Happy Friday!

As we head into Memorial Day Weekend, let our hearts focus on those who gave their all and the Gold Star families they’ve left behind. We can never repay the debt.

The Stream Commemorates Memorial Day

Throughout the weekend, we will have several pieces commemorating Memorial Day, including a two-parter from William Dembski called “There Are New Atheists in Foxholes,” Samuel Clear’s “Unsure How to Reflect This Memorial Day? Here’s a Story of One Hero You’ll Never Forget,” and the heart-tugging, “Why I Observe Memorial Day: A Vietnam Vet’s Experience as a Messenger of Death” from Norman Davis, Jr. Plus, to cap it off, we will sit down for the next installment of Al’s Afternoon Tea with Tom Sileo to discuss his soon-to-be-released book, I Have Your Back, and his passion for sharing the stories of fallen warriors and Gold Star families.

What will the roads be like this weekend? AAA is predicting this will be the busiest Memorial Day weekend for travel in 20 years. Some 43.8 million people are expected to travel at least 50 miles from home. TSA thinks as many as three million people will fly somewhere on Friday alone.

Yet Again, a Flag Flown by Justice Samuel Alito Has the Left Calling for His Head. This Time It’s the “Appeal to Heaven” Flag

The people who are perfectly happy to see a statue of George Washington being dressed up as a Hamas terrorist and who react to the American flag the same way Dracula reacts to sunlight are pretending to lose their minds over Justice Samuel Alito flying a Revolutionary War-era flag at his beach house in New Jersey last summer.

It was the historic “Appeal to Heaven” flag commissioned by George Washington. The flag features a green pine tree and the words “An Appeal to Heaven.” Yeah. That sounds dangerous.

As The National Pulse explains, the idea behind the flag came from John Locke: “Locke argued that when all legal and earthly means of redress are exhausted, people have the right to appeal to a higher power. This sentiment resonated deeply with the American colonists, who felt oppressed by British rule and saw their struggle for independence as a just cause under divine providence.”

The media and Democrats claim that since some protesters on January 6 were carrying the flag, Alito was signaling his support for the “insurrectionists.” (Some were also carrying water bottles. Does that mean Alito is an insurrectionist if he gulps down some Evian?) It’s stupid on its face. Even if you consider the flag in a J6 political context, Alito flew the flag last summer. That’s two-plus years removed from J6, and a year ago from today, but we’re hearing about it now?

The Stream got hold of an email sent by activists in Illinois who are pressuring Sen. Dick Durbin to use his authority on the Senate Judiciary Committee to hold Alito “accountable.” They’re rolling around Illinois in something called the “Corruption Caravan” — which, frankly, looks like something someone would ride if they were going to kidnap children.

So what’s really going on? Next week, the great John Zmirak will take a closer, historical look at the “Appeal to Heaven” flag. But for the moment, we just need to look toward November 5. Because that is what this is all about.

As with the upside-down-flag business that had the media in an uproar last week, the real reason behind the effort to tear down Alito is the upcoming presidential election. Right now, the Supreme Court is deciding two cases that could undermine Special Counsel Jack Smith’s lawfare cases against former President Donald Trump. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also has made clear what this fuss over a 250-year-old flag is about. On Thursday, he called on Alito to recuse himself from the J6-connected cases.

With Trump gaining strength and Biden fumbling and mumbling, Jack Smith’s J6 persecutions may be the Left’s last shot at retaining power in November.

Louisiana Votes to Make Abortion Drugs “Controlled Dangerous Substances”

Jeffries and the radicals have another reason to have Alito and fellow Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas on their hit list. (Given the attempted assassination of Brett Kavanaugh, I hope I’m being figurative, not literal.) The Supreme Court is also currently deciding a case involving abortion — and thanks to the State of Louisiana, another major abortion case will be coming their way several years down the line. (Not to sound too much like John Grisham’s Pelican Brief.)

On Thursday, the Louisiana Legislature voted to make abortion drugs like misoprostol and mifepristone “controlled dangerous substances” in the Pelican State. This first-of-its-kind law would require doctors to have a specific license to dispense the drug, which would be kept in limited facilities. Abortion fans bemoan how the new law will make it harder for women to dispense with the unborn. Supporters cite the clear dangers of those drugs — not only to the baby but to the mother.

In the aforementioned case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, justices are expected to issue a final decision soon on an effort to restrict access to mifepristone. One can expect the High Court to eventually hear challenges to the soon-to-be-signed Louisiana law.

Update: Hurricane Season Likely to Be a Rough One

Storms are a-brewin’. There’s an 85% chance the Atlantic hurricane season, which starts June 1, will have above-average storm activity, NOAA announced Thursday. The agency is projecting 17 to 25 named storms, with eight to 13 of them reaching hurricane status and four to seven becoming major hurricanes. (The average is 15 named storms per year, and seven hurricanes with three major ones.)

NOAA blames high ocean temperatures combined with a brewing La Nina for the increased risk.

Good thing we have that gasoline reserve in the Northeast to help in case this summer’s bad hurricanes cause any disruptions to services. Oh, wait. Joe Biden just drained a million gallons from those reserves so gasoline prices won’t hurt his campaign as much.

Or maybe it was President Kamala Harris who did that. I mean, if Joe Biden did just say again she’s the Commander-in-Chief …

Biden: “Our nation's first black vice president, President Kamala Harris.” pic.twitter.com/j0e1tVTBUv

— TheBlaze (@theblaze) May 23, 2024

Have a safe Memorial Day weekend. And may God bless the families and descendants of those who gave the last full measure of devotion.

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.