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04/16 -- Palestine: Israeli forces murder medic, wound nine in hospital attack; Philip K Dick's nightmares are becoming our reality
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Thomas L. Knapp
Apr 16, 2025, 6:41:43 AMApr 16
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 04/16/25
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Presented by the Liberty International
https://liberty-intl.org/
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
https://news.rationalreview.com/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Palestine: Israeli forces murder medic, wound nine in hospital attack
2) Peru: Former first lady seeks asylum in Brazilian Embassy as she, former president sentenced to prison
3) More Than 20,000 IRS Employees Offer to Resign
4) Russia: Journalists accused of working with Alexei Navalny jailed for more than five years each
5) Protesters tased, arrested at idiot pol’s self-promotion event
6) Singapore to hold general election on 3 May
7) US CDC advisers begin review of vaccine guidelines after months-long delay
8) UK: Sudan talks in London seek end to brutal conflict
9) CDC: Autism rates have risen to 1 in 31 school-age children
10) EU mulls plan to let importers break Russian gas contracts without penalties
11) State Department claims abducted Columbia protester “threatened and intimidated” Jewish students
12) Russia: Regime Jails Soldier for 15 Years for Voluntarily Surrendering to Ukraine, Kommersant Reports
13) Study: More people obtaining abortions, but fewer traveling to other states for it
14) Xi Jinping urges Vietnam to oppose Donald Trump’s tariff “bullying”
15) Defenders Vow Fight Against Challenge to NPR/PBS Budget
16) Trump holds situation room meeting on Iran nuclear deal negotiations
17) Judge stops Trump from yanking legal status for 530k migrants allowed in under Biden regime
18) France: Attackers burn vehicles and fire automatic weapons at prisons overnight
19) CA: Naked man arrested after climbing atop Disneyland restaurant
20) Harvard takes a $2 billion hit after defying Trump administration
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Philip K Dick’s nightmares are becoming our reality
22) On Tax Day, Never Forget IRS Culture Bingo
23) America’s Hidden Transformation
24) Public Funding of Arts: Libertarian Perspective
25) Trade is Not Light Switch: Why Cutting Global Ties Will Leave Long-Lasting Scars
26) Trump’s War on the Poor in a New Gilded Age, Back Again
27) Political Control Comes For the FTC
28) Timeline: The Case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia
29) Egg Prices and the Pentagon Budget: A Tax Day Lament
30) The Circumvention of Habeas Corpus
31) Next Person in a Cell With No Charges Could Be You
32) Tax Resistance and the Birth of the American Revolution
33) How the Trump Tariffs Assist Monopoly
34) Economic growth and the stock market
35) “Constitutional Crisis?” No, Just Time To Stop Pretending The Constitution Matters.
36) Sacred Cinema, part 4: Proclaim Liberty Throughout all the Lands
37) How the Senate and House find $2 trillion
38) Divided Democrats Should Unify Behind Trade Peace Over Trade War
39) It’s Time To Pay Kidney Donors
40) Standing at the Edge of the Iran War Cliff
41) Saying It’s Antisemitic To Oppose Genocide Like Saying It’s Anti-Catholic To Oppose Pedophilia
42) Is Trump orbit rolling out red carpet for Israeli extremist Ben Gvir?
43) Europe, Land of the Free?
44) On Iran, Trump Should Ignore Netanyahu
45) Appeasing Dwindling Audience, CNN Ignores Left-Wing Terrorism
46) A Classical Liberal in Peru
47) America’s Grief Cycle: The Negotiation Phase
48) Incoherence, Grand Plans, and Politicians’ Self-Interest
49) Chris Rufo and the Burger Kings
50) Trump’s tariffs: What happens when you trust delusional people
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Mutual Exchange Roundtable: Immigration Under Fascism
52) Capital Record, episode 228
53) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/15/25
54) Trump Watch, 04/15/25
55) Good On Paper, 04/15/25
56) Kinsella On Liberty, episode 459
57) The New Abnormal, 04/15/25
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/15/25
59) Anarcho Agenda, episode 133
60) Finding Freedom, episode 485
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Palestine: Israeli forces murder medic, wound nine in hospital attack
Source: Associated Press
“An Israeli airstrike hit the northern gate of a field hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing a medic and wounding nine other people, a hospital spokesman said. The strike hit the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in the Muwasi area, where hundreds of thousands have sought shelter in sprawling tent camps. The wounded were all patients and medics, and two of the patients were in critical condition after the strike, said Saber Mohammed, a hospital spokesman. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.” (04/15/25)
https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-04-15-2025-24a021daf95ee5e90007cc7205506b7f
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2) Peru: Former first lady seeks asylum in Brazilian Embassy as she, former president sentenced to prison
Source: CNN
“Peru’s former First Lady Nadine Heredia requested asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Lima on Tuesday, the same day she and her husband, former President Ollanta Humala, were sentenced to 15 years in prison on money laundering charges. The embassy informed Peru that Heredia had arrived Tuesday morning, according to a statement from the Peruvian Foreign Ministry. It’s unclear if she entered the facility before or after the sentence was announced by the Peruvian Judiciary. CNN has reached out to the Foreign Ministry and embassy for more information, and is also trying to contact Heredia’s lawyer. The trial relates to alleged illicit contributions to Humala’s election campaigns in 2006 and 2011.” (04/15/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/15/americas/peru-president-humala-prison-heredia-asylum-brazil-intl-latam/index.html
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3) More Than 20,000 IRS Employees Offer to Resign
Source: New York Times
“About 22,000 employees at the Internal Revenue Service have signed up for the Trump administration’s latest resignation offer, according to four people familiar with the matter, an exodus that could weaken the agency’s ability to collect taxes. The I.R.S. had about 100,000 employees before President Trump took office. Roughly 5,000 employees have resigned since January, and an additional 7,000 probationary employees were laid off, though those firings have been contested in court. If those layoffs take effect, the agency would be on track to lose about a third of its work force this year. Under the terms of the Trump administration’s deferred resignation offer, employees who take the deal will be put on paid administrative leave through September and then leave their federal jobs. Some employees who took the offer could still opt out of resigning.” (04/15/25)
https://archive.is/VmBL9
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4) Russia: Journalists accused of working with Alexei Navalny jailed for more than five years each
Source: Sky News [UK]
“Four journalists accused of working for the banned organisation of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny have been sentenced by a Moscow court to five and a half years in a penal colony, in the latest example of Russia’s unrelenting crackdown on dissent and press freedom. Antonina Favorskaya, Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artem Kriger were found guilty of taking part in extremist activities. They were arrested last year and have been on trial behind closed doors since October. … Prosecutors had accused the four of creating material for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, which is outlawed as an extremist organisation by Russian authorities. Opposition activists and the journalists’ legal teams have dismissed the trial as politically motivated.” (04/15/25)
https://news.sky.com/story/russian-journalists-accused-of-working-with-navalny-jailed-for-more-than-five-years-each-13348916
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5) Protesters tased, arrested at idiot pol’s self-promotion event
Source: ABC News
“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal allies in the House, faced several protesters who were removed by police for disrupting her town hall on Tuesday. Police said at least six attendees were escorted out without incident, while three others were arrested — two of whom were stunned with a Taser during their removal. The event was held at the Acworth Community Center in Greene’s home state of Georgia on Tuesday, with disruptions breaking out almost immediately after the congresswoman took the stage.” (04/15/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/protesters-tased-arrested-rep-marjorie-taylor-greenes-georgia/story?id=120848318
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6) Singapore to hold general election on 3 May
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Singapore will head to the polls on 3 May, in what will be the first electoral test for its new prime minister Lawrence Wong. The election campaign, which lasts just nine days, is expected to be dominated by the rising cost of living, housing needs, jobs, and a growing demand for healthcare amid an ageing population. Voters are widely expected to return the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) to power. The PAP has won every election since Singapore was granted self rule by the British in 1959. The country’s last election in 2020 saw the opposition Workers’ Party secure 10 seats – the biggest victory for the opposition since Singapore gained independence in 1965. This time, 97 seats are up for grabs.” (04/15/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjnm19n81zo
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7) US CDC advisers begin review of vaccine guidelines after months-long delay
Source: Reuters
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s outside expert panel began a two-day meeting on Tuesday after a nearly two-month delay and expects to review guidelines for several vaccines including recommendations for the next generation of COVID-19 shots. The meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also plans to discuss the ongoing U.S. measles outbreak that has infected over 700 people this year, mostly among unvaccinated people in Texas and New Mexico. The meeting was abruptly delayed in February just days after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, became head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC, which is part of HHS, said the meeting had been postponed to allow for public comment.” (04/15/25)
https://archive.is/OhHqz
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8) UK: Sudan talks in London seek end to brutal conflict
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“Senior diplomats and aid officials from around the world are gathering in London on Tuesday to find a pathway to end the brutal civil war in Sudan. The one-day conference is being hosted by the UK, Germany, France, the European Union and the African Union. Attendees include ministers from some 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United States, as well as representatives from the United Nations and other international institutions. But no one representing Sudan will be present at the talks.” [editor’s note: In other words, it’s just a London vacation at various governments’ expense – TLK] (04/15/25)
https://www.dw.com/en/sudan-talks-in-london-seek-end-to-brutal-conflict/a-72246642
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9) CDC: Autism rates have risen to 1 in 31 school-age children
Source: NBC News
“One in 31 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by their 8th birthday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. The finding, based on an analysis of medical records from 2022, reflects a dramatic rise in autism over the past two decades. Previous CDC reports showed that 1 in 54 8-year-olds had been diagnosed with autism in 2016. In 2000, it was 1 in 150.” (04/15/25)
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/autism-rates-up-cdc-report-2025-rfk-jr-rcna201305
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10) EU mulls plan to let importers break Russian gas contracts without penalties
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The European Commission is considering plans that would allow European companies to break long-term Russian gas contracts without paying penalties to Moscow, it has been reported. Citing three officials with knowledge of the plan, the Financial Times reported that the commission was studying the possibility of allowing companies to declare force majeure, which would absolve importers of their obligations to pay penalty fees for ending contracts. The plans are said to be part of a roadmap on how the EU will rid itself of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, a document scheduled to be published on 6 May, following repeated delays. A commission spokesperson declined to comment.” (04/15/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/15/eu-could-end-penalties-for-companies-that-break-russian-gas-contractsa
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11) State Department claims abducted Columbia protester “threatened and intimidated” Jewish students
Source: New York Post
“The Palestinian Columbia University student [abducted] by ICE agents in Vermont led disruptive anti-Israel protests on campus, and engaged in ‘threatening rhetoric and intimidation’ against Jewish students, State Department sources tell The Post. Mohsen Mahdawi, who hails from the West Bank, was at an interview to obtain his US citizenship on Monday when he was [abducted] by immigration authorities, his lawyer said. ‘Mahdawi, through his leadership and involvement in disruptive protests at Columbia University, has engaged in antisemitic conduct through leading pro-Palestinian protests and calling for Israel’s destruction,’ a senior State Department source said. The source said screenshots of Mahdawi’s social media activity that show his virulent anti-Israel views only tell part of the story.” (04/15/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/15/us-news/columbia-protester-mohsen-madawi-threatened-and-intimidated-jewish-students-state-department/
