…are horrible Bad Weather clouds, you might just be a Warmist
The blog of the day is Legal Insurrection, with a post on the State Dept ending funding to rebuild the Ukraine power grid.
Slight editorial: why would anyone try and rebuild the grid when an active war is going on? Seems rather wasteful.
Read: If All You See… »
Realistically, the cuts to spending and personnel that the Trump administration has imposed so far are drops in the bucket. The budget is almost $7 trillion. The “work”force is around 2.4 million. Getting rid of some has driven Democrats mad
The U.S. government is attempting to dismantle itself.
President Donald Trump has directed the executive branch to “significantly reduce the size of government.” That includes deep cuts in federal funding of scientific and medical research and freezing federal grants and loans for businesses. He has ordered the reversal or removal of regulations on medical insurance companies and other businesses and sought to fire thousands of federal employees. Those are just a few of dozens of executive orders that seek to deconstruct the government. (snip)
Our recent book, “How Government Built America,” shows why the administration’s aim to eliminate government could result in an America that the country’s people have never experienced – one in which free-market economic forces operate without any accountability to the public.
Where’s the accountability for government? How often do we actually see it? If a company is doing Bad Things what happens when they get caught? They get in big trouble. Maybe they get fined. People get fired. Maybe someone goes to jail.
What happens when government employees do bad things? Quite often, nothing. If they’re taking allocated money and giving it to an NGO which takes a big cut to pass it on to another entity which takes their cut and then on to more entities which all take their cut so that a pittance of the allocation makes it doing what it’s supposed to do? Who gets fired? Who goes to jail for defrauding the government? How much ends up back in the pocket of the government workers? How much gets used for totally unrelated activities?
How about government workers who do not actually work? Who are faking it? Who are out protesting instead of doing their jobs? Agencies which have too many redundant employees? Who think that it is their job to implement their own personal beliefs on Americans, who act as little dictators?
Government funding and regulation have yielded countless economic benefits for the public, including the launch of many efforts later capitalized on by the private sector. Government funding delivered a COVID-19 vaccine in record time, many of the technologies – GPS, touchscreens and the internet – that are key to the functioning of the cellphone in your pocket, and the highway system that enables travel throughout the country.
Might not want to mention the Bat Soup Flu “vaccine”, which, also, if memory serves, Democrats said would not happen for years or decades. How about government telling citizens that they will only be able to drive an EV soon? Passing extra, unnecessary regulations that make housing overly expensive? Jumping in to tell people what they are allowed to do with the little pond in their backyard? Arresting people for paddleboarding on the ocean with no one within hundreds of yards during COVID? Treating agencies as their own little fiefdom and going after people they accuse of Wrongthink?
Admittedly, there is wasteful spending – as much as $150 billion a year in erroneous payments. That is a lot of money, but it’s a tiny sliver – just 2.2% – of the $6.75 trillion the federal government spent in the 2024 fiscal year. And government has not always been a positive force in society, either.
Do you want to die on the 2.2% figure? $150 billion is real money to Americans. And that’s just erroneous payments. Anyhow, it’s a long, long piece, which misses that government has grown too big and too powerful. It has forgotten who it works for. It is unaccountable. If bureaucrats do bad things against citizens, what can the citizen do? Virtually nothing. And, a thing I find funny is that there are often more unnecessary employees in unnecessary positions while others (say, the FDA) are underfunded and have too few employees. Investigating sub-prime mortgages.
Whenever I think of government, I think of this: “a light touch” (around 1:35)
Democrats would prefer control like China….well, at least as it pertains to Other People. They want government to take a light touch in their own lives.
Read: Saturday Funny: Trump Trying To End Meaningful Government »
It’s always something with this cult
A looming ice age? Scientists find a striking pattern in Earth’s history.
A group of scientists think they can now predict when the next ice age could grip Earth, but don’t worry, it’s not for a very long time.
An ice age should begin in about 10,000 years, but its onset is most likely delayed due to man-made climate change, an international team of scientists found in their analysis published this week in Science.
Scientists have long known that small changes in how Earth orbits the sun influence glacial cycles over thousands of years. This analysis is the first time anyone has been able to determine which orbital characteristic has the most influence on the start and end of ice ages, according to a news release from the University of California at Santa Barbara. The team found that the changes in the Earth’s climate, from ice ages to warm periods like today called interglacial conditions, synced up to the orbital behavior. (snip)
“But such a transition to a glacial state in 10,000 years’ time is very unlikely to happen because human emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere have already diverted the climate from its natural course, with longer-term impacts into the future,” said study co-author Gregor Knorr, of the Alfred Wegener Institute’s Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research in Germany.
