The question is, was Bill Clinton aboard?

I posted an item yesterday about a yacht skipper’s attempt at cutting corners coming to grief in the murky waters off Greenwich Harbor: A fowl tide brings the chickens home to roost:

Today Reader Desidog has identified the yacht in question and even provided a helpful link to a British publication’s story on the owner, replete with a photo of what appears to be the very yacht in question:

Jes Staley, the yacht and a visit to Epstein’s island

Contact between the men continued after financier was convicted of trafficking in 2008

The world of high finance is not mine, so I had no idea who Jes Staley is (and have no idea, naturally, whether he still owns the Good Ship Lollypop). I looked him up, though, and he does have an interesting resume. Staley had, and continues to have difficulties arising from his close association with the late Mr. Epstein; perhaps that distracted him from his piloting duties?

March 14, 2025:

Why Jes Staley is spilling secrets about Jeffrey Epstein ties — complicating his ‘return’ to banking

Former star banker Jes Staley is 68 years old, but instead of retiring he wants back into the investment business – even as he seeks to repair a reputation ravaged by his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, On The Money has learned. 

That’s why the former Barclays CEO is putting himself through the wringer in UK court, testifying in a civil appeal of a ruling by the UK Financial Conduct Authority that he knew nothing about the scale of his old pal Epstein’s dark side – namely charges that he had sex with minors.

His gut must have been turning more on Wednesday. Taking the stand at a British court known as London’s Upper Tribunal, Staley admitted under oath that he once had sex with one of Epstein’s assistants

The age of the assistant was not revealed, but consensus among bankers who know Staley is that the disclosure only makes his longshot bid all the more difficult.

“I’m not sure what he’s trying to accomplish,” one former colleague told On The Money. “Who’s going to hire him?”

Staley’s fall is in many ways Shakespearean. He was once one of those “masters of the universe” with a charmed career on Wall Street. He worked at JP Morgan for nearly three decades in a variety of senior roles and was considered a possible successor to CEO Jamie Dimon. With Dimon signaling he has no intention of leaving anytime soon (which is still pretty much the case), he left to join the big UK-based bank, Barclays. 

But Staley’s JPM career also had some dark corners. He ran the asset management division and private client group when the bank also counted Epstein, then a high-end wealth manager, as one of its biggest clients for about 15 years. The business relationship then turned into what Staley has called a “profound” friendship that included career advice, frequent visits to Epstein’s home and trips to his private island estate in the Caribbean. 

Staley also championed Epstein inside the firm when some risk managers warned that Epstein’s 2008 conviction of having sex with a minor was enough to cut him off.

Staley left JPM and in 2015 ended up as CEO of Barclays, even as the relationship drew more attention. Private lawsuits filed by Epstein’s accusers mounted. Epstein was arrested in 2019 and accused of a massive child sex-trafficking scheme. Facing a life sentence, he was found dead in his jail cell in an apparent suicide.

But the real fireworks in the case went down on Wednesday, when Staley was asked about his deposition in that JPM lawsuit, and his admission he had sex with one of Epstein’s staff. As Staley put it before UK court: “Oftentimes I would go to Epstein’s apartment and he would be late and she and I got the chance to know each other.” They then had sex, “much to my embarrassment today.” He also stated that Epstein had no knowledge of the affair.

A lawyer for Staley didn’t return a call for comment; a JPM rep had no comment, though On The Money has learned that the bank is so worried about what might come out in the trial that it has a legal officer in the courtroom throughout the proceedings.

There and back again

Two properties that had previously been reported as under contract have now been returned to the market and are again “fully available”

31 Meadow Lane, $13.9 million. Contracts signed March 7, prospective buyers’ variance application to operate a drive-thru medical center was denied and it’s been returned to sender

We're so wary, wary sowwy

LA Sheriff’s department deletes posts calling US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites ‘tragic’ following backlash

Because there have no reports of anyone being killed in Saturday’s attacks on Iran’s nuke factories — the few rocket scientists still living were evacuated beforehand — we’ll assume that the sheriff was weeping over the earlier erasure of Iran’s entire military leadership. So sad.

Ah, Los Angeles! There’s a different level of compassion offered to actual residents of the city, especially if asked of a fat, lesbian diversity hire of a fire chief:

Flocking to the summons of the Idiot Parade

new day, same old dupes

The Current Thing: Programmed Protesters Are Unfurling Yet Another Country’s Flag on America's Streets

Another protest, another flag. You’re not the only one who’s noticed that the Democrat Party's protesters are waving a different country’s flag at each new protest. Even Iranian flags are starting to show up.

