Marijuana Rescheduled

Plus: skyway socialism, reconsider the lobster, D.C.'s urban growth, and more...

Rescheduled at last. This morning, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order moving FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I status (the most restrictive classification in the federal government's drug schedule) to the less restrictive Schedule III.

Under the decisive leadership of @POTUS, this Department of Justice is delivering on his promise to improve American healthcare. This includes:

• Immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule IIl

• Ordering a new,… pic.twitter.com/DUtqKQgavl

— Acting AG Todd Blanche (@DAGToddBlanche) April 23, 2026

The order does not legalize marijuana. But it does make it easier for federally funded researchers to access marijuana and allows state-licensed marijuana businesses to claim various federal tax breaks.

Blanche's order comes on the heels of reporting that the White House had been telling federal agencies to light a fire and reschedule marijuana. And in December, President Donald Trump signed an order asking federal agencies to move marijuana from its Schedule I status to Schedule III "in the most expeditious manner."

But 420 has come and gone with no action from the feds. This has reportedly irritated the president, who is now demanding action.

Jacob Sullum noted in a column back in December that the practical effects of rescheduling are limited, but the change does at least acknowledge "that the federal government has been exaggerating marijuana's dangers and ignoring its potential benefits for half a century. That concession counts as progress of a sort, although it falls far short of resolving the conflict between federal prohibition and state laws that allow medical or recreational use of marijuana."

Skyway socialism. The Trump administration is reportedly on the verge of giving struggling low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines a $500 million taxpayer-funded bailout.

Politico reported yesterday that the administration and the airlines were "in advanced discussions" on a deal that could see the U.S. government own up to 90 percent of Spirit Airlines shares.

The Trump administration has been tight-lipped about the deal thus far. A spokesperson only said that Spirit would be on sounder financial footing had the Biden administration not blocked its merger with other low-cost carrier JetBlue. Fair enough.

Even so, the last administration blocking Spirit's acquisition by a market competitor does not justify the current administration sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into it.

Over at View From the Wing, Gary Leff argues that a bailout of Spirit would be illegal and will only make the airline's financial problems the taxpayers' problems. A bailout, he says, "makes Spirit Airlines no longer a low fare airline. You're paying more for Spirit whether you fly them or not."

Marc Scribner, a transportation policy expert at the Reason Foundation (which publishes this website), said on X that turning low-cost carriers into government subsidiaries will ruin this hyper-competitive corner of the air travel market.

This makes no sense. The LCC/ULCC model has always been more sensitive to market fluctuations than legacy "frills" carriers. That rapid entry and exit is central to pro-competitive effect on route pricing. Subsidizing a failing ULCC short-circuits air travel dynamism. https://t.co/1BNpbfO0Vs

— Marc Scribner (@marcscribner) April 22, 2026

Reconsider the lobster. A circuit court judge in Tazewell County, Virginia, ruled yesterday that the redistricting referendum voters approved Tuesday is unconstitutional.

As we discussed yesterday, that referendum asked voters to approve a new congressional map that would create aggressively gerrymandered districts (including one that famously looks like a lobster) that heavily favors Democrats.

This is what Democrats call "fair." pic.twitter.com/k4xGGBQLEZ

— Virginia GOP (@VA_GOP) February 6, 2026

In a brief order, Judge Jack Hurley voids the new congressional map passed by voters and enjoins state officials from certifying Tuesday's special election results.

Hurley's order declares that Virginia lawmakers put the redistricting referendum to voters without following the proper procedures laid out in the state constitution. He also ruled that the referendum's title did not match its subject matter, which…fair.

The wording of this question is so absurdly biased that it should be rejected without even considering the substance, frankly. (Not my ballot, I live in DC. Stolen from @CorieWhalen.) pic.twitter.com/iQxBRFpqkQ

— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) April 21, 2026

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones vowed to appeal the decision.

Attorney General Jay Jones Shares Statement on Republican National Committee v. Koski Tazewell County Circuit Court Injunction pic.twitter.com/jKpyZJ1ACr

— Attorney General Jay Jones (@AGJayJones) April 22, 2026

Reason's Eric Boehm wrote yesterday that the Virginia vote, and the preceding efforts in Republican states to gerrymander their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, signals the end of a trend toward bipartisan, depoliticized redistricting reform. Says Boehm:

Virginia's voters decided on Tuesday that gaining a slim partisan advantage in this year's election matters more to them than making structural reforms to strengthen the democratic system.

As long as that's true, there is little hope for any lasting improvements, and we will remain trapped in this downward spiral of short-term politics driven by power-hungry partisans on both sides.

A court ruling blocking Virginia's new map likely doesn't change that dynamic.

---

Scenes from D.C.: On X, Samuel Littauer posted a short time-lapse video showing the rapid transformation of Southwest D.C. from a sleepy industrial district to a booming, dense urban neighborhood.

The transformation of Southwest DC pic.twitter.com/HtoCJLSV2C

— Samuel Littauer (@swlittauer) April 22, 2026

Whatever D.C.'s other faults, it can claim to be one of the most pro-growth major cities in the country.

