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04/23 -- Kashmir: Terror attack on tourists leaves multiple dead and wounded; Where Your Money Is Concerned, The Trump v. Powell Fight Is A Sideshow
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Thomas L. Knapp
Apr 23, 2025, 6:23:34 AMApr 23
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 04/23/25
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Presented by the Liberty International
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Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
https://news.rationalreview.com/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Kashmir: Terror attack on tourists leaves multiple dead and wounded
2) Kennedy announces US regime ban on artificial dyes in food and drinks
3) Ukraine war: Russian attacks batter Odesa, Zaporizhzhia
4) Two federal courts extend deportation block under Alien Enemies Act
5) DC: SCOTUS leans toward parents who object to elementary school LGBT storybooks
6) Clinics begin closing as Trump regime continues freeze on family planning funds
7) Brazil: Supreme Court reviews charges against key Bolsonaro allies in coup proceedings
8) Measles Cases in Texas Rise to 624, State Health Department Says
9) US Regime Tells Its Diplomats in Vietnam to Avoid War Anniversary Events
10) Former Thai prosecutors sentenced to prison for alleged cover-up of Red Bull heir’s deadly crash
11) NY: Three more prosecutors resign in aftermath of dismissal of case against NYC mayor
12) Roche to invest $50 billion in the US as pharma tariff threat lingers
13) KY: House Republican Barr enters race for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat
14) Pope Francis’s funeral set for Saturday; public viewing begins Wednesday
15) Divided SCOTUS finds “some deadline flexibility” for immigrants who agree to leave US
16) Gold hits $3,500 for first time as Donald Trump’s attack on Jay Powell rattles markets
17) New York Times found not liable in Palin’s frivolous defamation suit
18) NY: Judge bars federal gang enforcers from operating on Rikers for now
19) CA: Routine traffic stop uncovers hidden guns, homemade bombs
20) Israeli spy chief accuses Netanyahu of demanding illegal operations
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Where Your Money Is Concerned, The Trump v. Powell Fight Is A Sideshow
22) NGO: The Twenty Percent Rule
23) Hegseth Must Go
24) The Non-Aggression Principle Is Realistic and Not an Abstract Concept
25) US Trade Wars and Military Globalization Spark Complex Alignments
26) The climate legacy of a pope and a patriarch
27) Trump and law firms: Who’s bamboozling whom?
28) Capitalists Against Capitalism
29) Welcome to the Garrison State: Dismantling Government While Pumping Up the Pentagon
30) Trump is transforming Americans from citizens to subjects
31) How “absurd” US immigration laws let Kilmar Abrego Garcia game the system
32) Terra Incognita
33) If October 7 Justifies The Gaza Genocide, What Acts Of Violence Will The Gaza Genocide Justify?
34) Can Netanyahu bury “Qatargate” under Gaza’s rubble?
35) Why GMU Should End DEI for Real
36) SWA Shuts Down Composting Business in West Palm Beach
37) America still can’t put down the race card
38) Still Pursuing Happiness
39) Trump’s Road to Constitutional Perdition
40) Have We Forgotten Weimar?
41) Close the US Military Bases in Asia
42) Madison Didn’t Predict the Market as the Last Check on Power
43) Trump vs Powell. It’s On!
44) America Isn’t Israel’s Bodyguard
45) The Questions Democrats Will Not Ask
46) Your Data in DOGE’s Hands
47) Treating Journalism As Consumer Fraud, Trump Claims Coverage of a Presidential Poll Was Not “News Reporting”
48) REAL ID: Phony Security, Real Authoritarianism
49) Trump Admin Climate Plan: Red States Get Hydrogen, Blue States Don’t
50) Taking the power back: How the publicly-owned utility model could impact nationwide transmission buildout
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Trump Watch, 04/22/25
52) Good on Paper, 04/22/25
53) Kathy Sanders on The Scott Horton Show
54) Capital Record, episode 228
55) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/22/25
56) Advisory Opinions, 04/22/25
57) Anarcho Agenda, episode 134
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/22/25
59) Pink Flame of Liberty, 04/21/25
60) Remy: Cupid (Tariff Version)
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Kashmir: Terror attack on tourists leaves multiple dead and wounded
Source: CBS News
“Multiple tourists were killed and others injured Tuesday when suspected militants opened fire on civilians in Indian-controlled Kashmir, according to reports on Indian and international media. Many outlets, including the French news agency AFP, cited unnamed security officials who put the death toll as high as 24, but there was no immediate confirmation on casualties from authorities. The attack took place in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, a scenic destination dotted with meadows and glaciers that attracts hundreds of thousands of Indian and foreign tourists every summer. … People injured in Tuesday’s attack were taken to nearby hospitals. Police, army and paramilitary forces launched a search operation to find those responsible for the attack.” (04/22/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-kashmir-terror-attack-tourists-killed-wounded-pahalgam/
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2) Kennedy announces US regime ban on artificial dyes in food and drinks
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The US will ban eight commonly used artificial food dyes in a bid to help Americans ‘know what’s in their food,’ Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced on Tuesday. … The FDA plans to revoke authorisation for food dyes Red No 2 and Orange B ‘within the coming months,’ according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Six remaining synthetic dyes — FD&C Green No 3; FD&C Red No 40; FD&C Yellow No 5; FD&C Yellow No 6; FD&C Blue No 1; and FD&C Blue No 2 — will be removed from the food supply by the end of next year, HHS said.” (04/22/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdzyjyp8x1o
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3) Ukraine war: Russian attacks batter Odesa, Zaporizhzhia
Source: Orange County Register
“Russian drones battered the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and glide bombs hit Zaporizhzhia, local authorities said Tuesday, as the Kremlin again warned that negotiators are unlikely to obtain a swift breakthrough in peace talks on the war. … Odesa came under a ‘massive attack’ by Russian drones overnight, injuring at least three people, the head of the regional administration, Oleh Kiper, wrote on his Telegram page. A residential building in a densely populated urban area, civilian infrastructure and an educational facility were hit, he said. Later Tuesday, Russia hit the southern city of Zaporizhzhia with two massive aerial glide bombs — a retrofitted Soviet weapon that for months has used to lay waste to eastern Ukraine. The attack killed a 69-year-old woman and injured 24 people, including four children, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/S9oy8
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4) Two federal courts extend deportation block under Alien Enemies Act
Source: Washington Post
“Two federal courts on Tuesday temporarily restrained the Trump administration from deporting individuals in their districts under the Alien Enemies Act, with one judge comparing the government’s deportation tactics to barbaric events in European history and the other requiring a specific time frame for the government to provide deportation notices. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is presiding over a lawsuit in New York, extended by two weeks an order that required immigration officials to give individuals targeted for removal both notice and an opportunity for a hearing. He will also decide whether to impose more long-term restrictions on the administration’s use of the wartime law. … In Colorado, U.S. District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney granted the American Civil Liberties Union’s request to temporarily block removals from her district and required that the government provide a 21-day notice to individuals deemed removable under the act.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/YAAMO
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5) DC: SCOTUS leans toward parents who object to elementary school LGBT storybooks
Source: Reuters
“The U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined to rule in favor of Christian and Muslim parents in Maryland seeking to keep their elementary school children out of certain classes when storybooks with LGBT characters are read in the latest case involving the intersection of religion and LGBT rights. The nine justices heard arguments on Tuesday in an appeal by parents with children in public schools in Montgomery County, located just outside of Washington, after lower courts declined to order the local school district to let children opt out when these books are read. The parents — who include Muslim, Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox plaintiffs — contend that the school board’s policy of prohibiting opt-outs violates the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protections for free exercise of religion.” [editor’s note: What if their religion forbids, say, math? – TLK] (04/22/25)
https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-weigh-objections-elementary-school-lgbt-storybooks-2025-04-22/
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6) Clinics begin closing as Trump regime continues freeze on family planning funds
Source: Politico
“Clinics around the country that provide contraception and other reproductive health services to low-income patients are running out of funds as they await word from the Trump administration on tens of millions of dollars in grants frozen last month. Dozens of medical providers from California to Maine, including nine Planned Parenthood affiliates, have struggled to stay afloat since more than $65 million dollars for the Title X family planning program was withheld on April 1 — a funding freeze the Trump administration said was aimed at enforcing executive orders on diversity and immigration. Federal officials gave the groups 10 days to submit detailed records showing they don’t discriminate in hiring or in patient care, but those who did so by the deadline said they have not received a response.” (04/22/25)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/22/clinics-begin-closing-as-trump-admin-continues-freeze-on-family-planning-funds-00302504
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7) Brazil: Supreme Court reviews charges against key Bolsonaro allies in coup proceedings
Source: ABC News
“A panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court justices started proceedings on Tuesday morning to determine whether federal officers, retired military officers and an aide of former President Jair Bolsonaro will also stand trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup. Last month, the panel unanimously accepted charges against Bolsonaro and seven close allies over an alleged attempt to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and ordered him to stand trial. … Under Brazilian law, a coup conviction alone carries a sentence of up to 12 years, but when combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars. The former president is expected to stand trial in the next few months at Brazil’s Supreme Court.” (04/22/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/brazil-supreme-court-reviews-charges-key-bolsonaro-allies-121050020
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8) Measles Cases in Texas Rise to 624, State Health Department Says
Source: US News & World Report
“The Texas health department reported 624 cases of measles in the state on Tuesday, an increase of 27 from April 18. Cases in Gaines County, the center of the outbreak, rose to 386 from 371 reported on Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. Over the course of the outbreak, 64 patients have been hospitalized in Texas, while two unvaccinated children with no underlying health conditions have died of measles in the state.” (04/22/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2025-04-22/measles-cases-in-texas-rise-to-624-state-health-department-says
