June 17, 2025

SETH BARRETT TILLMAN: Trump-47 and the Vacant Article III Judicial Posts.

There are some 60 vacant Article III (federal) judicial posts. Trump-47 has put forward four nominees for vacant federal district court positions (all in Missouri), and he has put forward one nominee for a vacant federal appellate position (in the Sixth Circuit). There are five (other) vacant federal appellate positions without any nominees, and there are 50 vacant federal district court positions without any nominees. Additionally, there is one vacant Article I judicial post in the United States District Court for the Virgin Islands. It too lacks a nominee.

There are eight vacant federal district court positions in TEXAS without any nominees. FLORIDA has five vacant federal district court positions. Both LOUISIANA and NORTH CAROLINA have four vacant federal district court positions. Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina—each has two Republican U.S. Senators.

All the extant Trump-47 nominees were submitted on May 12, 2025. There has been no activity in over a month.

What’s the holdup, guys?

Posted at 7:56 am by Glenn Reynolds 10

HMM:

China buys 80-90% of Iran’s oil exports — often using questionable methods to avoids sanctions, and presumably at a discount.

Whatever change is coming, Beijing presumably isn’t happy about it.

Posted at 7:48 am by Stephen Green 29

THE ECONOMICS OF WAR: Israel’s air superiority lets it strike Iran on the cheap — and force Tehran into costly retaliation.

The effective Israeli strikes on Iranian air defenses and military airports “will degrade Iran’s ability to restrict Israeli operations in its airspace,” the Institute for the Study of War, a conflict studies think tank in Washington, DC, said on Sunday.

Weapons analysts have identified Israeli fighter jets armed with Joint Direct Attack Munitions. JDAMs, which are made by the US defense contractor Boeing, are dumb bombs fitted with relatively cheap guidance kits that turn them into precision-guided munitions. These weapons are not considered stand-off weapons.

Analysts have also spotted Israeli aircraft armed with SPICE bombs. Like JDAMs, guidance kits that turn dumb bombs into precision weapons. They are made by the local defense firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Open-source intelligence accounts have noted the use of JDAMs and SPICE — which stands for Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective — bombs in the airstrikes across Iran, including around Tehran. Israel’s ability to fire these munitions suggests it is less concerned about defenses and does not necessarily have to employ its more expensive missiles for high-value targets. It has more options.

It’s nice to have affordable options.

Posted at 7:33 am by Stephen Green 35

TRUTH:

Posted at 7:30 am by Glenn Reynolds 13

AND SPEAKING OF THE WASHINGTON STAND: California officials have shoveled tens of millions of tax dollars to five key Far Left non-profit activist groups that are supporting the violent and continuing anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere across the nation.

Posted at 7:12 am by Mark Tapscott 11

KERSHAW REMINDS MLB WHO CREATED THE RAINBOW: You may have seen one of the several Major League Baseball team “celebrations” of Pride Month. Los Angeles Dodgers’ star pitcher Clayton Kershaw’s response to the LGBQTetc.etc.etc. tyrants reintroduced them to a hugely significant fact, as The Washington Stand’s Suzanne Bowdey explains.

Posted at 7:09 am by Mark Tapscott 8