{"id":2695846,"date":"2026-11-02T15:38:59","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T20:38:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/staying-abreast-of-the-dhs\/"},"modified":"2026-11-02T15:50:46","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T20:50:46","slug":"staying-abreast-of-the-dhs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/staying-abreast-of-the-dhs\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying Abreast of the DHS"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">10<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstaying-abreast-of-the-dhs%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2695846&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The leaves are turning in Michigan,adn I feel like I might be changing too. After years of identifying as a New Dealer,I&#8217;m finding myself increasingly sympathetic to libertarian ideas.<\/p>\n<p>Part of that shift came from re-reading the TSA&#8217;s full &#8220;What Can I Bring?&#8221; list on the anniversary of 9\/11. The 50-page document is oddly entertaining: the 3.4 oz rule still applies to bottled water, hummus, and snowglobes; screwdrivers are limited to 7 inches or shorter; nunchucks remain banned. Blenders can be carried on if the blade is removed, which will comfort travelers who enjoy watching oranges spin without chopping them. Bottle openers are fine, but bowling pins are not-perhaps to avoid a Daniel Day-Lewis situation. Paddles, cast-iron skillets, cricket bats, certain drill bits, vehicle airbags, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/msnbcs-wallace-republicans-systematically-and-cold-bloodedly-killing-access-to-voting\/\" title=\"MSNBC&#039;s Wallace: Republicans &#039;Systematically and Cold-Bloodedly Killing Access&#039; to Voting\">foam swords<\/a>, hammers, hockey sticks, fencing foils, old mercury thermometers, turpentine, Magic 8-Balls, the Galaxy Note 7, and pool-grade chlorine are all on the no-go list. Chargers with lithium batteries can&#8217;t be checked. scissors are allowed onyl under \u201cspecial instructions,\u201d which presumably means they should be used cautiously.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve also wondered why paying for TSA PreCheck\u00ae lets someone skip removing shoes, belts, jackets, and laptops. It seems odd that a paid background check should grant such privileges-Mohamed Atta could likely have passed and afforded the $75 fee.<\/p>\n<p>On the subject of political theater: Kristi Noem, nicknamed \u201cICE Barbie,\u201d has reportedly filed for divorce after 34 years of marriage. Her husband Byron was previously exposed for sending explicit messages to models; one image showed him wearing a tan garment stuffed with very large prosthetics. The whole episode was predictable and rather absurd.<\/p>\n<p>Unsolicited PR emails continue to be dominated by the clueless. A publicist (\u201cEmma\u201d) recently pitched a refreshed database of funeral homes across the U.S.and Canada-an odd choice for me. she followed up awkwardly, and I imagined responding with exaggerated enthusiasm for such a list, just to see what would happen.<\/p>\n<p>I realize I\u2019ve written a lot without addressing war. We <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-two-sides-of-the-withdraw-from-afghanistan-or-not-argument\/\" title=\"The Two Sides Of The \u2018Withdraw From Afghanistan Or Not?\u2019 Argument\">remain engaged<\/a> with Iran with no clear end in sight. Inflation persists, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-adds-a-strong-379000-jobs-in-hopeful-sign-for-economy\/\" title=\"US Adds a Strong 379,000 Jobs in Hopeful Sign for Economy\">mortgage rates<\/a> are rising toward 1970s levels, yet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/5-reasons-making-taxpayers-pay-off-student-loans-is-a-rotten-idea\/\" title=\"5 Reasons Making Taxpayers Pay Off Student Loans Is A Rotten Idea\">savings rates<\/a> are still low-apparently people prefer \u201cinvesting\u201d in vinyl reissues over leaving money in the bank. Simultaneously occurring, Trump\u2019s approval rating sits around 32 percent, historically poor-like the Detroit Lions\u2019 defense so far this season.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-blog-post__content s-wysiwyg s-wysiwyg--blog\">\n<div style=\"margin-bottom:30px;\" id=\"elevenlabs-audionative-widget\" data-height=\"90\" data-width=\"100%\" data-frameborder=\"no\" data-scrolling=\"no\" data-publicuserid=\"cb0d9922301244fcc1aeafd0610a8e90a36a320754121ee126557a7416405662\" data-playerurl=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/index.html\" >Loading the <a href=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/text-to-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elevenlabs Text to Speech<\/a> AudioNative Player&#8230;<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/audioNativeHelper.