Cruise Ship Crashes Into San Diego Pier (VIDEO)

It's a while-watching ship.

At the San Diego Union-Tribune, "Hornblower crashes into downtown pier."

Anger at the Other Party Driving 2016 Political Dynamics

Although she doesn't cite him, Emory political scientist Alan Abramowitz has been writing about "negative partisanship" for some time.

See UCLA political scientist Lynn Vavreck, at NYT, "American Anger: It’s Not the Economy. It’s the Other Party."

The theory certainly holds true in my case: I'm lukewarm toward the GOP, but I despise Democrats with a white-hot passion, lol.

Jessica Simpson Maximum Cleavage in Mexico

She's a freakin' bombshell, man!

At London's Daily Mail, "Girls' trip! Jessica Simpson opts for maximum cleavage in pink bikini as she channels Daisy Duke on Mexico getaway."

BONUS: "Jessica Simpson goes braless in a cleavage baring lace up dress on a date with husband Eric Johnson."

Obama Administration Threatens North Carolina Over State's New 'Bathroom Law' (VIDEO)

The homo-fascist steamroller plows on.

At NYT, "North Carolina Law May Risk Federal Aid":

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is considering whether North Carolina’s new law on gay and transgender rights makes the state ineligible for billions of dollars in federal aid for schools, highways and housing, officials said Friday.

Cutting off any federal money — or even simply threatening to do so — would put major new pressure on North Carolina to repeal the law, which eliminated local protections for gay and transgender people and restricted which bathrooms transgender people can use. A loss of federal money could send the state into a budget crisis and jeopardize services that are central to daily life.

Although experts said such a drastic step was unlikely, at least immediately, the administration’s review puts North Carolina on notice that the new law could have financial consequences. Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina had assured residents that the law would not jeopardize federal money for education.

But the law also represents a test for the Obama administration, which has declared that the fight for gay and transgender rights is a continuation of the civil rights era. The North Carolina dispute forces the administration to decide how aggressively to fight on that principle.

The North Carolina law created a mandatory statewide anti-discrimination policy, but it did not include specific protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The law prohibits transgender people from using public bathrooms that do not match the sexes on their birth certificates.

Anthony Foxx, the secretary of transportation, first raised the prospect of a review of federal funding in public remarks on Tuesday in North Carolina. The Department of Transportation provides roughly $1 billion a year to North Carolina. The New York Times then asked other federal agencies whether they were conducting similar reviews.

A Department of Education spokeswoman, Dorie Nolt, said on Friday that her agency was also reviewing the North Carolina law “to determine any potential impact on the state’s federal education funding.” She added, “We will not hesitate to act if students’ civil rights are being violated.”

The agency said it provided $4.3 billion to North Carolina last year for kindergarten through 12th grade as well as colleges.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development said it was doing a similar evaluation. “We’re reviewing the effects of the law on HUD funding allocated for North Carolina,” said Cameron French, a department spokesman.

White House officials had no comment...

More.

And watch, "Video Message from North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory."

Katrina Pierson Discusses Donald Trump and GOP Contested Convention (VIDEO)

People area all agog talking about how Donald Trump's having his "worse week ever."

It's hogwash, of course.

The Trump campaign's going to keep chugging along like it has been, and the collectivist press is going keep trying to steamroll him as a racist, misogynist Islamophobe. As a result, his numbers will continue to soar.

Here's Ms. Pierson, with Gretchen Carlson on Fox:

Jackie Johnson's Gorgeous Weekend Forecast

Lovely weather today.

I was out for a bit with my oldest son, running errands and having lunch.

And now I'm off for spring break. It's going to be lovely, heh.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Donald Trump Clears the Air

At NYT, "Donald Trump Clears Air With G.O.P. Leaders, and Chastises His Aides" (via Memeorandum):

Outwardly, Donald J. Trump called it a “unity meeting” — a closed-door session in Washington on Thursday involving his own inner circle and the Republican National Committee’s high command.

Inside, however, it was more of a clearing of the air, according to three people briefed in detail on the discussion.

And the candid remarks included some by Mr. Trump directed at his own team.

There was plenty of tension to defuse: For months, Mr. Trump has denounced the party’s major donors, and only this week he went back on a written pledge to support whoever becomes the Republican presidential nominee because, he said, the party had treated him “unfairly.”

In the meeting, held at the committee’s headquarters, the Republican national chairman, Reince Priebus, laid out for the party’s front-runner the need for the committee and Mr. Trump’s campaign to have a good relationship, according to the three people, who insisted on anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Mr. Priebus, who was joined by the committee’s chief operating officer, Sean Cairncross, and its chief of staff, Katie Walsh, told Mr. Trump and his team that the party wanted to be helpful to him but that it was difficult to do so in the face of his routine criticism, according to those briefed.

Mr. Trump was joined by his son, Donald J. Trump Jr.; his lawyer, Donald F. McGahn; his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski; the national political director Michael Glassner; and Mr. Trump’s spokeswoman, Hope Hicks.

