Happy Thursday!

Gulp down that Brew ‘cause we have a GOP race to attend to.

Ron DeSantis Officially In … Trump-DeSantis Battle Officially On. Or Is That His Real Battle?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis officially announced he’s running for president last evening during an interview on Twitter with Elon Musk. Unfortunately for DeSantis, the Twitter-cast was chock full of technical problems, which you can call a good omen, that so many people tried to watch it crashed Twitter, or a bad omen, because nobody wants a bumpy take-off.

DeSantis also released a video announcing his candidacy called “The Great American Comeback.”

So the long awaited match-up between DeSantis and former President Trump for the GOP nomination is underway. But is that really DeSantis’ true battle? Or does he have a tough fight first to win the “I’m Not Trump” position in the GOP primary?

I dig into that with, “Tonight the Trump-DeSantis Battle Begins. But Is It Truly the Real Battle for DeSantis?”

Alex Chediak offers a profile of the Florida governor with, “Who is Ron DeSantis?”

I have one answer for that: “Someone in the crosshairs of Google and the MSM.” I happened to Google just the word “DeSantis” about two hours before his announcement. You’d think the top stories would be about his announcement or his filing of the paperwork or straight up profiles. But nearly every story that came up on the first page of results was a story hostile to DeSantis in one way or another. Can anyone say “algorithm”?

Let the Big Tech interference in 2024 begin.

Pressure Works: Target Removes Items From Designer Who Sells Satan-Themed Merchandise

Target — already under pressure for pushing a line of ladies swimwear for biological males who want to hide their Mr. Happy — has removed items from a designer fond of satanic themes. The three Abprallen Pride products that Target was selling were not overtly satanic, instead plugging gay and trans themes. However, designer Erik Carnell and Abprallen also sell products with messages like “Satan respects pronouns” and “Sorry you are cis. Get well soon.” (Carnell describes himself as a “gay trans man.”)

WOW @Target hired and paid an outspoken Satanist to design its tuck friendly “women’s” swimwear and chest binding children’s clothes!

He said on record “Satan is hope, compassion, equality, and love. So, naturally, Satan respects pronouns. He loves all LGBT+ people.” 👀 pic.twitter.com/BcuiA6xHNf

— Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) May 24, 2023

Target says they’re pulling the items because they’ve “experienced threats impacting our member’s sense of safety and wellbeing while at work.” Sure. They saw the nearly 30% drop in Bud Light sales. In fact, a Target insider told Fox News Digital Tuesday, the company was trying to avoid a “Bud Light situation.”

Target’s massive “June Pride” displays featured “tuck friendly” bathing suits for biological males. However, the backlash had stores scrambling to relocate the “June Pride” sections to less auspicious parts of their stores.

Meanwhile, my wife has a question: “How come they can design women’s bathing suits that hide a man’s junk, but not a bathing suit that hides a woman’s fat?”

Update: Charges Downgraded for “Neo-Nazi” Who Used U-Haul to Ram Security Fence Near White House

A Nazi-admiring 19-year-old who used a U-Haul to ram a security fence near the White House in a bid to “kill the president” and seize power for himself won’t be charged with threatening to harm Biden — or assault with a dangerous weapon, trespassing and destruction of a federal property — after all. Sai Varshith Kandula’s federal charges have now been downgraded to a single count of depredation of property of the United States in excess of $1000.

Prosecutors also revealed in court Wednesday that Kandula is a “non-citizen.”

According to court documents, Kandula said his goal was to “get to the White House, seize power, and be put in charge of the nation.” How? “Kill the President if that’s what I have to do and would hurt anyone that would stand in my way.”

Oh, but be an American veteran taking selfie in the Capitol J6 and you’re charged with sedition.

Headline: “Biden Administration Focuses on Equity in New Artificial Intelligence Efforts”

Science Fiction legend Isaac Asimov developed the “Three Laws of Robotics”:

First Law: A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

Second Law: A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

Third Law: A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

The Biden Administration is adding a Fourth Law: A robot must be woke.

The Epoch Times has a story on how the Biden Department of Education is pushing “equity” in its “insights and recommendations” when it comes to Artificial Intelligence.

Simply the Best. Tina Turner Passes Away at Age 83

Tina Turner, the high-octane entertainer who became an icon for abuse survivors, has died at the age of 83 after a long illness. Tina found early fame with first husband Ike Turner and the Ike & Tina Turner Review. After enduring years of brutal spousal abuse, Tina escaped Turner with just the clothes on her back, struggling and scrapping for years, until finding global success in the mid-80s. Her mega hit “What’s Love Got to Do With It” was followed by an acclaimed biopic of the same name, and a string of hits that solidified her place as a rock, pop and R&B legend. For the music she gave and the inspiration she provided, Tina Turner was celebrated with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005.

Tina Turner inspired in another way. In a young person’s game, she kept delivering powerful, time-defying performances deep into middle age, before retiring to Switzerland.

We see this in this compilation of later performances of her still breathtaking classic “River Deep, Mountain High.”

By the way, has anyone ever done “River Deep, Mountain High” as a worship song?

Have a great day!

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream, chief barista for The Brew and co-author, with John Zmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl at GETTR, Gab, Parler, and now at TRUTH Social.