---

QUICK HITS

• The Senate is getting closer to passing a bill to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been partially shut down for over two months now.
• Navy Secretary John Phelan was fired Wednesday following long-simmering tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
• The FBI reportedly investigated a New York Times reporter after she reported on Kash Patel's girlfriend.
• Another day, another Trump administration sex scandal made for the digital age.

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

Immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule IIl

Trailblazing president, with an emphasis on BLAZE! Ha!

[mad.casual]

I expect some hard-hitting, Reason-brand "With imported weed prices sky high after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, this is a backhanded ploy at best."-type commentary from Afroman and Giorgio Tsoukalos shortly.

[Super Scary]

Personally, I'm expecting an article that will tell us that it's actually a good thing we have children of illegal immigrants harvesting weed in California because of the increased demand for weed after being rescheduled.

[Ajsloss]

But don't applaud the administration just yet, because the rescheduling doesn't go far enough. In other words, if you aren't going to fix 100% of the problem (with congressional approval!), then why bother?

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

^ Sarc or stupidity?

[Ajsloss]

I ain't no turd! Of course that was sarc.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

THX!

[Agammamon]

Neither - its Sullum.

[mad.casual]

Dude, it's really mind blowing the amount of web space set aside for publishing all the weed and Messican articles you want to publish here at Reason.

Maybe we'll get, like, an article from Ron Bailey about how the COVID vaccines prevent the spread of monkeypox and really complete the trifecta.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Phew. No Alanis joke today.

[Horatio Cornblower]

Ha!

[Dillinger]

isn't it ironic?

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

How dare you.

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Rasheed Wallace approves

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

Ha! Haven’t heard that name in a while. Not sure what sheed has to do with this, but go pistons!

[Fist of Etiquette]

But 420 has come and gone with no action from the feds. This has reportedly irritated the president, who is now demanding action.

Someone's about to get deepstated again.

[CE]

I'm old enough to remember President Obama putting up a petition site for the White House, with great fanfare. When the two most popular petitions asked about legalizing marijuana, Obama just chuckled, showing how much he truly cared about the people who elected him.

[Mickey Rat]

EU Court rules that the EU identifies as gay and lame.

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/after-orban-liberal-authoritarianism/

"...the European Court of Justice has ruled that Hungary’s laws relating to LGBTQ issues and minors violate European values.

The laws in question require that sex education be delivered in schools by accredited teachers, not by activists. They forbid the promotion of sex-change surgeries to minors and the promotion of nontraditional sexual identities."

"...the court has ruled that the laws effectively trespass on the common market, because they involve restrictions on the provision and consumption of services. Of course, it also condemned the laws in moral terms, saying that they are “contrary to the very identity of the Union as a common legal order in a society in which pluralism prevails.” That last bit is what’s hilarious. Actual pluralism of values can’t be reflected in the law. Instead, a uniform commitment to one set of values deemed pluralistic is acceptable."

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

So glad the citizens gave up their identity to be ruled by unelected EU globalists.

[BYODB]

And they get extra irony points for sounding exactly like conservative Christians with the whole 'violate European values' bit.

What values might those be, Europe? Lets hear you say it out loud.

[damikesc]

I love the EU declaring how much they wish to protect democracy constantly when there are few less democratic institutions than the EU. None that have considerable legal impact on citizens.

[Medulla Oblongata]

"will only make the airline's financial problems the taxpayers' problems"

Agree, this should NOT go through. Chrysler and GM all over again. Should have let them fail, should have let the banks fail. They'll just keep coming back. It's one small airline, let it die.

[mad.casual]

You know things look bad when a spokesperson says, "But the Biden Administration..." and even Reason (even backhandedly) says, "Fair enough."

[Fingers crossed the DJT who's a businessman who doesn't like to lose money steps up.]

[BYODB]

They are afraid that if they let those businesses fail nothing will take their place because of all the barriers to entry they've thrown up around the industry.

Obviously, lowering or removing those barriers kills grandmas somehow so they can't do that.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Even so, the last administration blocking Spirit's acquisition by a market competitor does not justify the current administration sinking hundreds of millions of dollars into it.

Pajama Classist Britches doesn't want the poors to pollute his skies with their daisy duke jeans and tramp stamps and mullets.

[mad.casual]

And by "pollute" you mean the total concentration of daisy dukes, tramp stamps, and mullets will be conserved. Just the M:F ratio of people wearing daisy dukes and tramp stamps will drop and the F:M ratio of people with mullets will rise.

[Bubba Jones]

I've never seen a Spirit flight that made economic sense.

[Marshal]

You're under valuing the entertainment options.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A circuit court judge in Tazewell County, Virginia, ruled yesterday that the redistricting referendum voters approved Tuesday is unconstitutional.

Well, well, well. Looks like MAGA owes a certain branch of government an apology.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

State not federal.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

"Jacob Sullum noted in a column back in December "

If you are quoting the evil lying retard sullum you should be instantly fired
Out of a cannon
Into a wall

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Senate is getting closer to passing a bill to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been partially shut down for over two months now.

