What Shall We Bake Today?

Food 1 Minute

Today’s offering is Caramel Apple Pecan Coffeecake!

Ingredients

Caramel Apple Filling

1½ cups honeycrisp apples, peeled + diced

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon caramel sauce

½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cake Batter

2 cups flour

¾ cup brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup milk

1 large egg

⅓ stick unsalted butter, melted

Pecan Topping

2 tablespoon brown sugar

2 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

½ cup pecans, chopped

To serve

¼ cup caramel sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line the bottom of a 9″ springform pan with parchment (to easily release the pan bottom away) and grease with cooking spray or butter.

Toss the apples with brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of caramel sauce and cinnamon. Set aside while you prepare the cake batter.

Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Create a well in the center.

In another bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk, egg and melted butter. Pour this into the well then stir everything together until just combined. Gently fold in the apples.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the pecan topping. Sprinkle over the cake.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of caramel sauce over the top of the cake and serve warm.

ENJOY!

Unknown's avatar

Published by pat frederick

Published

132 thoughts on “What Shall We Bake Today?”

        1. Oh, I love ’em! Cashews and pistachios, too! We got a dusting of snow but we’ve got clear skies and bright sunshine now – temp has jumped to 5 already, but there is a brisk wind. I was only outside for a few minutes refilling one feeder and hanging them all up and it was REALLY cold – the wind just stings!

          Liked by 1 person

  3. TheseTruths

    TheseTruths(@thesetruths)

    Offline

    Wolf

    January 19, 2025 00:46

    Steve Gruber:

    All the scaffolding, photo decks, and places where the networks are going to be set up are coming down. They’re trying to keep all of that down so nobody can get up and have any kind of vantage point.

    Liked by 2 people

  4. TheseTruths

    TheseTruths(@thesetruths)

    Offline

    Wolf

    January 19, 2025 00:49

    “Bonchie”:

    Mike Johnson describing Joe Biden having no idea he had signed an EO banning LNG exports, instead believing he had just authorized a study, is the biggest presidential scandal in history.

    Staffers were lying to Biden about EOs they wanted and getting him to sign them. Insane.

    John Ekdahl:

    Furthermore, his description of Schumer, Jeffries, Kamala, CIA Dir Burns, etc all freezing in panic when Biden requested they clear the room so he could 1-on-1 with Johnson confirms they were all in on the coverup.

    https://twitter.com/JohnEkdahl/status/1880687447623062002

    Liked by 2 people

  7. In addition to the weather, I am wondering if there was a significant security threat against President Trump and the MAGA attendees celebrating his and our victory?

    Perhaps… 
    -Trump’s people had intel about busloads of the usual Antifa and Fed actors dressed dressed as MAGA people arriving in DC to disrupt the inauguration and threaten the crowd, at the mall and surrounding areas as they did last time – even attacking Rand Paul and his wife.
    -The security teams, private and Secret Service realized they could not protect the inauguration platform and the crowd against the threat of drone assault.

    The last minute changes would likely have disrupted their planned ambushes and set ups.

    I hope there are plenty of spies in all the putrid camps of evildoers threatening Trump’s administration, policies and people – elected, bureaucracy, media, corporate, etc.

    I have not forgotten what they did in election years and in between – the horrible threats and attacksthat Democrats, their followers – AND the media – committed and promoted violence against President Trump, his family, staff, supporters and other Republican opponents!

    https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2018/07/05/rap-sheet-acts-of-media-approved-violence-and-harassment-against-trump-supporters/

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Good morning, Pat and Filly! WP is censoring the above comment at all our other blogs. WP doesn’t like that link to Breitbart and the reminder of how the Democrats showed their ugly backsides in 2018, attacking Trump, his supporters, Republicans like Rand Paul and his wife, and even RINOs like McConnell.

      Liked by 2 people

      3. Good morning, GA. I really don’t think as much censoring is happening as everyone thinks. Personally, I think it has much more to do with WP getting it’s algorithms straight, considering how frequently changes are happening in the tech world.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. Who knows – I’m not a technological person. WP censored a lot of Breitbart links – one I tried to post about Rubio in 2015, and now the one about the 2018 attacks is seemingly censored here and there. Maybe as you said, the WP (watchdog) algorithms for each blog are different. Wolfie has had to fight like a dog/wolf to keep the censors away from his blog.

          Liked by 1 person

            1. That link to Breitbart was John Nolte’s documented list of all the assaults on conservatives in 2018. It was certainly not an exaggeration.