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12) Russia: Regime Jails Soldier for 15 Years for Voluntarily Surrendering to Ukraine, Kommersant Reports
Source: US News & World Report
“A Russian military court on Tuesday jailed a soldier for 15 years after convicting him of desertion and voluntary surrender to Ukraine, Russia’s first such prosecution, the Kommersant newspaper reported. Russia in September 2022 introduced the crime of voluntary surrender, which is punishable by between three and 10 years in prison. According to Kommersant, a court on the far eastern Russian island of Sakhalin found soldier Roman Ivanishin guilty of voluntary surrender, of attempting to voluntarily surrender, and of desertion. Ivanishin, who was reported to have denied all the charges, will serve his sentence in a maximum security facility. His trial was held behind closed doors.” (04/15/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-04-15/russia-jails-soldier-for-15-years-for-voluntarily-surrendering-to-ukraine-kommersant-reports
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13) Study: More people obtaining abortions, but fewer traveling to other states for it
Source: SFGate
“Fewer people crossed state lines to obtain abortions in 2024 than a year earlier, a new survey has found. The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, estimates in a report released Tuesday that the overall number of clinician-provided abortions in states where it’s legal rose by less than 1% from 2023 to 2024. But the number of people crossing state lines for abortions dropped by about 9%. The report, based on a monthly survey of providers, is the latest look at how the abortion landscape in the U.S. has evolved since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade in 2022 in a ruling that eliminated a national constitutional right to abortion and opened the door to state bans and restrictions. Guttmacher estimates there were 1.04 million abortions in 2024, up about 1% from its total the previous year.” (04/15/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/study-finds-more-people-are-obtaining-abortions-20276295.php
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14) Xi Jinping urges Vietnam to oppose Donald Trump’s tariff “bullying”
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“China’s President Xi Jinping has urged Vietnam to work with Beijing to oppose ‘unilateral bullying,’ in a thinly veiled criticism of Donald Trump’s imposition of high tariffs on trading partners. Xi made the remarks in a meeting with Vietnam’s Communist party chief To Lam in Hanoi, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported late on Monday. Xi is visiting south-east Asia this week, his first foreign tour of the year, aiming to reassure trade partners and strengthen ties with export-dependent countries rattled by Trump’s sweeping tariffs. … Washington has targeted China and Vietnam — two of its largest trading partners — with some of its highest tariff rates, with Beijing facing a levy of up to 145 per cent and Vietnam 46 per cent, though the latter has received a 90-day reprieve.” (04/15/25)
https://archive.is/xAhsE
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15) Defenders Vow Fight Against Challenge to NPR/PBS Budget
Source: Common Dreams
“A leader of the advocacy group Free Press Action Fund, the 501(c)(4) arm of Free Press, on Monday denounced a plan by the Trump administration to reportedly ask Congress to take back more than $1 billion in already approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the congressionally funded and created company that supports public media in the United States. The request to yank CPB funding, which would impact the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), National Public Radio (NPR), and their local member stations across the country, will be part of a broader package to rescind already approved funds and is also expected to impact funding for the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Institute of Peace, according to Politico, which cited an anonymous White House official. Congress had already approved $535 million in federal spending for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.” (04/15/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/pbs-npr-funding-congress-trump
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16) Trump holds situation room meeting on Iran nuclear deal negotiations
Source: Axios
“President Trump held a meeting on Tuesday morning in the White House situation room about the ongoing nuclear deal negotiations with Iran, two sources with direct knowledge told Axios. The high-level meeting with all of the Trump administration’s top national security and foreign policy officials present was focused on discussing the U.S. position in the next round of talks planned for Saturday, the sources said. Ahead of the meeting Trump spoke on the phone with the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq and discussed the Omani mediation between the U.S. and Iran.” (04/15/25)
https://www.axios.com/2025/04/15/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-situation-room-meeting
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17) Judge stops Trump from yanking legal status for 530k migrants allowed in under Biden regime
Source: New York Post
“A Massachusetts federal judge stopped the Trump administration late Monday from yanking legal status from more than 530,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals who were brought into the US under a controversial Biden administration program. Boston US District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, ruled that the migrants are entitled to a case-by-case review and declined to put her decision on hold while the Trump administration appeals it. ‘The early termination, without any case-by-case justification, of legal status for noncitizens who have complied with DHS programs and entered the country lawfully undermines the rule of law,’ Talwani wrote in a 41-page ruling. ‘The court finds the balance of equities and public interest weigh in favor of preliminary relief.'” (04/15/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/15/us-news/judge-blocks-trump-from-revoking-legal-status-for-530000-migrants-who-flew-into-us-via-biden-program/
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18) France: Attackers burn vehicles and fire automatic weapons at prisons overnight
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Several French prisons came under attack overnight, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said Tuesday, with assailants burning vehicles and in one instance firing automatic weapons. Darmanin, who was quick to link the incidents to France’s campaign against drug trafficking, is travelling to the site of one of the attacks in the southern city of Toulon.” (04/15/25)
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20250415-vehicles-burned-and-automatic-weapons-fired-at-french-prisons-justice-minister-says
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19) CA: Naked man arrested after climbing atop Disneyland restaurant
Source: SFGate
“Disneyland guests were briefly evacuated from the theme park’s New Orleans Square on Saturday night after a naked man exposed himself and climbed onto the entrance of a restaurant, Anaheim police said. Video shared to Instagram shows the nude man standing on top of Tiana’s Palace (a New Orleans-style eatery inspired by the Disney film ‘The Princess and the Frog’) as cast members direct stunned onlookers away. The man appears to gesture toward the crowd before the clip cuts out. ‘Last Saturday, around 10pm, Anaheim Police officers were called to assist Disneyland security who had a nude male detained inside the park near New Orleans Square,’ Anaheim Police Department spokesperson Matthew Sutter told SFGATE in an email. ‘He was arrested for being under the influence of narcotics, trespassing, and public nudity.'” (04/14/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/disneyland/article/naked-man-arrested-causes-scene-disneyland-20275953.php
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20) Harvard takes a $2 billion hit after defying Trump administration
Source: Politico
“A Trump administration task force announced Monday that it would block Harvard University from receiving $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts after the Ivy League school defied demands to adopt new policies on student and faculty conduct and admissions. The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said it was taking the measure because Harvard and other universities had not taken adequate steps to address the harassment of Jewish students in recent years. … The loss of federal funding is a significant blow to Harvard and affiliated institutions, such as Mass General Brigham and Boston Children’s Hospital. Other schools, including Columbia University, have opted to accept administration demands to avoid the cuts.” (04/14/25)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/14/harvard-university-trump-federal-grants-00289619
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Philip K Dick’s nightmares are becoming our reality
Source: spiked
by Patrick West
“In recent decades, intrusive or authoritarian government policies have invariably been described as ‘Orwellian’ or ‘Kafkaesque.’ But these days, you will increasingly find more allusions to another past master of dystopian fiction: Philip K Dick. A prime example of this arrived last week, following reports that the British state is now running a ‘murder prediction’ programme. Apparently, the authorities believe they can use the personal data of known offenders to ‘predict’ who is at risk of committing future murders. … The idea of ‘precrime’ is indeed the stuff of science-fiction nightmares, but Dick’s hellish forebodings in this area and others have been coming to fruition for some time. … Indeed, the film, Minority Report, appeared at a time when ‘precrime’ was already becoming a reality.” (04/15/25)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2025/04/15/philip-k-dicks-nightmares-are-becoming-our-reality/
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22) On Tax Day, Never Forget IRS Culture Bingo
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard
“IRS agents have been indoctrinated to see taxpayers as a class enemy. This attitude is epitomized by ‘Culture Bingo,’ a game used to train IRS agents and auditors. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants complained that Culture Bingo and other ‘economic reality training modules’ encouraged examiners to think the worst of taxpayers. Culture Bingo sought to help employees recognize ‘an IRS organizational culture regarding the audit process.’ The game encouraged IRS agents to recognize or practice the following: ‘I use summons to get third party records.’ ‘Fraud referrals help an examiner get promoted.’ ‘Taxpayers can skim $20,000 and we’ll never find it.’ ‘Most taxpayers deposit unreported receipts in their bank accounts.’ After an IRS agent got enough other agents in the class to sign onto his ‘bingo’ card, he shouted out ‘I’ve got culture!’ and the class launched into a discussion of the reasons why these beliefs and practices were true and necessary.” (04/15/25)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2025/04/15/on-tax-day-never-forget-irs-culture-bingo/
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23) America’s Hidden Transformation
Source: The Bulwark
by Josh Stylman
“What if the America you pledge allegiance to isn’t the one running the show? This investigation examines how America’s governance system fundamentally transformed since 1871 through a documented pattern of legal, financial, and administrative changes. The evidence reveals a gradual shift from constitutional principles toward corporate-style management structures – not through a single event, but through an accumulation of incremental changes spanning generations that have quietly restructured the relationship between citizens and government.” (04/15/25)
https://brownstone.org/articles/americas-hidden-transformation/
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24) Public Funding of Arts: Libertarian Perspective
Source: Students For Liberty
by Nikola Ilievski
“Art remains inherently tied to freedom, originating from the right to freedom of expression. Art, as a reflection of individual expression, has evolved alongside humanity. Considering art’s significance to society, a key question emerges: Should it be supported through public funding? From a libertarian standpoint, although art is widely acknowledged as valuable, there are three core arguments against its public funding. These stem from three distinct angles: the moral or philosophical view, the economic or utilitarian view, and the artistic view.” (04/15/25)
https://studentsforliberty.org/blog/public-funding-of-arts-libertarian-perspective/
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25) Trade is Not Light Switch: Why Cutting Global Ties Will Leave Long-Lasting Scars
Source: The Daily Economy
by Glenn Furton
“The damage done by Trump’s tariffs is not some transient dip in output or a blip in prices. It is a structural downgrade in our capacity to create.” (04/15/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/trade-is-not-light-switch-why-cutting-global-ties-will-leave-long-lasting-scars/
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26) Trump’s War on the Poor in a New Gilded Age, Back Again
Source: TomDispatch
by Liz Theoharis & Noam Sandweiss