Too late. The terrorists have already won.

[Minadin]

showing the rapid transformation of Southwest D.C.

You swamp dwellers can call that area SW DC all you want, but it's east of the meridian. You all gave the original Southwest DC back to Virginia ages ago.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

I say make it back to being d.c. to temove their ability to fuck another state.

[Minadin]

Very high density of left-wing progressive types in that relatively small triangle.

[damikesc]

Trump should really un-do that.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Navy Secretary John Phelan was fired Wednesday following long-simmering tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

He simply needed to meet fitness standards every sailor and marine must maintain.

[mad.casual]

Whatever D.C.'s other faults, it can claim to be one of the most pro-growth major cities in the country.

Yay for libertarianism! Whatever other faults the malignant tumor that is DC may have, it is pro-growth!

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Keep funneling that tax money, look at that growth!

[damikesc]

I love the same young women who adored The Hunger Games sees no problem with so much money being tied up in the nation's capitol.

[Medulla Oblongata]

WTF?

https://pjnewsletter.com/minn-high-school-rooms/

Minnesota Public High School Renovations Include Prayer Room and Foot-Washing Stations for Muslim Students

An official from Minnesota’s Osseo Area Schools tried to downplay the district’s plans this way:

“The space could be used for prayer, or other student or staff multipurpose needs throughout the day,” executive director of school/community relations Kay Villella said.

This is the pathetic, bureaucratic lie being used to justify the district’s decision to build dedicated prayer rooms and “foot-washing stations” as part of a massive, $375 million renovation. A “multipurpose” prayer room? Perhaps. But a “multipurpose” foot-washing station? What else is it for, washing the soccer team’s cleats? The excuse is an insult to our intelligence. They were caught red-handed catering to one specific religious group, and now they’re trying to lie their way out of it.

According to a report highlighted by HotAir, minority students now make up 60% of the school district, while academic performance has fallen off a cliff. Math proficiency sits at a horrifying 13.7%, and the school board is actually debating teaching science in Somali to prevent children from becoming too “English-dominant.”

This is not inclusion; it is a managed surrender.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

I would tell my kid that's the new bacon eating area. If the muzzi animals complain then hand them some ham

[mad.casual]

This is the area for washing Muslims' feet, boys' soccer cleats, and girls' jockstraps.

[mad.casual]

washing the soccer team’s cleats

Is that supposed to be less offensive?

[Zeb]

Peperidge Farm remembers when Christian student groups wanting to meet to pray in the morning on school grounds was a big controversy.

[mad.casual]

Even more recently than the meme of the meme of Pepperidge Farms remembering stuff was the coach who lost his job for voluntarily prayed on the field with voluntary participation by members of his team after the game.

The final score @SCOTUS was 6-3 that the voluntary acts, not building any prayer rooms, not performed in support of any given religious group in the community, weren't establishing a religion at the school.

[BYODB]

Christians don't protest with machete's and public rape, that's the difference I think.

Say what you will of Muslim terror tactics, but they certainly seem to work.

[Zeb]

That may be part of it. But in the US at least I think it's more of a pathological empathy or reactionary anti-Western thing. They are a minority and Christians are icky and probably white supremacists.

[Mickey Rat]

The usual suspects on Separation of Church and State seem oddly silent here.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Still remember when reason and orher democrats attacked coaches for simply praying after games.

[CE]

Maybe they can copy Texas then, and put up the 10 Commandments in the prayer rooms.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Whatever D.C.'s other faults, it can claim to be one of the most pro-growth major cities in the country."

Fuck you that's not pro growth thats "pay us polititions or don't even attempt to play the game"

Teen reason really needs to get rid of the retards

[CE]

All those lobbyists gotta live somewhere.

And Dems aren't pro-growth because they are pro-freedom or pro-business, they are pro-growth in the sense of "let's see how many low-income voters we can pack into the city limits, so they will vote for free stuff."

[Medulla Oblongata]

Scenes from NYC: But were they Somali-run Quality Learing Centers?

https://pjnewsletter.com/nyc-schools-100million/

NYC Spent Nearly $100 Million in Rent and Utilities on 28 Empty Preschools That Never Opened

[mad.casual]

On the plus side, their math and English proficiency scores are as high as they've ever been.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Just as successful as the teachers union ran charter school.

[Mickey Rat]

"Virginia's voters decided on Tuesday that gaining a slim partisan advantage in this year's election matters more to them than making structural reforms to strengthen the democratic system."

Did the voters really decide that, given the propagandistic description of what the amendment was on the ballot?

[Medulla Oblongata]

Ok, this one I might be able to see. But it's a slippery slope down to the pre-made sandwiches, pizza, meat&three at the deli counter...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/senators-to-introduce-hot-rotisserie-chicken-act-for-snap-recipients/ar-AA21w5HT

[mad.casual]

A la COVID, SNAP gets you all the tobacco products, hard liquor, Monster energy drinks, and Taco Bell food you can consume and nothing else. Address SNAP, healthcare, and Social Security solvency issues all in one go.