              Liked by 1 person

    2. the fact that MANY despicable dc rats would not be attending the event was a big clue that it might not be safe for crowds. these people hate us sadly.
      we have too many illegals in the US that would gladly drive cars thru the crowds or do anything else to disrupt our celebration.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. There are a large feral group of godless, hate-filled, inhumane monsters… in every celebrities, people of every income, office, high and low.

        Liked by 2 people

  8. I did not know this…JFK’s EO created federal unions. then they can be undone.

    FTA
    With Trump’s second term, however, federal workers, perhaps for the first time, are facing the possibility of being RIFED (Reduction in Force), which scares them. Good!

    President Kennedy unionized the federal workforce through Executive Order 10988. Its continued existence is not cast in stone. President Ronald Reagan was responsible for dissolving the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) in 1981 following a devastating strike that threatened to cause incalculable harm to the American economy.

    I could make the same argument today that the federal bureaucracy has run amok and is also causing incalculable harm to America. Reining it in would provide better service to our citizens while saving us tens of billions of dollars and de-politicizing the bureaucracy. That political aspect is significant, for federal employees made approximately 84% of their donations to Democrat party candidates in the 2024 election cycle.

    https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/01/trump_should_end_government_unions.html

    Liked by 2 people

  10. “Is the Inauguration Safe?”

    Tom Renz, Jan 19, 2025

    “I’m writing this from Washington DC after looking at X and the tremendous amount of discussion surrounding the safety of the inauguration. Everyone wants to know what is happening and luckily – as is so frequently the case – there are a ton of people that are not here and have no real info telling us everything that is happening and why. I want to be clear – I have no inside knowledge but I am happy to report what I’ve seen.

    The city is full to the brim. I saw a fair number of protestors but far more MAGA supporters. I walked and drove throughout the city today and did not see any evidence of unrest or any real issues. The city has a ton of fences and crowd/traffic control measures all over but that is to be expected during a major event like this. Security is definitely up.

    One of the interesting things to note is that I did not see a ton of police presence. Maybe I was just in the wrong place but there really weren’t that many cops around and I was through the Capital area. Interestingly, throughout the day, it appears that national guard may have been deployed. Towards the evening there were a number of guardsmen coming in and setting up.

    There were other interesting things as well. Below is a pic of a weird antenna array that included a spherical antenna. There are a bunch of these out and I’m really not certain what they do. There also appeared to be a fair number of things flying around but there’s always a lot of air traffic around DC.

    The Capital and surrounding grounds are locked down pretty tight. The fencing and gates make it quite clear that there is no entry – period. Honestly it would be pretty obvious and easy to stop someone trying to get into the area.

    I have no idea why the inauguration was moved nor do I know if there are credible security threats. Things look good to me but I’m not an expert in this. What I do know is that, despite there not being any disclosed security risk, prudence demands we remain vigilant.

    I’m praying that Monday goes smoothly and that President Trump is able to return back to work for America without further event.”

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Just The News: “President Biden pardoned five more individuals on Sunday, his final full day in office, including activist Marcus Garvey. Ravidath “Ravi” Ragbir, Don Leonard Scott, Jr., and Kemba Smith Pradia are also among those pardoned. 

    He commuted the sentences of two others. 

    “America is a country built on the promise of second chances,” Biden said in a statement. “As President, I have used my clemency power to make that promise a reality by issuing more individual pardons and commutations than any other President in U.S. history. Today, I am exercising my clemency power to pardon 5 individuals and commute the sentences of 2 individuals who have demonstrated remorse, rehabilitation, and redemption. These clemency recipients have each made significant contributions to improving their communities.” 

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Just The News: “Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has restored some pro-life Facebook accounts following a a letter that was sent to the company from a legal team at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) emphasizing free speech.

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently pledged to do more to support free speech.

    The Facebook and Instagram accounts for pro-life news site LifeNews.com, LifeNews founder Steven Ertelt, and pro-life mom Abby Covington were brought back online this week following a months long suspension, The Daily Wire reported.

    “Restoring pro-life speech to one of the world’s largest platforms is a major step in the right direction,” said Phil Sechler, senior counsel at ADF.”

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Just The News: “North Carolina’s freshman congressman, a Green Beret veteran, and Texas’ third-term junior senator, have introduced legislation reversing Biden administration policies in the military tied to the COVID-19 vaccine.

    U.S. Rep. Pat Harrigan’s AMERICANS Act, filed Thursday morning, would reinstate 8,400 service members he says were wrongfully discharged. It clears their records, restores benefits and “ensures no future administration can weaponize mandates against our armed forces,” a release says.