“The day after Donald Trump won the 2024 election, the 10 richest people in the world — including nine Americans — expanded their wealth by nearly $64 billion, the greatest single-day increase in recorded history. Since then, an unholy marriage of billionaire investors, tech bros, Christian nationalists, and, of course, Donald Trump has staged an oligarchic assault on our democracy. If the nation’s corporate elite once leveraged their relationships within government to enrich themselves, they’ve now cut out the middleman. We’re living in a new Gilded Age, with a proto-fascistic and religiously regressive administration of, by, and for the billionaires. With the wind at their backs, leading elements in the Republican Party have rapidly eschewed euphemisms and political correctness altogether, airing their anti-immigrant, anti-Black, and anti-poor prejudices in unapologetically broad and brazen terms. The effect of this, especially for the most vulnerable among us, is seismic.” (04/15/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/you-only-get-what-youre-organized-to-take/
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27) Political Control Comes For the FTC
Source: Law & Liberty
by Ethan Yang
“The demise of independent agencies would not spell the end of accountability.” (04/15/25)
https://lawliberty.org/political-control-comes-for-the-ftc/
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28) Timeline: The Case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia
Source: Racket News
by Greg Collard
“Despite court rulings, the Trump Administration shows no interest in helping Abrego Garcia return to the U.S.; El Salvador’s president calls releasing him ‘preposterous.'” (04/15/25)
https://www.racket.news/p/timeline-the-case-of-kilmar-armando
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29) Egg Prices and the Pentagon Budget: A Tax Day Lament
Source: OtherWords
by Lindsay Koshgarian
“Each year for Tax Day, my colleagues and I at the Institute for Policy Studies release a tax receipt so you can learn where your taxes are actually going. This year, you may be more worried about the price of eggs than your tax dollars. But with President Donald Trump now urging a $1 trillion military budget, it’s worth thinking about what we’re already spending. Last year, the average taxpayer paid $3,707 for weapons and wars. That’s the equivalent of 628 dozen eggs. So if you thought buying a dozen or two a week for your family was taxing, well, that’s just the beginning. Taxpayers are directly subsidizing the world’s wealthiest man even as he cuts programs for the poorest people on Earth.” (04/15/25)
https://otherwords.org/if-you-think-eggs-are-expensive-wait-till-you-see-trumps-pentagon-budget/
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30) The Circumvention of Habeas Corpus
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“The most profound and ominous aspect of the controversy surrounding the deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García to El Salvador is that the Trump administration has figured out a way to circumvent the right of habeas corpus, not just for foreigners but also for the American people. Why is that important? Because without habeas corpus, a right that stretches all the way back to Magna Carta in 1215, there is no free society. … it is the right of habeas corpus that enforces the right of freedom of speech and the exercise of other rights. Without habeas corpus, people’s rights become a dead letter.” (04/15/25)
https://www.fff.org/2025/04/15/the-circumvention-of-habeas-corpus/
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31) Next Person in a Cell With No Charges Could Be You
Source: Common Dreams
by Thom Hartmann
“Yesterday was the day democracy in our nation officially died. We no longer live in the America we grew up in: ‘The land of the free and the home of the brave.’ … The country that claimed to follow the rule of law, and valued compassion and the protection of its most vulnerable people. We are now in the midst of a outright coup against the Constitution, against the United States, and against our founding ideals: Donald Trump proclaimed it yesterday when he openly defied the Supreme Court and our founding documents with a sneer, and his neofascist sycophants chuckled and giggled in the Oval Office. When Marco Rubio claimed that arresting and deporting a man legally living in the US was ‘foreign policy’ that can’t be overseen by the Supreme Court and then congratulated himself on his cleverness.” (04/15/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/kilmar-abrego-garcia
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32) Tax Resistance and the Birth of the American Revolution
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Michael Boldin
“On April 18, 1689, eighty-six years and a day before the ‘shot heard ‘round the world’ at Lexington and Concord, the people of Boston and surrounding towns rose up and overthrew the royal governor in a rebellion against taxation and arbitrary power. It no mere local uprising. It was the first major step toward what would later become the American Revolution. While most Americans today know that ‘no taxation without representation’ was a battle cry of the American Revolution, few realize this principle and active resistance against it began almost a century earlier.” (04/15/25)
https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/04/15/tax-resistance-and-the-birth-of-the-american-revolution/
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33) How the Trump Tariffs Assist Monopoly
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“Before the Liberation Day tariffs were imposed on April 2, grocery giant Albertsons sent a letter to its suppliers, noting the potential economic challenges ahead. ‘We understand this situation may raise concerns for your business operations and the ongoing relationship we share,’ stated Albertsons executive vice president and chief merchandising and digital officer Omer Gajial, who wrote that he wanted to ‘clarify’ Albertsons’ policy regarding the tariffs. ‘We are committed to maintaining the value proposition our customers expect,’ Gajial continued. ‘Therefore, with few exceptions, we are not accepting cost increases due to tariffs.’ In other words, regardless of higher supplier costs from components of their goods sourced from China or other countries, they would have to absorb those increases if they want to sell to Albertsons. Tariff costs could not be included in invoices without prior authorization, Gajial said.” (04/15/25)
https://prospect.org/economy/2025-04-15-how-trump-tariffs-assist-monopoly/
-----
34) Economic growth and the stock market
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Frank Shostak
“Most financial commentators are of the view that increases in the stock market strengthens economic growth. The reason being because the increase in stock prices lifts consumer and business optimism, which in turn boosts the consumers and businesses demand for goods and services, which in turn strengthens the economy. But is it valid to hold that what drives the economy is the demand for goods and services?” (04/15/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/04/economic-growth-and-the-stock-market/
-----
35) “Constitutional Crisis?” No, Just Time To Stop Pretending The Constitution Matters.
Source: The Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Presidents love to point out that they’re ‘chief executives,’ but the emphasis always seems to be on ‘chief.’ What is an executive? One who executes. What does the president execute? The law, as passed by Congress. The president, according to the Constitution, is ‘chief of doing whatever Congress says to do’ on everything, foreign policy included. The Supreme Court serves as referee when arguments arise as to the constitutionality of Congress’s instructions or the president’s execution of those instructions. Congressional abdication of responsibility and judicial abdication of authority have, over time, given us an ‘imperial presidency’ of which Donald Trump is just the current instance.” (04/15/25)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/19504
-----
36) Sacred Cinema, part 4: Proclaim Liberty Throughout all the Lands
Source: Chris Matthew Sciabarra
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
“DeMille completed his early Biblical trilogy with The Sign of the Cross in 1932, which takes place during Emperor Nero’s persecution of the Christians. The film has some parallels to Sienkiewicz’s novel, Quo Vadis. But it ran into some trouble in 1934 when the Motion Picture Production Code (otherwise known as the Hays Code) began cracking down on content deemed ‘unacceptable.’ With a naked Claudette Colbert bathing in a tub of milk and a problematic ‘lesbian’ dance scene, the film was recut when it was rereleased in 1938. … DeMille was keenly aware that the Bible had enough salacious content to satisfy the most prurient interests. His ability to delicately balance the sacred and the profane in the dramatization of timeless Biblical stories was one of the keys to the success of these epics. He often observed: ‘What else has two thousand years’ advance publicity?'” (04/15/25)
https://medium.com/@cms10_7549/sacred-cinema-959e9f180521
-----
37) How the Senate and House find $2 trillion
Source: Fox News
by Hugh Hewitt
“Hear me out, members (and staffs) of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee. Do not raise taxes on anyone, even those making a million or more a year. That should be a red line for Republicans. But you need revenue to pay for extending and expanding the Trump 2017 tax cuts that powered the explosive growth of his first term before the Covid curtain came down. Here’s an option. According to the Investment Company Institute, Americans had $8.9 trillion invested in 401(k)s and $15.2 trillion in IRAs in the third quarter of 2024. Let’s call it $22 trillion in yet-to-be-taxed money.” (04/15/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/morning-glory-how-senate-house-finds-two-trillion-dollars
-----
37) Divided Democrats Should Unify Behind Trade Peace Over Trade War
Source: Washington Monthly
by Bill Scher
“Trump’s reset of the global economy has changed the trade debate. Whatever challenges were posed by an international trading regime imperfectly managed by the World Trade Organization pale compared to a worldwide trade war waged by an impulsive president who is even perplexing his aides. The immediate question is: Should we have a trade war or peace? A trade war is stupid. Economic stability gets nuked when leaders launch tariffs like they are firing missiles. The Trump argument is that since we were getting ‘ripped off,’ risking a recession is necessary to make trade policies fair. This argument misses any explanation of why Americans must suffer to make trade policies fair and how making them pay higher prices gives Washington leverage to forge better trade deals.” (04/15/25)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/04/15/divided-democrats-should-unify-behind-trade-peace-over-trade-war/
-----
39) It’s Time To Pay Kidney Donors
Source: The Dispatch
by Jeremiah Johnson
“The United Network for Organ Sharing operates the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. Dozens of regional organ procurement organizations (OPOs) are the on-the-ground non-profit groups in various cities and states responsible for recovering organs from deceased donors. For living donors, there isn’t a single national registry for kidneys — instead, there are three main national registries but also hundreds of smaller registries specific to individual transplant centers. … But even with reform, there simply aren’t enough kidneys to go around. … We need living donors to fill the gap. And we know how to increase the number of living donors: by paying them.” (04/15/25)
https://thedispatch.com/article/end-kidney-deaths-act-living-organ-donation/
-----
40) Standing at the Edge of the Iran War Cliff
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ron Paul
“Millions of people around the world were at the edge of their seats over the weekend, waiting to hear whether Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff’s indirect talks with the Iranian foreign minister would ratchet down tensions or would break down and bring on a major Middle East war. If it seems bizarre that the outcome of a meeting between a US president’s designated negotiator and a foreign government minister could determine whether we plunge into possibly our biggest war since World War II, that’s because it is bizarre. In fact, this is an excellent example of why our Founders were so determined to keep warmaking authority out of the Executive Branch of government. No one person – much less his aide – should have the power to take this country to war.” (04/15/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/paul/2025/04/14/standing-at-the-edge-of-the-iran-war-cliff/
-----
41) Saying It’s Antisemitic To Oppose Genocide Like Saying It’s Anti-Catholic To Oppose Pedophilia
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“On Sunday Israel bombed the al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital, which readers may remember as the hospital that Israel ferociously insisted it didn’t bomb in October 2023 and accused anyone who said otherwise of antisemitic blood libel. According to a statement from the Episcopal Church’s Diocese of Jerusalem, this is now the fifth time this hospital has been bombed since the beginning of the Gaza onslaught. The IDF is predictably claiming there was a Hamas base in the hospital, because that’s what they always do. The hospitals are Hamas, the ambulances are Hamas, the journalists are Hamas, the UN is Hamas, the schools are Hamas, the children are Hamas, every building in Gaza is Hamas, and anyone who disputes this is also Hamas. God this gets old.” (04/15/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/04/15/saying-its-antisemitic-to-oppose-genocide-is-like-saying-its-anti-catholic-to-oppose-pedophilia/
-----
42) Is Trump orbit rolling out red carpet for Israeli extremist Ben Gvir?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Connor Echols
“A Jewish supremacist known for his role in the violent settler movement, Netanyahu’s national security minister reportedly plans to meet with Kristi Noem, and more.” (04/15/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/ben-gvir-visit-united-states/
-----
43) Europe, Land of the Free?
