Welcome to Friday, March 20, 2026, and Spring begins at 9:46 a.m. Chicago time. And it’s World Frog Day: here’s my eponymous frog, Atelopus coynei, photographed by Jordy Salazar in Ecuador. Isn’t it a beaut? But it’s critically endangered! You can help hsave it by making a donation to Fundación Ecominga.
It’s a big day for holidays, including Atheist Pride Day, Crawfish Cravers Awareness Day, French Language Day, the Great American Meatout, National Bock Beer Day, National Ravioli Day, and Red Nose Day in the UK.
Readers are welcome to mark notable events, births, or deaths on this day by consulting the March 20 Wikipedia page.
Da Nooz:
*Over at the Free Press, Michael Doran (director of the Hudson Institute’s Middle East Institute) offers irresistible clickbait: “Trump can deliver a lasting victory in Iran. Here’s how.” (Don’t you hate these patronizing titles?) But here’s his solution:
. . . . Iran’s conventional navy and air force were never the real threat. Those forces were outdated, limited, and secondary to the Revolutionary Guards’ asymmetric arsenal: missile arrays, drone swarms, coastal batteries, and an advancing nuclear program. The route to decisive victory runs through its destruction.
The U.S. and Israeli strategy of decapitation has brought to a head a deeper transformation that has been underway for two decades: the steady conversion of the Islamic Republic into a system dominated by the Revolutionary Guards. The question that once defined the regime—who guards the guardians—has now been answered in practice. The Guards guard themselves.
. . .The succession of Mojtaba Khamenei only reinforced the point. Lacking the clerical stature or governing record traditionally expected of a supreme leader, he emerged as the candidate of the security apparatus. Credible reports indicated that the selection process was shaped, if not effectively controlled, by the Guards. What began as a revolutionary state is hardening into a military dictatorship, and the war has speeded up the process.
One major obstacle therefore persists: The IRGC’s missile and drone teams remain active and effective. They conduct target acquisition, threaten neighbors, and—most critically—hold the Strait of Hormuz at risk. China and India can still obtain Tehran’s assurances of safe passage for their tankers; nations Iran deems hostile cannot, and no shipping firm will take the risk. The drone and missile teams have not only survived; they remain embedded in a larger, resilient system that continues to hold global energy supplies hostage.
. . .Iran foresaw this war and built its strategy around a single ace in the hole: the ability to disrupt global energy flows. It dispersed capabilities, decentralized command, and built redundancy into every layer of the system. The route to decisive victory runs through the destruction of that system.
The first step is to break the back of the missile and drone teams. Yet this remains extraordinarily difficult. High-profile leaders can be tracked—through communications, intelligence penetration, or fixed locations—and eliminated. These teams are different.They are elusive by design.
. . . Until those teams are defeated, the United States cannot take Kharg Island. Seizing the island and controlling Iran’s export infrastructure would be the most elegant end to the war. It would sever Iran’s role as an energy supplier to China and, more importantly, starve the regime of revenue. If Donald Trump arrived in Beijing with Kharg Island in American hands, he would not be negotiating at gunpoint—but he would be close.
But Marines cannot conduct an amphibious landing on Kharg unless the missile and drone threat is suppressed. Otherwise, they would be exposed to sustained attack from shore-based systems and mobile launch teams. The United States would also have to push back Iranian forces along the coast opposite the island and along the Strait of Hormuz, creating a buffer zone deep enough to prevent interdiction.
. . . The United States and Israel will be marching toward decisive victory only when they break the back of the IRGC’s system—its missile and drone teams. Anything short of that will fail to impress Xi Jinping. The Chinese leader will see that, in a future war over Taiwan, he can still rely on Iran and its proxies to close the Strait of Hormuz to Western shipping while securing safe passage for China’s tankers. Until then, Trump steps off Air Force One with a strong hand only if that system lies shattered, not merely bloodied.