[Mickey Rat]

"Hurley's order declares that Virginia lawmakers put the redistricting referendum to voters without following the proper procedures laid out in the state constitution."

Which is something which is standard operating procedure for the Democrats, for example, they did similar shenanigans in ignoring constitutionally prescribed legislative procedure to pass the ACA. But apparently, this is just a footnote.

[Marshal]

Dems also ignored the defined process while issuing the "Dear Colleague" letter which corrupted Title IX into the Campus Sex Police it is today.

Another example was the courts allowing Dems to change candidates for the 2009 US Senate from NJ election well after the primary because the primary winner was going to lose.

Rules are only important when they impede Reps.

[Medulla Oblongata]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-s-bid-to-unmask-ice-agents-goes-down-in-flames/ar-AA21urig

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that a section of California’s No Vigilantes Act, which required federal law enforcement agents, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to wear visible ID, violated the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. The bill passed both chambers of the California legislature and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed it into law in September 2025.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

So nothing today about Alex jones being correct that the unite the right rally in Charlottesville was funded by the splc?
Nothing?
Really?
No comments on that?
Or that the splc funds terrorists?
And demands and works to censor people?

[Super Scary]

I won't be surprised if the article from yesterday is the last we ever hear about the SPLC's "investments."

[mad.casual]

I'm 50/50.

The article itself had a decent dose of "Maybe its donors are paying for this."/"It's a good thing!"

There's still the potential for an "OK, it's happening. It's worse than we said it was and it's not a good thing. But only a racist would prefer any alternative. So shut up, racist." article.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Nah. We will get some why SPLC paying for racism events was a good thing by next week.

[Dillinger]

I don't understand why everyone's so surprised. SPLC and KKK have been same-team-different-branches the whole time

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

Not enough TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP!, TRUMP! for Welsh and the other assholes now in charge here.

[Ron]

and if they look further they will probably find that not only did SPLC fund the NAZI march in Charlotte they probably funded the left wing groups that attacked them. thats right they may have been NAZI butt they were attacked it wasn't right wing violence Like Reason and other claim it was right wing self defense. I don't like NAZIs but they have rights as well

[Mickey Rat]

The SPLC playing the role of Darth Sidious in the The Phantom Menace. Exploiting chaos for personal gain by backing both sides.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Most secure election ever.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/woman-pleads-guilty-to-registering-dog-to-vote-in-newsom-s-recall-race/ar-AA21uzgJ

She registered her dog, Maya Jean, for both the 2021 California gubernatorial election to recall Governor Gavin Newsom, and the 2022 primary election.

The dog's vote was counted in 2021 but was rejected for the 2022 election.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Mail in ballots and universal voter registration with no checks is secure. Ask Qb and jeff.

The form has a box for fucks sake. How could it be more secure??

[Chuck P. (Now with less Sarc more snark)]

It could have punch-holes.

[Quicktown Brix]

Up your meds, schizo.

[Marshal]

I'm so old I remember when QB pretended to be against personal attacks.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

I must not be that old. Mike has always used personal attacks or sea lioning, he only claims morality. It never applies to him.

Usual dem tactic theyve used for decades to demand argumentation baseline for their opponents.

Hoppe has a great essay on this liberal tool.

[Quicktown Brix]

I turned over a new leaf for this motherfucker that makes up lies about me on a daily basis. Deal with it.

[Marshal]

It's not really a new leaf though, is it?

[Quicktown Brix]

With this level of nitpicking, nagging, hen pecking, holding a months‐long obsession of my perceived personality failing, but devoid of any actal substance, you must be a woman, right? No man would pick-pick-pick over a single issue for so long like this, just hunting for another opportunity to bring it up again and again and again.

[Marshal]

Interesting. Sarc used to gay-bait when he had no effective response, QB must have gone through the same training class.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

That's not a time-lapse video, which would have been interesting. It's before and after pictures posted as a video which makes them hard to compare; stupid. Not everything is better as a video.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Trump has sidelined the Jones Act? To help California?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/california-has-a-new-way-of-getting-gasoline-for-the-first-time-in-modern-memory/ar-AA21w0rI

Foreign-flagged ships have occasionally moved fuel between U.S. ports under narrow exemptions, such as for emergencies like hurricanes, but those exemptions have generally affected the East or Gulf coasts - not California.

The waiver took effect on March 18 and will last until May 17 - though the Trump administration is now signaling it may keep the waiver in place longer, according to Axios. So far, nine shipments of gasoline and other petroleum products have been sent to California - five to Los Angeles and four, carrying gasoline and blending components, to the Port of Martinez, according to data from Vortexa, an energy analytics firm. Martinez is a major fuel distribution hub, with a refinery in the city.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Cue reason arguing against the Jones act in 3, 2...

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

"You'd be amazed at how many hospices… the door you can walk up to in California and there is nobody there. Five months' worth of mail that you can see stacked… nobody's there," Clark said. "And that passed a survey. How did that happen?"

"How do you put a hospice in a burrito stand in California?" she quipped. "How do you put a hospice in an entire store in California? That all had to be vetted through licensure and through certification and accreditation."

