” will resist every effort to bring transparency and accountability to how those funds are spent when the system is ripe with problems.
I’ve had first-hand experience with USAID and other international aid organizations, such as the World Bank, UNESCO, and even the Red Cross, during my 40-plus trips to Haiti after being invited by then Haitian President René Préval to help rebuild the nation following the devastating 2010 earthquake.
And I’ve seen how USAID, along with other NGOs, delivered on very few of their promises, failed to coordinate relief activities, and
In a stunning move, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has announced plans for its largest mass firing of intelligence officers since 1977, over 50 years. This unprecedented decision marks a significant shift in the agency's operations as it seeks to streamline its workforce and refocus its efforts amid growing concerns over efficiency and accountability within the intelligence community. The move is expected to affect a substantial portion of the agency's personnel, with officials citing the need for modernization and a more agile approach to national security threats.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has asked the US federal government for $40 billion (£31.6b) in funds to help rebuild areas of Los Angeles devastated by January fires. Newsom sent the request to congressional leaders in a letter on Friday. He said the funds would help both immediate and long-term recovery work. "I'm asking Congress to have the back of the American people and provide disaster funding to help Californians recover and rebuild as soon as possible," he wrote on social media.
Dan Caine may not have been on Washington’s radar before Friday night.
But President Donald Trump’s fascination with the retired three-star general, his surprise pick to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appears to go back to their first meeting in Iraq in 2018.
Caine, then the deputy commander of a special operations task force fighting Islamic State, told the president that the militant group could be destroyed in just a week, Trump recalled during a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2019.
Since then, he has retold the story about how he met “Razin” Caine multiple times – and the praise has only grown more effusive.
President Donald J. Trump wanted Elon Musk to get more aggressive; he did just that. The Department of Government Efficiency has been going through DC like the Golden Horde, zeroing on wasteful spending that shut down USAID—probationary government workers in the hundreds of thousands are on the chopping block. Thousands of government workers have been served and will soon be served their pink slips. Now, Musk is ordering workers to explain what they do or risk termination. And yes, you bet that the DC elite freaked out, seeking lawyers to ask if these actions were legal or not (via Politico):
President Donald Trump said Saturday at CPAC that the MAGA-led Republican Party is establishing a political majority that will dominate American politics for generations.
Trump made the comments while addressing the crowd at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, for the third day of CPAC.
“With the help of so many incredible supporters here today, we’re going to forge a new and lasting political majority that will drive American politics for generations to come,” Trump said, forecasting that Republicans will “do fantastically well in the” 2026 midterm elections.
“In theory, the one that wins the presidency does not do well in the midterms, but
President Donald Trump took to the stage at CPAC on Saturday. During his remarks, he discussed what drove him back on the campaign trail to run for president again in 2024.
“Over the past few weeks, we’ve begun the largest deportation operation in American history, larger even than that of President Dwight D.Eisenhower, a very moderate man, but he was very strong on that,” Trump began.
“He didn’t like people running into our country and taking over our country.”
“I’ll tell you, I had four years. I don’t know if you had this….I couldn’t stand it,” he stated with emphasis.
President Donald Trump is expected to name FBI Director Kash Patel as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
A Justice Department official told ABC News that Patel is expected to be sworn in as acting director early next week.The White House didn't respond to a request for comment.
The move comes after Attorney General Pam Bondi fired the ATF's general counsel, Pamela Hicks, late last week. Bondi said in an interview with Fox News on Friday that it was because the agency's lead lawyer was "targeting gun owners."
President Trump is set to make a big change!
He’s looking to appoint FBI Director Kash Patel as the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), sources say.
Patel is expected to be sworn in next week.
The move follows Attorney General Pam Bondi’s firing of ATF’s general counsel, Pamela Hicks.
Why was she fired?
She was accused of “targeting gun owners.”
Yep, that sounds on brand for the ATF.
The Swamp keeps shrinking by the day!