And that’s it: easier said than done. I believe Bret Stephens also said that seizing Kharg Island was an important step in ending the war. To do that, we need ground troops, and that means American military killed—in a war that’s already unpopular. But anything short of that is a loss. Curiously, China has not done much during the conflict, but I suspect it’s just sitting back and observing, trying to suss out what the U.S. will do when its inevitable invasion of Taiwan occurs.
*But “War Secretary” Pete Hegseth just said that there is no time limit for the war with Iran, and that we’re fightint to the finish, and Trump vowed not to put boots on the ground:
President Trump said he wouldn’t “put troops anywhere” when asked about moving forces toward Iran. Trump added that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack oil and gas fields in Iran, a day after Israel struck facilities linked to Iran’s South Pars gas field.
Trump’s comments came as Iranian retaliatory attacks on Middle Eastern energy infrastructure have sent oil prices sharply higher. Qatar said missiles caused extensive damage at a major hub for liquefied natural gas, while Saudi and Kuwaiti refineries were also hit. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war in Iran is different from previous U.S. operations in the Middle East and that Tehran couldn’t be trusted to abandon its nuclear program on its own terms, adding, “We will finish this.”
Eaerlier [sic] Thursday, Hegseth added that no time has been set on ending the conflict and confirmed the Pentagon would ask Congress for more money. Asked if the funding request would be $200 billion, he said, “I think that number could move.” Such a request is sure to meet stiff resistance on Capitol Hill since the Trump administration largely bypassed Congress in attacking Iran.
This is a strategy for a U.S. loss. We won’t get regime change with our present strategy; we’ll only make the Iranian people more nervous. If the Revolutionary Guard or the wounded Khamenei Jr. stays in power, and we stop attacking, Iran will rebuild itself, including continuing to enrich uranium. That leaves only Israel to deal with Iran.
*Cesar Chavez, a hero in my youth for his work in improving conditions for farmworkers, has been revealed to be the Jeffrey Epstein of Grapes, a diehard sexual predator as well as a tireless worker for the rights of agricultural laborers. He founded the union that eventually became the United Farm Workers, and, for several years, people who admired his efforts, including me, boycotted grapes in solidarity with the five-year Delano Grape Strike. Now, however, we learn he had a very dark side thanks to a thorough investigation by the New York Times (article archived here).
Ana Murguia remembers the day the man she had regarded as a hero called her house and summoned her to see him. She walked along a dirt trail, entered the rundown building, passed his secretary and stepped into his office.
He locked the door, as he always did when he called her, and told her how lonely he had been. He brought her onto the yoga mat that he often used in his office for meditation, kissed her and pulled her pants down. “Don’t tell anyone,” he told her afterward. “They’d get jealous.”
The man, Cesar Chavez, one of the most revered figures in the Latino civil rights movement, was 45. She was 13. Ms. Murguia said she was summoned for sexual encounters with him dozens of times over the next four years.
. . . Ms. Murguia and another woman, Debra Rojas, say that Mr. Chavez sexually abused them for years when they were girls, from around 1972 to 1977. He was in his 40s and had become a powerful, charismatic figure who captured global attention as a champion of farmworker rights.
The two women have not shared their stories publicly before, and an investigation by The New York Times has uncovered extensive evidence to support their accusations and those raised by several other women against Mr. Chavez, the United Farm Workers co-founder who died in 1993 at the age of 66.
Ms. Murguia and Ms. Rojas, both of whom are now 66, were the daughters of longtime organizers who had marched in rallies alongside Mr. Chavez. He used the privacy of his California office to frequently molest Ms. Murguia, she said. He had known her since she was 8 years old. She became so traumatized that she attempted to end her life multiple times by the age of 15.
. . .The abuse allegations appear to be part of a larger pattern of sexual misconduct by Mr. Chavez, much of which has never been publicly revealed. The Times investigation found that Mr. Chavez also used many of the women who worked and volunteered in his movement for his own sexual gratification. His most prominent female ally in the movement, Dolores Huerta, said in an interview that he sexually assaulted her, a disclosure she has never before made publicly.
Many of the women stayed silent for decades, both out of shame and for fear of tarnishing the image of a man who has become the face of the Latino civil rights movement, his image on school murals and his birthday a state holiday in California.