Read: Your Fault: The Next Ice Age Will Be Delayed Because You Drive A Fossil Fueled Vehicle »
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I would think it is that English is the official language, and it can only last as long as another president cancels the EO
What Trump’s order making English the official language in the US could mean
As President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, activists and advocacy groups are alarmed by what that will mean for non-English speakers when it comes to immigration, voter access and other issues.
The order, which was announced Friday, will allow government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer documents and services in languages other than English, according to a fact sheet. The move rescinds a mandate from former President Bill Clinton that required the government and organizations that received federal funding to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.
Designating English as the national language “promotes unity, establishes efficiency in government operations, and creates a pathway for civic engagement,” according to the White House. But some activists and organizations think the move is just another way for the president to stoke division and fear.
Is it stoking fear and division that most nations around the world have an official language (or 2)? Canada has English and French. Isn’t that where all those leftists said they were going to go if Trump won? Spain has Spanish. Poland has Polish, Portugal has Portuguese, The Netherlands has Dutch, most Muslim countries have Arabic, Italy is Italian, Greece has Greek, Germany has German, and France has French, among others.
“This isn’t just an offensive gesture that sticks a thumb in the eye of millions of U.S. citizens who speak other languages, but also will directly harm those who have previously relied on language assistance for vital information,” Vanessa Cárdenas, executive director of America’s Voice, an advocacy group for immigration reform, said in an email.
They could learn English, right? Anyone applying to become a citizen must learn and read English.
U.S. English, a group that advocates for making English the official language in the United States, believes having an official language provides a common means of communication, encourages immigrants to learn English to use government services and “defines a much-needed common sense language policy.”
Well, yeah. Don’t ask Democrats for common sense, even though all those white, urban, upper class liberal women white-knighting speak English.
Currently there are more than 350 languages spoken in the United States, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The most widely spoken languages other than English are Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese and Arabic.
How many of those also speak English?
“This executive order, while framed as promoting unity, risks dismantling critical supports like ESL programs and multilingual resources that help immigrants adapt and contribute,” Carrillo said. “Imagine families navigating healthcare or legal systems without materials in a language they understand, it’s a barrier, not a bridge.”
If they want to be a part of America they need to learn to communicate. Deal with it.
More than 30 states, from California to New Hampshire, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands have already passed laws designating English as their official language, according to U.S. English. Hawaii is the only state to declare two official languages, English and Hawaiian.
So, what’s the problem? Oh, right, Orange Man Bad.
Read: Say, What Does It Mean With Trump Designating English As The Official Language? »
President Trump fires hundreds of climate hoaxers at NOAA. https://t.co/f2A6jOau4e pic.twitter.com/JIrsv8YQxp
— Steve Milloy (@JunkScience) February 28, 2025
Let me ask: does the NOAA really need 12,000 employees? Heck, do they need 6,000 for what they do?
Weather forecasting: NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings.
Climate monitoring: NOAA monitors climate change and helps with climate adaptation.
Marine resource management: NOAA manages and conserves coastal and marine resources.
Severe weather preparedness: NOAA helps communities prepare for severe weather, such as flooding and heavy rain.
International shipping: NOAA supports international shipping.
Aquatic invasive species: NOAA works to prevent the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species.
They had around 11,000 in 1990. Is this justified? Is this necessary? From the link
The Trump administration has fired hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), the US’s pre-eminent climate research agency housed within the Department of Commerce, the Guardian has learned.
On Thursday afternoon, the commerce department sent emails to employees saying their jobs would be cut off at the end of the day. Other government agencies have also seen huge staffing cuts in recent days.
The firings specifically affected probationary employees, a categorization that applies to new hires or those moved or promoted into new positions, and which makes up roughly 10% of the agency’s workforce.
“The majority of probationary employees in my office have been with the agency for 10+ years and just got new positions,” said one worker who still had their job, and who spoke to the Guardian under the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. “If we lose them, we’re losing not just the world-class work they do day to day but also decades of expertise and institutional knowledge.”
What are they providing? Perhaps a better approach rather than wholesale termination would be to do employee reviews and see who provides value, who’s working, who’s doing good things, who’s working for the taxpayer, and who is working for the climate cult and their own personal beliefs.
It is not only laid-off employees who will be harmed by the cuts, the second worker said. Ordinary Americans who rely on Noaa’s extreme weather forecasts, climate data and sustainably monitored fisheries will also suffer.
There are plenty making the forecasts. Also, they rely on computers, and AI can do a good chunk of their job. Further, most local TV stations have their own forecasting. I look at the local folks, not NOAA.