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9) US Regime Tells Its Diplomats in Vietnam to Avoid War Anniversary Events
Source: New York Times
“The Trump administration has told its senior diplomats in Vietnam not to take part in events marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Four U.S. officials who insisted on anonymity to describe sensitive diplomatic decision-making said that Washington had recently directed senior diplomats — including Marc Knapper, the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam — to stay away from activities tied to the anniversary on April 30. That includes a hotel reception on April 29 with senior government leaders and an elaborate parade the next day — gatherings hosted by Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, where the war ended with South Vietnam’s surrender. … April 30 is the 100th day of Mr. Trump’s second term. Some U.S. officials speculated that a Trump appointee or a State Department leader feared drawing attention away from that milestone with events that might highlight America’s defeat in a war that Mr. Trump managed to avoid.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/VczPK
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10) Former Thai prosecutors sentenced to prison for alleged cover-up of Red Bull heir’s deadly crash
Source: Seattle Times
“A Thai court convicted and sentenced on Tuesday two former prosecutors in connection with an alleged cover-up of a 2012 Ferrari crash involving an heir to the Red Bull energy drink fortune that killed a police officer. Former Deputy Attorney General Nate Naksuk and former prosecutor Chainarong Sangthongaram were sentenced to three and two years, respectively, for abuse of power to help an individual avoid prosecution, said the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in Bangkok. They were among eight people charged with conspiring to alter the recorded speed of the Ferrari driven by Vorayuth ‘Boss’ Yoovidhya to help him evade a speeding charge. The rest, including former Police Chief Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung, were acquitted due to a lack of evidence linking them to the cover-up, the court said on Tuesday.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/qR0SS
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11) NY: Three more prosecutors resign in aftermath of dismissal of case against NYC mayor
Source: SFGate
“Three more federal prosecutors who had been involved in the now-dismissed corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned on Tuesday, saying they felt pressured into admitting wrongdoing or regret as a condition for being reinstated to their jobs. ‘We will not confess wrongdoing when there was none,’ Celia Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach and Derek Wikstrom wrote in a letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The three assistant U.S. attorneys had been placed on leave after a number of prosecutors in New York and Washington refused to follow orders to end the case against Adams, a Democrat. The letter was published by several news outlets. Its authenticity was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person who received the letter.'” (04/22/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/three-more-prosecutors-resign-in-aftermath-of-20288938.php
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12) Roche to invest $50 billion in the US as pharma tariff threat lingers
Source: CNBC
“Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Tuesday said that it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, amid concerns about the impact of possible new White House tariffs on pharma goods from abroad. The investment will create more than 12,000 jobs, Roche said — 1,000 with the company, and the remainder to support new U.S. manufacturing capabilities. The firm said it already employs more than 25,000 people in America. Shares of Roche were 1.1% lower at 8:39 a.m. in London. … Pharmaceutical companies have been scrambling to bolster their U.S. presence amid threats from President Donald Trump to end the industry’s exemption from import tariffs.” (04/22/25)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/22/roche-to-invest-50-billion-in-the-us-as-tariff-threat-lingers.html
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13) KY: House Republican Barr enters race for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat
Source: Fox News
“Rep. Andy Barr [R-KY] is officially entering the race to replace longtime retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell [R-KY]. Barr, who has served in the House for over a decade, is expected to kick off his campaign in Richmond, Kentucky this evening. He’s also releasing a video to launch the campaign that paints him as a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and a fierce opponent of ‘woke’ trends on diversity, transgender inclusion, and U.S. energy dominance. ‘The United States is the greatest country on Earth, and it’s not even close,’ he said in the video. ‘But here’s the problem. The woke left wants to neuter America – literally. They hate our values. They hate our history. And goodness knows they hate President Trump. But here in Kentucky, that’s why we love him.” (04/22/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republican-enters-race-mitch-mcconnells-senate-seat-setting-up-high-stakes-gop-primary
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14) Pope Francis’s funeral set for Saturday; public viewing begins Wednesday
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“Cardinals have taken their first decisions following the death of Pope Francis, setting Saturday as the date for his funeral and allowing ordinary faithful to begin paying their final respects starting on Wednesday, when his casket is brought into St. Peter’s Basilica. The cardinals met for the first time on Tuesday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’[s] successor, as condolences poured in from around the world grieving history’s first Latin American pope. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St. Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. … In his final will, Francis confirmed he would be buried at St. Mary Major basilica, which is outside the Vatican and home to his favourite icon of the Virgin Mary.” 904/22/25)
https://archive.is/jJfM4
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15) Divided SCOTUS finds “some deadline flexibility” for immigrants who agree to leave US
Source: SFGate
“A divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that immigrants who agree to leave the country are allowed some deadline flexibility in a case that was argued before President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. In a 5-4 decision, the court sided with a man who came from Mexico illegally [sic] as a teenager and had lived in Colorado for nearly two decades before he was ordered to leave in 2021. The case was argued in November 2024, days after Trump won re-election. Several other new immigration cases have since come before the court on its emergency docket. In the case of Hugo Abisai Monsalvo Velazquez, the Supreme Court majority found that a Saturday deadline to voluntarily leave should have been extended to the following Monday.” (04/22/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/divided-supreme-court-finds-some-deadline-20288599.php
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16) Gold hits $3,500 for first time as Donald Trump’s attack on Jay Powell rattles markets
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“Gold hit a record $3,500 a troy ounce for the first time and the dollar fell on Tuesday, as Donald Trump’s sustained attack on US Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell added to fears over the prospects for the world’s largest economy. Gold climbed 2.2 per cent and the Japanese yen strengthened above ¥140 per dollar for the first time since September as investors turned to haven assets. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump branded Powell ‘Mr Too Late’ and urged the central bank to lower borrowing costs ‘NOW.’ The wave of criticism from Trump comes after Powell warned last week that the administration’s sweeping tariffs would lead to slower growth and higher inflation.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/dp4AK
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17) New York Times found not liable in Palin’s frivolous defamation suit
Source: New York Post
“A jury found The New York Times not liable Tuesday after former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin claimed she was defamed by a 2017 editorial falsely tying her to a mass shooting. The nine-person jury deliberated in Manhattan federal court for two hours before finding that the Grey Lady did not libel the onetime Republican vice presidential candidate. The Times, which corrected the editorial the day after it ran, had argued that Palin did not show that it met the high bar of ‘actual malice’ needed to find media outlets liable for defamation.” (04/22/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/22/us-news/the-new-york-times-found-not-liable-in-sarah-palin-defamation-trial/
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18) NY: Judge bars federal gang enforcers from operating on Rikers for now
Source: United Press International
“A New York state judge has prohibited New York City Mayor Eric Adams from allowing federal immigration agents to operate within the Rikers Island jail ahead of a hearing scheduled for later this week. Judge Mary Rosado wrote in her ruling Monday that she is issuing a temporary restraining order prohibiting city officials ‘from taking any steps towards negotiating, signing or implementing any Memoranda of Understanding with the federal government regarding federal law enforcement presence on Department of Correction property … until the conclusion of the hearing scheduled for April 25.’ The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed last week by New York City Council against Adams'[s] April 8 executive order permitting federal law enforcement and immigration personnel to maintain office space in Rikers Island’s prison complex to investigate [rival] gang activity.” (04/22/25)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/04/22/judge-blocks-ICE-Rikers/5171745308651/
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19) CA: Routine traffic stop uncovers hidden guns, homemade bombs
Source: SFGate
“Two people were arrested in northern Mendocino County last week after California Highway Patrol officers discovered homemade explosives and hidden pistols during a routine traffic stop, according to CHP officials. In a news release posted to Facebook, the Garberville office of the CHP said officers pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation on April 15 and found more than they bargained for. Not only did the driver have a suspended license, but officers also discovered a bag that contained what appeared to be ‘homemade fireworks’ in the vehicle. The Northern Division Investigative Services Unit and the Humboldt Regional Bomb Squad responded to the scene, the release said. Investigators also discovered two pistols and explosive-making material in the bed of the vehicle.” [editor’s note: Sounds like activity protected by the Second Amendment – TLK] (04/22/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/northcoast/article/traffic-stop-northern-california-homemade-bombs-20288881.php
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20) Israeli spy chief accuses Netanyahu of demanding illegal operations
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Israel’s spy chief has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to fire him for his refusal to commit illegal acts aimed at protecting the leader’s personal and political interests. Ronen Bar, chief of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, made the assertion in an affidavit to the Supreme Court on Monday. … In the unclassified part of the court submission, Bar said Netanyahu had told him ‘on more than one occasion’ that he expected Shin Bet to take action against Israelis involved in antigovernment demonstrations, ‘with a particular focus on monitoring the protests’ financial backers.’ The Shin Bet head also said he had refused to sign off on a security request aimed at relieving Netanyahu from testifying at an ongoing corruption trial in which he faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust.” (04/22/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/22/israeli-spy-chief-accuses-netanyahu-of-demanding-illegal-operations