The findings are based on interviews with more than 60 people, including his top aides at the time, his relatives and former members of the U.F.W., which he co-founded with Ms. Huerta and Gilbert Padilla. The Times reviewed hundreds of pages of union records, confidential emails and photographs, as well as hours of audio recordings from U.F.W. board meetings.
The account is heartbreaking: go to the article, for example, and read the letters to Chavez from Debra Rojas when she was 13, ending “Do you think of me?. . . I don’t know what to tell you, but you know I still love you. . p.s. Write me. Love, Debbie Rojas.” This is a case of a guy who, unlike Epstein, did enormous good but, like Epstein also had a dark side that was very, very bad. And remember that dozens and dozens of streets, schools, and institutions have been named after Chavez. Those will all have to be changed, and heretofore you’ll never see his name or deeds mentioned without adding that he was a predator.
Here’s Chavez in 1979 (he died in 1993):
*The WaPo has an editorial board op-ed about how problems in France have led to increasing victories for far-right extremist political parties.
The hard-right National Rally — which advocates for more economic protectionism and heavy crackdowns on immigration — won in around 60 municipalities, up from 11 in 2020. Louis Aliot, the second most senior figure for the party, was reelected as mayor of Perpignan in the first round of voting, while National Rally candidate Franck Allisio forced the left-wing incumbent mayor of Marseille into a runoff.
. . .Many French find this radicalism appealing because they believe their low-growth, high-unemployment reality is a failure of free markets. President Emmanuel Macron won a convincing victory nearly a decade ago promising to open the sclerotic French economy. Attempts to reform the French state and put public finances on sustainable footing have been met with massive resistance, including large-scale protests after he increased the retirement age in 2023 from 62 to 64. Macron’s modernization agenda was largely defeated by opposition forces by an unstable left-right coalition.
France has suffered from economic stagnation during most of Macron’s tenure, averaging under 2 percent annual GDP growth. The pandemic didn’t help. Unable to deliver on the benefits of full-scale reform, a growing number of voters are now willing to experiment with extremism.
Both the far left and far right are proposing tried-and-failed economic strategies that will push France down the path of further decline. The lesson is that it’s not good enough to make the case for freer markets and a more open economy. Politicians need to make the case and deliver better results.
It’s curious that the op-ed dwells almore entirely on economics rather than immigration, and it’s unrestrained immigration, with the failure of many immigrants to assimilate, that’s moving much of Europe to the right. And yes, economic well-being ranks above immigration in the minds of Americans. But the Democrats have basically taken immigration off the table, and for all one can guess they seem to be in favor of open borders. That impression has to vanish if Democrats are going to take back the Presidency and the Congress.
*The UPI’s reliable “Odd news” recounts how a Florida cat was sent to a shelter to be euthanized for intestinal blockage, but it was a no-kill shelter and they operated instead. What they found was amazing:
A Florida animal rescue said a 6-year-old cat underwent surgery for an intestinal blockage, and veterinarians ended up removing 26 hair ties.
The HALO No-Kill Rescue Shelter in Sebastian said on social media that staff learned of a 6-year-old cat signed over for euthanasia due to a blockage, and decided to take custody of the feline.
The cat, named Midnite, underwent surgery and veterinarians were shocked to discover the cause of the blockage was 26 hair ties.
“Ever wondered where all your hair ties disappear to? Sometimes they end up in places you would never imagine. Like your pet’s stomach,” the post said. “It likely wasn’t intentional, but this is an important reminder that small objects around the house can be incredibly dangerous for pets. Hair ties, rubber bands, strings and other tiny items can quickly become life-threatening.”
The post said Midnite is now recovering from her surgery and is once again showing a healthy appetite.
A Facebook post from the HALO Shelter showing what was removed from the cat during the operation, and the recovering cat. And because she was named “Mighnight”, of course you know her color. The lesson is to keep your hair ties away from cat predation.
Meanwhile in Dobrzyn, Hili is getting quite thoughtful—and sassy.
Hili: I imagine the relief Sisyphus felt watching the stone fall to the foot of the mountain.
Andrzej: I don’t understand.
Hili: What don’t you understand? He could now calmly, whistling, go down, eat something, rest, talk with friends, and then return to work by the decree of the gods.
In Polish:
Hili: Wyobrażam sobie ulgę jaka Syzyf odczuwał patrząc jak kamień spada do podnóża góry.|
Ja: Nie rozumiem.
Hili: Czego nie rozumiesz? Mógł teraz spokojnie, pogwizdując, zejść na dół, coś zjeść, odpocząć, pogadać z przyjaciółmi, a potem wrócić do pracy z wyroku bogów.
*******************
From Stacy:
From CinEmma:
From My Cat is an Asshole:
From Masih, Iran executed a wrestler for protesting when it had promised that such executions would stop:
Today, in Iran, in the middle of a war, the regime executed a 19-year-old national wrestling champion for the crime of joining January protests. 💔
After signaling to the world, including President @realDonaldTrump, that they would halt executions of protesters, the regime has… pic.twitter.com/GzaoiI71JJ
— Masih Alinejad 🏳️ (@AlinejadMasih) March 19, 2026
From Luana: progressive propagandizing in schools:
I don’t see “Teaching kids to read” on here. https://t.co/q5nFfwEhLE
— Wilfred Reilly (@wil_da_beast630) March 19, 2026
This post from The Onion shows that God is fallible:
God Admits Imitation Crab Tastes Just As Good https://t.co/S60BgxCo5t
— The Onion (@TheOnion) January 14, 2026
Two from my feed. First, one from the estimable Science Girl. These ladders should be widely adopted worldwide:
Special ladders in Switzerland built to give cats easy outdoor access
📹Enigmaofelysium
— Science girl (@sciencegirl) March 18, 2026
An Irish girl and her concertina lures the cows in:
This is little Grace Lehane playing a polka for some very enthusiastic young cows in Kilmichael, Cork, Irelandpic.twitter.com/Wo3jcvtlN9
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) March 19, 2026
One I reposted from The Auschwitz Memorial.
This French Jewish girl was gassed as soon as she arrived in Auschwitz. She was ten years old. https://t.co/LEsNCPEXIx
— Jerry Coyne (@Evolutionistrue) March 20, 2026
And two from Herr Doktor Professor Cobb. First, Hegseth violates the First Amendment. He even touts the Christian God.
Hegseth: "May almighty God continue to bless our troops in this fight. To the American people, please pray for them every day on bended knee with your family, in your schools, in your churches, in the name of Jesus Christ."
One Matthew posted himself. We don’t understand static electricity? We need to do some experiments with cats!
TIL we have no idea how static electricity works! PHYSICISTS! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!
— Matthew Cobb (@matthewcobb.bsky.social) 2026-03-18T19:31:45.526Z
I’m happy to report that your frog is doing well!
However, we are worried about the joint US+Ecuador intervention, ominously named Operation Total Extermination, along Ecuador’s border with Colombia, which is close to where your frog lives. They are bombing suspected drug transport sites. Up to now these have been focused attacks on particular buildings, so no direct effect on your frog, but there are charges of civil rights violations and torture. It remains to be seen how this plays out. It may make the region safer, or may destabilize it.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260320-us-backed-airstrikes-leave-ecuador-border-communities-in-fear
While I am not claiming their sexual encounters were with minors, both John Kennedy and Martin Luther King had a steady stream of affairs with a steady stream of various women, both while married. Bill Clinton is looking on from the sidelines, ready to join the list. Obama?
Perhaps Donald Trump is the same? He talks crude, but does he have affairs?
But what about the string of Republican Presidents since Eisenhower (who did have affairs.) Ford, Nixon, Regan, Bush1, Bush2.
This is not a trivial contrast.
In Europe, no one blinks an eye. In the USA, calling attention to serial infidelity is met with either “Yes, but look what social justice good they did” or “You are a prude — these are protean leaders expressing the sexual magnetism of power, and that is to be admired.”
Is leadership about power, or integrity?
With Kennedy, I understand that his infidelities were well known to reporters, but they considered it none of our business and also irrelevant to the running of government.
Very different times.
“Perhaps Donald Trump is the same? He talks crude, but does he have affairs?”
Stormy Daniels, Marla Maples, and Karen McDougal are documented.
I would concur that cheating on your spouse is immoral, but sexually assaulting women and children is several orders of magnitude worse than affairs with consenting adults.
Definitely. Chavez’s reputation is toast.
Animals eating small objects:
My sister had a purebred Samoyed named Bogart, who would eat anything and everything.
Such as:
socks
undershirts
a several-pound box of Lindt chocolates, still wrapped in the cellophane. the entire thing was eaten, including the paper, cardboard, cellophane, and of course, the chocolates. Chocolate is toxic for dogs, especially in those quantities, but nobody told Bogart.
I’m likely getting way too cynical, but I’m willing to bet that, no, none of the above will get changed.
That sort of cancellation is for white people, not people “of color”. The misdeeds are merely the excuse.
Michael Jackson hasn’t been cancelled, and he was white.
Exactly. If he is a far left hero, then the same calculus will apply to him that applies to the left’s lack of criticism of Islamic regimes’ human rights abuses and things such as rape gangs in the UK. Principled liberals who try to criticize these immoral acts will likely be ignored or cowed into silence by the more strident (and unfortunately more influential) far left.
It really is very easy to just call someone a racist and then watch them try to defend it. People of very limited intellect can employ this tactic effectively, which is why it is not going away any time soon.
Not so sure about that.
https://www.newstribune.com/news/2026/mar/20/california-quickly-moves-to-rename-cesar-chavez/
Bill Cosby’s reputation was destroyed by his rape conviction.
Cat “Midnight’s” hair tie scandal doesn’t surprise me at all. Even in a proofed house I’m forever pulling my puppy’s favorite choking hazards and indigestables out of his mouth. He’s only 4 months old though, Midnight’s behavior is pretty odd in an adult cat (or dog) I think.
D.A.
NYC
Why is it a violation of the First Amendment? I thought the Amendment was about what laws Congress could or could not make.
The “Establishment Clause” of the First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted this more broadly to mean that the government and government officials are prohibited from promoting religion. And for good reason — it would obviously be absurd and contrary to the intent of the intent of the Establishment Clause to allow the government and government officials free reign to promote religion merely because they are not acting pursuant to a law passed by Congress.
No one should doubt for an instant that if any particular religion had the ability to control the government, they would wield that power to suppress the perceived “heresies” of other religious sects — which was a real live problem in the original 13 colonies of the United States. Indeed, many fundamentalists have made no secret of their desire to do this.
Lastly, keep in mind that once you start allowing religions to use government property and/or employees, you put the government is in the impossible position of having to decide which religions are allowed that privilege (Baptists? Catholics? Mormons? Scientologists? Jews? Muslims? Wiccans? Satanists?), and HOW MUCH religion is allowed (A picture of Jesus in the lobby? The Ten Commandments on the lawn? A statue of the Virgin Mary or Mohammed or Buddha or Lucifer? A 50-foot cross?). If we simply don’t use government employees and government properties at all for religious purposes, we completely eliminate the need to involve the government in making those decisions – which we should all agree is a good thing.
Absolutely. And the right is all in favour of a minimalist approach to government, not doing anything it needn’t do, isn’t it?
Ah, but agreeing on what is “needed” is the hard part.
I am but amused to see the left devouring its own.
Unlike Jerry, I am not in favor of celebrating socialist union organizers — as the unions ultimately lead to the economic ruin of the industry they infest and are animated by the ideas incompatible with liberal enlightenment. Like, “the warmth of collectivism.” Yet, if people who erected Chavez statues believe that he has done something good for the humanity, then I ask how is his purported sexual misbehavior nullifies his accomplishments?
As for the substance of revelations — frankly, I am not sure we can believe any of these — that is just pure Baysean reasoning, informed by all previous metoo hysterias.
But in any case, my message to the Wokesters — “please keep going!”