“There is no plan or thought into how to continue to deliver science or service on weather, severe storms and events, conservation and management of our coasts and ocean life and much more,” he said. “Let’s not pretend this is about efficiency, quality of work or cost savings because none of those false justifications are remotely true.”
So, if they have 11,000 instead of 12,000, will that make that much of a difference? 11,000 cannot make storm predictions and send out alerts? Get over yourselves.
…is a wonderful low carbon bike, you might just be a Warmist
The blog of the day is Jo Nova, with a post on higher sea levels.
Read: If All You See… »
Those criminals returned to the U.S thanks to the Trump admin talking with Mexico?
Man charged in Wake County deputy’s death extradited from Mexico to US, deputies say
The man accused of killing a Wake County deputy was extradited to the United States after over a year in custody in Mexico, deputies said Thursday.
Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Deputy Ned Byrd, who was fatally shot in August 2022.
In late April 2023, Marin-Sotelo escaped custody from the Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia. He was captured a few days later in Mexico, where he remained until his extradition.
“Deputy Byrd was one of our own, and we have never stopped working to ensure justice is served,” Sheriff Willie Rowe said in a statement. “This extradition is a testament to the determination and collaboration of law enforcement agencies at the state, local, and federal levels. We are grateful for their efforts and remain committed to seeing this case through.”
Something is missing from the article
(WRAL) Alder Marin-Sotelo is now one of 29 defendants being extradited from Mexico to the U.S. on various drug, gun and murder charges. Prosecutors announced in September 2023 that they won’t seek the death penalty against the two brothers.
They forgot to mention something
(ABC11) Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman said, “The return of Mr. Marin-Sotelo to the United States now allows us to move forward with this case and set a trial date. We are grateful for the cross-agency collaboration that brought him back to face these charges. We know this is a case of significant importance to our community, and our thoughts remain with Deputy Byrd’s family and friends.”
Important information also missing. Here’s a CBS17 article from August, 2024
After his indictment, Marin-Sotelo was held at the Piedmont Regional Jail in Virginia on an unrelated federal charge of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Jail staff said Marin-Sotelo “manipulated the locking mechanism on the rear exit door” of the jail in order to escape on April 30, 2023. Federal prosecutors say Marin-Sotelo’s sister arranged for a getaway car to be dropped of near the jail.
The murder suspect was on the run for several days before being captured in Mexico. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia charged Marin-Sotelo with escape from custody.
That’s right, another illegal. Anyhow, Virginia dropped the charges for escaping the jail, leaving NC with the primary charging authority.
All three of those news outlets are local Raleigh/Wake County. A fourth, the Raleigh News And Observer, has not even bothered to mention that Marin-Sotelo is being extradited back to stand trial for killing a Wake County Deputy.
INBOX: The DOJ has secured the extradition of Alder Alfonso Marin-Sotelo, one of the two illegal alien brothers charged with murdering Wake Co. Deputy Ned Byrd in 2022
Marin-Sotelo fled to Mexico in 2023 after escaping from jail with the help of his sister
Another brother has… pic.twitter.com/NnQouR4N9m
— Stephen Horn (@stephenehorn) February 28, 2025
Read: Illegal Alien Who Killed Wake County Deputy Returned To U.S. »
Too bad they couldn’t force everyone in the state government of the People’s Republik Of California, particularly Gavin Newsom and the unelected, unaccountable Air Resource Board, drive an EV, while leaving the Comrades to make their own decision
Report: Trump, GOP to Use Congressional Review Act to Revoke Newsom’s Gas Car Ban
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans plan to use a once-obscure law called the Congressional Review Act to revoke the waiver that President Joe Biden gave to California for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s gas car ban.
As Breitbart News reported, Newsom announced in September 2020 — mere weeks after a massive statewide shortage of electricity — that California would ban sales of gas-powered passenger vehicles by 2035. After that, electric vehicles (EVs) would be mandated, as part of California’s effort to achieve goals on “climate change” policy.
Newsom’s policy was finalized in regulatory form in 2022, and Biden granted the waiver in December 2024. As CalMatters.org reported: “The granting of the waiver by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows California to move forward in requiring 35% of new 2026 model cars sold in the state to be zero-emissions, 68% in 2030 and 100% in 2035. Nearly all zero-emission cars are powered by electricity.”
Where does the electricity come from? How will there be enough vehicles, because producing that many batteries will be darned impossible. Unless you’re interested in raping the 3rd world for precious metals. And allowing mining in the U.S. But, you know, the doomsday cult always likes to force everyone to comply. Even though they themselves almost never practice what they preach.