Dr. Lynn Ianni, a licensed psychotherapist with nearly 40 years of clinical experience who also testified, said she was locked out of her own Medicare benefits for months after she was falsely enrolled in hospice care.

"Imagine being told, in effect, that you are at the end of your life — when you are not — and then being denied access to care because of that error. It was not just frustrating," she said. "It was terrifying."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hospice-ceo-asks-congress-provider-operate-burrito-stand-california-oversight

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Lol!

Why Democrats with 2028 hopes are calling Lina Khan – and what she’s telling them about remaking the economy

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/20/politics/lina-khan-democrats-2028-economy-antitrust

[Dillinger]

whom to call? Lina? ... Chaka? ... Lina? ... Chaka?

[Outlaw Josey Wales]

Ghengis might be a better option for the Dems at this point

[Dillinger]

Khan Singh too maybe ... I heard Chaka on the way in today she was on the brain

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Democrats violated the law for the gerrymandering referendum and it was blocked again.

Jonathan Turley
@JonathanTurley
We are having quite the night in the courts. A Virginia judge just blocked the state from certifying the results of Tuesday's congressional map referendum as unlawful. Judge Jack Hurley Jr., ruled that Democrats did not follow the correct procedure for a constitutional amendment....

And the voting numbers are out and we see the usual.

Republicans dominated day of voting.
Split for pre in person voting.

So if they used the less fraudulent means of voting the referendum doesnt pass. So how did yes win?

Late counted mail in ballots, utterly dominated by yes votes, completely out of sync with confirmed voting requiring ID.

Chris
@chriswithans
Democrats won this referendum on the strength of their Mail-in-vote margin. While it was only 11% of the vote so far, it was an astonishing and almost inexplicable Yes +45. That translates to about 5 points on the overall margin, which is more than the Time’s estimated Yes +3.3 final vote.

How a single category of voting can be +45 in one direction is beyond me.

https://x.com/chriswithans/status/2046749189221372196

Won by the least secure method with reports of mass ballot collection by NGOs turning in stacks of mail in votes.

[Chuck P. (Now with less Sarc more snark)]

Overall: 51-49
Mail-in: 72-28 (that margin being the deciding factor)

Why would anyone question that?

[Mike Parsons]

Id argue the wording should make it illegal as well. Did everybody *actually* know what they were voting for?

Ive had days I go to vote and see a prop I hadn't looked into. How many people voted for "more fairness" because it sounded good?

When "more fair" results in going from a 6/5 split, in Dems favor, to a 10/1 split in their favor, this is blatantly an Orwellian lie.

You are literally getting the opposite of what you voted for, if going in blind

[damikesc]

Hell, I'd take one for the team and vote for it and then claim, under oath, that I was so confused by the wording I thought I was voting to oppose it.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Poor mollydamonsullum

Bill Melugin
@BillMelugin_
BREAKING: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has issued an injunction blocking enforcement of California’s new law that requires ICE agents to unmask and wear visible ID, arguing it violates the Supremacy Clause because it “attempts to directly regulate the United States in its performance of
governmental functions.”

California is enjoined from enforcing the law, pending appeal. Big win for the Trump administration & U.S. DOJ.

[Michael Ejercito]

Remember when police officers were required to wear masks?

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Matt Taibi has noticed the new dem policy is fuck old people take their stuff as explained by the NYT.

https://www.racket.news/p/new-york-times-old-people-suck-and?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

The other dem policy is to go full Stalin.

https://jonathanturley.org/2026/04/17/fk-it-just-do-it-carville-lays-out-democratic-plan-to-add-states-and-pack-court/

[Mickey Rat]

"Moyn cites the example of apes and chimpanzees who establish hierarchies based on “brute strength, and therefore physical vitality” and can “marginalize faltering alpha males” who then “sometimes go into exile, which means death.” Humans, by unpleasant contrast, traditionally value the wisdom of elders, so achieving “intergenerational equity” may require (here Moyn quotes the Succession character Shiv Roy) “a good old-fashioned dinosaur cull.”"

It is amazing how much the Left resents people having their own wealth and covets it for their own purposes.

[mad.casual]

“marginalize faltering alpha males”

I have it on good authority that the whole alpha male concept is utterly debunked pseudoscience and that no animals anywhere develop any sort of social hierarchy, especially not paternalistic ones, besides humans.

[Dillinger]

primate transference is the worst kind of all.

[Mickey Rat]

The to animal hierarchies is appalling, especially for a movement that purports to want to eliminate human hierarchies as much as possible because they are "oppressive".

[Marshal]

Tomorrow the same people will criticize others for believing "might makes right".

Note this article doesn't even mention people earning these assets over a lifetime of work. They seem the believe wealth magically appears in this unfair manner. Left wingers created the idea that wealth creation is inherently corrupt specifically to justify stealing everyone's wealth. So I wonder how many of these now-targeted boomers understood their movement's end goal.

[Mike Parsons]

Marxism/leftism is an ideology of pure envy and hatred. Always has been

[I, Woodchipper]

1. Import millions of young foreigners with no human capital
2. blame older americans for having too much stuff
3. take their shit
4. ???
5. profit

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

6. No downsides

[Ajsloss]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Not a real job title.

