March 26, 2025

WHAT 23ANDME TOLD AMERICA ABOUT ITSELF:

Many headlines have ensued, but what commentators seem to be missing is this: The disintegration of 23andMe represents a cultural collapse as well as a financial one. This is the tale of a zeitgeist fueled by both the self-loathing of white liberals and a reflexive anti-Americanism throughout the mainstream—phenomena that the current vibe shift has upended like Tupperware over a trash can, its vestiges sliding off like so many moldy leftovers into the abyss where fads go to die.

Back in 2017, with victimhood associated with blackness, brownness, or another minority racial status, white people were conversely assigned the role of society’s Bad Guys. Reactions varied: Certain white Americans leaped at the opportunity to confess, repent, and pay through the nose to self-flagellate at events like the infamous “Race2Dinner” parties where, for several thousand dollars, a real, live person of color would come to your home and call you a racist.

For those of lesser means but similar dispositions, 23andMe offered another path to redemption, by promising to find “surprises” in one’s ethnic makeup. As one white man, who discovered he had “Hidden African DNA,” wrote reassuringly in the 23andMe blog: “Our histories are not as black and white as we believe.”

This is not to say that every person who submitted a cheek swab for analysis was marinating in racial self-hatred; plenty of people were simply curious, hoping to uncover a bit of family history (or, for those who bought the 23andMe+ Total Health package, their risk factors for various genetic conditions). But if you were struggling with white guilt, 23andMe could apply the gloss of scientific rigor to your search for a get-out-of-oppressor-status-free card—a state of affairs that was lampooned in a 2017 episode of South Park, in which customers of a company called “DNA and Me” received their test results and gleefully announced themselves as members of oppressed groups (“I’m 21 percent victim!”).

You’ll never get to be the CEO of NPR with such a racialist worldview. Oh wait:

Posted at 8:45 pm by Ed Driscoll 7

NANCY WILSON MORPHED INTO PAULINE KAEL SO SLOWLY, I HARDLY EVEN NOTICED: Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson says it’s ‘more embarrassing’ to be an American now than during the Vietnam War.

Wilson, 71, made the remark in a recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where she reflected on the legendary rock group’s 1975 hit “Crazy on You,” which was her sister and Heart vocalist Ann Wilson’s critique of the Vietnam War.

“We were kind of embarrassed at that time to call ourselves American because of the dirty politics of the Vietnam War,” Wilson shared.

“To be as subtle as possible, it’s more embarrassing now,” she said.

More here:

Wilson’s perspective isn’t just about politics. She also sees rampant sexism and misogyny in today’s culture that echoes another of Heart’s most famous songs, “Barracuda.”

“[Barracuda] is even more relevant in the salacious billionaire culture with the grab-them-by-the-pussy mentality,” Wilson declared. “These songs will be there long after we are gone.”

Despite her disappointment with where America is today, Wilson added that she sees change on the horizon.

“I think for women* in the culture the pendulum will come back again, and there’ll be another renaissance in the arts to push back against the oppression of the cranky old rich white guys,” she noted. “I hope I am alive to see that next revolution.”

Well, not all women, of course: Heart to Sarah Palin: Don’t Play ‘Barracuda.’

(Classical reference in headline.)

Posted at 8:30 pm by Ed Driscoll 66

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS NOBODY IS ASKING: Gondolas in Denver? One entrepreneur believes it can lift downtown up.

Downtown Denver is often referred to as a trailhead — but not often the main attraction — for tourists visiting the Rocky Mountains.

But what if building a gondola, bringing an iconic symbol and transit option from mountain ski resorts to downtown, could turn it into a destination?

This is the idea that Ryan Ross, the owner of a private investigation firm on the 16th Street Mall, offers to revitalize Denver’s downtown, which has been struggling with empty offices, businesses closing and disruptive construction since the pandemic.

Ross is proposing a three-loop gondola system connecting downtown’s most popular attractions, people-moving sidewalks on 16th Street Mall and a 1,000-seat indoor-outdoor amphitheater by Skyline Park.