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“The Economist has declared Europe the Land of the Free. One proof is that in Europe, no tech oligarchs are ‘spending their weekends feeding bits of the state ‘into the wood chipper.’’ This is an ill-considered allusion to the efforts of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to reduce the bloat and fraud in U.S. government spending. And the trillions in U.S. federal debt. Which are unsustainable. Because magic doesn’t work.” [editor’s note: Rearranging deck chairs for one’s friends’ comfort doesn’t stop the Titanic from getting lower in the water. I’ve yet to see evidence of Musk/DOGE actually trying to reduce bloat or debt – TLK] (04/15/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/04/15/europe-land-of-the-free/
-----
44) On Iran, Trump Should Ignore Netanyahu
Source: The American Conservative
by Adam Gallagher
“Trump is making the right call by kickstarting diplomacy to deal with Iran’s nuclear program. Preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon through diplomacy advances U.S. interests in the Middle East. A new accord would not only put Iran’s nuclear program in a box, but give Washington a better shot at retrenching from a region of declining strategic importance. The president would be smart to ignore Netanyahu’s advice about the talks and the contours of a potential deal. Netanyahu, the longest-serving premier in Israeli history, has an extensive history of providing counsel to U.S. policymakers that turns out to be at odds with U.S. interests.” (04/15/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/on-iran-trump-should-ignore-netanyahu/
-----
45) Appeasing Dwindling Audience, CNN Ignores Left-Wing Terrorism
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter
“No adult should go by an ‘ie’ or ‘y’ variation of their name – Billy, Timmy, etc. Once puberty hits, any man with self-respect prefers to drop it to sound less like a buddy and more like an adult. CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan doesn’t care. While it’s not ‘Donny,’ and maybe it is Donie on his birth certificate, it doesn’t matter – you come off like a douche with the ‘y’ sounds on a name that could easily be shortened to ‘Don.’ Donie, the porky Irishman CNN employs to cut their anti-Americanism with an accent, had a special Sunday night called ‘Misinformation: Extreme America’ that was supposed to be about political extremism. It devolved into what seemed like an attempt to get him laid at the next These Lives Matter or Occupy Someplace mutant march/riots on the left.” (04/15/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/04/15/cnn-ignores-left-wing-terrorism-to-appease-dwindling-audience-n2655479
-----
46) A Classical Liberal in Peru
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Javier Fernández-Lasquetty & Daphne Posadas
“Today we learned the sad news that one of liberty’s greatest champions in the Hispanic world has passed away at the age of 89. Mario Vargas Llosa was not only a Nobel Laureate in Literature and recipient of the Premio Príncipe de Asturias, but also a distinguished member of the Real Academia Española. In 2021, he became one of the celebrated ‘immortals’ of the Académie Française (an extraordinary recognition for a Spanish-speaking writer). In addition to his literary legacy, Vargas Llosa was also a founding member of the Fundación Internacional para la Libertad (FIL) and an active member of the Mont Pelerin Society, firmly grounding his voice in the international classical liberal tradition.” (04/14/25)
https://fee.org/articles/a-classical-liberal-in-peru/
-----
47) America’s Grief Cycle: The Negotiation Phase
Source: Quillette
by Andrew Roberts
“In 2021 I wrote a piece for Quillette arguing that the decline of American power in the world could usefully be analysed in terms of the Kübler-Ross Grief Cycle, the process by which individuals deal with tragedy, bereavement, and the dawning knowledge of imminent demise. The five stages are famously Denial, Anger, Negotiation, Depression, and Acceptance. I concluded four years ago that the United States was still in the Anger stage, something that the re-election of Donald Trump has since underlined, Yet since his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs announcements, America has now moved on from Anger into the Negotiation stage of the Cycle. As with terminal illness and bereavement, it is not a good a place to be.” (04/14/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/04/14/americas-grief-cycle-the-negotiation-phase-2/
-----
48) Incoherence, Grand Plans, and Politicians’ Self-Interest
Source: EconLog
by Pierre Lemieux
“If Trump’s apparent incoherence is not driven by love, is there some grand plan hidden behind it? Financial Times columnist Janan Ganesh argued that there is none: it is irrationality pure and simple. … The problem with this sort of hypothesis, although tempting in this case, is that it can explain everything and its contrary. It is safer—and more natural for an economist—to start with a rational choice framework, even if some qualifications are necessary. Like any individual in the ordinary course of life, Mr. Trump’s first goal is to further his own interest.” (04/14/25)
https://www.econlib.org/incoherence-grand-plans-and-politicians-self-interest/
-----
49) Chris Rufo and the Burger Kings
Source: In These Times
by Matt McManus
“When I was 15, I worked at the local McDonald’s in Stittsville, Ontario. It was my second-ever job after under-the-table dishwashing at a Cajun joint and I was excited to see how the mince was made in an iconic restaurant chain. Reality was we had a few laughs — like the time my buddy put pot in the muffin mix — but the job itself was long, hard, badly paid and meant you had to simultaneously deal with an indifferent owner and customers who were surprisingly demanding for a drunk buying a $4 burger at midnight. One day I was asked to rummage through the trash to find a customer’s glasses. … I quit and started working as a grocery store cashier instead, where I stayed for about seven years. Same demanding customers, but sufficiently less greasy to count as a vertical move.” (04/15/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/far-right-economy-trump-christopher-rufo
-----
50) Trump’s tariffs: What happens when you trust delusional people
Source: Orange County Register
by Rafael Perez
“It is abundantly clear that President Donald Trump likes to put people of questionable intelligence and expertise in charge (as demonstrated recently by the Signal chat leak), in part because of the loyalty they appear to demonstrate. A leader like Trump can take a worse step still and choose to actually listen to such people – unfortunately their advice is either a product of some fantasy world or tailored to please the ears of the president. … We can now think of our country as an individual that does not listen to the experts, but only to the fringe – by doing so we can appreciate that Trump’s reliance on people like [Peter] Navarro only increases the likelihood of catastrophe.” (04/14/25)
https://archive.is/lMdJm
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Mutual Exchange Roundtable: Immigration Under Fascism
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
“Zachary Woodman, Alex McHugh, and Nathan Goodman join Cory Massimino for a panel on Trump’s authoritarian actions on immigration, the history of immigration control and regulation, and what you can do to resist the administration’s authoritarian xenophobia.” (04/15/25)
https://c4ss.org/content/60342
-----
52) Capital Record, episode 228
Source: National Review
“The Stock Market vs. The Real Economy?” (04/15/25)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/the-stock-market-vs-the-real-economy/
-----
53) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/15/25
Source: The New Republic
“‘Horrifying’: Trump’s Angry New Rants to Media Flout SCOTUS Openly.” (04/15/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/193992/horrifying-trump-angry-new-threats-media-openly-flout-scotus
-----
54) Trump Watch, 04/15/25
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“More Tariff Whiplash.” (04/15/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfWb8REEV5U
-----
55) Good On Paper, 04/15/25
Source: The Atlantic
“Would You Give PornHub Your ID?” (04/15/25)
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2025/04/can-we-stop-kids-from-watching-porn/682455
-----
56) Kinsella On Liberty, episode 459
Source: StephanKinsella.com
“Twitter Spaces: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, Libertarian Property Rights, and the Case for Abolishing Intellectual Property.” (04/15/25)
https://stephankinsella.com/as_paf_podcast/kol459-twitter-spaces-dorsey-delete-ip/
-----
57) The New Abnormal, 04/15/25
Source: The Daily Beast
“This Is the Exact Moment America Stopped Being a ‘Nation of Laws.’” (04/15/25)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-the-exact-moment-america-stopped-being-a/id1508202790?i=1000703547075
-----
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/15/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Israel to Get ‘Major’ New US Arms Shipment, 15 US Airstrikes Hit Yemen’s Marib Province, and More.” (04/15/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69TSlzQBh0M
-----
59) Anarcho Agenda, episode 133
Source: Anarcho Agenda
“On episode 133 of Anarcho Agenda I talk trade wars, and my work history.” (04/14/25)
https://anarchoagenda.libsyn.com/anarcho-agenda-ep-133-2025-04-14
-----
60) Finding Freedom, episode 485
Source: Lions of Liberty
“The 10 Podcast Commandments: What I’ve learned in 10 Years of Podcasting.” (04/14/25)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/the-10-podcast-commandments-what-ive-learned-in-10-years-of-podcasting
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Palestine: Israeli forces murder medic, wound nine in hospital attack
2) Peru: Former first lady seeks asylum in Brazilian Embassy as she, former president sentenced to prison
3) More Than 20,000 IRS Employees Offer to Resign
4) Russia: Journalists accused of working with Alexei Navalny jailed for more than five years each
5) Protesters tased, arrested at idiot pol’s self-promotion event
6) Singapore to hold general election on 3 May
7) US CDC advisers begin review of vaccine guidelines after months-long delay
8) UK: Sudan talks in London seek end to brutal conflict
9) CDC: Autism rates have risen to 1 in 31 school-age children
10) EU mulls plan to let importers break Russian gas contracts without penalties
11) State Department claims abducted Columbia protester “threatened and intimidated” Jewish students
12) Russia: Regime Jails Soldier for 15 Years for Voluntarily Surrendering to Ukraine, Kommersant Reports
13) Study: More people obtaining abortions, but fewer traveling to other states for it
14) Xi Jinping urges Vietnam to oppose Donald Trump’s tariff “bullying”
15) Defenders Vow Fight Against Challenge to NPR/PBS Budget
16) Trump holds situation room meeting on Iran nuclear deal negotiations
17) Judge stops Trump from yanking legal status for 530k migrants allowed in under Biden regime
18) France: Attackers burn vehicles and fire automatic weapons at prisons overnight
19) CA: Naked man arrested after climbing atop Disneyland restaurant
20) Harvard takes a $2 billion hit after defying Trump administration
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Philip K Dick’s nightmares are becoming our reality
22) On Tax Day, Never Forget IRS Culture Bingo
23) America’s Hidden Transformation
24) Public Funding of Arts: Libertarian Perspective
25) Trade is Not Light Switch: Why Cutting Global Ties Will Leave Long-Lasting Scars
26) Trump’s War on the Poor in a New Gilded Age, Back Again
27) Political Control Comes For the FTC
28) Timeline: The Case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia
29) Egg Prices and the Pentagon Budget: A Tax Day Lament
30) The Circumvention of Habeas Corpus
31) Next Person in a Cell With No Charges Could Be You
32) Tax Resistance and the Birth of the American Revolution
33) How the Trump Tariffs Assist Monopoly
34) Economic growth and the stock market
35) “Constitutional Crisis?” No, Just Time To Stop Pretending The Constitution Matters.