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Where Your Money Is Concerned, The Trump v. Powell Fight Is A Sideshow
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“The Fed shouldn’t lower — or raise — interest rates. The Fed should dissolve, or be dissolved, and the job of ‘creating money’ should be left entirely to a free market. There’s simply not enough room in an op-ed column to explain the intricate processes through which the Fed has debased the value of American money over the last 112 years, but lengthy explanations aren’t really necessary. The results of giving a banking cartel a monopoly on the creation of ‘money,’ the power to create that ‘money’ from thin air, and a mandate to loan that ‘money’ to politicians who can borrow as much as they want as often as they want, were predictable from the start.” (04/22/25)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/19511
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22) NGO: The Twenty Percent Rule
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“We knew it at some level, but recent audits reveal the extent of regime abhorrence. Government growth — in money, power, and ideology — has been laundered in non-governmental organizations. The NGO is poorly named, as far too many NGOs receive most of their funding from government agencies. The extent to which governments fund NGOs is the extent to which those entities are just GOs, only less accountable. That is, NGOs flush with government funds are just partisan extensions of state authorities — whatever the party. To hell with that. … Ideally, it would be illegal for governments to grant taxpayer funds to NGOs. But in the interests of compromise, Congress should pass a law: No NGO may accept more than 20 percent of its annual revenue from government entities. Furthermore, no NGO may accept funding from any other NGO that receives government funding.” (04/22/25)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/ngo-the-twenty-percent-rule
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23) Hegseth Must Go
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“The sloppy and possibly illegal handling of sensitive information is a good reason for Hegseth to be fired, but that is just a symptom of the incompetent, slapdash way that is running the department. Hegseth doesn’t know what he’s doing, and he falls back on his cartoonish obsession with ‘lethality’ to try to distract from his inpetitude. His brief tenure has been marked by chaos and dysfunction, and that comes as no surprise when we recall that he had no qualifications to run a government department of this size and complexity. … One reason why he seems to be so obsessed with firing advisers to plug leaks is that so many of the leaks expose how bad he is at doing his job.” (04/22/25)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/hegseth-must-go
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24) The Non-Aggression Principle Is Realistic and Not an Abstract Concept
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Wanjiru Njoya
“One mistake many libertarians make is to suppose that theoretical principles can provide a complete resolution for difficult cases, in the sense that we should be able to ascertain — just by studying the NAP — whether it has been violated in specific cases. Gordon points out that this overlooks the role of other considerations, such as social conventions and legal norms, in resolving real world disputes. The ‘morally unacceptable implications’ that many libertarians find disturbing are the result of theorizing about the NAP without regard to the broader ethical framework within which Rothbard defends property rights. Rothbard’s theory of liberty is not just a philosophical or academic treatise based on a set of hypothetical problems. It is also a ‘system of libertarian law’ designed as a foundation for ‘the truly successful functioning of what we may hope will be the libertarian society of the future.'” (04/22/25)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/non-aggression-principle-realistic-and-not-abstract-concept
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25) US Trade Wars and Military Globalization Spark Complex Alignments
Source: Antiwar.com
by Dan Steinbock
“Thanks to President Trump’s new round of international tariffs, global economy is now at the risk of unraveling. This is not just the result of plunging world trade and investment, but of soaring US military expenditures.” (04/22/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/dan_steinbock/2025/04/21/us-trade-wars-and-military-globalization-spark-complex-alignments/
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26) The climate legacy of a pope and a patriarch
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“This year’s global celebration of Earth Day on April 22 had both sadness and celebration hanging over it. The sadness was that one of the world’s religious leaders who helped put a spiritual dimension into climate activism, Pope Francis, died on Monday. Among the many celebratory tributes to him was widespread praise for his missives citing a love of God and others – rather than fear – as the basis for stewardship of Earth’s atmosphere. Just days before his death, another fellow global church leader was celebrated. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians, won this year’s Templeton Prize. He was cited for his decades of work in promoting ‘a compelling moral and theological vision of humanity’s responsibility to care for the Earth,’ as the John Templeton Foundation put it.” (04/22/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0422/The-climate-legacy-of-a-pope-and-a-patriarch
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27) Trump and law firms: Who’s bamboozling whom?
Source: Washington Post
by David Kendall
“Nine large law firms have announced deals with President Donald Trump to provide pro bono legal services of nearly $1 billion to avert executive orders targeting their legal work. One firm claimed, in an internal statement to its employees, that these settlements do not mean the White House ‘is dictating what matters we take on.’ Another said it remained ‘completely free to choose whether or not we wish to work on any particular pro bono matter.’ The Trump administration, on the other hand, called the arrangements ‘fully binding’ and the president asserted that the nine firms have paid him ‘a lot of money in the form of legal fees.’ … Clearly, there has been no meeting of minds. Putting aside the small fact that the executive orders are demonstrably illegal, as four judges have found, the central question about these deals is: Who’s bamboozling whom?” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/5BIxN
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28) Capitalists Against Capitalism
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Paul Meany
“The Trump administration’s tariffs and the damage they could cause to people’s livelihoods globally are a rude reminder that free markets matter. But we live in a time when the mainstream voices of the media, academia, and politics are hopelessly preoccupied with their disdain for ‘capitalism.’ Despite the unprecedented progress and technological advancement free markets have brought, much of society still hates the goose that lays the golden egg. But why?” (04/22/25)
https://fee.org/articles/capitalists-against-capitalism/
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29) Welcome to the Garrison State: Dismantling Government While Pumping Up the Pentagon
Source: TomDispatch
by William D Hartung
“Under the guise of efficiency, the Trump administration is taking a sledgehammer to essential programs and agencies that are the backbone of America’s civilian government. The virtual elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and plans to shut down the Department of Education are just the most visible examples of a campaign that includes layoffs of budget experts, public health officials, scientists, and other critical personnel whose work undergirds the daily operations of government and provides the basic services needed by businesses, families, and individuals alike. Many of those services can make the difference between solvency and poverty, health and illness, or even, in some cases, life and death for vulnerable populations. The speed with which civilian programs and agencies are being slashed in the second Trump era gives away the true purpose of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).” (04/22/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/the-ever-expanding-war-machine/
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30) Trump is transforming Americans from citizens to subjects
Source: The Hill
by Avraham Shama
“In my 2022 novel, ‘Cyberwars,’ one of the characters suggests that internet technology makes it possible to turn a democracy into a democratic dictatorship. But when I wrote it, I couldn’t have imagined that this fiction could describe the U.S. under President Trump today. While much of the globe is embroiled in the tariff wars that are setting the world on fire, a far more critical development is quietly taking place here at home: the transformation of Americans from citizens to subjects. Following President Vladimir Putin, Trump is on his way to becoming an elected dictator. His behavior echoes the statement by Louis XIV to the Paris Parliament in 1655: ‘The state, it is me.’ And in the next election, Trump will not need a self-coup or to incite his supporters the way he tried in 2020.” (04/22/25)
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5258862-us-transformation-from-citizens-subjects/
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31) How “absurd” US immigration laws let Kilmar Abrego Garcia game the system
Source: New York Post
by Rich Lowry
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia shouldn’t be in a prison in El Salvador, but he also never should have been in the United States — or given relief from deportation. The White House is trying to make the alleged MS-13 gang member a symbol of illegal-immigrant [sic] crime, while President Trump’s opposition is seeking to make ‘the Maryland man’ a symbol of the administration’s disregard for due process. What has gotten less attention is that his case is an example of the self-defeating absurdities of our immigration system and, in particular, how it hands out ‘humanitarian protection.’ When Abrego Garcia avoided deportation back in 2019, he didn’t take advantage of asylum — which has been a key driver of the immigration crisis — but something called ‘withholding of removal.'” (04/22/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/22/opinion/absurd-us-laws-let-kilmar-abrego-garcia-game-the-system/
-----
32) Terra Incognita
Source: Cobden Center
by Luca Martina
“We don’t know whether the trade war triggered by President Donald Trump stems from his ignorance of the potential consequences, it is a poorly conceived strategy of ‘conquering’ global markets, or simply a botched attempt to impose his negotiation rules on other countries. Certainly, acts of commercial hostility are multiplying, and the possibility of a significant contraction in international trade (one of the greatest drivers of global growth) has become real. What about financial markets? Investors are typically averse to uncertain environments, as it complicates the process of valuing a company. Stock markets rely on predictions of future performance and it is hard to make informed guesses if you cannot predict future profits and at what interest rate future cash flows should be discounted (the value of a sum received must be brought to the present, discounted by an interest rate).” (04/22/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/04/terra-incognita/
-----
33) If October 7 Justifies The Gaza Genocide, What Acts Of Violence Will The Gaza Genocide Justify?