    The acronym is short for the formal title of Allowing Military Exemptions, Recognizing Individual Concerns About New Shots Act of 2025.

    Harrigan’s release said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, would have companion legislation in the upper chamber. At time of publication, more information on his bill was yet to be made available.

    Republicans, led by President-elect Donald Trump, have long said throughout the election campaign the action was coming. “This mandate wasn’t about science or readiness – it was about control,” Harrigan said in the release. “Thousands of patriots were cast aside by the very nation they swore to defend, stripped of their careers, their benefits, and their dignity – not because they failed to serve honorably, but because of political overreach.”

    He emphasized it wasn’t just about restoration; it’s preventative in future administrations. “It ensures,” Harrigan said, “no administration can ever again use its power to undermine the honor and integrity of our armed forces.”

    Cruz, in the release, said the consequences of President Joe Biden’s actions with vaccine mandates are still impacting readiness for armed forces. Retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin was secretary of the Defense Department at the time of the Aug. 23, 2021, decision.

    “Even though I led the successful charge for Congress to repeal that mandate, there is still more work to be done,” Cruz said in the Harrigan release. “The AMERICANS Act would provide remedies for servicemembers whom the Biden Department of Defense punished for standing by their convictions. It’s the right thing to do.”

    Harrigan is a graduate of West Point twice deployed to Afghanistan. Before Congress, he had been a businessman producing American-made defense products.

    Cruz, with Ivy League degrees from Princeton (undergrad) and Harvard Law, has worked in the Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and served as solicitor general of Texas. The worksheet includes nine oral arguments at the U.S. Supreme Court.”

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Just The News: “Local D.C. police and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals rescued a stranded fawn on the icy Potomac River near the Key Bridge, according to a local news report.

    Someone noticed the baby deer having difficultly walking on the ice around 8 a.m. and told the authorities. According to WTOP, the Metropolitan Police Harbor Patrol and D.C. Fire & EMS’ Fire Boat crew responded to the report of the stranded baby deer on the water.

    The Brandywine Valley SPCA, an animal control service, also responded. The deer was rescued and returned to land.

    “Just two weeks into providing Animal Control services for the District, we’re proud to celebrate this successful rescue,” said Brandywine CEO Adam Lamb said in a news release.”

    Liked by 2 people

  15. RECIPE!

    5 DAY COCONUT CAKE

    I’ve seen grown men weep over this cake….it makes a moist luscious cake and so coco-nutty!   Buttermilk cakes are my favorite – dense, coarse, moist. Daughter, Sandy, had a buttermilk wedding cake with raspberry filling and buttercream frosting – a big hit!

    LAYERS – Moist 3 Layer Buttermilk Yellow Cake

    Ingredients:

    3 cups flour

    2 cups sugar

    1 tsp salt

    1 tsp soda

    1 tsp baking powder

    — 

    1/4 cup butter

    1/4 cup oil

    2 tsp vanilla

    1-1/2 cups buttermilk

    3 eggs

    Directions:

    Whisk together dry ingredients

    Add:

    1/4 cup butter

    1/4 cup oil

    2 tsp vanilla

    3/4 cup buttermilk

    Beat eggs with remaining buttermilk.

    Add to batter mixture.

    Divide into greased, floured cake pans

    Bake 350º – 25-30 minutes

    ——  

    COCONUT FROSTING

    2-1/2 cups sugar

    2 cups sour cream

    2 pkg frozen coconut

    Day 1 

    Bake layers and freeze

    Mix sour cream, sugar, coconut – refrigerate

    Day 2

    Split frozen layers

    Frost and refrigerate cake in air tight container (aka Tupperware)

    Day 3-4

    Resist eating cake

    Icing may slide a bit – if so, use spatula to spread it back up over the cake.

    Day 5 

    Serve! 

    Store any possible leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator.

    ————————— 

    Liked by 1 person

      2. There are variations of this recipe that are made in a rectangular baking pan and allowed to sit in the refrigerator until the frosting sinks in.

        Liked by 1 person

  17. This is absolutely appalling! Her case was “interfering with State Department negotiations.”

    Just The News: “The U.S. government has repeatedly interfered with a Marine’s fight to maintain custody of his adopted five-year-old daughter, who was saved by Army Rangers from an Afghan battlefield in 2019. Marine Corps Major Joshua Mast and his wife Stephanie are embroiled in both federal and state lawsuits over their adopted daughter, five-year-old “Baby L.,” as she has been called in court filings.