36) Sacred Cinema, part 4: Proclaim Liberty Throughout all the Lands
37) How the Senate and House find $2 trillion
38) Divided Democrats Should Unify Behind Trade Peace Over Trade War
39) It’s Time To Pay Kidney Donors
40) Standing at the Edge of the Iran War Cliff
41) Saying It’s Antisemitic To Oppose Genocide Like Saying It’s Anti-Catholic To Oppose Pedophilia
42) Is Trump orbit rolling out red carpet for Israeli extremist Ben Gvir?
43) Europe, Land of the Free?
44) On Iran, Trump Should Ignore Netanyahu
45) Appeasing Dwindling Audience, CNN Ignores Left-Wing Terrorism
46) A Classical Liberal in Peru
47) America’s Grief Cycle: The Negotiation Phase
48) Incoherence, Grand Plans, and Politicians’ Self-Interest
49) Chris Rufo and the Burger Kings
50) Trump’s tariffs: What happens when you trust delusional people
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Mutual Exchange Roundtable: Immigration Under Fascism
52) Capital Record, episode 228
53) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/15/25
54) Trump Watch, 04/15/25
55) Good On Paper, 04/15/25
56) Kinsella On Liberty, episode 459
57) The New Abnormal, 04/15/25
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/15/25
59) Anarcho Agenda, episode 133
60) Finding Freedom, episode 485
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Palestine: Israeli forces murder medic, wound nine in hospital attack
Source: Associated Press
“An Israeli airstrike hit the northern gate of a field hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, killing a medic and wounding nine other people, a hospital spokesman said. The strike hit the Kuwaiti Field Hospital in the Muwasi area, where hundreds of thousands have sought shelter in sprawling tent camps. The wounded were all patients and medics, and two of the patients were in critical condition after the strike, said Saber Mohammed, a hospital spokesman. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.” (04/15/25)
https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-ceasefire-hostages-04-15-2025-24a021daf95ee5e90007cc7205506b7f
-----
2) Peru: Former first lady seeks asylum in Brazilian Embassy as she, former president sentenced to prison
Source: CNN
“Peru’s former First Lady Nadine Heredia requested asylum at the Brazilian Embassy in Lima on Tuesday, the same day she and her husband, former President Ollanta Humala, were sentenced to 15 years in prison on money laundering charges. The embassy informed Peru that Heredia had arrived Tuesday morning, according to a statement from the Peruvian Foreign Ministry. It’s unclear if she entered the facility before or after the sentence was announced by the Peruvian Judiciary. CNN has reached out to the Foreign Ministry and embassy for more information, and is also trying to contact Heredia’s lawyer. The trial relates to alleged illicit contributions to Humala’s election campaigns in 2006 and 2011.” (04/15/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/15/americas/peru-president-humala-prison-heredia-asylum-brazil-intl-latam/index.html
-----
3) More Than 20,000 IRS Employees Offer to Resign
Source: New York Times
“About 22,000 employees at the Internal Revenue Service have signed up for the Trump administration’s latest resignation offer, according to four people familiar with the matter, an exodus that could weaken the agency’s ability to collect taxes. The I.R.S. had about 100,000 employees before President Trump took office. Roughly 5,000 employees have resigned since January, and an additional 7,000 probationary employees were laid off, though those firings have been contested in court. If those layoffs take effect, the agency would be on track to lose about a third of its work force this year. Under the terms of the Trump administration’s deferred resignation offer, employees who take the deal will be put on paid administrative leave through September and then leave their federal jobs. Some employees who took the offer could still opt out of resigning.” (04/15/25)
https://archive.is/VmBL9
-----
4) Russia: Journalists accused of working with Alexei Navalny jailed for more than five years each
Source: Sky News [UK]
“Four journalists accused of working for the banned organisation of late opposition leader Alexei Navalny have been sentenced by a Moscow court to five and a half years in a penal colony, in the latest example of Russia’s unrelenting crackdown on dissent and press freedom. Antonina Favorskaya, Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artem Kriger were found guilty of taking part in extremist activities. They were arrested last year and have been on trial behind closed doors since October. … Prosecutors had accused the four of creating material for Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, which is outlawed as an extremist organisation by Russian authorities. Opposition activists and the journalists’ legal teams have dismissed the trial as politically motivated.” (04/15/25)
https://news.sky.com/story/russian-journalists-accused-of-working-with-navalny-jailed-for-more-than-five-years-each-13348916
-----
5) Protesters tased, arrested at idiot pol’s self-promotion event
Source: ABC News
“Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, one of President Donald Trump’s most loyal allies in the House, faced several protesters who were removed by police for disrupting her town hall on Tuesday. Police said at least six attendees were escorted out without incident, while three others were arrested — two of whom were stunned with a Taser during their removal. The event was held at the Acworth Community Center in Greene’s home state of Georgia on Tuesday, with disruptions breaking out almost immediately after the congresswoman took the stage.” (04/15/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/protesters-tased-arrested-rep-marjorie-taylor-greenes-georgia/story?id=120848318
-----
6) Singapore to hold general election on 3 May
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Singapore will head to the polls on 3 May, in what will be the first electoral test for its new prime minister Lawrence Wong. The election campaign, which lasts just nine days, is expected to be dominated by the rising cost of living, housing needs, jobs, and a growing demand for healthcare amid an ageing population. Voters are widely expected to return the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) to power. The PAP has won every election since Singapore was granted self rule by the British in 1959. The country’s last election in 2020 saw the opposition Workers’ Party secure 10 seats – the biggest victory for the opposition since Singapore gained independence in 1965. This time, 97 seats are up for grabs.” (04/15/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjnm19n81zo
-----
7) US CDC advisers begin review of vaccine guidelines after months-long delay
Source: Reuters
“The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s outside expert panel began a two-day meeting on Tuesday after a nearly two-month delay and expects to review guidelines for several vaccines including recommendations for the next generation of COVID-19 shots. The meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also plans to discuss the ongoing U.S. measles outbreak that has infected over 700 people this year, mostly among unvaccinated people in Texas and New Mexico. The meeting was abruptly delayed in February just days after Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a long-time vaccine skeptic, became head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC, which is part of HHS, said the meeting had been postponed to allow for public comment.” (04/15/25)
https://archive.is/OhHqz
-----
8) UK: Sudan talks in London seek end to brutal conflict
Source: Deutsche Welle [German state media]
“Senior diplomats and aid officials from around the world are gathering in London on Tuesday to find a pathway to end the brutal civil war in Sudan. The one-day conference is being hosted by the UK, Germany, France, the European Union and the African Union. Attendees include ministers from some 14 countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United States, as well as representatives from the United Nations and other international institutions. But no one representing Sudan will be present at the talks.” [editor’s note: In other words, it’s just a London vacation at various governments’ expense – TLK] (04/15/25)
https://www.dw.com/en/sudan-talks-in-london-seek-end-to-brutal-conflict/a-72246642
-----
9) CDC: Autism rates have risen to 1 in 31 school-age children
Source: NBC News
“One in 31 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder by their 8th birthday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday. The finding, based on an analysis of medical records from 2022, reflects a dramatic rise in autism over the past two decades. Previous CDC reports showed that 1 in 54 8-year-olds had been diagnosed with autism in 2016. In 2000, it was 1 in 150.” (04/15/25)
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/autism-rates-up-cdc-report-2025-rfk-jr-rcna201305
-----
10) EU mulls plan to let importers break Russian gas contracts without penalties
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The European Commission is considering plans that would allow European companies to break long-term Russian gas contracts without paying penalties to Moscow, it has been reported. Citing three officials with knowledge of the plan, the Financial Times reported that the commission was studying the possibility of allowing companies to declare force majeure, which would absolve importers of their obligations to pay penalty fees for ending contracts. The plans are said to be part of a roadmap on how the EU will rid itself of Russian fossil fuels by 2027, a document scheduled to be published on 6 May, following repeated delays. A commission spokesperson declined to comment.” (04/15/25)
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/apr/15/eu-could-end-penalties-for-companies-that-break-russian-gas-contractsa
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11) State Department claims abducted Columbia protester “threatened and intimidated” Jewish students
Source: New York Post
“The Palestinian Columbia University student [abducted] by ICE agents in Vermont led disruptive anti-Israel protests on campus, and engaged in ‘threatening rhetoric and intimidation’ against Jewish students, State Department sources tell The Post. Mohsen Mahdawi, who hails from the West Bank, was at an interview to obtain his US citizenship on Monday when he was [abducted] by immigration authorities, his lawyer said. ‘Mahdawi, through his leadership and involvement in disruptive protests at Columbia University, has engaged in antisemitic conduct through leading pro-Palestinian protests and calling for Israel’s destruction,’ a senior State Department source said. The source said screenshots of Mahdawi’s social media activity that show his virulent anti-Israel views only tell part of the story.” (04/15/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/15/us-news/columbia-protester-mohsen-madawi-threatened-and-intimidated-jewish-students-state-department/
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12) Russia: Regime Jails Soldier for 15 Years for Voluntarily Surrendering to Ukraine, Kommersant Reports
Source: US News & World Report
“A Russian military court on Tuesday jailed a soldier for 15 years after convicting him of desertion and voluntary surrender to Ukraine, Russia’s first such prosecution, the Kommersant newspaper reported. Russia in September 2022 introduced the crime of voluntary surrender, which is punishable by between three and 10 years in prison. According to Kommersant, a court on the far eastern Russian island of Sakhalin found soldier Roman Ivanishin guilty of voluntary surrender, of attempting to voluntarily surrender, and of desertion. Ivanishin, who was reported to have denied all the charges, will serve his sentence in a maximum security facility. His trial was held behind closed doors.” (04/15/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-04-15/russia-jails-soldier-for-15-years-for-voluntarily-surrendering-to-ukraine-kommersant-reports
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13) Study: More people obtaining abortions, but fewer traveling to other states for it
Source: SFGate
“Fewer people crossed state lines to obtain abortions in 2024 than a year earlier, a new survey has found. The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, estimates in a report released Tuesday that the overall number of clinician-provided abortions in states where it’s legal rose by less than 1% from 2023 to 2024. But the number of people crossing state lines for abortions dropped by about 9%. The report, based on a monthly survey of providers, is the latest look at how the abortion landscape in the U.S. has evolved since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade in 2022 in a ruling that eliminated a national constitutional right to abortion and opened the door to state bans and restrictions. Guttmacher estimates there were 1.04 million abortions in 2024, up about 1% from its total the previous year.” (04/15/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/study-finds-more-people-are-obtaining-abortions-20276295.php
