Legal whiplash on the National Guard and Trump
A federal appeals court late Thursday ruled that the Trump administration can maintain control over National Guard troops in California, and continue to deploy them against rioters in Los Angeles, blocking a lower court ruling that President Donald Trump’s federalization of the guardsmen was unlawful.
A three-judge panel on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored Trump’s authority over the deployment of at least 4,000 California National Guard troops and several hundred Marines.
Earlier, a federal judge had ruled in favor of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who had sued Trump over the federalization of the National Guard, after anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests in Los Angeles turned into riots over the weekend.
I doubt Newsom will prevail on this issue, except temporarily. But he could, because this stay of the stay is only temporary, too.
Israel unleashes huge attack on Iran
There were many many signs that this was going to happen, and soon. Last night Israel struck Iran, hard:
Not only did Israel hit over a dozen nuclear sites in Iran, but they targeted the country’s top military leadership as well. That includes Hossein Salami, the supreme commander of the IRGC. He has been confirmed killed in a precision strike, and he’s not the only one. The entire IRGC headquarters is reportedly on fire, with multiple officials dead.
Iran’s [two] top nuclear scientists are also dead, representing a major blow to the nation’s ability to restart enrichment at some point.
Netanyahu addressed the nation and had this to say:
“We can’t leave these threats for the next generation,” Netanyahu said during an address shared on YouTube, pressing that the attacks will continue for “as many days as it takes.”
“Because if we don’t act now, there will not be another generation. If we don’t act now, we simply won’t be here. We have internalized the lessons of history. When an enemy says he intends to destroy you — believe him,” he continued.
“When the enemy develops the capabilities to destroy you — stop him.”
A recent report that Iran had enriched enough uranium to build nuclear bombs within days was confirmed, a source told The Post Thursday night, adding that is why the strike occurred.
It’s fairly straightforward, actually. Iran has said for decades that its goal is to destroy Israel, and Israel has no intention whatsoever of being destroyed.
Secretary of State Rubio said:
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.” …
“President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners,” Rubio also said in his Tuesday statement.
“Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel.”
That’s a very Trumpian message: hands off the US. But I am virtually certain that Trump was not against this move. He wanted to try diplomacy – or maybe that was a head fake; with Trump, who knows? Now it was time for action on Israel’s part, and I believe Trump agreed.
Who disagrees? Quite a few Democrats:
Reed, the top Democrat on the US Senate Armed Services Committee, warned that the “strikes threaten not only the lives of innocent civilians but the stability of the entire Middle East and the safety of American citizens and forces.”
“While tensions between Israel and Iran are real and complex, military aggression of this scale is never the answer,” he insisted.
What is the answer, Senator Reed? Obama’s Iran deal? The obliteration of Israel? Do tell.
From another Democrat senator:
“This is a disaster of Trump and Netanyahu’s own making, and now the region risks spiraling toward a new, deadly conflict,” [Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut] warned on X.
He also took a political jab at the US president, insisting that Israel’s decision to attack “is further evidence of how little respect world powers — including our own allies — have for President Trump.”
Clueless? Lying? At any rate, the French press says much the same:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one of Trump’s closest international allies, brazenly defied his advice by unleashing a major military campaign described as a “preemptive” strike against Iran’s nuclear program.
The attack marks only the latest setback for Trump’s lofty goal set out at the start of his second term of being a “man of peace.”
Israel has been preparing for this for years – actually, decades. And as I said, I strongly believe that Trump gave the attack the green light.
The extent of the Iranian retaliation has yet to be seen. But this entire assault could shake up and rearrange the Middle East. Here’s hoping it somehow leads to the Iranian theocracy’s downfall – which would be a triumph for its people.
Open thread 6/13/2025
Funny thing, but it’s not always easy for dancers to walk and look casual. Gene Kelly does it masterfully here. And watch his leap onto the post at 0:54. Amazing:
Terrible air crash in India with enormous loss of life
An Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner blew up on impact as it stalled off the departure end of a runway in Ahmedabad. The plane slammed into a doctor’s office, presumably killing all 242 passengers aboard and the crew. Casualties on the ground will likely end up ballooning as well.
More here; it is the worst aviation disaster in a decade, in terms of loss of life:
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, which was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, had only one survivor after it crashed onto a medical college hostel during lunch hour. …
The sole survivor is a British national of Indian origin and is being treated in a hospital, the airline confirmed. The man told Indian media how he had heard a loud noise shortly after Flight AI171 took off.
“We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed,” Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer, told Reuters. …The only known surviving passenger was in seat 11A, next to an emergency exit, Chaudhary said, adding that there could be more survivors in hospital.
“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,” 40-year-old Ramesh Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times, which showed a boarding pass for seat 11A in that name online.
“It all happened so quickly,” he told the paper from his hospital bed.