When the discussion turned to the wrangling of delegates to the party’s nominating convention in Cleveland this July — an issue that has dogged Mr. Trump and his skeletal campaign organization for months — Mr. Priebus explained that states all had different rules governing how they were selected.

Mr. Trump has found himself at a disadvantage in some states, as his aides have allowed rival campaigns to peel some delegates away. Mr. Trump mentioned Louisiana, where he won the primary, but where Senator Ted Cruz is likely to come away with more delegates after exploiting peculiarities in the state’s system, according to those briefed on the meeting.

The situation in Louisiana infuriated Mr. Trump, who threatened this week to sue the Republican National Committee over it.

But when Mr. Priebus explained that each campaign needed to be prepared to fight for delegates at each state’s convention, Mr. Trump turned to his aides and suggested that they had not been doing what they needed to do, the people briefed on the meeting said...

More.

Jackie Johnson's April Fools' Forecast

Tomorrow is April Fools' Day, although of course Ms. Johnson's forecast is on the up and up, heh.

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

Hillary Clinton Loses Her Cool with Greenpeace Activist (VIDEO)

She looks seriously pissed off.

"I am so sick, I am so sick ... of the Sanders campaign lying about me. I'm sick of it..."

Watch, at the Weekly Standard, "Hillary Blows Up at Greenpeace Activist." (Via Memeorandum.)

WATCH: Woman Videotapes Rare Florida Panther at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (VIDEO)

This is really cool.

Watch, at KTVU News 2 San Francisco, "Video: Rare Florida panther startles woman."

And at the Orlando Sentinel, "Florida panther surprises woman at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary."

Deal of the Day: Select Yukon Outfitters Bags and Packs

At Amazon, Save on Select Yukon Outfitters Bags and Packs.

Also, Save on Coleman Camping Gear.

More, from Jon Shields and Joshua M. Dunn Sr., Passing on the Right: Conservative Professors in the Progressive University.

Plus, Kim Holmes, The Closing of the Liberal Mind: How Groupthink and Intolerance Define the Left.

BONUS: Kirsten Powers, The Silencing: How the Left is Killing Free Speech.

Socialite Jill Kelley Opens Up About David Petraeus Scandal (VIDEO)

Wild.

Via Fox News.



Previous Petraeus scandal blogging here.

Kate Bock Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Sport Illustrated Swimsuit Video 2016

Nice.



More SI babe-blogging here.

The Ridiculous Video of Donald Trump Campaign Manager 'Assaulting' Michelle Fields

It's from Piers Morgan, who's emerged as something of a bizarre booster of Donald Trump.

At London's Daily Mail:

.@piersmorgan to Michelle Fields: Toughen up, young lady — or choose a different job https://t.co/e64JX2nPnG pic.twitter.com/t3O5xeKmuy

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) March 29, 2016

Gemma Atkinson Bikini Pics

I haven't posted on this lady in ages, and that's a shame, heh.

At WWTDD, "Gemma Atkinson in a Bikini."

The Ethnic Cleansing of Christians Around the World is One of the Great Crimes of Our Age

Wow, what a headline.

From Jonathan Sacks, at Telegraph UK, "We are facing an unprecedented age of terror: The ethnic cleansing of Christians around the world is one of the great crimes of our age."

Via Instapundit, who snarks (darkly), "Obama doesn’t seem that upset, though."

Amanda Carpenter's Emotional Denial of Ted Cruz Affair (VIDEO)

I'm not loving American politics too much of late.

I seriously doubt the least bit of impropriety on Amanda's part, and yet, she's worn down and groveling over her treatment, and rightly so. It's actually kind of sad.

Read all about it at Hot Air, "Amanda Carpenter: No, I didn’t have an affair with Ted Cruz."



PREVIOUSLY: "'I will not be intimidated' — Amanda Carpenter Decries 'Tabloid Trash' Allegations of Affair with Ted Cruz (VIDEO)."

The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty

From Eric Metaxas, out June 14th, If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty.

From the Amazon blurb:

If You Can Keep It is at once a thrilling review of America's uniqueness, and a sobering reminder that America's greatness cannot continue unless we truly understand what our founding fathers meant for us to be. The book includes a stirring call-to-action for every American to understand the ideals behind the "noble experiment in ordered liberty" that is America. It also paints a vivid picture of the tremendous fragility of that experiment and explains why that fragility has been dangerously forgotten—and in doing so it lays out our own responsibility to live those ideals and carry on those freedoms. Metaxas believes America is not a nation bounded by ethnic identity or geography, but rather by a radical and unprecedented idea, based upon liberty and freedom. It's time to reconnect to that idea before America loses the very foundation for what made it exceptional in the first place.

Pre-order here.

'Love Hurts'

From yesterday morning's drive-time, at the Sound L.A.