DOJ Files Misconduct Complaint Against
Judge Overseeing Challenge to Transgender
Military Ban replies
Judge Overseeing Challenge to Transgender
Military Ban replies
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) on Friday filed a misconduct complaint against a federal judge in Washington over potential bias during hearings on a legal challenge to President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military.The complaint, filed by DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle, alleged that U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes engaged in “hostile and egregious misconduct” and violated the judicial code of conduct when she treated a department lawyer with disrespect during a two-day hearing in the case.
Mizelle cited two instances where Reyes questioned the attorney about his religious beliefs and used him “unwillingly as a physical prop” in a rhetorical exercise
WASHINGTON - Elon Musk, the billionaire head of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency, threatened on Saturday to fire any federal worker who fails to explain what work they have accomplished during the previous week.
The threat, issued in a post on the social media site X, was made just hours after President Donald Trump posted on his own social media network Truth Social that DOGE should get more aggressive in its attempts to downsize and reshape the federal workforce.
"All federal employees will shortly receive an email requesting to understand what they got done last week," Musk posted on X. "Failure to respond
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) will champion President Donald Trump’s historic first month in office and call for a global DOGE in her keynote address Saturday at CPAC, Breitbart News has learned exclusively.
Stefanik, Trump’s nominee to serve as Ambassador to the United Nations, will tout Trump’s America First peace through strength foreign policy and how she will bring that to the United Nations in her keynote address on the CPAC main stage at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. “President Trump is putting America FIRST by demanding fair and reciprocal trade, unleashing American energy independence, cutting regulations, and demanding our government work for We The People as President Trump DOGEs wasteful unAmerican spending,”
Measles outbreaks rise to nearly 100 cases
between Texas and New Mexico. Here's what
to know. replies
between Texas and New Mexico. Here's what
to know. replies
The measles outbreak in rural West Texas has grown to 90 cases across seven counties, the state health department posted online Friday, and 16 people are hospitalized.
In neighboring eastern New Mexico, the measles case count is up to nine, though state public health officials said Thursday there's still no evidence this outbreak is connected to the one in Texas.
Measles is a highly contagious disease. Here's what you should know about how to protect yourself against measles, as well as what's happening in Texas and New Mexico.
Where are measles spreading?
The West Texas cases are concentrated in Gaines County, which has 57 infections,
Elon Musk lays pressure on federal employees
after Trump urges DOGE honcho to ‘get
more aggressive’ replies
after Trump urges DOGE honcho to ‘get
more aggressive’ replies
President Trump praised Elon Musk for doing a “great job” heading the new Department of Government Efficiency — but said he should be even “more aggressive” as he blasts through federal agencies to eliminate waste.
“Elon is doing a great job, but I would like to see him get more aggressive,” Trump said in a Saturday post on Truth Social.
“Remember, we have a country to save, but ultimately, to make greater than ever before,” he added. (Photo) Musk replied on X shortly after, saying, “Will do, Mr. President!” DOGE, which was created under the Trump administration, has fired tens of thousands of federal government workers
Democrats are doubling down on left-wing gender ideology despite their viewpoints being increasingly unpopular with the average American. The vast majority of Americans support reversing the Biden administration’s extreme approach to transgender issues, including barring biological males from participating in women’s sports. But Democratic lawmakers, including those representing congressional districts President Donald Trump won in November, are continuing to push left-wing stances on transgender issues that are seemingly at odds with their own voters.
Pope Francis is in critical condition after suffering an asthmatic respiratory crisis that required doctors to administer oxygen, The Associated Press reported, citing the Vatican. [Snip] Vatican News reported that medical professionals say the pope is not "in danger of death," but is not completely "out of danger" and will need to be hospitalized for "at least" all of next week. ... Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel told "Fox News Live" that he is "looking very closely at the next 12 hours," as he says that time is critical.