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14) Xi Jinping urges Vietnam to oppose Donald Trump’s tariff “bullying”
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“China’s President Xi Jinping has urged Vietnam to work with Beijing to oppose ‘unilateral bullying,’ in a thinly veiled criticism of Donald Trump’s imposition of high tariffs on trading partners. Xi made the remarks in a meeting with Vietnam’s Communist party chief To Lam in Hanoi, Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported late on Monday. Xi is visiting south-east Asia this week, his first foreign tour of the year, aiming to reassure trade partners and strengthen ties with export-dependent countries rattled by Trump’s sweeping tariffs. … Washington has targeted China and Vietnam — two of its largest trading partners — with some of its highest tariff rates, with Beijing facing a levy of up to 145 per cent and Vietnam 46 per cent, though the latter has received a 90-day reprieve.” (04/15/25)
https://archive.is/xAhsE
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15) Defenders Vow Fight Against Challenge to NPR/PBS Budget
Source: Common Dreams
“A leader of the advocacy group Free Press Action Fund, the 501(c)(4) arm of Free Press, on Monday denounced a plan by the Trump administration to reportedly ask Congress to take back more than $1 billion in already approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the congressionally funded and created company that supports public media in the United States. The request to yank CPB funding, which would impact the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), National Public Radio (NPR), and their local member stations across the country, will be part of a broader package to rescind already approved funds and is also expected to impact funding for the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Institute of Peace, according to Politico, which cited an anonymous White House official. Congress had already approved $535 million in federal spending for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.” (04/15/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/news/pbs-npr-funding-congress-trump
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16) Trump holds situation room meeting on Iran nuclear deal negotiations
Source: Axios
“President Trump held a meeting on Tuesday morning in the White House situation room about the ongoing nuclear deal negotiations with Iran, two sources with direct knowledge told Axios. The high-level meeting with all of the Trump administration’s top national security and foreign policy officials present was focused on discussing the U.S. position in the next round of talks planned for Saturday, the sources said. Ahead of the meeting Trump spoke on the phone with the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq and discussed the Omani mediation between the U.S. and Iran.” (04/15/25)
https://www.axios.com/2025/04/15/trump-iran-nuclear-deal-situation-room-meeting
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17) Judge stops Trump from yanking legal status for 530k migrants allowed in under Biden regime
Source: New York Post
“A Massachusetts federal judge stopped the Trump administration late Monday from yanking legal status from more than 530,000 Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan nationals who were brought into the US under a controversial Biden administration program. Boston US District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, ruled that the migrants are entitled to a case-by-case review and declined to put her decision on hold while the Trump administration appeals it. ‘The early termination, without any case-by-case justification, of legal status for noncitizens who have complied with DHS programs and entered the country lawfully undermines the rule of law,’ Talwani wrote in a 41-page ruling. ‘The court finds the balance of equities and public interest weigh in favor of preliminary relief.'” (04/15/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/15/us-news/judge-blocks-trump-from-revoking-legal-status-for-530000-migrants-who-flew-into-us-via-biden-program/
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18) France: Attackers burn vehicles and fire automatic weapons at prisons overnight
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“Several French prisons came under attack overnight, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said Tuesday, with assailants burning vehicles and in one instance firing automatic weapons. Darmanin, who was quick to link the incidents to France’s campaign against drug trafficking, is travelling to the site of one of the attacks in the southern city of Toulon.” (04/15/25)
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20250415-vehicles-burned-and-automatic-weapons-fired-at-french-prisons-justice-minister-says
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19) CA: Naked man arrested after climbing atop Disneyland restaurant
Source: SFGate
“Disneyland guests were briefly evacuated from the theme park’s New Orleans Square on Saturday night after a naked man exposed himself and climbed onto the entrance of a restaurant, Anaheim police said. Video shared to Instagram shows the nude man standing on top of Tiana’s Palace (a New Orleans-style eatery inspired by the Disney film ‘The Princess and the Frog’) as cast members direct stunned onlookers away. The man appears to gesture toward the crowd before the clip cuts out. ‘Last Saturday, around 10pm, Anaheim Police officers were called to assist Disneyland security who had a nude male detained inside the park near New Orleans Square,’ Anaheim Police Department spokesperson Matthew Sutter told SFGATE in an email. ‘He was arrested for being under the influence of narcotics, trespassing, and public nudity.'” (04/14/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/disneyland/article/naked-man-arrested-causes-scene-disneyland-20275953.php
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20) Harvard takes a $2 billion hit after defying Trump administration
Source: Politico
“A Trump administration task force announced Monday that it would block Harvard University from receiving $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts after the Ivy League school defied demands to adopt new policies on student and faculty conduct and admissions. The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said it was taking the measure because Harvard and other universities had not taken adequate steps to address the harassment of Jewish students in recent years. … The loss of federal funding is a significant blow to Harvard and affiliated institutions, such as Mass General Brigham and Boston Children’s Hospital. Other schools, including Columbia University, have opted to accept administration demands to avoid the cuts.” (04/14/25)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/14/harvard-university-trump-federal-grants-00289619
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Philip K Dick’s nightmares are becoming our reality
Source: spiked
by Patrick West
“In recent decades, intrusive or authoritarian government policies have invariably been described as ‘Orwellian’ or ‘Kafkaesque.’ But these days, you will increasingly find more allusions to another past master of dystopian fiction: Philip K Dick. A prime example of this arrived last week, following reports that the British state is now running a ‘murder prediction’ programme. Apparently, the authorities believe they can use the personal data of known offenders to ‘predict’ who is at risk of committing future murders. … The idea of ‘precrime’ is indeed the stuff of science-fiction nightmares, but Dick’s hellish forebodings in this area and others have been coming to fruition for some time. … Indeed, the film, Minority Report, appeared at a time when ‘precrime’ was already becoming a reality.” (04/15/25)
https://www.spiked-online.com/2025/04/15/philip-k-dicks-nightmares-are-becoming-our-reality/
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22) On Tax Day, Never Forget IRS Culture Bingo
Source: JimBovard.com
by James Bovard
“IRS agents have been indoctrinated to see taxpayers as a class enemy. This attitude is epitomized by ‘Culture Bingo,’ a game used to train IRS agents and auditors. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants complained that Culture Bingo and other ‘economic reality training modules’ encouraged examiners to think the worst of taxpayers. Culture Bingo sought to help employees recognize ‘an IRS organizational culture regarding the audit process.’ The game encouraged IRS agents to recognize or practice the following: ‘I use summons to get third party records.’ ‘Fraud referrals help an examiner get promoted.’ ‘Taxpayers can skim $20,000 and we’ll never find it.’ ‘Most taxpayers deposit unreported receipts in their bank accounts.’ After an IRS agent got enough other agents in the class to sign onto his ‘bingo’ card, he shouted out ‘I’ve got culture!’ and the class launched into a discussion of the reasons why these beliefs and practices were true and necessary.” (04/15/25)
https://jimbovard.com/blog/2025/04/15/on-tax-day-never-forget-irs-culture-bingo/
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23) America’s Hidden Transformation
Source: The Bulwark
by Josh Stylman
“What if the America you pledge allegiance to isn’t the one running the show? This investigation examines how America’s governance system fundamentally transformed since 1871 through a documented pattern of legal, financial, and administrative changes. The evidence reveals a gradual shift from constitutional principles toward corporate-style management structures – not through a single event, but through an accumulation of incremental changes spanning generations that have quietly restructured the relationship between citizens and government.” (04/15/25)
https://brownstone.org/articles/americas-hidden-transformation/
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24) Public Funding of Arts: Libertarian Perspective
Source: Students For Liberty
by Nikola Ilievski
“Art remains inherently tied to freedom, originating from the right to freedom of expression. Art, as a reflection of individual expression, has evolved alongside humanity. Considering art’s significance to society, a key question emerges: Should it be supported through public funding? From a libertarian standpoint, although art is widely acknowledged as valuable, there are three core arguments against its public funding. These stem from three distinct angles: the moral or philosophical view, the economic or utilitarian view, and the artistic view.” (04/15/25)
https://studentsforliberty.org/blog/public-funding-of-arts-libertarian-perspective/
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25) Trade is Not Light Switch: Why Cutting Global Ties Will Leave Long-Lasting Scars
Source: The Daily Economy
by Glenn Furton
“The damage done by Trump’s tariffs is not some transient dip in output or a blip in prices. It is a structural downgrade in our capacity to create.” (04/15/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/trade-is-not-light-switch-why-cutting-global-ties-will-leave-long-lasting-scars/
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26) Trump’s War on the Poor in a New Gilded Age, Back Again
Source: TomDispatch
by Liz Theoharis & Noam Sandweiss
“The day after Donald Trump won the 2024 election, the 10 richest people in the world — including nine Americans — expanded their wealth by nearly $64 billion, the greatest single-day increase in recorded history. Since then, an unholy marriage of billionaire investors, tech bros, Christian nationalists, and, of course, Donald Trump has staged an oligarchic assault on our democracy. If the nation’s corporate elite once leveraged their relationships within government to enrich themselves, they’ve now cut out the middleman. We’re living in a new Gilded Age, with a proto-fascistic and religiously regressive administration of, by, and for the billionaires. With the wind at their backs, leading elements in the Republican Party have rapidly eschewed euphemisms and political correctness altogether, airing their anti-immigrant, anti-Black, and anti-poor prejudices in unapologetically broad and brazen terms. The effect of this, especially for the most vulnerable among us, is seismic.” (04/15/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/you-only-get-what-youre-organized-to-take/
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27) Political Control Comes For the FTC
Source: Law & Liberty
by Ethan Yang
“The demise of independent agencies would not spell the end of accountability.” (04/15/25)
https://lawliberty.org/political-control-comes-for-the-ftc/
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28) Timeline: The Case of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia
Source: Racket News
by Greg Collard
“Despite court rulings, the Trump Administration shows no interest in helping Abrego Garcia return to the U.S.; El Salvador’s president calls releasing him ‘preposterous.'” (04/15/25)
