The latest edition of ‘It’s different when we do it’: Cory Booker’s salute

Andrea Widburg  "I cannot repeat often enough that leftism is a narcissistic ideology, although I have no idea whether narcissists are drawn to leftism or if leftism creates narcissists. It’s probably a bit of both. Be that as it may, one of the core tenets of leftism is that “It’s different when I [the narcissist] do it.”

"The latest example of this is the response to Cory Booker for making a salute identical to the one that had Elon Musk castigated as a Hitler acolyte. I don’t need to explain. These side-by-side videos do it for me:

                pic.twitter.com/uXrpeX7b2P

— Politi_Rican 🇵🇷 𝕏 🇺🇸 (@TheRicanMemes) June 1, 2025

"To give a little context, Elon Musk grew up in an apartheid country and has been opposed to apartheid since he was a young man. He has never trafficked in racial issues. He is a creature of the mind, interested in ideas, not skin color.

"Meanwhile, the amazingly heterosexual Cory Booker belongs to a political party that has as one of their central tenets the notion that skin color is the single most important characteristic an individual brings to the table. It defines everything about him, including his status in the world. It’s also a hierarchical party that routinely denigrates white people.

"Back in 2019, when Booker thought he had a shot at the White House, he delivered an entire speech on “white supremacy” to a black audience. Race-obsessed? Yes. Divisive? Yes. Trying to ride race to political power? Yes." . . .

spectator.org

FACEBOOK threatens to ban Alpha News for cartoon showing one of the American fan clubs for Hamas

Alpha News  "The Alpha News Facebook page now has “reduced distribution and other restrictions” for publishing a cartoon from syndicated cartoonist A.F. Branco, whose political satire is shared widely by conservative outlets, including Fox News.

"Whether as ignorant useful idiots, reckless anti-Semites, or active terrorist sympathizers, some Western leftists cannot stop reciting anti-Israel and pro-Hamas propaganda talking points.  Within Congress, the loudest and most relentless apologists for the Gaza-based terror group is ‘the Squad,’ whose endless torrent of Israel-bashing assertions — while the people of Israel have been targeted by thousands of rockets intended to murder them, mind you — has been stomach-turning but instructive.  

"The Alpha News Facebook page is now “at risk of being unpublished” for sharing a cartoon that depicts the Squad cheering on Hamas. It appears that Facebook believes this cartoon violated its policy on “Dangerous Individuals and Organizations,” which prohibits content that “expresses support or praise for groups, leaders or individuals involved” in terrorist activity."

Attackers laughed as they raped and murdered a woman in Israel on October 7, witness says

 CNN; for all you campus designer-Hamas-scarf-wearing useful idiots "Attackers laughed as they raped and murdered a woman in Israel on October 7, witness says Raz Cohen, a survivor, witnessed the horrifying attack at the Nova music festival in Israel.

Five men captured a woman, raped her, and killed her with a knife. Cohen also saw another young woman shot in the head as he ran to hide. Israeli police are documenting cases of rape and sexual violence committed during the attacks. The UN Women released a statement condemning the gender-based atrocities and sexual violence. The witness, Cohen, recounted the horrific events, and the investigation is ongoing."

Their bodies tell their stories. They’re not alive to speak for themselves. 

"In one photo, a burned body appears to project anguish. In another, a woman lies naked from the waist down, her underwear hanging from her leg. In interviews, first responders haltingly describe finding naked female corpses tied to beds and survivors recount witnessing a gang rape at the music festival.

"All of this is part of a mounting body of evidence of the gender-based crimes carried out by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.

"Over the last several weeks, NBC News has reviewed five interrogations of captured Hamas fighters, an Arabic-language document that instructed Hamas how to pronounce “Take off your pants” in Hebrew, six images of naked or partially naked deceased female bodies, seven eyewitness accounts of sexual violence including both rape and mutilation, 11 testimonies of first responders, and two accounts from workers in morgues who handled the bodies of women after they were recovered from the massacre." . . .