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script>                            <\/p>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\">Here in Michigan the leaves are changing their colors, and so, perhaps, am I. After years of being the token New Dealer in these pages, I find myself flirting with libertarianism. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This, I hasten to admit, is in part because I spent the anniversary of 9\/11 going through the full version of the TSA\u2019s official \u201cWhat Can I Bring?\u201d list. This document, which runs to some 50 pages, makes for curious reading. The 3.4 oz limit for bottled water, hummus, and carry-on snowglobes is going strong, as is the somewhat less well-known \u201c7 inches or shorter\u201d rule for screwdrivers. Nunchucks, I am sorry to say, are still flatly prohibited. Blenders, however, \u201care allowed in carry-on bags if the blade has been removed,\u201d which will no doubt be hugely comforting to weary travelers whose idea of relaxation is sitting in their hotel rooms and watching oranges spin centrifugally without actually being chopped. (It takes all kinds!) Bottle openers, meanwhile, are okay but not bowling pins, presumably in case Daniel Day-Lewis is onboard; paddles for both kayaks and canoes are out, along with cast-iron skillets, cricket bats, drill bits, vehicle air bags, foam toy swords, hammers, hockey sticks, fencing foils, old-fashioned mercury thermometers, turpentine, Magic 8-Balls, the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, and pool-grade chlorine. Phone chargers containing lithium batteries cannot be placed in checked bags. Scissors, one learns, are permitted only with \u201cspecial instructions,\u201d which presumably include no running.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One thing I have always wanted to know is why paying for TSA PreCheck\u00ae should entitle anyone to avoid having to remove his shoes, belt, jacket, and laptop. Surely Mohamed Atta would have passed the background check, right? He could certainly have afforded to pay a tax-deductible $75.<\/p>\n<section class=\"c-subscribe-email\" >\n<div class=\"l-container\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__wrap\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__head\">\n<h4 class=\"c-subscribe-email__heading\">Subscribe Today<\/h4>\n<h5 class=\"c-subscribe-email__subheading\">Get daily emails in your inbox<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__form-wrap\">      <!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->      <\/p>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\">\n<form id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" action=\"https:\/\/theamericanconservative.us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe\/post?u=442e644c01f8e54e26e4ff3f8&#038;id=f7b67cac40\" method=\"post\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" novalidate target=\"_blank\">\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__fields\">              <label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" class=\"u-screenreader-text\">Email Address:<\/label>              <input id=\"mce-EMAIL\" class=\"c-subscribe-email__field\" name=\"EMAIL\" type=\"email\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/>              <input id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"c-subscribe-email__submit o-button o-button--red-500 o-button--solid\" name=\"subscribe\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" \/>            <\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n<div id=\"mce-error-response\" class=\"response\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-success-response\" class=\"response\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>              <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->            <\/p>\n<div class=\"u-screenreader-text\" aria-hidden=\"true\">              <input tabindex=\"-1\" name=\"b_442e644c01f8e54e26e4ff3f8_f7b67cac40\" type=\"text\" value=\"\" \/>            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <!--End mc_embed_signup-->          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>                         <!-- \/22404337467,3946880\/theamericanconservative-Leaderboard-Top -->                         <\/p>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1742316429780-0' style='min-width: 300px; min-height: 50px; max-width: 100%; '>                         <\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking of security theater, it was recently reported that after 34 no doubt bliss-filled matrimonial years, Kristi Noem, a.k.a. \u201cICE Barbie,\u201d the former secretary of perhaps the least necessary cabinet-level federal department, was seeking a divorce from her husband, Byron. Color me the opposite of surprised. Some of you will recall that last year Mr. Noem was caught sending hundreds of messages to models who cater to what used to be called a \u201cspecialist\u201d crowd. To one of them he confessed his heart\u2019s deepest longing, viz., to be the possessor of \u201chuge, huge ridiculous boobs.