So Many Big Beautiful Boats Of Oil

It sounds like some of his advisors were feeding him nonsense to try to talk him down a bit. Oh, sir, they've gifted you with many big beautiful boats.

U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Thursday that Iran allowed ten oil tankers flying the Pakistani flag through the Strait of Hormuz in the passing week.

No evidence to support this claim has been found. According to available information, only one tanker flying a Pakistani flag went through the strait – almost two weeks ago, in a widely reported incident. 

Anyone Got A Plan?

Rubio is begging someone to unshit Trump's bed.

Rubio acknowledged that Tehran might continue to hold a stranglehold over the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported.

“One of the immediate challenges we’re going to face is an Iran that may decide that they want to set up a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

That scenario is “dangerous to the world, and it’s important that the world have a plan to confront it,” Rubio added.

Maybe if we ask Greenland nicely.

In Your Hearts, You Know Pete Hegseth Is Right

I have become more "cynical" about certain things over time, and one is the degree of absolute gutter racism among the general class of people who rule the discourse.

 

Or, more specifically, I correctly see "nice, polite racism with a veneer of research," and anyone who hides behind it, as worse than gutter racism/racists. That you have tried to make your racism clever makes it worse!

Everyone who joined in the attacks on "DEI" knew what they were doing and knew the consequences would be the purging of minorities from any position of influence and power. Don't let them pretend they thought it was about anything else.

Oh it's just about fairness, says Mr. Trust Fund boy.

Morning

Slacker Saturday.

Happy Hour

All my apes gone.

And We Will Forget This Tomorrow

At least the politcs beat people will.

Mr. Buria chastised the Army secretary for selecting Maj. Gen. Antoinette R. Gant, a combat engineer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, to take command of the Military District of Washington, said three current and former defense and administration officials familiar with the exchange. The command provides security and performs ceremonial duties in the nation’s capital, and its commander often appears alongside the president at Arlington National Cemetery. ... Mr. Buria told Mr. Driscoll that President Trump would not want to stand next to a Black female officer at military events, the officials said.

I knew without checking (and then checked) that the politics desk reporters didn't do this piece - the defense/natsec people did - and the politics people will go on as if Trump's motives for various other things are mysterious and unknowable.

Volatility

I do think it is underrated how much the Wall Street boys fucking love volatility. Stocks going slowly up=boring. Everything bouncing around all the time = exciting opportunities to make big money by betting (relatively) small money.

Welp

Maybe the poor senators worked late for nothing.

Shutdown likely to continue: House GOP leaders are expected to soon announce they are rejecting the Senate-passed bill that would have funded large swaths of the Department of Homeland Security, including the TSA, in favor of their own version. That means the DHS shutdown could be extended by least several days.

I'd Be Surprised If Any Of Them Haven't Been Hacked

Funny.

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - Iran-linked hackers have publicly claimed ‌the breach of FBI Director Kash Patel's personal inbox, publishing photographs of ​the director and his purported ​resume to the internet.

On their website, ⁠the hacker group Handala Hack ​Team said Patel "will now find his ​name among the list of successfully hacked victims."

Reuters was not able to immediately ​authenticate the emails published by ​Hanadala, but a sample of the material uploaded ‌by ⁠the hackers and reviewed by Reuters appears to show a mix of personal and work correspondence ​dating between ​2010 ⁠and 2019.

The Pardon Umbrella

I suspect Corey, at least, is not under it.

The Department of Homeland Security inspector general has launched a sprawling investigation into how contracts have been solicited and handled, including the involvement of former Secretary Kristi Noem and her de facto chief of staff Corey Lewandowski, according to two sources familiar with the probe.

I have no idea if the IGs have any real ability to operate under Trump.

What Do We Really Think Is Happening Here

What does Iran think is happening here.

The Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give President Trump more military options even as he weighs peace talks with Tehran, Defense Department officials with knowledge of the planning said.

Trump earlier said he was pausing strikes on Iran’s energy sector for 10 more days, to April 6, so negotiations can take place beyond his previous Friday deadline. Peace talk mediators said Iran didn’t ask for the additional time. Trump said the extension was at Iran’s request.

Morning

At least the senators get to go on vacation.

Thursday Evening

enjoy

Seems Bad

They did try to hide this.

Many of the 13 military bases in the region used by American troops are all but uninhabitable, with the ones in Kuwait, which is next door to Iran, suffering perhaps the most damage. Six U.S. service members were killed in a strike on Port Shuaiba that destroyed an Army tactical operations center. Iranian drones and missiles also targeted Ali Al Salem Air Base, damaging aircraft structures and injuring personnel, and Camp Buehring, damaging maintenance and fuel facilities.

and other things, presumably.

Dumb Mac

Funny but also not funny.

Donald Trump’s so-called “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth has earned himself a new nickname, current and former US officials tell us. Among various staffers and officials working within the august confines of the Pentagon and Department of Defense, the former ‘Fox & Friends’ co-host and “death and destruction”-obsessed Trump acolyte is known as “Dumb McNamara.”

Lunch

Shop while you eat! (Ad, I get a commission).

Why Aren't They Unshitting My Bed

 

Normalization

I admit I remain perplexed at the complete normalization of targeted assassinations as a legitimate tactic. I know it is "ok for us to do and not them," but one would still think a mild sense of self-preservation by some world leaders, if not the solipsistic Trumpers, would kick in.

Sure Palestinians and Iranians aren't human, but neither are the French or Germans to most of these people.

We Begin Bombing In Five Minutes

Put me down for the "shit hits the fan in Iran over the weekend" bet. I suppose in these glorious times I could actually place that bet! Probably people with inside information will!

Morning

Thankless Thursday.