“Reports of women raped — repeatedly raped — and their bodies being mutilated while still alive, of women’s corpses being desecrated, Hamas terrorists inflicting as much pain and suffering on women and girls as possible and then murdering them. It is appalling,” the president said." 

Israel reveals disturbing testimonies of Hamas rape on October 7 at UN  ..."An Israeli official told Ynet in this context, "We know why they are not returning them, and they know that we know."

"On Monday, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Mathew Miller confirmed the behind-the-scenes assertions by senior Israeli officials. "It seems one of the reasons they don't want to turn women over... and the reason this pause fell apart is they don't want those women to be able to talk about what happened to them during their time in custody," he told the press." . . .

Crossing the Rubicon: Dave Portnoy, Barstool and the breaking point for antisemitism  "Opinion: In a Philadelphia bar, a neon sign reading 'F*** the Jews' marked a chilling new low—until Barstool’s Dave Portnoy took a stand, offering a rare, unapologetic rebuke of antisemitism that could signal a cultural turning point."  Audio only.

Is It About the Jet, or Just About Trump?

The American Spectator; "If the concern is truly about foreign influence, then discuss gifts and donations made during the Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations as well."

  "In 2011, the Clinton Foundation accepted a $1 million donation from Qatar while Hillary Clinton was serving as Secretary of State. That donation was not reported to the State Department, despite rules requiring such disclosures. Although the gift raised concerns, it received little media coverage and quickly faded from public view." . . .

"Recently, the U.S. Department of Defense received a Boeing 747-8 jet from the government of Qatar, valued at $400 million. The plane is now in San Antonio, where it will undergo about $1 billion in upgrades to become the next Air Force One.

"Although official statements have confirmed that the aircraft is not for Donald Trump’s personal use, some media reports have treated the gift as if it were. These articles describe it as an unusual and possibly unethical donation, ignoring both precedent and context. The truth, however, tells a completely different story.

"The jet will eventually be moved to Trump’s presidential library in 2029 after its use as an official government plane. Despite this, Democrats are framing the story to suggest Trump is personally benefiting from foreign gifts — a claim that overlooks similar past examples involving other presidents.

"This jet transfer fits into a much larger and long-standing pattern of deep financial ties between Qatar and various branches of the U.S. government — ties that existed long before Trump and have continued under Democratic and Republican administrations alike.

"One major example is the Al Udeid Air Base, the largest American military facility in the Middle East, located in Qatar. Qatar has invested over $8 billion into the base, which has supported U.S. military operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. In 2022, President Biden named Qatar a “Major Non-NATO Ally,” a status that strengthens military and diplomatic cooperation.

"That same year, Qatar Airways signed a $20 billion deal with Boeing, a move praised by Biden for supporting over 35,000 American jobs. In 2019 alone, U.S. exports to Qatar hit $6.5 billion, with Qatar purchasing more than $3 billion worth of American military equipment, including Apache helicopters and air defense systems." . . .

"The fixation over the Jet isn’t a debate over ethics — it’s a difference in how stories are told depending on the person involved."

Democrat disintegration

 Kevin Finn  

"The Democrats have alienated key constituencies and compromised voter trust by spreading fabrications and neglecting issues seen as critical by voters. They've largely lost the ability to connect with average citizens and are prioritizing niche issues such as gender ideology while neglecting more critical concerns such as national and domestic security, education, and the economy."

Image: Andrea Widburg

"The Democrat Party is growing increasingly disconnected from average Americans who are rejecting their message, their policies, their strategies, and their tactics. From their policy failures in managing such things as urban environments, education, economics, and foreign affairs, the party has struggled to deliver on its promises. One wonders if we'd have a country left had they succeeded.

"In urban environments, the worst cities in America overwhelmingly share one characteristic -- they're run by Democrats. Baltimore, Memphis, and Detroit are among the 20 most dangerous cities in the world. Out of the 30 worst cities in America, 27 are run by Democrats, as are the five 'dirtiest' cities. Anyone who's seen stories coming out of places like Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, or Baltimore will have noticed that the reports are rarely positive. From crime to schools to homelessness, the stories invariably tell of tragedies, corruption, and incompetence.