It is not so very unusual for catastrophic plane crashes to have sole survivors; see this.
RIP to all the dead. A terrible tragedy.
LA riot arrests
The face-shield guy was arrested:
BREAKING: The FBI arrested the guy who dropped off the bionic face shields for the rioters in LA pic.twitter.com/ChmF91fZWX https://t.co/8lsNYByN9W
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 12, 2025
The federal charge? “Conspiracy to commit civil disorders“:
[US Attorney for the Central District of California] Essayli told Fox News that the riots “appear” to be “well orchestrated, coordinated and well-funded.”
“We have made it a huge priority to try to identify, locate and arrest those who are involved in organizing, supporting, funding or facilitating these riots that they’re going on,” he said.
Fancy face masks. Pallets of bricks. Pre-printed signs. Follow the money.
By the wy, Essayli has an interesting history. He’s a Republican and was appointed by Bondi just two months ago as interim attorney:
Essayli’s parents are immigrants from Lebanon who fled to the country to escape its civil war. He is a first-generation college graduate, earning his undergraduate degree from the Kellogg Honors College of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a Juris Doctor from Chapman University School of Law. …
Among the cases he worked on [as Assistant US Attorney] was the 2015 terrorist attack in San Bernardino. …
Essayli is the first Muslim in history to be elected to the California State Assembly.
The state of California
Brian Wilson’s recent death has called forth a great many tributes, but the fact that the Beach Boys were the quintessential California group has also conjured up a huge wave of nostalgia for the California that used to be and is no more.
I know plenty of people who left the East or the Midwest and pulled up stakes in the 1950s and early 1960s and made a very good life in California. “Go West, young man!” was still operating, and California was the place to be. Now it seems it’s the place to leave.
But not entirely. California still has its natural beauty, and that draws people who love the outdoors. I know plenty of Boomers in New England whose children settled in California and, now middle-aged, have no intention of leaving, although I know some who have left.
And of my four California-born nieces and nephews, only one lives elsewhere at this point. I think they all plan to stay in California, for various assorted reasons but mostly because, if you’re doing well enough financially, it’s still possible to enjoy a very very good life there.
I’ve been going to California regularly for the past 55 years, to visit family and friends. My stays have often been long. So I’ve seen the changes, which are profound. But the state is my second home. Gerard – a native Californian, by the way – moved back there for the last ten years of his life, and so I spent even more time there in the last decade, in a beautiful area with which I’d previously been unfamiliar. We often went on drives, and they all were scenic and almost entirely unpopulated by other people. He lived within reasonable striking distance of the Feather River, Mount Shasta, and Fort Bragg. Gerard knew I loved Shasta, so there were many trips there. Here’s a typical photo from just one:
I recall wanting to go to college in California, but my parents were against it. Too far, they said. But my fate seemed to be to spend a great deal of time there anyway, and to come to love it even though I see all its flaws. And that’s the way I still feel.
Open thread 6/12/2025
Something’s afoot in the Middle East
The art of the China deal
A trade deal with China has been announced:
“Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval with President Xi and me,” Trump revealed in an all-caps post on Truth Social. “Full magnets, and any necessary rare earths, will be supplied, up front, by China.”
“Likewise, we will provide to China what was agreed to, including Chinese students using our colleges and universities (which has always been good with me!). We are getting a total of 55% tariffs, China is getting 10%. The relationship is excellent! Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
“President XI and I are going to work closely together to open up China to American Trade,” the president added. “This would be a great WIN for both countries!!”
The rare earth licenses are temporary, due to last for 6 months and then they can be renegotiated.
How long can the media fool the public about “mostly peaceful protests”?
The MSM tried to frame the riots in the summer of 2020 as mostly peaceful protests. Sure, many of the people involved that summer were indeed peaceful protesters, but many were not. That means a lot of destruction was caused; after all, it’s not necessary that every single participant be violent in order to have a very dangerous situation.
In 2020 the coverage seemed to fool a lot of people, though. I know intelligent people who follow the news (although only CNN and the like) who were unaware of the damage done by protesters/rioters in 2020. So the MSM is trying the same approach now, hoping for the same result with the same group of viewers.
But can you fool many of the people much of the time, over and over and over? I don’t know the answer. But to us on the right, who get a fuller picture because we watch news sources that show the mayhem, it seems ludicrous that anyone could still believe that there was no need for more crowd control in LA than initially provided, or that the call for the Guard was not needed.
Then there are the facts about what it was that the protesters/rioters were actually protesting. Who are the people ICE was apprehending? As Trump would say, “not their best”:
These arrests occurred June 9 and 10 despite prolonged violent riots and assaults on ICE and other federal law enforcement officers.
“Murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers. These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect. How much longer will Governor Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass continue to prioritize these criminal illegal aliens over their own citizens?” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Secretary Noem has a message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE will continue to enforce the law and arrest criminal illegal aliens.” …
Gerardo Antonio-Palacios, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested by ICE Los Angeles. He has criminal convictions for homicide and burglary. He was previously deported.
