April 9, 2025

CHANGE? Paxton Runs Against Cornyn. “As previously rumored, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is running against incumbent John Cornyn for the 2026 Republican senate nomination.”

Posted at 1:46 pm by Stephen Green 10

HEH, INDEED: Watch: Sen. Kennedy Goes Absolutely Savage on AOC.

Once again, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) has proven that he’s the king of political zingers. He appeared on Sean Hannity’s show last night with several other Republican senators, where he delivered what might be the most savage takedown of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) we’ve heard yet.

Kennedy has a gift for cutting through the nonsense with his signature southern wit.

“What do you think of the new leadership: Jasmine, AOC, and Bernie?” Hannity asked.

“I consider Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez to be the leader of the Democratic Party,” Kennedy said. “She’s entitled to her opinion. I’m entitled to mine.”

And then he went for the jugular.

“As I’ve said about her before, I think she’s the reason there are directions on a shampoo bottle,” he said.

That’s it. Game over.

To really drive the point home, he added, “Our plan for dealing with her is called Operation Let Her Speak.”

Evergreen:

Posted at 1:35 pm by Ed Driscoll 7

HOLLYWOOD, INTERRUPTED: China Mulling Ban on Hollywood Film Releases in Response to Trump Tariffs (Report).

The U.S. film industry so far has escaped direct retaliation from countries hit by President Donald Trump‘s globe-spanning tariffs, thanks to theatrical film releases and streaming platforms being categorized as services rather than physical goods. But Hollywood’s luck in China, the world’s second-largest film market, could soon run out, according to statements issued Tuesday by two influential public figures in the country.

With trade relations between Washington and Beijing spiraling, two widely followed Chinese bloggers posted an identical set of measures that local authorities are said to be mulling in response to Trump’s 54 percent tariffs on all Chinese goods, which the president vowed to increase to 104 percent if Beijing didn’t back down from a pledge to match the current U.S. tariff rate. The list of mooted moves includes “reducing or banning the import of U.S. films,” as well as increasing tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and U.S. services, among other countermeasures.

The potential plans were shared simultaneously over local social media by Liu Hong, a senior editor at the state-backed Xinhua News Agency, and Ren Yi, the influential and widely followed grandson of Ren Zhongyi, former Communist Party chief of Guangdong Province. Both figures attributed the outlined proposals to unnamed sources familiar with authorities’ planning. Bloomberg News was the first Western outlet to cover their statements.

As Christian Toto wrote in 2021: Hollywood Sold Its Soul to China … Now What?

Studios drooled over China’s vast theatrical marketplace, with millions of movie goers eager to watch American popcorn franchises like “Fast & Furious.” And they did just that while filmmakers followed the country’s strict rules at every step.

What did Hollywood get in return? Billions in extra revenue, that’s what. Plus, films that flopped stateside, like the “Tomb Raider” reboot, made enough coin in China to stave off financial doom.

The Alicia Vikander film earned $58 million in the U.S. and $78 million in China.

Meanwhile, the Hollywood elite ignored China’s human rights violations at every turn. Celebrities railed against Georgia’s strict abortion legislation but looked the other way as China operated concentration camps for minority Muslims.

On occasion, Hollywood didn’t even bother looking the other way: Disney under fire for ‘Mulan’ credits that thank Chinese groups linked to detention camps.

Disney is facing backlash after the final credits for its latest film “Mulan” thanked government entities in Xinjiang, the province where Muslims have faced human rights abuses.

The film had already generated controversy after its lead actress, Liu Yifei, recently expressed support for police crackdowns in Hong Kong, spurring talks of boycotts on social media.

That sentiment only increased after it came to light that Disney filmed scenes for the “Mulan” movie in China’s Xinjiang province, where Beijing is accused of detaining more than 1 million Uighur Muslims.

After releasing “Mulan” on Disney+, eagle-eyed viewers noticed a “special thanks” in the film’s end credits that named eight government entities in Xinjiang, including the public security bureau in the city of Turpan, where the country is allegedly operating more than a dozen “reeducation” camps.

Or as America’s Newspaper of Record noted in 2020:

Posted at 1:22 pm by Ed Driscoll 59

SHE FIGHTS:

She’s also a she.

Posted at 12:58 pm by Stephen Green 55

ICYMI:

Posted at 12:45 pm by Glenn Reynolds 53

HIDIN’ WITH BIDEN: Biden Administration Concealed Congressionally Mandated Report on Earliest Suspected American COVID Cases. Seven U.S. servicemembers contracted COVID-19-like symptoms in Wuhan in October 2019.

Seven Americans may have contracted COVID-19 in Wuhan in October 2019, several months before the reported start of the pandemic, according to a bombshell military report obtained by the Washington Free Beacon that the Biden administration concealed from the public.

The December 2022 report, which the Biden administration was required by law to release to the public over two years ago but didn’t, reveals for the first time that seven U.S. military service members contracted COVID-19-like symptoms during or after their participation in the World Military Games in Wuhan in October 2019—contradicting the Biden administration’s public claims in 2021 that there was no evidence that any American participants contracted the virus at those games. The revelation adds to a mounting body of evidence that the virus was circulating in Wuhan for months before China disclosed it to the world in December 2019 and further bolsters the growing consensus that it could have leaked into the human population from a Chinese lab.

At the start of President Obama’s third term, his administration sent out press releases such as this Reuters article from January 20th, 2021, headlined, “Biden White House pledges data, transparency, respect for free press.” And yet, the next few years promises to be a cornucopia of “now it can be told” headlines.

Posted at 12:30 pm by Ed Driscoll 54

SAVE THE PLANET:

Posted at 12:00 pm by Glenn Reynolds 97

HOW TO BUY AN ELECTION WITH OTHER PEOPLE’S MONEY:

Mail-in balloting allows for all kinds of shenanigans.

Posted at 11:48 am by Stephen Green 120

DOG BITES MAN: Democrats Deploy Disability Dodge. “Dozens of administrative law judges grant disability payments to almost everyone who appears before them, overriding Social Security staff who determined the people were not entitled to payments.”

Posted at 11:42 am by Stephen Green 66

THE MARKETS ARE COMING DOWN OFF A 15-YEAR SUGAR HIGH AND THE HANGOVER WAS ALWAYS GOING TO SUCK:

Posted at 10:50 am by Stephen Green 471

GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN: Colorado background checks surge as gun rights restrictions advance.

For years, Colorado residents appear to race to secure new gun purchases during the latter part of the legislative session when majority Democrats are known to rapidly advance their anti-gun agenda.

To date the legislature has introduced 22 bills dealing with gun rights and restrictions in some fashion. Of those, 18 restrict rights, and many are awaiting the governor’s signature; four expanded rights, three of which have lost; and two others are relatively neutral and are awaiting hearings.

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is operated by the FBI and used to determine if someone is eligible to own a firearm.

According to data for the first quarter of 2025, background checks nearly doubled in March to 68,099 from what there were in January (37,519), with 42,109 checks ran in February.

Colorado had the 9th highest total of checks ran in March of all 50 states.

Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said this is nothing new, and in addition to Colorado’s gun purchases going up every year during this time as legislators put more and more restrictions in place, so do concealed carry applications and renewals.

Both scenarios are what drive those background check numbers up.

Gov. Polis yes yet to say whether he’ll sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature the severely infringe-y Senate Bill 25. The clock is ticking toward the April 13 deadline when the bill would become law without Polis signing.

Posted at 10:40 am by Stephen Green 64