"For a stunning exposé of multi-layered Democrat incompetence, listen to Matt Walsh discuss the recent prison escapes that took place in New Orleans.

"Education is another issue regarding which the Democrats fail miserably. Despite ever-increasing funding going towards America's public schools, the educational policies promulgated by Democrats have consistently failed underserved communities, especially those among minorities." . . . 

What does “free Palestine” mean?

  Mideast Journal 

"Some Palestinians and Israelis do see eye-to-eye regarding peace and inclusive national solidarity that does not hinge on the eradication of the other. But as others have noted, “free Palestine” is not a call easily associated with peace, if at all. It is a cry for eradication at its worst, especially when espoused by Hamas."

Tom Stiglich

. . ."The Basic Facts

• Hundreds of pro-Palestine supporters are using the phrase “free Palestine” at rallies around the world.

• The term, at first glance, can be used ambiguously—either representing a two-state solution or alternatively the complete overthrow of Israeli control.

• The exact phrase is related to the expression, “from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free,” which is known to carry anti-semitic connotations in certain contexts.

"After the events of October 7, 2023, in Israel, and Israel’s counter-strike against Hamas, thousands of pro-Palestine supporters have emerged around the US and in other countries. One rally held on Harvard’s campus had over 1,000 participants, some of whom were chanting the phrase, “free Palestine.' " . . .

Black Women in Charge: Profiles in Umbrage

Why are Democrats unable to select honorable, prestigious African-Americans over the Jasmine Crocketts, Maxine Waters, Al's Green and Sharpton, to skim the short list. Why those who sully the reputation of Congress seem to dominate the honorable members whose presence in government and politics enhances that of past and present heroes; Harold Ford Jr., Condoleezza Rice, Byron Donalds,Tim Scott, Larry Elder,Doctor Ben Carson, Frederick Douglass .

 Ann Coulter  

"But there’s never a shortage of jobs for black women accusing everyone else of racism, so Dr. Johnson is now executive director of the Texas Center for Justice and Equity, and this Black Women in Charge series may never end."

Broc Smith

"The anniversary of George Floyd’s death this past weekend was marked by claims that the country’s attempt to finally deal with its systemic racism had been brushed aside with “the resurgence of old power structures” — as put by University of Connecticut professor Manisha Sinha, who represents the NEW power structure where Indian immigrants get all the good affirmative action jobs.

"Inspired by a crack addict’s death, the Racial Reckoning required, among other things, putting black women in charge of everything. The plan was foolproof. It literally had no flaw. Unburdened by what has been, there was no telling what these scrappy gals could do.

"This column will be part 2 of a continuing series that I call “Black Women in Charge.” (The last one was in 2023, then other news intervened.)

"Elected after the summer of BLM terror, President Joe Biden put more black females on the U.S. Courts of Appeal than all previous presidents combined. Half of his U.S. attorney nominees were black. Given that only 5% of the nation’s attorneys are black, for the past four years, every black lawyer in the country had a decent shot at becoming a federal prosecutor or judge. (Hence, the expression, the “affirmative action to federal bench pipeline.”)

"Among the nominees was Rachael Rollins, Biden’s choice to be U.S. attorney for Massachusetts. But things are never easy for a black woman. As put by Charles Pierce, Esquire’s political reporter, two “asshat” senators decided to “demagogue” a “Perfectly Qualified U.S. Attorney Nominee.”

"Specifically, Sens. Ted Cruz and Tom Cotton opposed Rollins on the grounds that she supported decriminalizing a slew of crimes, such as shoplifting, malicious destruction of property, drug possession with intent to distribute and resisting arrest. (No word yet on how those policies have played out in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, etc.)" . . .

Imagine if Kamala Harris had won.

Townhall  

"On education, ask yourself this: Would we even be allowed to know what’s being taught under Harris? Her DOJ called parents “domestic terrorists.” Her appointees would’ve mandated gender ideology in kindergarten and punished schools that didn’t toe the DEI line." . . .

 "Imagine if Kamala Harris had won.