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“If you believe that all the violence and destruction in Gaza is the fault of Hamas, then by your own logic you must also accept that the coming wave of violent extremism and antisemitism which is going to ensue from the incineration of Gaza will exclusively be the fault of Israel. I said this on Twitter the other day and Israel supporters got outraged and shared screenshots of my post shrieking with indignation that anyone would say such a thing, which is funny because I’m just reading their own line of reasoning back to them. I’m not the one who says an act of violence excuses any violence done in response to it.” (04/22/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/04/22/if-october-7-justifies-the-gaza-genocide-what-acts-of-violence-will-the-gaza-genocide-justify/
-----
34) Can Netanyahu bury “Qatargate” under Gaza’s rubble?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Nick Cleveland-Stout & Ashley Gate
“A new scandal is embroiling Israel, one that threatens to take down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It calls into question the level of foreign influence that may have flowed into the prime minister’s office — and Netanyahu is already looking to escalate the war in Gaza as a distraction.” (04/22/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/netanyahu-qatar/
-----
35) Why GMU Should End DEI for Real
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“It’s been a long time since I’ve received so much as an email from GMU’s DEI office. In fact, the last email I received about GMU DEI was a message from President Gregory Washington announcing that ‘Our DEI office is now the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community.’ Given the current political climate, why would any reasonable person consider the full abolition of this renamed DEI office, including the firing of all DEI staff, to be an important and valuable goal? My answer: The current political climate will not last. Political climates never do. And once the political climate for DEI is once again favorable, the office will resume its ultimate mission: transforming GMU from a university where people can freely discuss the most controversial issues into a seminary where people are taught one controversial philosophy as established fact — and dissenters are intimidated into silence.” (04/22/25)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/why-gmu-should-end-dei-for-real
-----
36) SWA Shuts Down Composting Business in West Palm Beach
Source: Lisa Liberty
by Lisa Gansky
“In April 2022, Melissa [Corichi] received an alarming call from the Solid Waste Authority (SWA) of Palm Beach County. They demanded an inspection of her farm headquarters and ordered her to cease operations within the county. ‘I was initially surprised and confused,’ Melissa recalls. ‘After operating for 8 years and growing the collection business to 250 customers, I was getting ready to scale up my operation. But they told me businesses like mine aren’t allowed to exist in Palm Beach County.’ The SWA’s argument was rooted in the Flow Code, a regulation that grants SWA exclusive control over waste processing. They accused her of undermining their waste-to-energy initiatives by diverting organic waste from incinerators, even though Let it Rot focused on composting using worms — vermiculture. The implications of this monopolistic enforcement are far-reaching, with the SWA claiming all rights to the waste produced in the county.” (04/22/25)
https://lisaliberty.substack.com/p/swa-shuts-down-composting-business
-----
37) America still can’t put down the race card
Source: Fox News
by Corey Brooks
“When race is the only lens, it blinds us to due process and justice. Those screaming the loudest and strutting like cocks on social media are not trying to heal. They’re hustling in the tradition of Al Sharpton. All because, in today’s culture, the race card is still too valuable to put down. When a black teenager stabbed a white teenager at a recent Texas high school track meet, it was not long before Americans online predictably turned this into a racial controversy — even before the facts were known.” (04/22/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-still-cant-put-down-race-card-its-shame-our-nation
-----
38) Still Pursuing Happiness
Source: Law & Liberty
by Reuven Brenner
“Confucius wrote some 2,000 years ago that ‘good government obtains when those who are near are made happy, and those who are far off are attracted.’ If this is true, then it might help us to recognize societies where people hope to pursue happiness for themselves and their offspring. If many people vote with their feet toward some countries, and citizens of these same countries are having kids, those might be telltale signs. This could reflect favorably on the United States and Canada, which have long been two of the most desired destinations for would-be immigrants. But are the citizens of these countries ‘happy?’ Some insist that that they are not.” (04/22/25)
https://lawliberty.org/still-pursuing-happiness/
-----
39) Trump’s Road to Constitutional Perdition
Source: The Bulwark
by Corbin K Barthold
“They were gathered again, the lawyers and the judge, at an hour when the courts of a well-ordered society should be still. This country once divided against itself over the fate of fugitive slaves. Those ‘held to service or labour in one state,’ in the Constitution’s shameful euphemism, were to ‘be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labour may be due.’ Our greatest president gave his life to end the fettered bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil. Our current president is no emancipator. Indeed, history will count him among the traffickers.” (04/22/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-constitutional-perdition-el-salvador-bukele-renditions-supreme-court
-----
40) Have We Forgotten Weimar?
Source: Quillette
by Jay Sophalkalyan
“This is not the first time Germany has resorted to censorship in the mistaken belief that the state can contain dangerous ideas. The last time they tried this, it facilitated the rise of the Nazis.” (04/22/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/04/22/have-we-forgotten-weimar-censorship-free-speech-germany/
-----
41) Close the US Military Bases in Asia
Source: Common Dreams
by Jeffrey D Sachs
“President Donald Trump is again loudly complaining that the U.S. military bases in Asia are too costly for the U.S. to bear. As part of the new round of tariff negotiations with Japan and Korea, Trump is calling on Japan and Korea to pay for stationing the US troops. Here’s a much better idea: close the bases and bring the U.S. servicemen home. Trump implies that the U.S. is providing a great service to Japan and Korea by stationing 50,000 troops in Japan and nearly 30,000 in Korea. Yet these countries do not need the U.S. to defend themselves. They are wealthy and can certainly provide their own defense. Far more importantly, diplomacy can ensure the peace in northeast Asia far more effectively and far less expensively than U.S. troops.” (04/22/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/us-military-bases-asia
-----
42) Madison Didn’t Predict the Market as the Last Check on Power
Source: The Daily Economy
by Jerome Gessaroli
“Legislators may be cowed and agencies may be politicized, but financial markets connect policies to their impacts with brisk efficiency.” (04/22/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/madison-didnt-predict-the-market-as-the-last-check-on-power/
-----
43) Trump vs Powell. It’s On!
Source: Racket News
by Eric Salzman
“In pushing for rate cuts the president insults the Fed chairman — but Trump’s tariffs are driving prices the other way.” (04/22/25)
https://www.racket.news/p/trump-vs-powell-its-on
-----
44) America Isn’t Israel’s Bodyguard
Source: The American Conservative
by Eldar Mamedov
“Neocons want the U.S. to take out Israel’s adversaries. President Trump should refuse.” (04/22/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/america-isnt-israels-bodyguard/
-----
45) The Questions Democrats Will Not Ask
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter
“They’re a curious group of people, Democrats. They demand answers to some things very few people care about while expressing complete disinterest, even contempt, in obtaining information on other topics. It’s almost like they’re frauds who posture for effect when it suits their needs and deflect when it does not. If my children acted like they do, I’d ground them. But these are adults, chronologically, many of whom are so entrenched in power it does not matter what they do. Still, it is worth asking what Democrats don’t want to talk about, because that’s what an honest media should be asking them about. It’s amazing what you won’t find if you refuse to look for it, isn’t it?” (04/22/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/04/22/the-questions-democrats-will-not-ask-n2655894
-----
46) Your Data in DOGE’s Hands
Source: Persuasion
by Martin Eiermann
“In its attempt to remake the federal bureaucracy, the Trump administration appears guided by three imperatives: Eliminate programs and agencies that do not fit into its agenda; exercise direct control over the remaining agencies; and enforce policies by coordinating across agencies. Political scientists sometimes refer to America as a ‘many-handed’ state, where one hand does not necessarily know what the other hand is doing. The new goal is to punch towards a common opponent and throw multiple haymakers at once. A key element of this strategy is increased data-sharing between federal agencies.” (04/21/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/your-data-in-doges-hands
-----
47) Treating Journalism As Consumer Fraud, Trump Claims Coverage of a Presidential Poll Was Not “News Reporting”
Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum
“The president’s lawyers also conflate fraud with defamation, misconstrue the commercial speech doctrine, and assert that false speech is not constitutionally protected.” (04/21/25)
https://reason.com/2025/04/21/treating-journalism-as-consumer-fraud-trump-claims-coverage-of-a-presidential-poll-was-not-news-reporting/
-----
48) REAL ID: Phony Security, Real Authoritarianism
Source: Campaign For Liberty
by Ron Paul
“Those who hoped the second Trump Administration would reject big spending, war, and restrictions on liberty continue to be disappointed. A new disappointment came when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced her department would in May begin enforcing the REAL ID law. Passed in 2005, the REAL ID Act created federal standards for driver’s licenses. The law requires everyone applying for a driver’s license to provide the DMV with his social security number, proof of legal residence, and two proofs of his home address. The REAL ID Act allows the Homeland Security Department to mandate, as it sees fit, the including of addition items in the related government database, including ‘biometric’ identifiers. Biometric identifiers include personal data such as retina scans, fingerprints, and DNA.” (04/21/25)
https://www.campaignforliberty.org/real-id-phony-security-real-authoritarianism
-----
49) Trump Admin Climate Plan: Red States Get Hydrogen, Blue States Don’t
Source: The American Prospect
by Audrey Carleton
“Less than a year after announcing plans to establish a hydrogen-based aviation fuel hub at Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania-based natural gas producer CNX has quietly taken down the website on which it advertised the hub. The move comes as the fate of the much-vaunted hydrogen industry — seen by the Biden administration as a way to power America while reducing climate-altering emissions — is in upheaval. While a Biden-era rule dealt a blow to those in the gas and oil industry hoping to invest in hydrogen technology and offered greater financial incentives to the renewable energy sector, President Donald Trump is showing preference for fossil fuel-powered hydrogen. Meanwhile, the fate of those Biden-era tax credits — whether for renewable energy or fossil fuel — is up in the air as congress wades through the budget reconciliation process.” (04/22/25)
https://prospect.org/environment/2025-04-22-trump-pennsylvania-hydrogen-fuel/
-----
50) Taking the power back: How the publicly-owned utility model could impact nationwide transmission buildout
Source: Niskanen Center
by Rachel Levine
“As energy costs rise and reliability issues persist, more Americans are questioning if the investor-owned utility (IOU) model still serves their needs. Growing frustration has sparked a shift: communities across the country are exploring ways to gain more control and accountability in how their power is delivered. Many are turning to publicly owned utility models as a solution.” [editor’s note: Niskanen seems obsessed with “transmission” over long distances, when the only solution to power reliability is extreme localization (preferably to the household, or at most neighborhood, level – TLK] (04/21/25)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/taking-the-power-back-how-the-publicly-owned-utility-model-could-impact-nationwide-transmission-buildout/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Trump Watch, 04/22/25