[drisco304]

Department of Defense is still the legal name. Only Congress can change that.

[Medulla Oblongata]

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/trump-hormuz-strait-iran-war.html

Trump orders Navy to ‘shoot and kill any boat’ laying mines in Hormuz Strait

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Molly will pre declare this a war crime. Just not for Iran.

[BYODB]

Last I checked, using naval mines to intercept commercial traffic was a literal war crime.

[Marshal]

It's revealing literally no left wingers have described it that way. It shows what we've always understood that to them every concept exists only to restrain America, their allies like Iran and Hamas are free to act as they want without interference.

[BYODB]

What I'm not clear on is if Iran actually placed any mines. Instead the reporting is on Trump's statement absent context. Weird.

[Square = Circle]

What I'm not clear on is if Iran actually placed any mines.

I've been having similar thoughts. Very easy to say "hey - we just filled up that strait with mines. Prove us wrong."

[Marshal]

Even if not there have been other attacks on non-military shipping which qualify for the same reasons with the same effect.

[Rev Arthur L kuckland (5-30-24 banana republic day)]

Not if you wear the magic head rag, then you are automatically moral

[Medulla Oblongata]

Saw meme that went something like

Man: "Women should have no rights. Homosexuality should be punished by death."

Woman: "You crude Neanderthal! You must be a right-wing conservative Republican!"

Man: "No, I'm a Muslim. It's what my religion teaches."

Woman: "I'm SO sorry! I didn't mean to sound Islamophobic!"

[Agammamon]

Its not. Its never been a war crime. People have this idea that almost everything that is absolutely normal in warfare is a 'war crime'.

[damikesc]

Especially in international waters. The Strait is not solely in Iranian waters.

And they did exactly that before, leading to Operation Praying Mantis.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

"Gavin Newsom hit with humiliating New York Times bestseller asterisk"
[...]
"Gov. Gavin Newsom’s status as bestselling author is officially in doubt.
Revelations his PAC, Campaign for Democracy, spent $1.6 million buying up copies of his book, has led to the New York Times slapping an asterisk on the ranking of his memoir, noting bulk purchases.
Newsom’s listing “Young Man in a Hurry” on the New York Times bestseller list includes a “dagger” symbol, which is meant to indicate that sales were inflated by institutional buys, instead of through word-of-mouth and rave reviews.
The California governor, who boasted of selling 100,000 copies of the memoir, has bought around two-thirds of those copies through his PAC as part of a push for donations..."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smart-living/gavin-newsom-hit-with-humiliating-new-york-times-bestseller-asterisk/ar-AA21qRdk?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=69e8ea9493ad4cafb34317ec5e4e27d0&ei=12

If you are stupid enough to donate to grease-ball, you probably don't care that your money is used to 'buy' awards for the asshole.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

Graft and lies all the way down.

[Chuck P. (Now with less Sarc more snark)]

Adam Corolla interviewed Newsome and then called him a psychopath.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dph6sCCLtUYA&ved=2ahUKEwiEm_OOp4SUAxU-2ckDHaOqHqUQwqsBegQIExAB&usg=AOvVaw0L4iu3QSaZcJXFJ2GWa52S

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

And psychopaths should SUE!

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

California does not have a drought problem, it has a government problem. There are few more obvious functions of a government than to handle infrastructure issues and among those are to provide and maintain water storage facilities.
Since 1975, the population of CA has doubled, while there have been exactly ZERO new water storage facilities added; you might imagine (and you'd be correct) that CA must now get a lot of rain to provide water to the population.
But Newsom, in a sop to those who claim to represent some distant ancestor of an obsolete culture, has been tearing down existing dams.
There might be hope:
"Federal Government Intervenes in Fight Over Eel River Dam Removal"
[...]
"On Wednesday, the United States Department of Agriculture filed a motion to intervene in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission process reviewing plans to remove the dams known collectively as the Potter Valley Project. The dams, owned by Pacific Gas and Electric, have not generated power for years and were built more than a century ago.
The move follows public comments from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who has aligned herself with farming interests concerned about losing water diversions from the Eel River to the Russian River—supplies that support agriculture and communities in Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
In recent years, Rep. Jared Huffman helped broker a “two-basin solution” that preserved water deliveries while allowing the dams to be decommissioned. That plan gained support from tribes, environmental groups, Humboldt County, and major water agencies, prompting PG&E to formally submit a dam removal proposal to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in July 2025.

Some Farm Bureau chapters and Lake County officials have opposed the plan, arguing dam removal could harm agriculture, firefighting capacity, recreation, and water reliability. The USDA echoed those concerns in its filing, urging FERC to reject PG&E’s application as currently written.
Environmental advocates pushed back quickly. Scott Greacen of Friends of the Eel said federal law does not allow PG&E to keep operating the nonfunctional dams indefinitely..."
https://www.activenorcal.com/federal-government-intervenes-in-fight-over-eel-river-dam-removal/#:~:text=On%20Wednesday%2C%20the%20United%20States%20Department%20of%20Agriculture,dams%20known%20collectively%20as%20the%20Potter%20Valley%20Project.