\u201d This was not simply locker room talk, at least not in the accustomed sense. A leaked photograph showed Mr. Noem wearing an unconventional tan garment\u2014if pressed I would say that it looked like a bullet-proof version of Mormon lingerie\u2014 stuffed with what appear to be but obviously are not a Lefty Lucy and a Righty Heidi roughly the size of regulation NBA basketballs. Huge they certainly were, huge, huge even, and obviously ridiculous. Would <em>they<\/em> have passed muster with TSA, I wonder?<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Longtime readers of this column will not be surprised to learn that unsolicited PR emails continue to be the more or less exclusive province of fruitcakes. A couple of weeks ago I received the following pitch from a publicist I\u2019ll call \u201cEmma\u201d: \u201cHello \u2013 Good Day, Would you be interested in our newly refreshed database of Funeral Homes in the U.S. and Canada? Please let me know if you\u2019d like more information.\u201d Even by the standards of the genre, \u201cEmma\u201d must have known that this was a bit of a shot in the dark. She would have just as much luck asking me if I was by chance interested in speaking with the author of a forthcoming history of lint or scheduling an interview to discuss colonoscopy statistics. Bloody but unbowed, \u201cEmma\u201d pressed me for an answer a few days ago: \u201cJust a quick follow up are you interested in email list of Funeral Homes across USA and Canada. Let me know[[<em>sic<\/em> throughout].\u201d What would she do if, five seconds from now, I sent her a floridly enthusiastic reply explaining that so far from being roughly as sparkling and jolly as it sounds, viewing \u201cemail list of Funeral Homes across USA and Canada\u201d was, in point of fact, exactly what I wished to do at this very moment, that for years it had been at the top of my bucket list, just beating out conducting the Berlin Philharmonic, if not quite rising to the level of (say) writing a definitive history of the English Romantic poets in Rome. I might just go ahead and ask.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I realize that I have written almost 900 words without saying anything about war, Mr. Noem\u2019s faux-bazookas notwithstanding. What is there to say? We are still going at it with the Iranians, and there is no end in sight. Meanwhile inflation continues seemingly unabated. Mortgage interest rates are climbing to 1970s levels, though, for reasons I hope that some helpful economist will explain to me, savings rates remain painfully low for anyone stupid enough to put money in the bank instead of \u201cinvesting\u201d\u2014as my wife ruefully puts it\u2014in the latest releases from the Decca Pure Analogue series. Meanwhile Trump\u2019s approval rating is hovering at 32 percent. This is, of course, historically bad, like the Detroit Lions defense so far this season.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leaves change in Michigan; I&#8217;m leaning libertarian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4461,"featured_media":2695847,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/tac.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-2026333487.jpg?auto=compress&#038;crop=faces%2Centropy&#038;fit=crop&#038;fm=jpg&#038;h=630&#038;ixlib=php-3.3.1&#038;q=80&#038;w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7492,52759,4326,3646],"class_list":["post-2695846","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-dhs","tag-homelandsecurity","tag-policy","tag-security"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/tac.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-2026333487.jpg?auto=compress&#038;crop=faces%2Centropy&#038;fit=crop&#038;fm=jpg&#038;h=630&#038;ixlib=php-3.3.1&#038;q=80&#038;w=1200","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2695846","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4461"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2695846"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2695846\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2695869,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2695846\/revisions\/2695869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2695847"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2695846"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2695846"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2695846"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}