Democrats, according to the New York Times, will argue that the Act does not apply: “[T]he California ban is not a federal regulation, it’s a different animal. It’s the result of a waiver that was granted by the Biden administration under the 1970 Clean Air Act, something that has been done more than a hundred times over the years by administrations of both parties. And it is not subject to congressional review, according to a 2023 decision by the Government Accountability Office.”
Except, they received the waiver from the Biden admin, and, what California does leads to other states doing the same.
Of course, on the other hand, if a state wants to do this, I almost think they should be allowed to do this. 10th Amendment. But, hold on, this is Interstate Commerce, with vehicles coming from outside California. So, should the federal government have primacy? Interesting question.
Read: Surprise: Trump Admin May Look To Revoke PRC’s Gas Car Ban »
It’s almost like telling people that if they come illegally they will not be given shelter, food, clothes, phones, money, and healthcare at the expense of taxpayers works to dissincentivezes illegal migration
Migrant arrests at US-Mexico border near record low in February
The number of migrants caught illegally crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in February is on pace to be at or near a record monthly low, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson and two other sources told Reuters.
U.S. Border Patrol is on pace to have arrested around 8,500 migrants at the border in February as the end of the month nears, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said. Two other sources said the monthly total would be at or near a record low.
President Donald Trump, a Republican, took an array of actions to deter illegal immigration after returning to the White House on January 20, saying a crackdown was needed after high levels of migration under his predecessor, former President Joe Biden.
Trump’s moves included implementing a sweeping ban on asylum at the border and surging military troops to assist border security.
U.S. Border Patrol’s monthly enforcement statistics go back to 2000. The lowest monthly total on record is currently April 2017, when the agency arrested 11,127 at the start of Trump’s first term.
So, what Trump and his folks are doing is working
The February projection would be a steep drop from the 141,000 migrant arrests in February 2024 and down from 29,000 in January, according to U.S. government figures.
That’s a pretty steep drop
Steep drop from the Biden years.
Meanwhile
(Fox News) Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, is introducing legislation that will require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report any crimes committed by individuals who were admitted into the U.S. under a controversial Biden-era immigration policy.
“If we’re serious about securing our country, we need to know exactly what we’re up against,” Luttrell told Fox News Digital.
The bill, dubbed the Criminal Illegal Alien Report act, will require DHS to provide Congress with a report on crimes committed by anyone who was admitted into the U.S. under the Process for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) program.
You can bet that report will be published in bold letters.
I was specifically told multiple times, including by the Associated Press, that the AMOC would be shutting down soon and we were all Doomed. No?
Computer simulations show nightmare Atlantic current shutdown less likely this century
The nightmare scenario of Atlantic Ocean currents collapsing, with weather running amok and putting Europe in a deep freeze, looks unlikely this century, a new study concludes.
In recent years, studies have raised the alarm about the slowing and potential abrupt shutdown of the Atlantic end of the ocean conveyor belt system. It transports rising warm water north and sinking cool water south and is a key factor in global weather systems. A possible climate change -triggered shutdown of what’s called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation or AMOC could play havoc with global rain patterns, dramatically cool Europe while warming the rest of the world and goose sea levels on America’s East Coast, scientists predict.
It’s the scenario behind the 2004 fictionalized disaster movie “The Day After Tomorrow,” which portrays a world where climate change sparks massive storms, flooding and an ice age.
Yeah, the doomy movie which significantly over-estimated the time scale and effect of a big change to the AMOC. Because it’s an f’ing disaster movie. What you’d probably get is more like the Little Ice Age. Research has show that a big AMOC change was partially responsible. Because this happens, particularly when you put large amounts of cold, fresh water into the system during a warm period.
Scientists at the United Kingdom’s Met Office and the University of Exeter used simulations from 34 different computer models of extreme climate change scenarios to see if the AMOC would collapse this century, according to a study in Wednesday’s journal Nature. No simulation showed a total shutdown before 2100, said lead author Jonathan Baker, an oceanographer at the Met Office.
It could happen later, though, he said. The currents have collapsed in the distant past.
Still, the computer simulations should be “reassuring” to people, Baker said.
“But this is no greenlight for complacency,” Baker warned. “The AMOC is very likely to weaken this century and that brings its own major climate impacts.”
I trust these people saying this as much as I trust them saying this will happen by 2050. They’re climate cultists, their computer models are shite, and they should be tar, feathered, and driven from town. Anyhow, why is something that is probably not going to happen anytime soon news? Because the next talking point is that if we Do Something now it will forestall the AMOC nightmare. This includes taxing you more and the government controlling your life.
Read: Oops: Computer Models Show We Might Not Be Doomed From Atlantic Current Shutting Down »
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