Please, watermelons, get reamed with a running post-hole digger.

[mad.casual]

California does not have a drought problem, it has a government problem.

Feels a little "California doesn't have a chicken problem, it has an egg problem."

[Ron]

lets not forget floods most dams were initially built to prevent floods. Getting electricity was just a side benifit. and for those who want to tear out dams just for the Salmon is BS since some locals never had salmon in the first place and the only reason why there is a shortage of Salmon now is because teh federal government literally limits the number of Salmon produce creating the same shortage.

[Square = Circle]

The key to understanding much of what happens in CA is to understand that most political campaigns are funding primarily by a loose coalition of trade unions, building contractors, and design professionals.

If you pay attention, you'll notice that pretty much everything that results from any of these various crises is public construction projects.

Removing dams will be very expensive, will take lots of design work, and will employ lots of unionized trades people. When it turns out we needed those dams, well we've got lots of designers, contractors, and unionized trades people who will be more than happy to help out.

[Agammamon]

> There are few more obvious functions of a government than to handle infrastructure issues and among those are to provide and maintain water storage facilities.

I would disagree here.

Its is not a government function to handle infrastructure. California's problem is because *only* government handles CA infrastructure.

[Dillinger]

>>marijuana's ... potential benefits

makes your (collective) writing easier to read

[I, Woodchipper]

The Senate is getting closer to passing a bill to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been partially shut down for over two months now.

Sad news.

[I, Woodchipper]

The FBI reportedly investigated a New York Times reporter after she reported on Kash Patel's girlfriend.

MSM journalists aren't people. Especially NYT journalists.

[Dillinger]

>>Trump administration ... on the verge of giving struggling low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines a $500 million taxpayer-funded bailout.

dude loves America. gives everyone tax breaks on their tips & overtime then buys the airline with our money so the middle class can still afford to fly

[Dillinger]

>>Reason's Eric Boehm wrote yesterday that the Virginia vote, and the preceding efforts in Republican states to gerrymander their congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, signals the end of a trend toward bipartisan, depoliticized redistricting reform.

interesting he neglected to report on the several ways the entire process was unconstitutional and instead whined about bipartisanship ... see this is what I was talking about above with the green

[Chuck P. (Now with less Sarc more snark)]

Just like they never mention that TX didn't defy its constitution to redistrict, unlike CA and VA.

[Dillinger]

the worst is the "(R) started it!"

[Dillinger]

>>Whatever D.C.'s other faults, it can claim to be one of the most pro-growth major cities in the country.

anyone can claim anything. is every regulation not born in DC?

[Dillinger]

>>The FBI reportedly investigated a New York Times reporter after she reported on Kash Patel's girlfriend.

I don't remember did this place ever do Catherine Herridge?

[MWAocdoc]

"That concession counts as progress of a sort, although it falls far short of resolving the conflict between federal prohibition and state laws that allow medical or recreational use of marijuana"

There is much more progress here than you seem to acknowledge, Christian. If marijuana is a Schedule III pharmaceutical, it means that commercial drivers who are required to submit to random drug screens and test positive, Medical Review Officers can possibly report "negative" if they verify a prescription. It also means that pot farmers and retailers can stop relying on cash only and open bank accounts without fear of "money laundering" criminal charges, perhaps. How is recreational use of marijuana different from, let's say, recreational use of codeine? In that context you cannot "legalize" marijuana without legalizing almost every other drug of abuse. Not saying we shouldn't legalize drugs totally now, but please don't hold your breath ... I'd hate to watch you turn purple!

[Rick James]

Rescheduled at last. This morning, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order moving FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I status (the most restrictive classification in the federal government's drug schedule) to the less restrictive Schedule III.

Given that Weed Legalization has been a leg on the 3-legged stool of Reason's Big issues of the last 40 fucking years, one would think this would get more than a mention in Morning Lynx.

I'm guessing there'll be a quick followup article on how it "leaves most users on The Wrong Side of the Law".

I'm beginning to think Trump could sign an EO legalizing Weed, Ass Sex and Food Trucks, open the borders and declare Section 230 to actually BE the official Religion of the State, and Reason would find a problem with it.

[Rick James]

Oh, I didn't read far enough. I guess no followup article from Sullum required. Britches found a way to bitch about it within a couple of paragraphs. Classic Reason. CLASSIC Reason...

[car-keynes]

Republocrat: Maybe taxing a big company on its way down was a bad idea.

Libertarian arm: Why not give some of it back?

Republocrat: Each time?

[Sometimes a Great Notion]

Spirit Airlines a $500 million taxpayer-funded bailout.

Kirk: I need more money, Scotty!
Scotty: I'm giving it all I got, Captain. The printing press just can't make anymore!

[Its_Not_Inevitable]

Ah, but there is a difference. The power to propel the Enterprise was generated from something (dilithium crystals?). Dollars are generated from nothing and they can make as many as they want. The more they make, the less they're worth, but they keep doing it anyway.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Matter/antimatter reaction, focused and controlled via dilithium crystals.