    An Afghan Pashtun couple claiming to be related to Baby L. are suing the Masts for custody of the child in state court and filed another lawsuit in federal court over tortious interference with parental rights, fraud, common law conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and false imprisonment. The Afghan couple are referred to as “John Doe” and “Jane Doe” in the federal lawsuit.

    The U.S. government has been involved in the federal court case, after the Department of State transferred Baby L. over to the Does while they were in Afghanistan, before they evacuated to the U.S. amid the 2021 withdrawal.

    The secretaries of state and defense were initially named nominal defendants in the federal lawsuit. They were both dismissed as nominal defendants in August 2023. However, the U.S. has continued to participate in the case, as the U.S. Department of Justice has filed motions to quash subpoenas and seal a document on behalf of both the DOS and DOD.

    Baby L. is saved in Battle

    Baby L. was saved after a U.S. Special Forces operation was conducted in Afghanistan on Sept. 5-6, 2019, against Al Qaeda foreign fighters, according to an unclassified military report. She was less than two months old when Army Rangers found her by her mother, who was one of the Al Qaeda foreign fighters and died from her wounds after setting off a suicide vest she was wearing. Baby L. “suffered a fragmentation wound to the lower extremity which had fractured her hip, and she sustained a fractured skull and 2nd degree burns,” the report added.

    Unlike Afghan Pashtuns, Baby L. “is most likely ethnically Turkmen or a Uighur from Turkmenistan,” according to the report. Army Rangers took Baby L. to Craig Joint Theatre Hospital at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan to receive medical care. Mast, who was in Afghanistan at the time and learned about Baby L.’s situation, “fought for the child’s rights to safety, medical treatment, and to not be turned over by the US to non-relatives in an objectively dangerous manner,” according to a court filing.

    He and the DOD “demanded at a minimum a DNA test for any claimants and vetting for terrorist ties. The DoD was well aware [of] the risk that unrelated Taliban proxies would step forth as ‘uncles’ to try to claim the child.” At least six Afghans claimed to be family members of Baby L., but DNA tests proved otherwise.

    “In Afghanistan and certainly among the Taliban, a baby girl is worth money – to sell off for child marriage – and more so for an unrelated baby girl,” according to the American Freedom Law Center (AFLC), which is representing Joshua Mast’s brother and lawyer in the state case, Richard Mast.

    Over the course of late 2019 and early 2020, and with his command’s knowledge, Mast worked with a Virginia court, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Virginia attorney general’s office to obtain a birth certificate for Baby L. and an Interlocutory Order of Adoption so she could be brought to the U.S., per the court filing.

    “At the time, the State Department was desperately trying to negotiate a withdrawal agreement unilaterally with the Taliban,” according to AFLC. “The Taliban claimed there were no Al Qaeda present in Afghanistan at that time,” the law center added, which was a condition of the peace deal.

    As the State Department became involved in the situation, Baby L. was transferred from DOD custody to John Doe’s father in February 2020. The Masts continued with the adoption process of Baby L.

    “Evidence was presented that in spite of the many false claimants, U.S. Embassy Kabul dropped the DNA test requirement and caused the Masts’ daughter to be turned over to a non-relative, third-party Taliban proxy (who handed her off to ‘John Doe’), after two Afghan government agencies had recommended the little girl be sent to the U.S. to her U.S. guardian,” per AFLC.

    “This was driven by the State Department’s desire to cut a deal with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. troops and to get rid of the ‘problem’ of this baby girl interfering with the State Department’s negotiations.”

    “Responsible to the Taliban”

    Later, in July 2021, the Taliban would not give permission for Baby L. to go to the U.S., after a request from the father of John Doe, who has claimed to be Baby L.’s uncle.

    “John Doe admitted that his father was responsible to the Taliban for the child, and that the Taliban had denied permission for the child to go to America prior to the start of the historical evacuation,” according to the filing. “In addition, it is appalling that U.S. Embassy Kabul would fail to keep a U.S. Forces, Afghanistan (USFOR-A) commitment to DNA test any claimant when the former Afghan government expressly requested it.”

    The Does disobeyed the Taliban, leading Mast to help evacuate them along with Baby L. from Afghanistan to Germany on the way to the U.S. Baby L. remained with the Does as they traveled to the U.S., where they arrived at Dulles International Airport on August 29, 2021. “John Doe was identified on the unclassified Biometrically Enabled [Terror] Watchlist (BEWL) upon his entry to the United States for a 2014 arms/explosives use,” according to the filing.