Not that we needed confirmation, but maybe this will convince morons like Jim Himes to shut up

Democrats Call For Congressional Vote On Trump's 'Illegal' War Against Iran

Rep. Jim Himes warns Iran strike could lead to ‘dead soldiers and sailors’

John Hinderaker, PowerLine:

Russia Confesses

Iran has always claimed that its nuclear program is aimed at civilian uses, not production of nuclear weapons. This is an absurd pretense: Iran has abundant oil resources, and no reason to build nuclear power plants. Do other oil-producing countries, like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, invest countless billions in atomic energy? Of course not. Nevertheless, the mullahs have stuck doggedly to this excuse.

Earlier today, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council and Vladimir Putin’s right-hand man, let the cat out of the bag:

“What have the Americans accomplished with their nighttime strikes on three nuclear sites in Iran?” Medvedev questioned in a post on social media. “The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue. A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads.”

Well, there you have it. The issue is not electricity, it is the “future production of nuclear weapons,” which “now we can say…outright.” So our military strike was fully justified.

What about Medvedev’s claim that multiple countries are lining up to hand nukes over to the mullahs? I don’t believe it; if that were true, they could have done it a long time ago and saved Ayatollah Khamenei and his cohorts a lot of trouble.

I’ll part company with Hinderker on his concluding argument calling for regime change, for now, but events may prove him right.

But Medvedev’s claim confirms the necessity of regime change. If we can now stipulate that the mullahs want nuclear weapons for the purpose of attacking their enemies, including the U.S., and we believe there is a serious risk that they will acquire such weapons either through their own efforts or because they are supplied by other enemies of the U.S. who may be deterred by rational calculation from attacking us themselves, there is no solution but to overthrow the regime and install a sane government.

A fowl tide brings the chickens home to roost

Oooh, I hate when this happens!

[90 feet 7 inches, but who’s counting? Ed]

Greenwich Police Marine Section responded to an incident Saturday morning around 10:00am when they received a call on the VHF emergency channel regarding a situation involving a 70-foot sailboat that had run aground on the rocks known as “Hens and Chickens,” located directly east of Island Beach.

Upon arrival, Marine Section Officers made contact with the vessel and confirmed that all three individuals onboard were unharmed, but the sailboat could not be freed from the rocks.

… Police said SEATOW then engaged in salvage operations to remove the vessel, which they said was expected to continue into late evening and asked boaters to avoid creating large wakes, to help facilitate removal efforts.

It’s always tempting, when leaving Greenwich Harbor, to cut inside Island Beach and save a few minutes getting to the open waters of Long Island Sound. Tempting, and it works if (a) the tide’s right; (b) you don’t cut too close; and (c) you’re not trying the trick on a 70’ yacht with an 8’ draft. I guess the skipper knows that now.

As of this evening Police report that the crew is still aboard but in fine mettle and entertaining themselves witn entertainment supplies provided by our Greenwich Marine Patrol.

“Makes thinking fun” — gotta love it

Our State Department doesn't seem to improved its vetting process since Harry Hopkins was sending it recruits

when harry met stallie

Twitchy: State Dept. Visa Specialist Wants Elon Musk Lynched and Much More

Normally, we don't post long videos, but this 10-minute video from O'Keefe Media Group is captivating all the way through. Listen to Arslan Akhtar, a visa specialist for the State Department, give his views on white people ('It's a culture of hatred, ultimately, and it's a culture of dominance"), terrible Jewish people in the State Department, "like really garbage people," and Elon Musk ("I would love for him to be dragged out of the building, with his hair plugs … and lynched on the street"). And that's just in the first minute.

The post continues:

… want a loophole, keep your mouth shut.”

“F**ck these people [Israelis]… I hate them to death.”

We guess we should have said above that he's a former State Department contractor:

The post continues:

… advises them, he said:

“Don’t admit the truth. Don’t tell them what you did.”

In response, the State Department issued a statement to OMG:

“The contractor is no longer employed… Upholding the rule of law and protecting the integrity of our immigration system is essential, which is why the Department will launch a new contractor screening and vetting process.”

That’s one down, how many thousands are left?

The department will launch a new contractor vetting process? New, as in they didn't have one before? How did this guy ever get hired?

I'm not saying this person's from Greenwich, only that it's easy to imagine her in, say, Riverside

Of course, they’re on the West Coast too.

THAT'LL Show 'Em! Nothing Says Hollywood Stands with Gaza Like Their Trans Kids Going on a Hunger Strike

(I hadn’t run into Holly Briden before — she’s pretty funny)