https://www.racket.news/p/timeline-the-case-of-kilmar-armando
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29) Egg Prices and the Pentagon Budget: A Tax Day Lament
Source: OtherWords
by Lindsay Koshgarian
“Each year for Tax Day, my colleagues and I at the Institute for Policy Studies release a tax receipt so you can learn where your taxes are actually going. This year, you may be more worried about the price of eggs than your tax dollars. But with President Donald Trump now urging a $1 trillion military budget, it’s worth thinking about what we’re already spending. Last year, the average taxpayer paid $3,707 for weapons and wars. That’s the equivalent of 628 dozen eggs. So if you thought buying a dozen or two a week for your family was taxing, well, that’s just the beginning. Taxpayers are directly subsidizing the world’s wealthiest man even as he cuts programs for the poorest people on Earth.” (04/15/25)
https://otherwords.org/if-you-think-eggs-are-expensive-wait-till-you-see-trumps-pentagon-budget/
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30) The Circumvention of Habeas Corpus
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“The most profound and ominous aspect of the controversy surrounding the deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García to El Salvador is that the Trump administration has figured out a way to circumvent the right of habeas corpus, not just for foreigners but also for the American people. Why is that important? Because without habeas corpus, a right that stretches all the way back to Magna Carta in 1215, there is no free society. … it is the right of habeas corpus that enforces the right of freedom of speech and the exercise of other rights. Without habeas corpus, people’s rights become a dead letter.” (04/15/25)
https://www.fff.org/2025/04/15/the-circumvention-of-habeas-corpus/
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31) Next Person in a Cell With No Charges Could Be You
Source: Common Dreams
by Thom Hartmann
“Yesterday was the day democracy in our nation officially died. We no longer live in the America we grew up in: ‘The land of the free and the home of the brave.’ … The country that claimed to follow the rule of law, and valued compassion and the protection of its most vulnerable people. We are now in the midst of a outright coup against the Constitution, against the United States, and against our founding ideals: Donald Trump proclaimed it yesterday when he openly defied the Supreme Court and our founding documents with a sneer, and his neofascist sycophants chuckled and giggled in the Oval Office. When Marco Rubio claimed that arresting and deporting a man legally living in the US was ‘foreign policy’ that can’t be overseen by the Supreme Court and then congratulated himself on his cleverness.” (04/15/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/kilmar-abrego-garcia
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32) Tax Resistance and the Birth of the American Revolution
Source: Tenth Amendment Center
by Michael Boldin
“On April 18, 1689, eighty-six years and a day before the ‘shot heard ‘round the world’ at Lexington and Concord, the people of Boston and surrounding towns rose up and overthrew the royal governor in a rebellion against taxation and arbitrary power. It no mere local uprising. It was the first major step toward what would later become the American Revolution. While most Americans today know that ‘no taxation without representation’ was a battle cry of the American Revolution, few realize this principle and active resistance against it began almost a century earlier.” (04/15/25)
https://tenthamendmentcenter.com/2025/04/15/tax-resistance-and-the-birth-of-the-american-revolution/
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33) How the Trump Tariffs Assist Monopoly
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“Before the Liberation Day tariffs were imposed on April 2, grocery giant Albertsons sent a letter to its suppliers, noting the potential economic challenges ahead. ‘We understand this situation may raise concerns for your business operations and the ongoing relationship we share,’ stated Albertsons executive vice president and chief merchandising and digital officer Omer Gajial, who wrote that he wanted to ‘clarify’ Albertsons’ policy regarding the tariffs. ‘We are committed to maintaining the value proposition our customers expect,’ Gajial continued. ‘Therefore, with few exceptions, we are not accepting cost increases due to tariffs.’ In other words, regardless of higher supplier costs from components of their goods sourced from China or other countries, they would have to absorb those increases if they want to sell to Albertsons. Tariff costs could not be included in invoices without prior authorization, Gajial said.” (04/15/25)
https://prospect.org/economy/2025-04-15-how-trump-tariffs-assist-monopoly/
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34) Economic growth and the stock market
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Frank Shostak
“Most financial commentators are of the view that increases in the stock market strengthens economic growth. The reason being because the increase in stock prices lifts consumer and business optimism, which in turn boosts the consumers and businesses demand for goods and services, which in turn strengthens the economy. But is it valid to hold that what drives the economy is the demand for goods and services?” (04/15/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/04/economic-growth-and-the-stock-market/
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35) “Constitutional Crisis?” No, Just Time To Stop Pretending The Constitution Matters.
Source: The Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Presidents love to point out that they’re ‘chief executives,’ but the emphasis always seems to be on ‘chief.’ What is an executive? One who executes. What does the president execute? The law, as passed by Congress. The president, according to the Constitution, is ‘chief of doing whatever Congress says to do’ on everything, foreign policy included. The Supreme Court serves as referee when arguments arise as to the constitutionality of Congress’s instructions or the president’s execution of those instructions. Congressional abdication of responsibility and judicial abdication of authority have, over time, given us an ‘imperial presidency’ of which Donald Trump is just the current instance.” (04/15/25)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/19504
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36) Sacred Cinema, part 4: Proclaim Liberty Throughout all the Lands
Source: Chris Matthew Sciabarra
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra
“DeMille completed his early Biblical trilogy with The Sign of the Cross in 1932, which takes place during Emperor Nero’s persecution of the Christians. The film has some parallels to Sienkiewicz’s novel, Quo Vadis. But it ran into some trouble in 1934 when the Motion Picture Production Code (otherwise known as the Hays Code) began cracking down on content deemed ‘unacceptable.’ With a naked Claudette Colbert bathing in a tub of milk and a problematic ‘lesbian’ dance scene, the film was recut when it was rereleased in 1938. … DeMille was keenly aware that the Bible had enough salacious content to satisfy the most prurient interests. His ability to delicately balance the sacred and the profane in the dramatization of timeless Biblical stories was one of the keys to the success of these epics. He often observed: ‘What else has two thousand years’ advance publicity?'” (04/15/25)
https://medium.com/@cms10_7549/sacred-cinema-959e9f180521
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37) How the Senate and House find $2 trillion
Source: Fox News
by Hugh Hewitt
“Hear me out, members (and staffs) of the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee. Do not raise taxes on anyone, even those making a million or more a year. That should be a red line for Republicans. But you need revenue to pay for extending and expanding the Trump 2017 tax cuts that powered the explosive growth of his first term before the Covid curtain came down. Here’s an option. According to the Investment Company Institute, Americans had $8.9 trillion invested in 401(k)s and $15.2 trillion in IRAs in the third quarter of 2024. Let’s call it $22 trillion in yet-to-be-taxed money.” (04/15/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/morning-glory-how-senate-house-finds-two-trillion-dollars
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37) Divided Democrats Should Unify Behind Trade Peace Over Trade War
Source: Washington Monthly
by Bill Scher
“Trump’s reset of the global economy has changed the trade debate. Whatever challenges were posed by an international trading regime imperfectly managed by the World Trade Organization pale compared to a worldwide trade war waged by an impulsive president who is even perplexing his aides. The immediate question is: Should we have a trade war or peace? A trade war is stupid. Economic stability gets nuked when leaders launch tariffs like they are firing missiles. The Trump argument is that since we were getting ‘ripped off,’ risking a recession is necessary to make trade policies fair. This argument misses any explanation of why Americans must suffer to make trade policies fair and how making them pay higher prices gives Washington leverage to forge better trade deals.” (04/15/25)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2025/04/15/divided-democrats-should-unify-behind-trade-peace-over-trade-war/
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39) It’s Time To Pay Kidney Donors
Source: The Dispatch
by Jeremiah Johnson
“The United Network for Organ Sharing operates the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. Dozens of regional organ procurement organizations (OPOs) are the on-the-ground non-profit groups in various cities and states responsible for recovering organs from deceased donors. For living donors, there isn’t a single national registry for kidneys — instead, there are three main national registries but also hundreds of smaller registries specific to individual transplant centers. … But even with reform, there simply aren’t enough kidneys to go around. … We need living donors to fill the gap. And we know how to increase the number of living donors: by paying them.” (04/15/25)
https://thedispatch.com/article/end-kidney-deaths-act-living-organ-donation/
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40) Standing at the Edge of the Iran War Cliff
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ron Paul
“Millions of people around the world were at the edge of their seats over the weekend, waiting to hear whether Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff’s indirect talks with the Iranian foreign minister would ratchet down tensions or would break down and bring on a major Middle East war. If it seems bizarre that the outcome of a meeting between a US president’s designated negotiator and a foreign government minister could determine whether we plunge into possibly our biggest war since World War II, that’s because it is bizarre. In fact, this is an excellent example of why our Founders were so determined to keep warmaking authority out of the Executive Branch of government. No one person – much less his aide – should have the power to take this country to war.” (04/15/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/paul/2025/04/14/standing-at-the-edge-of-the-iran-war-cliff/
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41) Saying It’s Antisemitic To Oppose Genocide Like Saying It’s Anti-Catholic To Oppose Pedophilia
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“On Sunday Israel bombed the al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital, which readers may remember as the hospital that Israel ferociously insisted it didn’t bomb in October 2023 and accused anyone who said otherwise of antisemitic blood libel. According to a statement from the Episcopal Church’s Diocese of Jerusalem, this is now the fifth time this hospital has been bombed since the beginning of the Gaza onslaught. The IDF is predictably claiming there was a Hamas base in the hospital, because that’s what they always do. The hospitals are Hamas, the ambulances are Hamas, the journalists are Hamas, the UN is Hamas, the schools are Hamas, the children are Hamas, every building in Gaza is Hamas, and anyone who disputes this is also Hamas. God this gets old.” (04/15/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/04/15/saying-its-antisemitic-to-oppose-genocide-is-like-saying-its-anti-catholic-to-oppose-pedophilia/
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42) Is Trump orbit rolling out red carpet for Israeli extremist Ben Gvir?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Connor Echols
“A Jewish supremacist known for his role in the violent settler movement, Netanyahu’s national security minister reportedly plans to meet with Kristi Noem, and more.” (04/15/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/ben-gvir-visit-united-states/
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43) Europe, Land of the Free?