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Harvard, the Fed, Tariffs, and Immigration.” (04/22/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPH9oftwegI
-----
52) Good on Paper, 04/22/25
Source: The Atlantic
“The Framers of the U.S. Constitution designed a government that they hoped would be impervious to tyranny of the majority. What they didn’t spend much time worrying about was the reverse: a tyranny of the minority. The political scientist Steve Teles explains how very small minorities have come to dominate government and what should be done about it.” (04/22/25)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/minority-rule-in-america/id1746176654?i=1000704434899
-----
53) Kathy Sanders on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Scott interviews Kathy Sanders, who lost two of her grandchildren in the Oklahoma City bombing and has spent the years since trying to get to the bottom of what really happened that day. Sanders tells Scott about her experience arriving quickly on the scene after the attack before they dive into all she’s been able to piece together and how she’s working to get the truth out.” (04/22/25)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/4-15-25-kathy-sanders-on-the-true-story-of-the-okc-bombing/
-----
54) Capital Record, episode 228
Source: National Review
“Moving the Wrong Way with the Fed.” (04/22/25)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/moving-the-wrong-way-with-the-fed/
-----
55) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/22/25
Source: The New Republic
“‘Full-Blown Meltdown’: Don Jr. and MAGA Rage as GOPers Turn on Hegseth.” (04/22/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/194228/full-blown-meltdown-don-jr-maga-rage-gopers-turn-hegseth
-----
56) Advisory Opinions, 04/22/25
Source: The Dispatch
“Judge v. (Unethical) Lawyer.” (04/22/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/judge-v-unethical-lawyer/
-----
57) Anarcho Agenda, episode 134
Source: Anarcho Agenda
“Performing to an empty audience is a big fear for performers, but I do it anyway. Here’s that story.” (04/21/25)
https://anarchoagenda.libsyn.com/anarcho-agenda-ep-134-2025-04-21
-----
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/22/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Huckabee Backs Israel’s Total Blockade on Gaza, US Airstrikes Kill 12 at Yemen Market, and More.” (04/22/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeZXQXla2G4
-----
59) Pink Flame of Liberty, 04/21/25
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Examining SCOTUS — Trump v. JGG (Majority got it WRONG!).” (04/21/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3SjqlLDfZ0
-----
60) Remy: Cupid (Tariff Version)
Source: Reason
“Love hurts (and so does protectionism).” (04/21/25)
https://reason.com/video/2025/04/21/remy-cupid-tariff-version/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Kashmir: Terror attack on tourists leaves multiple dead and wounded
2) Kennedy announces US regime ban on artificial dyes in food and drinks
3) Ukraine war: Russian attacks batter Odesa, Zaporizhzhia
4) Two federal courts extend deportation block under Alien Enemies Act
5) DC: SCOTUS leans toward parents who object to elementary school LGBT storybooks
6) Clinics begin closing as Trump regime continues freeze on family planning funds
7) Brazil: Supreme Court reviews charges against key Bolsonaro allies in coup proceedings
8) Measles Cases in Texas Rise to 624, State Health Department Says
9) US Regime Tells Its Diplomats in Vietnam to Avoid War Anniversary Events
10) Former Thai prosecutors sentenced to prison for alleged cover-up of Red Bull heir’s deadly crash
11) NY: Three more prosecutors resign in aftermath of dismissal of case against NYC mayor
12) Roche to invest $50 billion in the US as pharma tariff threat lingers
13) KY: House Republican Barr enters race for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat
14) Pope Francis’s funeral set for Saturday; public viewing begins Wednesday
15) Divided SCOTUS finds “some deadline flexibility” for immigrants who agree to leave US
16) Gold hits $3,500 for first time as Donald Trump’s attack on Jay Powell rattles markets
17) New York Times found not liable in Palin’s frivolous defamation suit
18) NY: Judge bars federal gang enforcers from operating on Rikers for now
19) CA: Routine traffic stop uncovers hidden guns, homemade bombs
20) Israeli spy chief accuses Netanyahu of demanding illegal operations
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Where Your Money Is Concerned, The Trump v. Powell Fight Is A Sideshow
22) NGO: The Twenty Percent Rule
23) Hegseth Must Go
24) The Non-Aggression Principle Is Realistic and Not an Abstract Concept
25) US Trade Wars and Military Globalization Spark Complex Alignments
26) The climate legacy of a pope and a patriarch
27) Trump and law firms: Who’s bamboozling whom?
28) Capitalists Against Capitalism
29) Welcome to the Garrison State: Dismantling Government While Pumping Up the Pentagon
30) Trump is transforming Americans from citizens to subjects
31) How “absurd” US immigration laws let Kilmar Abrego Garcia game the system
32) Terra Incognita
33) If October 7 Justifies The Gaza Genocide, What Acts Of Violence Will The Gaza Genocide Justify?
34) Can Netanyahu bury “Qatargate” under Gaza’s rubble?
35) Why GMU Should End DEI for Real
36) SWA Shuts Down Composting Business in West Palm Beach
37) America still can’t put down the race card
38) Still Pursuing Happiness
39) Trump’s Road to Constitutional Perdition
40) Have We Forgotten Weimar?
41) Close the US Military Bases in Asia
42) Madison Didn’t Predict the Market as the Last Check on Power
43) Trump vs Powell. It’s On!
44) America Isn’t Israel’s Bodyguard
45) The Questions Democrats Will Not Ask
46) Your Data in DOGE’s Hands
47) Treating Journalism As Consumer Fraud, Trump Claims Coverage of a Presidential Poll Was Not “News Reporting”
48) REAL ID: Phony Security, Real Authoritarianism
49) Trump Admin Climate Plan: Red States Get Hydrogen, Blue States Don’t
50) Taking the power back: How the publicly-owned utility model could impact nationwide transmission buildout
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Trump Watch, 04/22/25
52) Good on Paper, 04/22/25
53) Kathy Sanders on The Scott Horton Show
54) Capital Record, episode 228
55) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/22/25
56) Advisory Opinions, 04/22/25
57) Anarcho Agenda, episode 134
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/22/25
59) Pink Flame of Liberty, 04/21/25
60) Remy: Cupid (Tariff Version)
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Kashmir: Terror attack on tourists leaves multiple dead and wounded
Source: CBS News
“Multiple tourists were killed and others injured Tuesday when suspected militants opened fire on civilians in Indian-controlled Kashmir, according to reports on Indian and international media. Many outlets, including the French news agency AFP, cited unnamed security officials who put the death toll as high as 24, but there was no immediate confirmation on casualties from authorities. The attack took place in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam area, a scenic destination dotted with meadows and glaciers that attracts hundreds of thousands of Indian and foreign tourists every summer. … People injured in Tuesday’s attack were taken to nearby hospitals. Police, army and paramilitary forces launched a search operation to find those responsible for the attack.” (04/22/25)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/india-kashmir-terror-attack-tourists-killed-wounded-pahalgam/
-----
2) Kennedy announces US regime ban on artificial dyes in food and drinks
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The US will ban eight commonly used artificial food dyes in a bid to help Americans ‘know what’s in their food,’ Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr announced on Tuesday. … The FDA plans to revoke authorisation for food dyes Red No 2 and Orange B ‘within the coming months,’ according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Six remaining synthetic dyes — FD&C Green No 3; FD&C Red No 40; FD&C Yellow No 5; FD&C Yellow No 6; FD&C Blue No 1; and FD&C Blue No 2 — will be removed from the food supply by the end of next year, HHS said.” (04/22/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdzyjyp8x1o
-----
3) Ukraine war: Russian attacks batter Odesa, Zaporizhzhia
Source: Orange County Register
“Russian drones battered the Ukrainian port city of Odesa and glide bombs hit Zaporizhzhia, local authorities said Tuesday, as the Kremlin again warned that negotiators are unlikely to obtain a swift breakthrough in peace talks on the war. … Odesa came under a ‘massive attack’ by Russian drones overnight, injuring at least three people, the head of the regional administration, Oleh Kiper, wrote on his Telegram page. A residential building in a densely populated urban area, civilian infrastructure and an educational facility were hit, he said. Later Tuesday, Russia hit the southern city of Zaporizhzhia with two massive aerial glide bombs — a retrofitted Soviet weapon that for months has used to lay waste to eastern Ukraine. The attack killed a 69-year-old woman and injured 24 people, including four children, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/S9oy8
-----
4) Two federal courts extend deportation block under Alien Enemies Act
Source: Washington Post
“Two federal courts on Tuesday temporarily restrained the Trump administration from deporting individuals in their districts under the Alien Enemies Act, with one judge comparing the government’s deportation tactics to barbaric events in European history and the other requiring a specific time frame for the government to provide deportation notices. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein, who is presiding over a lawsuit in New York, extended by two weeks an order that required immigration officials to give individuals targeted for removal both notice and an opportunity for a hearing. He will also decide whether to impose more long-term restrictions on the administration’s use of the wartime law. … In Colorado, U.S. District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney granted the American Civil Liberties Union’s request to temporarily block removals from her district and required that the government provide a 21-day notice to individuals deemed removable under the act.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/YAAMO
-----
5) DC: SCOTUS leans toward parents who object to elementary school LGBT storybooks
Source: Reuters
“The U.S. Supreme Court appeared inclined to rule in favor of Christian and Muslim parents in Maryland seeking to keep their elementary school children out of certain classes when storybooks with LGBT characters are read in the latest case involving the intersection of religion and LGBT rights. The nine justices heard arguments on Tuesday in an appeal by parents with children in public schools in Montgomery County, located just outside of Washington, after lower courts declined to order the local school district to let children opt out when these books are read. The parents — who include Muslim, Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox plaintiffs — contend that the school board’s policy of prohibiting opt-outs violates the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment protections for free exercise of religion.” [editor’s note: What if their religion forbids, say, math? – TLK] (04/22/25)
https://www.reuters.com/legal/us-supreme-court-weigh-objections-elementary-school-lgbt-storybooks-2025-04-22/
-----
6) Clinics begin closing as Trump regime continues freeze on family planning funds
Source: Politico
“Clinics around the country that provide contraception and other reproductive health services to low-income patients are running out of funds as they await word from the Trump administration on tens of millions of dollars in grants frozen last month. Dozens of medical providers from California to Maine, including nine Planned Parenthood affiliates, have struggled to stay afloat since more than $65 million dollars for the Title X family planning program was withheld on April 1 — a funding freeze the Trump administration said was aimed at enforcing executive orders on diversity and immigration. Federal officials gave the groups 10 days to submit detailed records showing they don’t discriminate in hiring or in patient care, but those who did so by the deadline said they have not received a response.” (04/22/25)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/22/clinics-begin-closing-as-trump-admin-continues-freeze-on-family-planning-funds-00302504
-----
7) Brazil: Supreme Court reviews charges against key Bolsonaro allies in coup proceedings
Source: ABC News
