Closing time -- shut all the tabs and let us go out into the world ...

The Biden Administration labeled Americans who opposed the COVID-19 vaccination and mask mandates as “Domestic Violent Extremists,” or DVEs, according to newly declassified intelligence records obtained by Public and Catherine Herridge Reports. The designation created an “articulable purpose” for FBI or other government agents to open an “assessment” of individuals, which is often the first step toward a formal investigation, said a former FBI agent.

The report, which the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, has declassified, claims that “anti government or anti authority violent extremists,” specifically militias, “characterize COVID-19 vaccination and mask mandates as evidence of government overreach.” A sweeping range of COVID narratives, the report states, “have resonated” with DVEs “motivated by QAnon.”

Ed: MIchael Shellenberger, Catherine Herridge, and Alex Gutentag collaborated on this eye-popping exposé. The question it raises is the same question all of this week's revelations raise: who was actually in charge at the White House? I mean, it's believable that Biden would turn into this much of a fascist, but I seriously doubt he was the person making these decisions. Whoever ran the Biden Oval Office was well on their way to creating a police state in America.

===

A separate February 2022 report called “Special Analysis: Joint Analytic Cell” investigates the “Sociopolitical Factors Amplifying Persistent Domestic Violent Extremist Threat.”

The newly declassified report seems to draw a straight line between opposition to vaccine mandates… pic.twitter.com/0oLkXZyGWD

— Catherine Herridge (@C__Herridge) May 23, 2025

===

I am proud to announce that, after much consideration and negotiation, US Steel will REMAIN in America, and keep its Headquarters in the Great City of Pittsburgh. For many years, the name, “United States Steel” was synonymous with Greatness, and now, it will be again. This will be a planned partnership between United States Steel and Nippon Steel, which will create at least 70,000 jobs, and add $14 Billion Dollars to the U.S. Economy. The bulk of that Investment will occur in the next 14 months. This is the largest Investment in the History of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. My Tariff Policies will ensure that Steel will once again be, forever, MADE IN AMERICA. From Pennsylvania to Arkansas, and from Minnesota to Indiana, AMERICAN MADE is BACK. I will see you all at US Steel, in Pittsburgh, on Friday, May 30th, for a BIG Rally. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

Ed: One of us may write more about this later, but I'd heard the deal was coming together. US Steel was going to go under without some form of angel investor, and Nippon was the only real suitor. If Trump plans to revitalize American manufacturing, we need to produce more of our own steel. Would it have been better to get American capital into US Steel? Sure, but ... that choice wasn't on the table. 

===

🚨BREAKING: Trump just signed an executive order for specialized nuclear reactors at AI and defense facilities

The AI arms race is underway. pic.twitter.com/n3iuP1ORmw

— Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) May 23, 2025

Ed: This is a good first step in developing the power for revitalizing American manufacturing, too. However, let's hope that the expansion also includes more energy for America's power grids generally too, which are struggling to keep up with demand and over-rely on non-scalable "green" sources. That's not just an AI concern. 

===

By declaring a National Energy Emergency on his first day in office, the President showed that reviving our energy capabilities is a top priority. He followed this by rescinding Biden’s efforts to freeze domestic oil and natural gas production. And in April, the White House issued executive orders to increase coal production, safeguard the energy industry from state overreach, and protect an energy grid that had become increasingly unreliable during the prior administration.

These actions have already led to a 12% year-over-year gas price reduction. And more relief is on the way. The reconciliation bill Republicans advanced in the House yesterday is packed with provisions championed by the president to drive a surge in domestic energy production. Some key measures include:

• Reinstating quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales in energy-producing states.
• Reducing oil and gas royalties to pre-IRA rate (from 16.67% to 12.5%) to encourage private sector investment and production.
• Streamlining permitting to expedite energy infrastructure development.
• Lifting the Biden administration’s moratorium on coal leasing on federal lands.

While this is a powerful blueprint for growth, there is one significant shortfall: the bill’s approach to certain energy tax credits.