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“The Economist has declared Europe the Land of the Free. One proof is that in Europe, no tech oligarchs are ‘spending their weekends feeding bits of the state ‘into the wood chipper.’’ This is an ill-considered allusion to the efforts of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to reduce the bloat and fraud in U.S. government spending. And the trillions in U.S. federal debt. Which are unsustainable. Because magic doesn’t work.” [editor’s note: Rearranging deck chairs for one’s friends’ comfort doesn’t stop the Titanic from getting lower in the water. I’ve yet to see evidence of Musk/DOGE actually trying to reduce bloat or debt – TLK] (04/15/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/04/15/europe-land-of-the-free/
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44) On Iran, Trump Should Ignore Netanyahu
Source: The American Conservative
by Adam Gallagher
“Trump is making the right call by kickstarting diplomacy to deal with Iran’s nuclear program. Preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon through diplomacy advances U.S. interests in the Middle East. A new accord would not only put Iran’s nuclear program in a box, but give Washington a better shot at retrenching from a region of declining strategic importance. The president would be smart to ignore Netanyahu’s advice about the talks and the contours of a potential deal. Netanyahu, the longest-serving premier in Israeli history, has an extensive history of providing counsel to U.S. policymakers that turns out to be at odds with U.S. interests.” (04/15/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/on-iran-trump-should-ignore-netanyahu/
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45) Appeasing Dwindling Audience, CNN Ignores Left-Wing Terrorism
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter
“No adult should go by an ‘ie’ or ‘y’ variation of their name – Billy, Timmy, etc. Once puberty hits, any man with self-respect prefers to drop it to sound less like a buddy and more like an adult. CNN’s Donie O’Sullivan doesn’t care. While it’s not ‘Donny,’ and maybe it is Donie on his birth certificate, it doesn’t matter – you come off like a douche with the ‘y’ sounds on a name that could easily be shortened to ‘Don.’ Donie, the porky Irishman CNN employs to cut their anti-Americanism with an accent, had a special Sunday night called ‘Misinformation: Extreme America’ that was supposed to be about political extremism. It devolved into what seemed like an attempt to get him laid at the next These Lives Matter or Occupy Someplace mutant march/riots on the left.” (04/15/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/04/15/cnn-ignores-left-wing-terrorism-to-appease-dwindling-audience-n2655479
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46) A Classical Liberal in Peru
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Javier Fernández-Lasquetty & Daphne Posadas
“Today we learned the sad news that one of liberty’s greatest champions in the Hispanic world has passed away at the age of 89. Mario Vargas Llosa was not only a Nobel Laureate in Literature and recipient of the Premio Príncipe de Asturias, but also a distinguished member of the Real Academia Española. In 2021, he became one of the celebrated ‘immortals’ of the Académie Française (an extraordinary recognition for a Spanish-speaking writer). In addition to his literary legacy, Vargas Llosa was also a founding member of the Fundación Internacional para la Libertad (FIL) and an active member of the Mont Pelerin Society, firmly grounding his voice in the international classical liberal tradition.” (04/14/25)
https://fee.org/articles/a-classical-liberal-in-peru/
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47) America’s Grief Cycle: The Negotiation Phase
Source: Quillette
by Andrew Roberts
“In 2021 I wrote a piece for Quillette arguing that the decline of American power in the world could usefully be analysed in terms of the Kübler-Ross Grief Cycle, the process by which individuals deal with tragedy, bereavement, and the dawning knowledge of imminent demise. The five stages are famously Denial, Anger, Negotiation, Depression, and Acceptance. I concluded four years ago that the United States was still in the Anger stage, something that the re-election of Donald Trump has since underlined, Yet since his ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs announcements, America has now moved on from Anger into the Negotiation stage of the Cycle. As with terminal illness and bereavement, it is not a good a place to be.” (04/14/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/04/14/americas-grief-cycle-the-negotiation-phase-2/
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48) Incoherence, Grand Plans, and Politicians’ Self-Interest
Source: EconLog
by Pierre Lemieux
“If Trump’s apparent incoherence is not driven by love, is there some grand plan hidden behind it? Financial Times columnist Janan Ganesh argued that there is none: it is irrationality pure and simple. … The problem with this sort of hypothesis, although tempting in this case, is that it can explain everything and its contrary. It is safer—and more natural for an economist—to start with a rational choice framework, even if some qualifications are necessary. Like any individual in the ordinary course of life, Mr. Trump’s first goal is to further his own interest.” (04/14/25)
https://www.econlib.org/incoherence-grand-plans-and-politicians-self-interest/
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49) Chris Rufo and the Burger Kings
Source: In These Times
by Matt McManus
“When I was 15, I worked at the local McDonald’s in Stittsville, Ontario. It was my second-ever job after under-the-table dishwashing at a Cajun joint and I was excited to see how the mince was made in an iconic restaurant chain. Reality was we had a few laughs — like the time my buddy put pot in the muffin mix — but the job itself was long, hard, badly paid and meant you had to simultaneously deal with an indifferent owner and customers who were surprisingly demanding for a drunk buying a $4 burger at midnight. One day I was asked to rummage through the trash to find a customer’s glasses. … I quit and started working as a grocery store cashier instead, where I stayed for about seven years. Same demanding customers, but sufficiently less greasy to count as a vertical move.” (04/15/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/far-right-economy-trump-christopher-rufo
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50) Trump’s tariffs: What happens when you trust delusional people
Source: Orange County Register
by Rafael Perez
“It is abundantly clear that President Donald Trump likes to put people of questionable intelligence and expertise in charge (as demonstrated recently by the Signal chat leak), in part because of the loyalty they appear to demonstrate. A leader like Trump can take a worse step still and choose to actually listen to such people – unfortunately their advice is either a product of some fantasy world or tailored to please the ears of the president. … We can now think of our country as an individual that does not listen to the experts, but only to the fringe – by doing so we can appreciate that Trump’s reliance on people like [Peter] Navarro only increases the likelihood of catastrophe.” (04/14/25)
https://archive.is/lMdJm
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Mutual Exchange Roundtable: Immigration Under Fascism
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
“Zachary Woodman, Alex McHugh, and Nathan Goodman join Cory Massimino for a panel on Trump’s authoritarian actions on immigration, the history of immigration control and regulation, and what you can do to resist the administration’s authoritarian xenophobia.” (04/15/25)
https://c4ss.org/content/60342
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52) Capital Record, episode 228
Source: National Review
“The Stock Market vs. The Real Economy?” (04/15/25)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/the-stock-market-vs-the-real-economy/
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53) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/15/25
Source: The New Republic
“‘Horrifying’: Trump’s Angry New Rants to Media Flout SCOTUS Openly.” (04/15/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/193992/horrifying-trump-angry-new-threats-media-openly-flout-scotus
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54) Trump Watch, 04/15/25
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“More Tariff Whiplash.” (04/15/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfWb8REEV5U
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55) Good On Paper, 04/15/25
Source: The Atlantic
“Would You Give PornHub Your ID?” (04/15/25)
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/archive/2025/04/can-we-stop-kids-from-watching-porn/682455
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56) Kinsella On Liberty, episode 459
Source: StephanKinsella.com
“Twitter Spaces: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, Libertarian Property Rights, and the Case for Abolishing Intellectual Property.” (04/15/25)
https://stephankinsella.com/as_paf_podcast/kol459-twitter-spaces-dorsey-delete-ip/
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57) The New Abnormal, 04/15/25
Source: The Daily Beast
“This Is the Exact Moment America Stopped Being a ‘Nation of Laws.’” (04/15/25)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-the-exact-moment-america-stopped-being-a/id1508202790?i=1000703547075
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58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/15/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Israel to Get ‘Major’ New US Arms Shipment, 15 US Airstrikes Hit Yemen’s Marib Province, and More.” (04/15/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69TSlzQBh0M
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59) Anarcho Agenda, episode 133
Source: Anarcho Agenda
“On episode 133 of Anarcho Agenda I talk trade wars, and my work history.” (04/14/25)
https://anarchoagenda.libsyn.com/anarcho-agenda-ep-133-2025-04-14
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60) Finding Freedom, episode 485
Source: Lions of Liberty
“The 10 Podcast Commandments: What I’ve learned in 10 Years of Podcasting.” (04/14/25)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/the-10-podcast-commandments-what-ive-learned-in-10-years-of-podcasting
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