“A panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court justices started proceedings on Tuesday morning to determine whether federal officers, retired military officers and an aide of former President Jair Bolsonaro will also stand trial for allegedly attempting to stage a coup. Last month, the panel unanimously accepted charges against Bolsonaro and seven close allies over an alleged attempt to stay in office after his 2022 election defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and ordered him to stand trial. … Under Brazilian law, a coup conviction alone carries a sentence of up to 12 years, but when combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars. The former president is expected to stand trial in the next few months at Brazil’s Supreme Court.” (04/22/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/brazil-supreme-court-reviews-charges-key-bolsonaro-allies-121050020
-----
8) Measles Cases in Texas Rise to 624, State Health Department Says
Source: US News & World Report
“The Texas health department reported 624 cases of measles in the state on Tuesday, an increase of 27 from April 18. Cases in Gaines County, the center of the outbreak, rose to 386 from 371 reported on Friday, the Texas Department of State Health Services said. Over the course of the outbreak, 64 patients have been hospitalized in Texas, while two unvaccinated children with no underlying health conditions have died of measles in the state.” (04/22/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2025-04-22/measles-cases-in-texas-rise-to-624-state-health-department-says
-----
9) US Regime Tells Its Diplomats in Vietnam to Avoid War Anniversary Events
Source: New York Times
“The Trump administration has told its senior diplomats in Vietnam not to take part in events marking the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. Four U.S. officials who insisted on anonymity to describe sensitive diplomatic decision-making said that Washington had recently directed senior diplomats — including Marc Knapper, the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam — to stay away from activities tied to the anniversary on April 30. That includes a hotel reception on April 29 with senior government leaders and an elaborate parade the next day — gatherings hosted by Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon, where the war ended with South Vietnam’s surrender. … April 30 is the 100th day of Mr. Trump’s second term. Some U.S. officials speculated that a Trump appointee or a State Department leader feared drawing attention away from that milestone with events that might highlight America’s defeat in a war that Mr. Trump managed to avoid.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/VczPK
-----
10) Former Thai prosecutors sentenced to prison for alleged cover-up of Red Bull heir’s deadly crash
Source: Seattle Times
“A Thai court convicted and sentenced on Tuesday two former prosecutors in connection with an alleged cover-up of a 2012 Ferrari crash involving an heir to the Red Bull energy drink fortune that killed a police officer. Former Deputy Attorney General Nate Naksuk and former prosecutor Chainarong Sangthongaram were sentenced to three and two years, respectively, for abuse of power to help an individual avoid prosecution, said the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases in Bangkok. They were among eight people charged with conspiring to alter the recorded speed of the Ferrari driven by Vorayuth ‘Boss’ Yoovidhya to help him evade a speeding charge. The rest, including former Police Chief Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung, were acquitted due to a lack of evidence linking them to the cover-up, the court said on Tuesday.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/qR0SS
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11) NY: Three more prosecutors resign in aftermath of dismissal of case against NYC mayor
Source: SFGate
“Three more federal prosecutors who had been involved in the now-dismissed corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams resigned on Tuesday, saying they felt pressured into admitting wrongdoing or regret as a condition for being reinstated to their jobs. ‘We will not confess wrongdoing when there was none,’ Celia Cohen, Andrew Rohrbach and Derek Wikstrom wrote in a letter to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. The three assistant U.S. attorneys had been placed on leave after a number of prosecutors in New York and Washington refused to follow orders to end the case against Adams, a Democrat. The letter was published by several news outlets. Its authenticity was confirmed to The Associated Press by a person who received the letter.'” (04/22/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/three-more-prosecutors-resign-in-aftermath-of-20288938.php
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12) Roche to invest $50 billion in the US as pharma tariff threat lingers
Source: CNBC
“Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Tuesday said that it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, amid concerns about the impact of possible new White House tariffs on pharma goods from abroad. The investment will create more than 12,000 jobs, Roche said — 1,000 with the company, and the remainder to support new U.S. manufacturing capabilities. The firm said it already employs more than 25,000 people in America. Shares of Roche were 1.1% lower at 8:39 a.m. in London. … Pharmaceutical companies have been scrambling to bolster their U.S. presence amid threats from President Donald Trump to end the industry’s exemption from import tariffs.” (04/22/25)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/22/roche-to-invest-50-billion-in-the-us-as-tariff-threat-lingers.html
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13) KY: House Republican Barr enters race for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat
Source: Fox News
“Rep. Andy Barr [R-KY] is officially entering the race to replace longtime retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell [R-KY]. Barr, who has served in the House for over a decade, is expected to kick off his campaign in Richmond, Kentucky this evening. He’s also releasing a video to launch the campaign that paints him as a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and a fierce opponent of ‘woke’ trends on diversity, transgender inclusion, and U.S. energy dominance. ‘The United States is the greatest country on Earth, and it’s not even close,’ he said in the video. ‘But here’s the problem. The woke left wants to neuter America – literally. They hate our values. They hate our history. And goodness knows they hate President Trump. But here in Kentucky, that’s why we love him.” (04/22/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-republican-enters-race-mitch-mcconnells-senate-seat-setting-up-high-stakes-gop-primary
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14) Pope Francis’s funeral set for Saturday; public viewing begins Wednesday
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“Cardinals have taken their first decisions following the death of Pope Francis, setting Saturday as the date for his funeral and allowing ordinary faithful to begin paying their final respects starting on Wednesday, when his casket is brought into St. Peter’s Basilica. The cardinals met for the first time on Tuesday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’[s] successor, as condolences poured in from around the world grieving history’s first Latin American pope. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St. Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re. … In his final will, Francis confirmed he would be buried at St. Mary Major basilica, which is outside the Vatican and home to his favourite icon of the Virgin Mary.” 904/22/25)
https://archive.is/jJfM4
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15) Divided SCOTUS finds “some deadline flexibility” for immigrants who agree to leave US
Source: SFGate
“A divided Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that immigrants who agree to leave the country are allowed some deadline flexibility in a case that was argued before President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. In a 5-4 decision, the court sided with a man who came from Mexico illegally [sic] as a teenager and had lived in Colorado for nearly two decades before he was ordered to leave in 2021. The case was argued in November 2024, days after Trump won re-election. Several other new immigration cases have since come before the court on its emergency docket. In the case of Hugo Abisai Monsalvo Velazquez, the Supreme Court majority found that a Saturday deadline to voluntarily leave should have been extended to the following Monday.” (04/22/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/divided-supreme-court-finds-some-deadline-20288599.php
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16) Gold hits $3,500 for first time as Donald Trump’s attack on Jay Powell rattles markets
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“Gold hit a record $3,500 a troy ounce for the first time and the dollar fell on Tuesday, as Donald Trump’s sustained attack on US Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell added to fears over the prospects for the world’s largest economy. Gold climbed 2.2 per cent and the Japanese yen strengthened above ¥140 per dollar for the first time since September as investors turned to haven assets. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump branded Powell ‘Mr Too Late’ and urged the central bank to lower borrowing costs ‘NOW.’ The wave of criticism from Trump comes after Powell warned last week that the administration’s sweeping tariffs would lead to slower growth and higher inflation.” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/dp4AK
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17) New York Times found not liable in Palin’s frivolous defamation suit
Source: New York Post
“A jury found The New York Times not liable Tuesday after former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin claimed she was defamed by a 2017 editorial falsely tying her to a mass shooting. The nine-person jury deliberated in Manhattan federal court for two hours before finding that the Grey Lady did not libel the onetime Republican vice presidential candidate. The Times, which corrected the editorial the day after it ran, had argued that Palin did not show that it met the high bar of ‘actual malice’ needed to find media outlets liable for defamation.” (04/22/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/22/us-news/the-new-york-times-found-not-liable-in-sarah-palin-defamation-trial/
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18) NY: Judge bars federal gang enforcers from operating on Rikers for now
Source: United Press International
“A New York state judge has prohibited New York City Mayor Eric Adams from allowing federal immigration agents to operate within the Rikers Island jail ahead of a hearing scheduled for later this week. Judge Mary Rosado wrote in her ruling Monday that she is issuing a temporary restraining order prohibiting city officials ‘from taking any steps towards negotiating, signing or implementing any Memoranda of Understanding with the federal government regarding federal law enforcement presence on Department of Correction property … until the conclusion of the hearing scheduled for April 25.’ The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed last week by New York City Council against Adams'[s] April 8 executive order permitting federal law enforcement and immigration personnel to maintain office space in Rikers Island’s prison complex to investigate [rival] gang activity.” (04/22/25)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2025/04/22/judge-blocks-ICE-Rikers/5171745308651/
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19) CA: Routine traffic stop uncovers hidden guns, homemade bombs
Source: SFGate
“Two people were arrested in northern Mendocino County last week after California Highway Patrol officers discovered homemade explosives and hidden pistols during a routine traffic stop, according to CHP officials. In a news release posted to Facebook, the Garberville office of the CHP said officers pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation on April 15 and found more than they bargained for. Not only did the driver have a suspended license, but officers also discovered a bag that contained what appeared to be ‘homemade fireworks’ in the vehicle. The Northern Division Investigative Services Unit and the Humboldt Regional Bomb Squad responded to the scene, the release said. Investigators also discovered two pistols and explosive-making material in the bed of the vehicle.” [editor’s note: Sounds like activity protected by the Second Amendment – TLK] (04/22/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/northcoast/article/traffic-stop-northern-california-homemade-bombs-20288881.php
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20) Israeli spy chief accuses Netanyahu of demanding illegal operations