He created a nonprofit to promote the project called New Downtown Denver and submitted the proposal to the newly-expanded Downtown Development Authority, the city’s financing tool expected to inject $570 million into downtown to revitalize the urban core.

“Downtown Denver needs a big infusion of energy and vitality and safety and fun,” Ross told The Denver Gazette. “And what they’ve (city officials) done so far is not helping.”

Getting the money for a gondola won’t be an easy lift, he said.

Yes, I guess it’s more of a Shelbyville idea…

 

Posted at 8:14 pm by Ed Driscoll 52

IT’S (D)IFFERENT WHEN THEY DO IT:

Full text:

Do you guys remember that time that a chubby Army lieutenant colonel with a dead-end career listened in on a confidential call between the President of the United States and the President of Ukraine, and then that rabidly partisan chow-thief LTC violated all of the confidentiality terms of his security clearance and ran to unauthorized Congressional staffers to blab the contents of that confidential, high-level conversation?

Remember how literally every Democrat alive thought that was just peachy-keen fine?

I remember. Good times.

Jim Hanson remembers: Alex Vindman Is Living, Breathing Proof That The Deep State Exists, And It Is Corrupt.

Posted at 5:23 pm by Stephen Green 169

UNDERPERFORMING:

Posted at 4:27 pm by Glenn Reynolds 251

ELIZABETH PRICE FOLEY: A Supreme Court Remedy for Nationwide Injunctions: Congress gave the Supreme Court the authority to curb them by clarifying the Rules of Civil Procedure.

Federal trial judges blocking presidential acts via nationwide injunctions are creating a serious conflict between the executive and judicial branches. The flood of such injunctions provoked President Trump to take to social media and call for the impeachment of a judge who issued a temporary restraining order. Chief Justice John Roberts responded in a statement to reporters that impeachment is inappropriate and the administration should rely on “the normal appellate review process.” Unsatisfied, Mr. Trump wrote on Thursday: “Unlawful Nationwide Injunctions by Radical Left Judges could very well lead to the destruction of our Country! . . . If Justice Roberts and the United States Supreme Court do not fix this toxic and unprecedented situation IMMEDIATELY, our Country is in very serious trouble!”

There is something the justices can do to rein in nationwide injunctions: exercise their authority under the Rules Enabling Act of 1934 to amend the federal rule on injunctions.

The recent outbreak of nationwide injunctions damages our constitutional system. They were almost unheard of before the 1960s. Only 12 were issued against George W. Bush and 19 against Barack Obama during each of their two terms. Joe Biden faced 28. Mr. Trump faced 86 during his first term, almost all issued by Democrat-appointed judges. Two months into his second term, more than 15 have already been issued.

Because nationwide injunctions often appear politically motivated, they create cynicism about the courts and the law. Worse, they enable lower-court judges to thwart the president’s Article II authority even in national security and defense. Lawmakers have introduced bills to halt nationwide injunctions. One recently passed the House Judiciary Committee and will likely pass the full House—then go to the Senate to die in a filibuster. . . .

An amendment to Rule 65 couldn’t take effect until Dec. 1. But once proposed—by May 1, as required—it would likely have an immediate, beneficial chilling effect on rogue judges. For the sake of the Constitution, the court should act quickly.

Yes, it should.

Posted at 4:06 pm by Glenn Reynolds 91

STUNNING: Dying SpaceX rocket triggers giant spiral of light above UK and Europe during secret mission.

At around 8 p.m. local time (4 p.m. ET), people across the U.K. reported seeing the luminous swirl grow as it slowly streaked across the sky like something from a sci-fi movie, according to the BBC. The light show was most clearly visible above parts of England, including Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Suffolk and Essex, as well as in Wales and further afield in Sweden, Croatia, Poland, and Hungary.

Photographer Simon Minnican captured the ethereal scene in a stunning video that showed a bright spot appear and then grow in size before swelling into an ever-expanding vortex. The entire spectacle lasted around 12 minutes, with the spiral of light dissipating roughly 4 minutes after it unfurled.