"Imagine what we wouldn’t know. Imagine what wouldn’t have happened. Imagine the jobs never created, the energy never unleashed, the borders never secured, the enemies never deterred, and the schools never reformed.

"Now imagine what has happened under President Trump’s return to the White House—and ask yourself just how much better off we really are.

"In just the first 100 days of Trump’s second term, the U.S. economy added over 345,000 jobs. That’s not bureaucratic inflation either—more than half were created in heavy-lift sectors like mining, construction, and manufacturing. Remember those? The industries Harris promised to “transition away from” with a smile and a bullet-pointed climate plan.

"Had Harris been sworn in, U.S. Steel would not be in the middle of a $14.9 billion partnership with Japan’s Nippon Steel, a deal expected to create as many as 70,000 jobs and revive America’s industrial backbone. She would’ve strangled it in red tape and environmental virtue-signaling before it left the boardroom. Instead, Trump stood in Pennsylvania and declared that America would build again.

"And he meant it. Tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum? Doubled to 50%. Not to punish, but to protect. Because he’s not ashamed to admit that America should make its own steel.

"Imagine the border. Actually, don’t. Just remember it—under Harris, it would have remained wide open, with cartel-controlled chaos from Brownsville to San Diego. The half-million “paroled” migrants waved in by Biden’s DHS wouldn’t have made headlines, because no one would’ve dared to audit the abuse. Under Trump? DHS blew the lid off, revoked the fraud, and sent ICE into the heart of Boston to arrest—brace yourself—a migrant murderer and two child rapists Biden had let go.

"Kamala would’ve handed them legal aid and a voter registration form." . . .

‘60 Minutes’ anchor Scott Pelley ripped for ‘angry, unhinged’ commencement speech criticizing Trump

 

Nolte: Scott Pelley Mocked for ‘Unhinged,’ ‘Self-important’ Commencement Speech  

"Young people can smell a phony a mile away, and Scott Pelley is not only insufferable, he’s one of the phoniest."

Will You Read The Books About Biden's Dementia By Journalists Who Hid It?  ..."The “journalists” who were in the same room with him during the 2020 campaign knew. The “journalists” who covered the White House knew. The “journalists” who covered the Biden/Harris campaign and the Harris/Walz campaign in 2024 knew. Indeed, thousands, if not tens of thousands, in the “news” business knew. Now, with the story that his staff was planning to put him in a wheelchair immediately after Biden/Harris won the 2024 election, they are pretending Biden only had a physical problem, not a mental problem?" . . .

[Pelley's] self-important and ridiculously pompous rant of a commencement speech fell flat.  

"Whichever member of the Wake Forest faculty responsible for the “Hey, let’s get Scott Pelley!” idea probably has a very interesting e-mail inbox over the past week"

 . . ."And as Nolte reminded us, Pelley has the nerve to gripe that “journalism is under attack” on behalf of 60 Minutes, at a time when the atrocious fraudulent journalism of that show has put the entire operation of CBS News at risk of extinction.

"Why? Because of a Soviet propaganda edit of a catastrophic Kamala Harris interview last year which was so naked in its boosterism for her doomed campaign that President Trump is suing CBS and Paramount, its parent company, for $20 billion.

"The word is that Trump has signaled he’d take $100 million. He settled a suit with ABC News, whose Sunday morning host George Stephanopoulos made one comment falsely accusing Trump of being a rapist, for a reported $20 million. Given that 60 Minutes put an entire segment on the air editing Harris’ interview almost into fan fiction territory, $100 million seems pretty reasonable.

"And yet Paramount doesn’t appear to have the money.

"Exactly who is attacking “journalism,” Mr. Pelley? If there’s a villain here, it might well be your team at CBS News, and the “attack” begins to look like mere retribution, if not justice." . . .

POLL: What Was the Worst Media Take of the Week?

1. Jeffrey Goldberg: It’s Not that We Covered-Up for Biden, It’s That the Audience Is Stupid 

2. Scott Pelley Scares Students At Commencement Address: “Our Country Is In Peril” from Trump

3. Rosie O’Donnell: “Millions” Are Going to “Die Early” from Big Beautiful Bill

Parody: Dems Unveil Plan To Win Back Men By Having Gay Guy Grow A Beard

 Parody from Babylon Bee 

" At publishing time, the Democratic Party had decided the ploy would work better if the small gay man always left a few buttons on his collared shirt unbuttoned."