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Israel’s spy chief has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to fire him for his refusal to commit illegal acts aimed at protecting the leader’s personal and political interests. Ronen Bar, chief of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, made the assertion in an affidavit to the Supreme Court on Monday. … In the unclassified part of the court submission, Bar said Netanyahu had told him ‘on more than one occasion’ that he expected Shin Bet to take action against Israelis involved in antigovernment demonstrations, ‘with a particular focus on monitoring the protests’ financial backers.’ The Shin Bet head also said he had refused to sign off on a security request aimed at relieving Netanyahu from testifying at an ongoing corruption trial in which he faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust.” (04/22/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/22/israeli-spy-chief-accuses-netanyahu-of-demanding-illegal-operations
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Where Your Money Is Concerned, The Trump v. Powell Fight Is A Sideshow
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“The Fed shouldn’t lower — or raise — interest rates. The Fed should dissolve, or be dissolved, and the job of ‘creating money’ should be left entirely to a free market. There’s simply not enough room in an op-ed column to explain the intricate processes through which the Fed has debased the value of American money over the last 112 years, but lengthy explanations aren’t really necessary. The results of giving a banking cartel a monopoly on the creation of ‘money,’ the power to create that ‘money’ from thin air, and a mandate to loan that ‘money’ to politicians who can borrow as much as they want as often as they want, were predictable from the start.” (04/22/25)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/19511
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22) NGO: The Twenty Percent Rule
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“We knew it at some level, but recent audits reveal the extent of regime abhorrence. Government growth — in money, power, and ideology — has been laundered in non-governmental organizations. The NGO is poorly named, as far too many NGOs receive most of their funding from government agencies. The extent to which governments fund NGOs is the extent to which those entities are just GOs, only less accountable. That is, NGOs flush with government funds are just partisan extensions of state authorities — whatever the party. To hell with that. … Ideally, it would be illegal for governments to grant taxpayer funds to NGOs. But in the interests of compromise, Congress should pass a law: No NGO may accept more than 20 percent of its annual revenue from government entities. Furthermore, no NGO may accept funding from any other NGO that receives government funding.” (04/22/25)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/ngo-the-twenty-percent-rule
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23) Hegseth Must Go
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“The sloppy and possibly illegal handling of sensitive information is a good reason for Hegseth to be fired, but that is just a symptom of the incompetent, slapdash way that is running the department. Hegseth doesn’t know what he’s doing, and he falls back on his cartoonish obsession with ‘lethality’ to try to distract from his inpetitude. His brief tenure has been marked by chaos and dysfunction, and that comes as no surprise when we recall that he had no qualifications to run a government department of this size and complexity. … One reason why he seems to be so obsessed with firing advisers to plug leaks is that so many of the leaks expose how bad he is at doing his job.” (04/22/25)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/hegseth-must-go
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24) The Non-Aggression Principle Is Realistic and Not an Abstract Concept
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Wanjiru Njoya
“One mistake many libertarians make is to suppose that theoretical principles can provide a complete resolution for difficult cases, in the sense that we should be able to ascertain — just by studying the NAP — whether it has been violated in specific cases. Gordon points out that this overlooks the role of other considerations, such as social conventions and legal norms, in resolving real world disputes. The ‘morally unacceptable implications’ that many libertarians find disturbing are the result of theorizing about the NAP without regard to the broader ethical framework within which Rothbard defends property rights. Rothbard’s theory of liberty is not just a philosophical or academic treatise based on a set of hypothetical problems. It is also a ‘system of libertarian law’ designed as a foundation for ‘the truly successful functioning of what we may hope will be the libertarian society of the future.'” (04/22/25)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/non-aggression-principle-realistic-and-not-abstract-concept
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25) US Trade Wars and Military Globalization Spark Complex Alignments
Source: Antiwar.com
by Dan Steinbock
“Thanks to President Trump’s new round of international tariffs, global economy is now at the risk of unraveling. This is not just the result of plunging world trade and investment, but of soaring US military expenditures.” (04/22/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/dan_steinbock/2025/04/21/us-trade-wars-and-military-globalization-spark-complex-alignments/
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26) The climate legacy of a pope and a patriarch
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“This year’s global celebration of Earth Day on April 22 had both sadness and celebration hanging over it. The sadness was that one of the world’s religious leaders who helped put a spiritual dimension into climate activism, Pope Francis, died on Monday. Among the many celebratory tributes to him was widespread praise for his missives citing a love of God and others – rather than fear – as the basis for stewardship of Earth’s atmosphere. Just days before his death, another fellow global church leader was celebrated. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of 300 million Eastern Orthodox Christians, won this year’s Templeton Prize. He was cited for his decades of work in promoting ‘a compelling moral and theological vision of humanity’s responsibility to care for the Earth,’ as the John Templeton Foundation put it.” (04/22/25)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/the-monitors-view/2025/0422/The-climate-legacy-of-a-pope-and-a-patriarch
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27) Trump and law firms: Who’s bamboozling whom?
Source: Washington Post
by David Kendall
“Nine large law firms have announced deals with President Donald Trump to provide pro bono legal services of nearly $1 billion to avert executive orders targeting their legal work. One firm claimed, in an internal statement to its employees, that these settlements do not mean the White House ‘is dictating what matters we take on.’ Another said it remained ‘completely free to choose whether or not we wish to work on any particular pro bono matter.’ The Trump administration, on the other hand, called the arrangements ‘fully binding’ and the president asserted that the nine firms have paid him ‘a lot of money in the form of legal fees.’ … Clearly, there has been no meeting of minds. Putting aside the small fact that the executive orders are demonstrably illegal, as four judges have found, the central question about these deals is: Who’s bamboozling whom?” (04/22/25)
https://archive.is/5BIxN
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28) Capitalists Against Capitalism
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Paul Meany
“The Trump administration’s tariffs and the damage they could cause to people’s livelihoods globally are a rude reminder that free markets matter. But we live in a time when the mainstream voices of the media, academia, and politics are hopelessly preoccupied with their disdain for ‘capitalism.’ Despite the unprecedented progress and technological advancement free markets have brought, much of society still hates the goose that lays the golden egg. But why?” (04/22/25)
https://fee.org/articles/capitalists-against-capitalism/
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29) Welcome to the Garrison State: Dismantling Government While Pumping Up the Pentagon
Source: TomDispatch
by William D Hartung
“Under the guise of efficiency, the Trump administration is taking a sledgehammer to essential programs and agencies that are the backbone of America’s civilian government. The virtual elimination of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and plans to shut down the Department of Education are just the most visible examples of a campaign that includes layoffs of budget experts, public health officials, scientists, and other critical personnel whose work undergirds the daily operations of government and provides the basic services needed by businesses, families, and individuals alike. Many of those services can make the difference between solvency and poverty, health and illness, or even, in some cases, life and death for vulnerable populations. The speed with which civilian programs and agencies are being slashed in the second Trump era gives away the true purpose of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).” (04/22/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/the-ever-expanding-war-machine/
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30) Trump is transforming Americans from citizens to subjects
Source: The Hill
by Avraham Shama
“In my 2022 novel, ‘Cyberwars,’ one of the characters suggests that internet technology makes it possible to turn a democracy into a democratic dictatorship. But when I wrote it, I couldn’t have imagined that this fiction could describe the U.S. under President Trump today. While much of the globe is embroiled in the tariff wars that are setting the world on fire, a far more critical development is quietly taking place here at home: the transformation of Americans from citizens to subjects. Following President Vladimir Putin, Trump is on his way to becoming an elected dictator. His behavior echoes the statement by Louis XIV to the Paris Parliament in 1655: ‘The state, it is me.’ And in the next election, Trump will not need a self-coup or to incite his supporters the way he tried in 2020.” (04/22/25)
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5258862-us-transformation-from-citizens-subjects/
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31) How “absurd” US immigration laws let Kilmar Abrego Garcia game the system
Source: New York Post
by Rich Lowry
“Kilmar Abrego Garcia shouldn’t be in a prison in El Salvador, but he also never should have been in the United States — or given relief from deportation. The White House is trying to make the alleged MS-13 gang member a symbol of illegal-immigrant [sic] crime, while President Trump’s opposition is seeking to make ‘the Maryland man’ a symbol of the administration’s disregard for due process. What has gotten less attention is that his case is an example of the self-defeating absurdities of our immigration system and, in particular, how it hands out ‘humanitarian protection.’ When Abrego Garcia avoided deportation back in 2019, he didn’t take advantage of asylum — which has been a key driver of the immigration crisis — but something called ‘withholding of removal.'” (04/22/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/22/opinion/absurd-us-laws-let-kilmar-abrego-garcia-game-the-system/
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32) Terra Incognita
Source: Cobden Center
by Luca Martina
“We don’t know whether the trade war triggered by President Donald Trump stems from his ignorance of the potential consequences, it is a poorly conceived strategy of ‘conquering’ global markets, or simply a botched attempt to impose his negotiation rules on other countries. Certainly, acts of commercial hostility are multiplying, and the possibility of a significant contraction in international trade (one of the greatest drivers of global growth) has become real. What about financial markets? Investors are typically averse to uncertain environments, as it complicates the process of valuing a company. Stock markets rely on predictions of future performance and it is hard to make informed guesses if you cannot predict future profits and at what interest rate future cash flows should be discounted (the value of a sum received must be brought to the present, discounted by an interest rate).” (04/22/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/04/terra-incognita/
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33) If October 7 Justifies The Gaza Genocide, What Acts Of Violence Will The Gaza Genocide Justify?