Ed: The essay opposes the bill's reversal of Biden's Inflation Reduction Act subsidies for green energy. While I agree that we need every kilowatt we can produce, we need scalable power sources. We should not tilt the market toward non-scalable sources, and that's what the US government has been doing for the last couple of decades. It's one factor in the 2021 Texas power grid failure, and it's a major reason why California experiences brownouts and electricity rationing at demand peaks. It's still an argument worth engaging, though, because solar in particular has potential for expansion. Wind farms are a disaster on every level, though. 

===

I fail to see the problem. https://t.co/3VnOfed5LX

— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) May 23, 2025

Ed: Don't threaten me with a good time. 

===

President Trump's decision to prevent international students from studying at Harvard University could hurt America's economy by reducing the number of startup founders.

Why it matters: Trump is aiming at Harvard, but buckshot may hit the innovation engine that America needs to stay ahead of China.

By the numbers: Around 44% of U.S. unicorn companies — startups valued at $1 billion or more — are founded or cofounded by immigrants from such countries as India, Canada, and Israel.

Ed: John wrote more about Harvard earlier today; as I expected, they got a federal judge to issue a stay on their suspension from the Student Education Visa Program (SEVP). This, however, is a bad argument. Just because Harvard doesn't get to enroll those students doesn't mean other universities that play by the rules won't enroll them. Most of those students will wind up at other American colleges. The ones that don't are likely not those who came here to engage in the American dream in the first place. 

===

This old cartoon from SPY in the early 1990s speaks to so many of the controversies we have today, including the Trump Administration's clash with Harvard. The appalling sense of entitlement these elites have, re: how the people should continue to fund those who despise them. pic.twitter.com/S5lfvj6p61

— Rod Dreher (@roddreher) May 23, 2025

===

Harvard will win this case. The Trump administration seems to believe that classifying something as a “privilege” rather than a “right” means that all statutory procedural requirements can be dispensed with. The federal courts will instruct them otherwise. It is also unwise for the administration to affirmatively assert, as it did here and has done on other occasions, that it is taking adverse actions in order to retaliate against an institution for constitutionally protected conduct. ...

In its dealings with universities, as in many other respects, the Trump administration is a blunt instrument. It is going to lose a lot of lawsuits. But from the standpoint of Harvard (or Columbia, or whoever), there are many risks to being at odds with the federal government. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Ed: I'm not as pessimistic as John Hinderaker is, but this is certainly a solid point to raise. Noem cited a number of issues, including Harvard's refusal to submit full records to which DHS is entitled via the SEVP certification process. However, there are parallels to the spat with the Associated Press, which the administration lost because it made viewpoint an explicit issue in its denial of access to their reporters. It's worth watching, but I think Noem may be on firmer ground here. 

===

Remember when Media Matters spread a hoax report where they deceitfully manipulated X's algorithm to put ads next to posts they deemed controversial and then pressured advertisers to leave X causing X to suffer financial losses???

Well they’re now being investigated by the FTC. pic.twitter.com/ZM4XetqVnB

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 23, 2025

Ed: Speaking of viewpoint issues ... This may survive judicial scrutiny, mainly because Elon Musk's lawsuit will likely bankrupt Media Matters for America first, and a couple of other states are conducting criminal investigations into their operations. But the FTC matter will seriously drain their remaining resources even if they might eventually fend off regulatory intervention. 

===

OnlyFans star Annie Knight is sharing an update amid her recent hospitalization after sleeping with 583 men in six hours.

“It’s just sort of gotten to the point now, I think, where my body has gone, ‘Hey, high cortisol can’t function.’ Basically making my endometriosis worse, as well as we know that hormonal imbalances can cause irregular and heavy periods,” Knight, 28, exclusively told Us Weekly. “So unfortunately, that’s just what I’ve been dealing with since.”

Ed: This is a sad and depressing story about a young woman who values clicks over her own body, and who devalues everything with which she comes in contact while believing herself to be "liberated." Pray for her. 

===

Ed: Let's give Scott Jennings the final Final Word this week and hand him the hat trick.

Example #3 pic.twitter.com/7kCG8yFDbj

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) May 23, 2025

Example #4 (I could do this all night) pic.twitter.com/wcGlyqWo5S

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) May 23, 2025

===