    John Doe had repeatedly represented that “his father was responsible to the Taliban for the child,” and stated “that he had many Taliban fighters in his phone when he brought the child to U.S. forces to be evacuated in 2021,” per Richard Mast’s court document. As a result, the Masts, who have four sons, were given custody of Baby L. on Sept. 3, 2021. The Does now live in Texas.

    “The US government has scrubbed John Doe’s BEWL entry, as it has scrubbed the terrorism records of multiple ‘refugees,’” according to a court filing from last August by Richard Mast. “John Doe’s BEWL screenshot cannot be released at this time, because of the federal protective order, but counsel for John Doe sent it to the US government (Richmond FBI Field Office) and still have copies of it, as revealed in federal discovery.”

    This issue with BEWL is not limited to John Doe. In August 2022, Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., sent a letter to the DOD acting inspector general, writing that a whistleblower alleged that “324 individuals evacuated from Afghanistan were allowed to enter the United States, despite appearing on the DoD’s Biometrically Enabled Watchlist (BEWL).

    “The BEWL—commonly known as ‘the watch list’—identifies individuals whose biometrics have been collected and determined by analysts to be threats or potential threats to national security, including known suspected terrorists (KST). This is in addition to the reportedly 65 individuals who are known to have entered the country without adequate vetting.”

    “Never authorized”

    Additionally, “it is alleged that personnel at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who work on vetting Afghan evacuees have been authorized to delete old biometric data, whenever they personally believed that such information is out of date,” according to the letter.

    In the federal lawsuit against the Masts, the DOJ argued in January 2023 that “Federal Defendants admit … that Baby Doe is a citizen of Afghanistan with biological family in Afghanistan,” and that the “United States never authorized the Masts to initiate legal proceedings to gain custody of Baby Doe or adopt her, nor did the United States consent to these actions.”

    However, as shown in court documents, then-Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Derek J. Maurer signed a memo detailing that he was aware Mast obtained “sole legal custody” of Baby L. and a birth certificate for her, making her a DOD dependent who could receive military healthcare.

    The DOS told CBS News in January 2023 that “reuniting the child with the family members in Afghanistan was the right thing to do,” and the DOJ claimed that the Masts’ adoption of Baby L. violates Virginia law and conflicts with U.S. foreign policy interests.

    The Departments of Justice and State didn’t provide comment by publishing time and the Department of Defense declined to comment.”

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Ha! That didn’t take long!

    Just The News: “Members of the The Congressional Progressive Staff Association abandoned their push for a 32-hour work week on Capitol Hill.

    The organization said in a statement on Thursday that it is withdrawing the “recent letter to congressional leadership on a rotating 32-hour workweek.”

    The original letter said a 32-hour work week was a “more sustainable approach to work on a national level.” The group said that the letter did not make clear that “congressional staff are dedicated to serving the American people no matter how many hours it takes to get the job done.”

    The group’s members also said “there are well-known, longstanding workplace issues that deserve Congress’s immediate attention if it wishes to effectively serve the people” and there are “myriad ways Congress can address these issues.”

    “Right now, a 32-hour workweek for staff will not be one of them,” they said.”

    Liked by 2 people

  19. Hmmm….I think we were all hoping for Bongino – maybe he didn’t want it?

    Just The News: “President-elect Trump is expected to nominate Sean Curran, the head of his personal Secret Service security detail, as the next director of the agency.

    “President Trump will be naming Sean Curran, who heads his personal detail, to be Secret Service Director,” the president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., announced in a post on X Friday. “Sean is a great patriot and will stop all the insanity once and for all. There’s not a better person to be in this position!” he added.

    Curran was one of the agents who rushed the stage after the assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pa. Trump can be seen in photos next to Trump on the rally stage after he was shot in the ear.”

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Apparently, it’s happening…..I still say “wait and see!”

    Just The News: “Qatar’s foreign ministry Majid al-Ansari posted on social media Saturday that the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will begin at 8:30am on Sunday.

    He urged people to proceed with caution as the agreement takes effect and wait for formal directions from officials, according to a report from the Associated Press.

    Israel’s Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement on Friday, which would release hostages and pause the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.”

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Just The News: “Additional time through the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene has been requested of FEMA and its Temporary Sheltering Assistance Program. North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein penned a letter to outgoing Administrator Deanne Criswell on Thursday.

    “Many of these families’ homes need long-term rebuilding and are not and will not be safe for some time,” Stein wrote in part. He asked for a time just over eight months away “so that these folks have certainty that they will have a safe place to live until their home is safe and habitable.”

    Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane in Dekle Beach, Fla., on Sept. 26. It was expected to come north to the Appalachian Mountains; however, the rainfall total from its dissipation there exceeded all forecasts.

    Helene killed 104 in North Carolina and 18 in Tennessee. Estimated damage in North Carolina was $53 billion, according to former Gov. Roy Cooper. Volunteer State lawmakers are expected to consider a $450 million disaster relief package during a special session; damage is estimated at $1.35 billion for the state.”

    Liked by 2 people

  22. I saw Marica posted this…I nearly swallowed my tongue!

    Margot Cleveland
    @ProfMJCleveland
    ·
    15h
    As long as the FDA is banning dyes, RFK Jr. should immediately start investigating that blue hair dye. Based on all of my observations, there’s something in that dye that makes people fat.

    Like

  23. EXCERPT: “….Once the confirmation hearings got underway, Barrasso continued to call for Trump’s national security team to be primed to hit the ground running, calling particular attention to the need for Pete Hegseth to be confirmed as secretary of Defense.

    Alas, Senate Democrats seem hellbent on dragging out the Hegseth confirmation process as long as they possibly can, leaving us to wonder what happens if we don’t have a SecDef on Monday? After all, conflicts won’t stop churning and bad actors won’t take the day off.

    We know for sure that Biden’s SecDef, Lloyd Austin, will no longer be at the helm. As RedState’s Nick Arama reported Friday, Austin was clapped out by Pentagon staff as he made his final exit and rode off into the sunset….”

    “….We know for sure that Donald Trump will be commander in chief as of 12:00 p.m. ET Monday, but it’s somewhat murky as to what will be happening across the Potomac River at the Pentagon. As of Friday, no acting defense secretary had been designated, leading military officials in the Army, Navy, and Air Force to begin preparations in case they need to step in.

    It is expected that Hegseth’s nomination will be voted on Monday by the Senate Armed Services Committee, but it could take several more days before it goes to the full Senate for a vote. In the meantime, a holdover from the Biden administration could cover those days, but it seems that there is a reluctance from the short-timers to stay on, even if just for a short while, because they may be asked to enact Trump’s policies. 

    Therefore, the ball is in Team Trump’s court.

    For the service secretaries, officials said that while things could still change before the inauguration, the Trump team is eyeing Gen. Randy George, chief of staff of the Army, to be that service’s temporary head. They said Gen. David Allvin, chief of staff of the Air Force, and Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy chief, are aware they may have to step in if no civilian is named as acting secretary, and they are preparing for that possibility.

    Four years ago, Trump’s deputy secretary of Defense, David Norquist, stayed on the job until Lloyd Austin was confirmed. If the Biden team won’t offer the same courtesy, then it sounds like a plan is falling into place to ensure that the military might of the United States remains intact.”

    https://redstate.com/terichristoph/2025/01/18/what-happens-if-we-dont-have-a-secdef-when-trump-takes-office-on-monday-n2184523

    Liked by 1 person

  24. I’ll bet we’re going to see a LOT of stories like this start to come out. Hmmm…wonder if we’ll see anything about allegedly using other people as actors, as many have claimed….??? Yeah, no – I’ve never been convinced that happened!

    “The New York Times is finally doing what it should have been doing all along and telling the truth, and here’s another nugget that should have come out long ago: the president used a teleprompter for fundraisers at private homes. The guy can’t even get through a dinner without being told what to say. Does he bring it to bed with him at night?

    The New York Times published a report that President Biden used teleprompters for small fundraisers hosted at private homes, which alarmed his donors. 

    According to the four Times reporters on Friday, the president’s inner circle “had Mr. Biden use a teleprompter for even small fund-raisers in private homes, alarming donors, who were asked to provide questions beforehand.”

    Notice these alarmed donors didn’t publicize this. So honorable….”

    https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2025/01/18/shocked-not-shocked-biden-couldnt-even-get-through-private-fundraisers-without-major-assistance-n2184525

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Colkitto

    Colkitto

    January 19, 2025 9:34 am

    comment image

    Trump: America for the Americans!

    https://buchanan.org/blog/trump-america-americans-126459?doing_wp_cron=1737297161.7003130912780761718750

    “For too long, a small group in our nation’s capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost. Washington flourished, but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered, but the jobs left and the factories closed.” President Donald J Trump

    Liked by 1 person

  34. 3 female hostages handed over to Red Cross by Hamas….the first 9 hostages released are in exchange for 110 Hamas prisoners with life sentences. Nowhere NEAR a fair exchange!!! This is appalling!!! FJB’s DOS will promise them ANYTHING just to be able to say this deal was done under HIS presidency!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Just The News: “President-elect Trump announced on Truth Social that he plans to issue executive order extending length of time for TikTok to comply with the law that forces its parent company, ByteDance, to sell the app to a U.S. entity or face a ban.