[minus the clever name]

Why did Libertarianism's good points never win many adherents. This marijuana article illustrates why. In a blood lust to push to be able to do whatever we want, you don't care that many just head over a cliff

Cannabis-induced psychosis (CIP) and related schizophrenia cases are rising across Scandinavia (Denmark, Sweden, Norway), driven by increased potency and higher usage rates, particularly among young men. Studies show a strong link between cannabis use disorder (CUD) and subsequent schizophrenia, with researchers estimating up to 30% of schizophrenia cases in young Danish men could have been avoided if not for CUD

[Square = Circle]

30% of schizophrenia cases in young Danish men could have been avoided if not for CUD

This is bullshit that's been circulating among the prohibitionists for decades. There is a high correlation between schizophrenia and marijuana use, because by the schizophrenics' own testimony the marijuana helps them feel less stressed out and panicked all the time, although it has the negative side effect of aggravating delusions and hallucinations.

There is no evidence at all that marijuana use causes schizophrenia where there was no latent/undiagnosed schizophrenia already present.

[minus the clever name]

Readers, he is totally wrong. Check it out.

[BYODB]

Late to the party, but Square is probably correct here.

Notably, something like 60% to 90% of schizophrenics also smoke cigarettes. Are we to believe that cigarettes cause schizophrenia, or is there something about schizophrenia that causes it's suffers to smoke cigarettes?

If you ask Psychology, they don't really know why this is the case either. We do know that schizophrenics tend to self medicate with things that don't really work, and this is probably part of their disease.

If pot caused schizophrenia, we should expect that states with legal recreational marijuana would have a higher incidence of schizophrenia. That has not been the case as far as I've seen. In fact, the generations of Americans who smoke less than ever before have a higher incidence of it.

[Its_Not_Inevitable]

Libertarians don't just want to "be able to do whatever we want". we recognize that we all have equal rights and that no one has the right to violate another's.

[Sevo, 5-30-24, embarrassment]

^+1.

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

The problem is the legalize everything crowd also tends to support the no consequences for drug use. Which is forcing others to often be victimized for the choices if others.

[Michael Ejercito]

What kind of consequences?

[minus the clever name]

YES

Analagous to Chicago v. Morales (1999).
Thomas argued that invalidating the ordinance neglected the daily terror faced by residents in high-crime neighborhoods, focusing too much on gang member "rights" rather than the safety of citizens, whom he argued were denied the freedom of movement.

[Zeb]

Yeah, the libertarian position isn't just "do all the drugs you want". That's the naive left-liberal position. The libertarian position also means you bear all the consequences of your choices and don't get bailed out when you make bad decisions.

[minus the clever name]

And the dead person resulting from the consequences of your druggy immorality-- does he get resurrected 🙂

[minus the clever name]

Illogical in the extreme. So who get's to say what is a right, YOU ???

SIlly human being.

[drisco304]

Blanche is already head and shoulders above Noem. Well done!

[EISTAU Gree-Vance]

Lol. Don’t think noem was in any position to reschedule weed, dris.

[Dillinger]

she vetoed the People of South Dakota legalizing it ... twice iirc

[MWAocdoc]

"famously looks like a lobster"

Denied! It's clearly a SCORPION!

[MWAocdoc]

Also I have now read the injunction and found not a single weasel-worded assertion, nor any factual or legal flaws in the opinion. This redistricting turns out to be a piece of political drama for publicity effect. Since the injunction is bullet-proof, Jay Jones is appealing the ruling to extend the propaganda news cycle to maximize the publicity.

[Agammamon]

>Rescheduled at last. This morning, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order moving FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I status (the most restrictive classification in the federal government's drug schedule) to the less restrictive Schedule III.

Sullum article complaining about this because it doesn't go far enough incoming for this afternoon.

[Zeb]

Well, it doesn't go far enough. Yeah, take the win. But it's still far from the libertarian policy we'd like to see.

[minus the clever name]

Certain people always use 'we' . Ever notice that 🙂

[Agammamon]

>". . . an activist judge should not have veto power . . . "

Oh, *NOW* its bad when a judge reviews executive power.

[damikesc]

I'll mention that the VA AG has a bit of a violence issue. The whole wanting to murder his opponent's children in their mother's arms.

Good job, DC denizens.

[Bubba Jones]

Do we not want a counter terrorism expert who can spot a mark?

[JesseAz (RIP CK)]

When a liberal says expert they generally mean a retard grifting.

[damikesc]

Given their EXTENSIVE coverage of that Texas abortion bill a few years ago, Reason's utter silence on the "Stop Nick Shirley Act" in CA shows how important speech is to the writers here.

And they bitched about the Texas abortion bill before it passed, so they don't have an excuse.

Reason: Not so much free thoughts. Many MOAR ABORTIONZ!!

[Michael Ejercito]

Their bitching was about how it could not be challenged pre-enforcement.

[damikesc]

And they are NOT bitching about California looking to ban independent journalism pre-enforcement.

Don't defend these evil shits.