Wisconsin Democratic governor proposes
replacing 'mother' with 'inseminated person'
in state law replies
replacing 'mother' with 'inseminated person'
in state law replies
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, is facing backlash for introducing a budget recommendation that changes the word "mother" to "inseminated person," and "paternity" to "parentage" in certain parts of state law.
The Evers administration's budget recommendation for the 2025-2027 fiscal period advises several other gendered terms be changed, as well. References to "wife" or "husband" are changed to "spouse" in the proposal. In other places, the word "father" is changed to "parent," and "mother" is swapped out for the phrase "parent who gave birth to the child."
The budget was introduced by the state Senate's Joint Committe on Finance on Tuesday. Wisconsin radio host Dan O’Donnell noted the language change
Democrats don’t just lack a message — they also lack a messenger.
While the focus is on the former, the latter is forgotten, as if somehow solving their message problem will automatically create the messenger to deliver it. In fact, the opposite is occurring; Democrats’ message problems are killing off their potential messengers. Democrats’ message problems are much discussed… for good reason. They killed not one, but two Democratic 2024 presidential campaigns.
After 36 hours of an agonizing wait, the body of Shiri Bibas was returned by Hamas to the Israeli government. A forensic examination concluded that Hamas' claim that Shiri died in an Israeli bombing attack was a lie.
“We identified Shiri Bibas two days after we identified her children. Our examination found no evidence of injuries caused by bombing,” says Dr. Chen Kugel, director of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv.
Hamas delivered four bodies in locked caskets on Friday, including the bodies of 4-year-old Ariel and 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, as well as 84-year-old Oded Lifshitz. The fourth body
The mainstream media has been desperately trying to push any narrative that it can to undermine the new Trump administration, and, of course to drive a wedge between him and Elon Musk. The mainstream media has been desperately trying to push any narrative that it can to undermine the new Trump administration, and, of course to drive a wedge between him and Elon Musk.[Snip]
And then on Saturday, Trump finally criticized Musk. It’s true. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he’d like to see Musk “get more aggressive.”Elon Is Doing A Great Job, But I Would Like To See him Get More Aggressive … .
Wisconsin Democratic governor proposes
replacing 'mother' with 'inseminated person'
in state law replies
replacing 'mother' with 'inseminated person'
in state law replies
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, is facing backlash for introducing a budget recommendation that changes the word "mother" to "inseminated person," and "paternity" to "parentage" in certain parts of state law. The Evers administration's budget recommendation for the 2025-2027 fiscal period advises several other gendered terms be changed, as well. References to "wife" or "husband" are changed to "spouse" in the proposal. In other places, the word "father" is changed to "parent," and "mother" is swapped out for the phrase "parent who gave birth to the child.”
President Donald Trump said Saturday he is happy with the work Elon Musk has done with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but he has one complaint — Musk hasn’t gone far enough.
The president wrote on Truth Social that the tech billionaire is "doing a great job," but should be "more aggressive."
"ELON IS DOING A GREAT JOB, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HIM GET MORE AGGRESSIVE. REMEMBER, WE HAVE A COUNTRY TO SAVE, BUT ULTIMATELY, TO MAKE GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE. MAGA!," Trump wrote.
A few hours after Trump's Truth Social post, Musk responded with an enthusiastic post of his own on X. "Will do, Mr. President!" Musk wrote.
Delta Releases Credentials of Pilot and
First Officer Involved in Crash, Rejects
‘Misleading Claims’ replies
First Officer Involved in Crash, Rejects
‘Misleading Claims’ replies
Delta Air Lines has released the credentials of the pilots from the flight that crashed in Toronto, saying it needed to refute “misleading” claims about them circulating on social media.
Flames erupted as Delta Air Lines’ Endeavor Flight 4819 touched down hard on the tarmac at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Feb. 17. The aircraft skidded on the runway and turned on its side before flipping upside down, one wing sheared off.
All 76 passengers and four crew members escaped the wreckage and the 21 injured passengers transported to Toronto-area hospitals have since been released.