    TikTok went dark on Saturday night. Trump had said on Saturday he was considering a 90-day extension for TikTok.

    “I’m asking companies not to let TikTok stay dark! I will issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security,” he wrote on Sunday. “The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order.”
     
    Trump also said that Americans “deserve to see our exciting inauguration on Monday” as well as other events. “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position in a joint venture. By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to stay up. Without U.S. approval, there is no Tik Tok.  With our approval, it is worth hundreds of billions of dollars – maybe trillions,” he said.”

    Liked by 1 person

  36. And, of course, FJB is giving a press conference on the hostage release, taking the credit! “….Hundreds of trucks are entering Gaza as I speak – they’re carrying assistance for civilians who have suffered enormously from the war that Hamas started on Oct. 7, 2023 nearly 15 mos. ago. Today alone we anticipate several hundred trucks will enter the Gaza strip probably as I’m speaking. And after so much pain and destruction, loss of life, today the guns in Gaza have gone silent.

    This was the deal that I outlined for the world back on May 31st – many of you covered it at the time. It was endorsed overwhelmingly by folks around the world, including the UN Security Counsel that unanimously endorsed the deal, and developed a deal coordinated with Egypt, Qatar and Israel. I worked in foreign policy for decades and this was one of the toughest negotiations I’ve been part of; many of you have followed these negotiations…..” yada, yada, yada.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. “With TikTok Ban, Americans Now Only Being Spied On By Pentagon, Google, Facebook, Apple, Samsung, Doorbell, Toaster”

    Tech · Jan 19, 2025 · BabylonBee.com

    Article Image

    U.S. — The general public was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief this weekend due to knowing that, with the TikTok ban, Americans were now only being spied on by the Pentagon, Google, Facebook, Apple, Samsung, their doorbells, and toasters.

    The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the ban on TikTok that was poised to take effect soon, which would officially shut down the social media platform that had been widely criticized as being a tool for surveillance and data collection by the Chinese Communist Party, leaving just every other major tech corporation, government entity, and smart household device to spy on American citizens at all times.

    “One spying tool down, only 78 left to go,” said Derek Johnson of New Braunfels, Texas. “It’s great to finally not have to worry about TikTok providing China with a continual stream of data and information from within the United States. That’s going to make a huge difference. With TikTok out of the way, we just have to deal with being spied on by our own government, every other social media platform, the electronic devices we use, and probably our refrigerators.”

    Other citizens were relieved to know that China would now simply have to purchase secret information about Americans from the shadowy world organizations that were still collecting it through every other product, item, and aspect of people’s lives. “We’re all safer now without TikTok,” said Thomas Kimmel of Kansas City, Missouri. “Now, the only danger comes from the people we elect and everything in our homes and pockets.”

    At publishing time, the U.S. government was reportedly setting its sights on suspicion of spying by smart toothbrushes.

    Liked by 1 person

  39. “After Losing Access To TikTok, Zoomers Frantically Ask Grandparents How To Use Facebook”

    Internet · Jan 19, 2025 · BabylonBee.com

    Article Image

    U.S. — One of America’s oldest and most widely used social media platforms experienced a sudden surge of use today, as after losing access to TikTok, zoomers across the country frantically contacted their grandparents to ask them how to use Facebook.

    Younger Americans had reportedly scrambled to speak to their elders to learn more about this strange and archaic form of social media and communication that they had only heard stories about while growing up and was now used exclusively by people who were very old and out of touch with anything modern.

    “I’ve heard Nana and Papa talk about this, but what is it and how does it work?” Gen Z-er Kayden Campbell said. “The government banned TikTok because they said it was sus, but we need something else to use while we’re online that can keep us from developing social skills in real life. I remembered my grandparents using something on their desktop computers to communicate with friends… Facebreak? Feltbook? I don’t remember the name, but they said it was really popular. Like, back in the old days, I guess.”

    Witnesses reported seeing Kayden’s grandparents explain how to use the ancient social media app known as Facebook. “Things were a lot different back in my day,” Ralph Campbell told his grandchildren. “Back then, you would ‘friend’ people and add them to your list. And you could ‘post’ things on your ‘wall.’ You could ‘poke’ your friends and even type them messages.”