There was initially some wild speculation about what had caused the unusual light show, with at least one observer blaming UFOs. However, experts quickly pointed out that it was a “SpaceX spiral” — an increasingly common phenomenon triggered by light reflecting off rocket fuel dumped into space by spinning SpaceX rockets before they reenter Earth’s atmosphere.

And here’s the video.

Posted at 3:50 pm by Stephen Green 129

HOWEVER MUCH YOU DESPISE THE MEDIA, IT ISN’T ENOUGH: Legacy Media Buries Death Threats Against Gal Gadot.

We’re now learning a much bigger movie star, Gal Gadot of “Snow White” fame, had to beef up security measures in recent months. The news is getting mostly ignored in the press.

Why? Journalists can’t pin this one on Musk, Trump or other right-leaning figure. Plus, the likely threat comes from the far Left, the same group shouting “Free Palestine” and harassing Jews across college campuses.

Is there another explanation?

Much more at the link courtesy of Christian Toto.

Posted at 2:48 pm by Stephen Green 81

COVID FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY: This was the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s front page:

As James Lileks wrote last year:

The story had no “Two weeks to stop the spread” messaging. The lockdown was open-ended, although I seem to recall we thought it was supposed to be two weeks, then reviewed. In two weeks the headline would be “New Target — May 4” which was almost a month away.

The rules were adjusted to let landscapers go back to work.

On May 3 a story noted that the target date was now May 17. A “business analyst was quoted as saying he would still stay home because he thought “There will be a couple of waves of death,” and that the skyways should be all closed because they were a “cesspool” of disease.

On the 14th the lockdowns were modified: “faith gatherings of 10 or fewer” were permitted, and the paper noted that people “can leave the house more.” Restaurants, bars, gyms, and the like would be closed until June 1st. Another order: “anyone who can work from home, must.”

To ensure those open-ended lockdowns, our future would-be vice president went full Orwell: Walz Implemented COVID Hotline To Snitch On Neighbors.

The hotline generated thousands of reports – against people playing basketball, walking their dogs, or attending church, local outlet Alpha News reported in 2022. Walz’s administration continued to monitor the hotline until November 2020, though it remained operational until June 2022.

In one example of a complaint, someone alerted authorities to a church service that wasn’t following Walz’s “legal requirements,” the outlet noted.

“I am aware that the apostolic Lutheran church at [address] is planning to hold church services oct 2-4th [sic]. Hundreds are expected And [sic] they will be serving meals in the church dining hall. I don’t believe this fits with legal requirements and I am. Aware [sic] that multiple families that attend this church currently have coronavirus.”

People also called in lists of “non-essential” businesses that remained open or didn’t strictly follow government masking requirements.

A recording of the hotline circulating online reveals a prerecorded message telling callers they have reached the “Office of Public Safety Stay At Home Hotline.”

But not everybody had to stay at home: Getting back to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune in 2020, Lileks wrote that “There was nothing on the front page on June 1st about COVID restrictions lifting, because it was the sixth day of the Floyd Protests.”

That was the day that Walz referred to “the week of righteous anger being expressed by community leaders and all people of conscience,” in a press conference.

And that feeling of “righteous anger” was infectious! During those legendarily “peaceful but occasionally slightly fiery protests,” Walz’s wife was imbibing the sweet smell of small businesses in flames, his daughter was tweeting advice to the rioters on whether or not the National Guard or SWAT would be present, and Kamala was offering to bail out those few who were actually arrested.

Why, it’s almost as: The Riots Are Part of the Plan.

Also Covid five years ago today:

Three years later, Fauci was still dissembling about masks: Anthony Fauci continues to mislead about masking, as CNN confronts him (amazing video). It works for individuals but not populations, is his new line, but, this too, lacks data.

In 2021, (P)resident Joe Biden’s handlers were tweeting:

“Well, it’s not a request, it’s a demand, and the president of the United States does not get to tell me or any other American citizen what to wear,” Tucker Carlson said in response. “He’s not offering a choice. He’s laying down an ultimatum. He’s saying if you don’t get vaccinated, you must wear a mask. Again, that’s not within his powers to demand.”