Mab Khleb
ICE Los Angeles arrested Mab Khleb, a 53-year-old illegal alien from Cambodia. Khleb’s criminal history includes a conviction for transport of a controlled substance, possession of controlled substance, lewd action with a child, and battery.
Sang Louangprasert
ICE Los Angeles arrested Sang Louangprasert, a 66-year-old illegal alien from Laos. Louangprasert’s criminal history includes a conviction for lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 in Fresno, CA and inflicting corporal injury, spouse or cohabitant in Santa Barbara, CA.
Antonio Benitez-Ugarte
Antonio Benitez-Ugarte, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested by ICE Los Angeles and has been convicted of drug trafficking.
Alberto Morales-Mejia
Alberto Morales-Mejia, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested by ICE Los Angeles and has criminal convictions for manufacturing amphetamine. He also has previous arrests for document fraud and possession of a weapon.
And more. It’s not a list to engender a great deal of sympathy among the public. But the Democrats and the press hope the public never get these sorts of details.
And here’s a poster boy for the mostly peaceful demonstrators:
“Emiliano Garduno-Galvez is a criminal illegal alien from Mexico who threatened the lives of federal law enforcement officers by attacking them with a Molotov cocktail during the violent riots in Los Angeles. ICE arrested Garduno-Galvez, and he is now being charged with attempted murder. These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a Wednesday statement.
Attempted murder sounds about right.
ADDENDUM:
And Jimmy Kimmel says there are no riots. Well, I bet they don’t center around his neighborhood, so out of sight, out of mind:
Los Angeles-based comedian Jimmy Kimmel told his audience on Tuesday that “there’s no riots outside” and slammed “mentally ill” President Donald Trump for deploying troops to quell what he claims is exaggerated unrest in the city.
Trump sent over 700 Marines to Los Angeles in an effort to quash anti-ICE protests that have ravaged parts of the city on Tuesday. Images from L.A. showcase masked protesters blocking roads, destroying vehicles and engaging with police, while Mayor Karen Bass issued a curfew for a portion of the city’s downtown area.
Kimmel mocked the media for portraying the anti-ICE protests as “some kind of totalitarian hellscape” and condemned the Trump administration for deporting “people who have lived here their whole lives.”
It’s irrelevant how long they’ve lived here, if they are criminal illegal aliens – although I also think many of the deportees have not lived here their whole lives. I’m also fairly sure that Kimmel is unlikely to have met any of the above rogue’s gallery, although they’ve certainly done damage to other people. Kimmel couldn’t care less.
RIP Brian Wilson
A musical genius, gone at 82. Then again, who ever thought Brian Wilson would reach the ripe old age of 82? But he did, and gave us a lot of music along the way.
The Beach Boys were a family act that featured harmonies and had a fresh sound when they came on the scene:
Encapsulating the group’s import in “The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock and Roll,” critic Jim Miller wrote, “In the ’60s, when they were at the height of their original popularity, the Beach Boys propagated their own variant on the American Dream, painting a dazzling picture of beaches, parties and endless summer, a paradise of escape into private as often as shared pleasures. Yet by the late ’60s, the band was articulating…a disenchantment with the suburban ethos, and a search for transcendence.”
In other words, they went from early 60s music to late 60s music, much as the Beatles did only in their own special way, led mostly by Brian Wilson.
Wilson was a troubled guy and spent a lot of time dealing with that:
The product of a torturous relationship with his father, Wilson from the early ’60s on experienced a series of mental breakdowns (which led to his early withdrawal from live performances with the group), struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, thickets of litigation, and deepening acrimony with his bandmates, who included two brothers and a cousin. In 1982 he was officially fired by his own group.
However, Wilson fought off his demons and opened a bright second chapter in the late ’80s, cutting a string of solo albums and receiving renewed acclaim via live performances of his masterpieces “Pet Sounds” and “Smile.” On the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys’ founding, he took to the road again with the band after a decades-long absence.
The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Brian Wilson also gave the 1997 introduction for the induction into the same institution of another family group featuring harmonies and falsetto: the Bee Gees.
In trying to decide which Beach Boys song to feature here, I would think the obvious choice would be “Good Vibrations,” their later magnum opus. Or perhaps “God Only Knows,” a song whose lead vocalist was Brian’s brother Carl. For me, though, it’s the early-60s songs of the Beach Boys, full of optimism and fun, and a time when California was a dreamy place to be. My favorite of all was this one – “I Get Around.” This video has the song followed by two bonuses: a short interview, and then a performance of “When I Grow Up.” Note the outtro lyric to that second song: “won’t last forever.”:
Thanks for the music and the memories, Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys.