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Dysphoria and Dysfunction Are Displayed, From Reflecting Pool Algae Distemper to Disturbing Tesla Reports

Brad Slager
Brad Slager  |  Jun 23, 2026
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Townhall.com.

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Race to the Bottom – THE ATLANTIC

  • It is to the point that anything we don’t like can be connected to slavery!

Several figures in the media can be relied upon to make ANYTHING being discussed into a rant about race. Joy Reid was always the flag bearer. Eddie Glaude cannot refrain from the temptation. And another seemingly afflicted with the racial Tourette's Syndrome is Jemele Hill.

Jemele’s issue, however, is that by starting from the standpoint of anything being racist, she rarely thinks through her claims, and often ends up appearing entirely unfamiliar with specifics while talking like an authority. Take, for instance, the recent time she told people in the interior states they did not have to worry about immigrants coming into their areas because…um, people willing to cross our national border are incapable of crossing state lines???

In a similar fashion, Ms. Hill was a guest on CNN and declared boldly that the reason Kamala Harris was not elected was due to the Electoral College, and that Federalism voting concept was installed to appease slave owners. At the risk of white-splaining, the EC was developed by our Founders (many of whom were anti-slavery) to protect smaller states from being overruled by larger population centers. 

As for litigating the 2016 election, that is something we have been told is election denialism, and a grievous political sin.

Artisanally-Crafted Narratives – CNN

  • We are sorry, but as segues go this was like a Mack Truck making a U-turn through a T-ball baseball diamond.

On the same panel from Abby Phillip’s nightly roundtable carp-fest, Ana Navarro made what must be the most abrupt change of topics in a discussion ever witnessed. Try not to get whiplash, as she is talking about the reflecting pool algae “scandal”, and then somehow leaps to people should be jailed over the Epstein files – in mid-sentence. There is no connective tissue between these topics, and she skips ahead to Epstein like you sat on the remote and accidently hit the CHAPTER button.

Low-Octane Gaslighting – MS NOW

  • Somehow, Trump took something away from the people that they were never permitted to do.

The Reflecting Pool algae blooms has the media so spun out that we almost tire of covering them do ing so – and yet, they keep outdoing themselves. For the latest we turn to MS NOW, where on the dimming show “The Weeknight” (they should really go with “weak”), guest Cornell Belcher was upset because he says children can no longer “splash around” in the reflecting pool, but now the Trump administration will arrest children who do so.

Small problem: People were never allowed to “splash around” in the Reflecting Pool, even though Cornell says he was able to do so as a kid.

Reporting on the Mirror – THE INDEPENDENTS

  • Refusing to play after being cut from the team is a grand look, Tucker.

We are not sure what broke Tucker Carlson and led him to become an anti-Semitic, contrarian, and pro-Qatar voice. (Ah! That must be it - the Qatari chsh flow!)

Whatever happened, most sane conservatives have stopped listening to Tucker some time ago. He has become rather unhinged.

But today he has come out to announce that he is done with the Republican Party!

This comes not only as the opposite of “a shock”, but we are more than certain that the party had moved on from him some time ago. But, okay Tucker, good luck on…your already in-place separation.

News Avoidance Syndrome – VARIOUS OUTLETS

  • One would think getting word from the experts here would be critical, no?

The three network news broadcasts, as well as many other ancillary outlets, have reported on the Tesla crash into a home in Houston. There was one fatality inside the residence, and the driver who survived claims the vehicle was in self-driving mode.

Most all reports cite this claim, and often lend expanded commentary about the dangers this provides, but there is little to be heard from Elon Musk or the company.

Well, he and another tech at the company have made disqualifying comments, and it will be interesting to see if there are any corrections or updated reports to be made.