Two years later, with some hardcore Biden supporters still wearing masks, America’s Newspaper of Record was goofing on Democrats’ long obsession with intermingling face coverings and violence:

And if you missed it from Steve earlier today: It’s the 5th Anniversary of the Most Cringe-Inducing Moment of the Lockdowns.

It’s easy to picture the clueless futuristic historian in Woody Allen’s Sleeper responding to the above clip and saying, “At first, we didn’t know exactly what this was, but we’ve developed a theory.  We feel that when citizens in your society were guilty of a crime against the state, they were forced to watch this.”

Posted at 2:35 pm by Ed Driscoll 143

HOW KAMALA RESPONDED WHEN HER TEAM TOLD HER THERE WAS NO WAY SHE COULD BEAT TRUMP:

Though Harris was behind in the battleground states, her spokespeople were oddly upbeat. Appearing on MSNBC back on October 27, campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon had declared, “We are very confident we’re going to win this thing.” On Friday, November 1, senior adviser David Plouffe posted on X that late-breaking undecided voters were going for Harris by more than 10 points.

A campaign has a gravitational pull, and chief of staff [Lorraine] Voles was feeling it. “You get sucked into the momentum,” she said. “Like you believe it. I’ve been on winning ones and losing ones, and this felt more like [Bill] Clinton’s [in 1992] than [Michael] Dukakis’s [in 1988].” Voles wasn’t talking poll numbers or analytics, but intangibles. “The rallies were so big and so enthusiastic. People were lining the streets.” But Harris’s pollsters didn’t share the kumbaya cohesion. One ex-Biden campaign official couldn’t understand all the heady talk. “They still had consistent polling results that showed her down by two in every state,” she said, “and Trump always overperforms. How the hell were they going to make that up?”

On election morning Harris gathered with her family in the front part of the house while, in the back, Nix, campaign chief of staff Voles, and others monitored returns. O’Malley Dillon and company were running the campaign nerve center at the Marriott Marquis hotel near Howard University with an army of data crunchers, keeping Harris and her inner circle informed as returns came in.

The vice president was hunkered down with her family. “We saw her maybe one time that whole night,” said one of her close insiders, when the VP “came back” to their section of the house. As the evening wore on, “it was just like, ‘What’s going on?’ The SG [second gentleman] would come in. Doug would say, ‘What’s happening?’ ” The realization grew that it was going to be a difficult night. One key indicator: Voles had summoned a photographer and a videographer. They were supposed to head to the Howard University campus with Harris for her victory speech. Instead, they cooled their heels.

The moment of truth came just after midnight. O’Malley Dillon huddled with her two best analytics experts. They were her barometer, her North Star, and when they told her they did not see a path, O’Malley Dillon knew there wasn’t one. She called the vice president. “We’re down in the blue wall states, and we’re not going to be able to make it up,” she said. “Oh, my God,” said Harris. “What is going to happen to this country?”

Biden reportedly demanded of Harris, “let there be no daylight between us,” but it sounds like his camp was far more rational about what the internal polling was saying than hers. Still, her team must have known that the iceberg was coming, and would hit hard. Did they not warn Harris? Did she not inquire as to how her campaign was doing?

Posted at 2:22 pm by Ed Driscoll 160

VICTORIA TAFT: Distinguishing the Signal From the Noise.

After the hypersonic quickness and near-flawlessness of the first few weeks of the Trump 47 presidency, the mediacrats have seized upon a Signal chat between 17 high-level administration officials and Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg. They’ve attempted to turn a discussion about attacking Houthis into the theft of the Manhattan Project. It won’t work, but it doesn’t mean that between applauding the Tesla showroom fire bombings and threatening the drivers of those cars, the left won’t keep trying to make this fetch happen.

The Morning Joe gadflies, endless CNN panels, even Hillary Clinton and everyone at the Trump White House agree on one thing: Jeffrey Goldberg shouldn’t have been on that Signal text chain because no one can trust him.

Financier, Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary, often says, “To be effective you must be able to distinguish the signal from the noise.” The way this issue has been discussed by mediacrats, it’s been all noise. Endless noise.

Read the whole thing.

Posted at 2:17 pm by Stephen Green 48