    “Wow, you mean you have to type to use this?” Kayden reportedly complained.

    At publishing time, American boomers were said to be searching to migrate to MySpace to get away from all the Zoomers invading Facebook.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. As usual, a great piece, worth reading the rest.

    “From Insurrection to Resurrection: President Trump taking the oath of office inside the building that was supposed to constitute the graveyard of his political future and movement he created is a fitting end to the phony J6 narrative.”

    Julie Kelly, Jan 19, 2025

    EXCERPT: “Concerns over bitter cold in Washington on Monday—perhaps coupled with security concerns—prompted President Trump to move his inauguration ceremony from outside to inside the U.S. Capitol. No one loves a party more than Trump, so presumably his decision to take the oath of office in front of a few hundred legislators rather than perhaps one million cheering supporters was not made lightly.

    But the optics of Trump being sworn-in inside the very building that was supposed to constitute the graveyard of his political future and the movement he created should erase any disappointment. The ceremony inside the Capitol Rotunda at noon tomorrow will represent the climax of the biggest political comeback ever, one historians (usually all leftists) will struggle to accurately explain to future generations.

    From insurrection to resurrection.

    Democratic politicians and influencers undoubtedly will spend the day posting comparison photos of the activity inside the Rotunda on January 6, 2021 versus the inaugural proceedings. “OMG look there is Representative So-and-So who ALMOST DIED on January 6! How is this happening??!!”

    Expect more lies about police fatalities—the Rotunda also acted as the setting to promote the lie that Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who lied in state there, was killed at the hands of Trump supporters on Jan 6—more lies about how Trump incited the violence that day, more lies about the people who participated in the protest. But their collective deception is like spitting in the wind: the insurrection narrative not only failed, it backfired.

    Even a member of the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, one of the most dependable J6 propaganda machines, recently admitted Democrats had “overinterpreted the Jan. 6 riot.” Calling Jan 6 a “disgraceful event,” Barton Swain nonetheless said “voters didn’t buy” how the Democrats tried to weaponize that day. (If you missed my light criticism of WSJ coverage of Jan 6, it’s here. Funny to read one of their own suddenly denounce the “overinterpretation” of the Capitol protest.)

    Further, “overinterpretation” is hardly the apt description. After the Trump administration opens the books on how much taxpayer money was wasted pursuing Trump, his allies, and his voters, the American people should brace themselves for shock and disgust.

    The Cost of the Failed J6 Operation Will Come to Light

    Disgraced former special prosecutor Jack Smith, for example, spent at least $50 million on his dual prosecutions of President Trump; that does not include what the Department of Justice spent before Smith’s appointment in November 2022 investigating Trump for the events of Jan 6…..”

    “…..MAGA Extremists” Descend on DC as their Tormentor-in-Chief Prepares to Exit

    Traveling by planes, trains, and automobiles, hundreds of thousands, maybe up to a million, Americans branded “MAGA extremists” by Joe Biden are arriving in Washington to celebrate something even the most diehard Trump supporter never envisioned. Biden departs office a broken man, carrying with him the disdain of the American people and the burden of his crime racket family, now political pariahs rather than the dynasty he had always envisioned.

    And Donald Trump—the man who prevailed over an unprecedented, coordinated crusade to put him behind bars, destroy his business and his family, and wreck the MAGA movement—will stand triumphant before those very same saboteurs in the very same place they thought would end it all.

    Enough to make you want to dance.”

    Liked by 1 person

  44. No article but this headline from Just The News:

    BREAKING: TIKTOK RESTORES U.S. SERVICE AFTER TRUMP OFFERS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO GIVE MORE TIME TO COMPLY WITH LAW

    Liked by 1 person

  47. “In a small Irish town sits a stainless steel reminder of that country’s historic link to Oklahoma and the Choctaw Nation. Nine handmade feathers curve up from a concrete foundation, symbolizing the shape of an empty bowl. The feathers, meant to represent the Choctaw Nation’s strength, kindness and humanity, are delicate and give off a metallic luster when illuminated by the sun.

    The sculpture stands 20 feet tall near a popular walking path in Bailic Park in Midleton, a town of about 12,000 on Ireland’s southern coast. The work, named “Kindred Spirits,” is meant to symbolize the shared history between the Choctaw Nation and the Irish, which began with a $170 donation. Though an ocean away, a mutual feeling of oppression united the tribe with the Irish. In 1847, the Choctaw Nation scraped together $170, about $5,000 today, to send to the starving poor in Ireland.”

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.