Nazareth:

Love Hurts
Nazareth
10:33 AM

Evil Woman
Electric Light Orchestra
10:29 AM

The Wanton Song
Led Zeppelin
10:25 AM

Killer Queen
Queen
10:22 AM

No Woman, No Cry
Bob Marley & The Wailers
10:15 AM

Venus and Mars / Rock Show / Jet
Paul McCartney & Wings
10:08 AM

Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd
10:03 AM

Brussels Attacks Cast Light on Belgium's Identity Crisis

At Der Spiegel, "Postcard from a Failed State? Attacks Cast Light on Belgium's State Crisis":

Postcard from a Failed State? Attacks Cast Light on Belgium's State Crisis https://t.co/v5zJaajxmk #BrusselsAttacks

— SPIEGEL English (@SPIEGEL_English) March 27, 2016

With bombs set off in the airport and the subway system, the deadly Islamic State attacks on Brussels have struck the heart of the European Union. Belgium, once the nucleus of Europe, will now have to combat its reputation as a failed state.

Bart De Wever doesn't have much faith in his country. In fact, you can hardly call it a country, this artificial construct created sometime in the 19th century as the result of an accident of history, a power struggle among major powers. The centralized Belgian state is "slow, complicated and inefficient," says De Wever, one of the most powerful men in Belgian politics.

He represents a party that went into the last election campaigning for an end to this centralized state, and for an independent Flanders, which it argued would be more viable than Belgium, a broken construct.
De Wever heads the strongest party, the conservative right-wing New Flemish Alliance (N-VA). He is not part of the government, but rather the mayor of Antwerp, and yet he knows that people in Belgium pay very close attention to what he says. He's sitting under chandeliers in the Gothic city hall, in a room with dark wooden wall panels. It's a sunny Tuesday in February, four weeks before the Brussels attacks. Salah Abdeslam is still on the run, and police haven't tracked him down in Brussels' Molenbeek neighborhood yet. The government is still searching for the sole surviving Paris attacker but have been unsuccessful so far. The government is trying, but it hasn't turned up much yet. Belgium is receiving poor grades, but so is Europe.

De Wever calls German Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy an "epochal mistake," and he complains that integration in Belgium already isn't working today. "This is our problem," he says. "We were unable to offer them a Flemish version of the American dream." His message is that Antwerp is still better off than Brussels, which could be called a cesspool.

De Wever likens the way politics is done in Brussels to the manner in which workers renovate the city's crumbling art nouveau buildings: some new wiring here, something patched up there. "Politicians in Belgium often work like craftsmen in old houses: they putter away without any sort of blueprint." De Wever, sitting in his office on a spring day in Antwerp, has little faith in this country. He doesn't know yet that his lack of confidence will later be confirmed in the worst of ways.

The attack on Brussels, on March 22, 2016, came from inside the country. More than 31 people died and more than 270 were injured, and the victims included people from more than 40 nations.

In the apartment where one of the perpetrators, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, had lived, at Rue Max Roos 4 in the Schaerbeek neighborhood of Brussels, police found about 200 liters of chemicals, detonators, a suitcase full of nails, an Islamic State (IS) flag and 15 kilograms of acetone peroxide, an explosive material. Najim Laachraoui, 24, who also lived there, was apparently a bombmaker of sorts for IS. Forensic investigators found his DNA on two of the explosive belts after the Paris attacks. The two men took a taxi to Brussels' Zaventem Airport, where they allowed no one to touch their luggage. Then, at 7:58 a.m., they blew themselves up. A nail bomb was detonated at Gate B, near the American Airlines ticket counter.

Khalid El Bakraoui, 27, Ibrahim's brother, blew himself up in a subway car at the Maelbeek metro station, near the European Commission building. It was 9:11 a.m.

The killers chose places of transit, sites where anyone could be targeted. An airport and a metro station are places where everyone goes. No place is safe. Forget it. That was their message.

IS Infrastructure in Europe

The attacks were delivered four days after the arrest of Salah Abdeslam. Investigators now know that it was a mistake to assume that IS, which claimed responsibility for the attack, favored the "lone wolf" approach. Since the Brussels bombings, it is clear that Islamic State has created its own infrastructure in Europe, under the radar of most intelligence services, cells consisting of first, second and third-tier militants. If the first tier is unable to act, the second tier takes over and prepares the next attack. The Brussels bombers were already involved in the Paris attacks. There were logistics experts who provided them with apartments and weapons, there were explosives experts and there were people who maintained communications with IS in Syria.

It's clear that there was a network on which Salah Abdeslam could rely. Documents from the Belgian and French authorities paint a picture of a tightknit group in which everyone protected everyone else, and that made the Belgian security forces look like fools. Salah apparently moved about freely in Molenbeek, where he even went to a barber. The mayor of Molenbeek says there is an "omertà" in the community, a code of silence reminiscent of the Mafia.

The groups are part of international networks, and the terrorists had an advantage over security services: They were perfectly in command of cooperation across European national borders...

Keep reading.