U.S. — After spending hundreds of millions of dollars on political consultants to learn how to win men back, the Democratic Party unveiled its new strategy of having a gay guy grow a beard.

"As men have left the Democratic Party in droves over the past several elections, Democrats believe they can reverse the tide by having a very small homosexual man sprout a light beard.

""This will do the trick," said political consultant Dan Jennings as he rubbed more Rogaine onto Pete Buttigieg's jawline. "If you want to win back men, there is nothing better than a homo who takes maternity leave growing out a beard. They will look at this beard and think, 'hey, he's just like me, other than being miniature-sized and a fruitcake. I think I'll vote Democrat.' It's going to happen, just watch."

"While many Democrats hailed the gay beard plan, some members of the party were less sure of the strategy. "I'm not convinced that a little fairy boy in a maternity bra is going to connect with men just because he grew a beard," said Representative Jared Huffman. "Still, I was sure the bald guy up in Minnesota doing jazz hands was going to work, so maybe they know something I don't. I'll wait and see." . . .

Black (woman) and blue (Origin)

 M. Walter

 "So here we have this incredibly smart, accomplished, decent human being, who achieved a life dream, to fly in space, and she gets a torrent of hate...from the “tolerance” people. What a shame." 

"On Saturday, May 31, The Washington Post published an interview conducted by Elizabeth Dwoskin, entitled “A rocket scientist wrestles with backlash over her Blue Origin flight,” and subtitled “Former NASA aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe always dreamed of going to space. She never imagined realizing that dream would let loose a barrage of online hate.”

"It begins:

In early April, I was looking at a beautiful Elle magazine spread featuring the six women who were set to crew the all-female Blue Origin flight into space. There was Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Gayle King — and then my jaw dropped. There was my friend Aisha Bowe, surrounded by celebrities.

Bowe and I have known each other for nearly a decade. She’s a former NASA aerospace engineer and an entrepreneur. I always knew it was her dream to go to space.

"Ms. Doskin figured her friend was slammed with all the publicity, so she waited a bit to text her. When she finally did, she asked her “if she was still basking in the glow,” then writes she “was stunned by her response.” Ms. Bowe, a deeply impressive woman who happens to be black, had been the recipient of a gusher of left-wing hatred. Why? Because Blue Origin is a Jeff Bezos project, and Jeff Bezos had recently been in Trump’s orbit (pardon the pun)." . . .

More...

I Hate QR Codes

 Love and Science  

"I hated it. I hated being told to use it, I hated having an old man explain something I otherwise had no idea how to do, and I hated the process of using my phone’s camera to connect with my browser."

courtneyengle.com

. . ."You’re passing a billboard at 70 miles per hour and see a QR code.

"Once you’re forced to use a QR code against your will, you start noticing them everywhere. I truly can’t understand how they’ve become so widely used when the user experience is so poor. And what about those chumps that put QR codes on billboards? How on earth does that work? 

"You’re passing a billboard at 70 miles per hour and see a QR code. Even if you’re determined to use that code instead of just Googling the brand you see on the billboard, is it even possible?

"Can you whip out your phone, open your app, steady the viewfinder over the code and allow your browser to open the page without committing vehicular manslaughter?

"Are you supposed to pull over on the highway and scan from the shoulder? Is anyone tracking the usage of these high-stakes QR codes? This is nonsense at best, and downright deadly at worst.

"The Right Tool for the Job

"Here’s my solution: don’t default. Choose the right tool for the job and the audience. 

"In a situation like a highway billboard, scrap the QR codes altogether and just get better at establishing clear URL naming conventions and using redirecting vanity domains. Sure, it might require a little more creativity, but what’s ultimately easier for the user: scanning a QR code from the passing lane, or committing a straight-forward URL (like site.com/billboard) to memory?" . . .  Full Article...