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“If you believe that all the violence and destruction in Gaza is the fault of Hamas, then by your own logic you must also accept that the coming wave of violent extremism and antisemitism which is going to ensue from the incineration of Gaza will exclusively be the fault of Israel. I said this on Twitter the other day and Israel supporters got outraged and shared screenshots of my post shrieking with indignation that anyone would say such a thing, which is funny because I’m just reading their own line of reasoning back to them. I’m not the one who says an act of violence excuses any violence done in response to it.” (04/22/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/04/22/if-october-7-justifies-the-gaza-genocide-what-acts-of-violence-will-the-gaza-genocide-justify/
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34) Can Netanyahu bury “Qatargate” under Gaza’s rubble?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Nick Cleveland-Stout & Ashley Gate
“A new scandal is embroiling Israel, one that threatens to take down Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It calls into question the level of foreign influence that may have flowed into the prime minister’s office — and Netanyahu is already looking to escalate the war in Gaza as a distraction.” (04/22/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/netanyahu-qatar/
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35) Why GMU Should End DEI for Real
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“It’s been a long time since I’ve received so much as an email from GMU’s DEI office. In fact, the last email I received about GMU DEI was a message from President Gregory Washington announcing that ‘Our DEI office is now the Office of Access, Compliance, and Community.’ Given the current political climate, why would any reasonable person consider the full abolition of this renamed DEI office, including the firing of all DEI staff, to be an important and valuable goal? My answer: The current political climate will not last. Political climates never do. And once the political climate for DEI is once again favorable, the office will resume its ultimate mission: transforming GMU from a university where people can freely discuss the most controversial issues into a seminary where people are taught one controversial philosophy as established fact — and dissenters are intimidated into silence.” (04/22/25)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/why-gmu-should-end-dei-for-real
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36) SWA Shuts Down Composting Business in West Palm Beach
Source: Lisa Liberty
by Lisa Gansky
“In April 2022, Melissa [Corichi] received an alarming call from the Solid Waste Authority (SWA) of Palm Beach County. They demanded an inspection of her farm headquarters and ordered her to cease operations within the county. ‘I was initially surprised and confused,’ Melissa recalls. ‘After operating for 8 years and growing the collection business to 250 customers, I was getting ready to scale up my operation. But they told me businesses like mine aren’t allowed to exist in Palm Beach County.’ The SWA’s argument was rooted in the Flow Code, a regulation that grants SWA exclusive control over waste processing. They accused her of undermining their waste-to-energy initiatives by diverting organic waste from incinerators, even though Let it Rot focused on composting using worms — vermiculture. The implications of this monopolistic enforcement are far-reaching, with the SWA claiming all rights to the waste produced in the county.” (04/22/25)
https://lisaliberty.substack.com/p/swa-shuts-down-composting-business
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37) America still can’t put down the race card
Source: Fox News
by Corey Brooks
“When race is the only lens, it blinds us to due process and justice. Those screaming the loudest and strutting like cocks on social media are not trying to heal. They’re hustling in the tradition of Al Sharpton. All because, in today’s culture, the race card is still too valuable to put down. When a black teenager stabbed a white teenager at a recent Texas high school track meet, it was not long before Americans online predictably turned this into a racial controversy — even before the facts were known.” (04/22/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-still-cant-put-down-race-card-its-shame-our-nation
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38) Still Pursuing Happiness
Source: Law & Liberty
by Reuven Brenner
“Confucius wrote some 2,000 years ago that ‘good government obtains when those who are near are made happy, and those who are far off are attracted.’ If this is true, then it might help us to recognize societies where people hope to pursue happiness for themselves and their offspring. If many people vote with their feet toward some countries, and citizens of these same countries are having kids, those might be telltale signs. This could reflect favorably on the United States and Canada, which have long been two of the most desired destinations for would-be immigrants. But are the citizens of these countries ‘happy?’ Some insist that that they are not.” (04/22/25)
https://lawliberty.org/still-pursuing-happiness/
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39) Trump’s Road to Constitutional Perdition
Source: The Bulwark
by Corbin K Barthold
“They were gathered again, the lawyers and the judge, at an hour when the courts of a well-ordered society should be still. This country once divided against itself over the fate of fugitive slaves. Those ‘held to service or labour in one state,’ in the Constitution’s shameful euphemism, were to ‘be delivered up on claim of the party to whom such service or labour may be due.’ Our greatest president gave his life to end the fettered bondsman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil. Our current president is no emancipator. Indeed, history will count him among the traffickers.” (04/22/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-constitutional-perdition-el-salvador-bukele-renditions-supreme-court
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40) Have We Forgotten Weimar?
Source: Quillette
by Jay Sophalkalyan
“This is not the first time Germany has resorted to censorship in the mistaken belief that the state can contain dangerous ideas. The last time they tried this, it facilitated the rise of the Nazis.” (04/22/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/04/22/have-we-forgotten-weimar-censorship-free-speech-germany/
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41) Close the US Military Bases in Asia
Source: Common Dreams
by Jeffrey D Sachs
“President Donald Trump is again loudly complaining that the U.S. military bases in Asia are too costly for the U.S. to bear. As part of the new round of tariff negotiations with Japan and Korea, Trump is calling on Japan and Korea to pay for stationing the US troops. Here’s a much better idea: close the bases and bring the U.S. servicemen home. Trump implies that the U.S. is providing a great service to Japan and Korea by stationing 50,000 troops in Japan and nearly 30,000 in Korea. Yet these countries do not need the U.S. to defend themselves. They are wealthy and can certainly provide their own defense. Far more importantly, diplomacy can ensure the peace in northeast Asia far more effectively and far less expensively than U.S. troops.” (04/22/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/us-military-bases-asia
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42) Madison Didn’t Predict the Market as the Last Check on Power
Source: The Daily Economy
by Jerome Gessaroli
“Legislators may be cowed and agencies may be politicized, but financial markets connect policies to their impacts with brisk efficiency.” (04/22/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/madison-didnt-predict-the-market-as-the-last-check-on-power/
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43) Trump vs Powell. It’s On!
Source: Racket News
by Eric Salzman
“In pushing for rate cuts the president insults the Fed chairman — but Trump’s tariffs are driving prices the other way.” (04/22/25)
https://www.racket.news/p/trump-vs-powell-its-on
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44) America Isn’t Israel’s Bodyguard
Source: The American Conservative
by Eldar Mamedov
“Neocons want the U.S. to take out Israel’s adversaries. President Trump should refuse.” (04/22/25)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/america-isnt-israels-bodyguard/
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45) The Questions Democrats Will Not Ask
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter
“They’re a curious group of people, Democrats. They demand answers to some things very few people care about while expressing complete disinterest, even contempt, in obtaining information on other topics. It’s almost like they’re frauds who posture for effect when it suits their needs and deflect when it does not. If my children acted like they do, I’d ground them. But these are adults, chronologically, many of whom are so entrenched in power it does not matter what they do. Still, it is worth asking what Democrats don’t want to talk about, because that’s what an honest media should be asking them about. It’s amazing what you won’t find if you refuse to look for it, isn’t it?” (04/22/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/04/22/the-questions-democrats-will-not-ask-n2655894
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46) Your Data in DOGE’s Hands
Source: Persuasion
by Martin Eiermann
“In its attempt to remake the federal bureaucracy, the Trump administration appears guided by three imperatives: Eliminate programs and agencies that do not fit into its agenda; exercise direct control over the remaining agencies; and enforce policies by coordinating across agencies. Political scientists sometimes refer to America as a ‘many-handed’ state, where one hand does not necessarily know what the other hand is doing. The new goal is to punch towards a common opponent and throw multiple haymakers at once. A key element of this strategy is increased data-sharing between federal agencies.” (04/21/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/your-data-in-doges-hands
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47) Treating Journalism As Consumer Fraud, Trump Claims Coverage of a Presidential Poll Was Not “News Reporting”
Source: Reason
by Jacob Sullum
“The president’s lawyers also conflate fraud with defamation, misconstrue the commercial speech doctrine, and assert that false speech is not constitutionally protected.” (04/21/25)
https://reason.com/2025/04/21/treating-journalism-as-consumer-fraud-trump-claims-coverage-of-a-presidential-poll-was-not-news-reporting/
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48) REAL ID: Phony Security, Real Authoritarianism
Source: Campaign For Liberty
by Ron Paul
“Those who hoped the second Trump Administration would reject big spending, war, and restrictions on liberty continue to be disappointed. A new disappointment came when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced her department would in May begin enforcing the REAL ID law. Passed in 2005, the REAL ID Act created federal standards for driver’s licenses. The law requires everyone applying for a driver’s license to provide the DMV with his social security number, proof of legal residence, and two proofs of his home address. The REAL ID Act allows the Homeland Security Department to mandate, as it sees fit, the including of addition items in the related government database, including ‘biometric’ identifiers. Biometric identifiers include personal data such as retina scans, fingerprints, and DNA.” (04/21/25)
https://www.campaignforliberty.org/real-id-phony-security-real-authoritarianism
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49) Trump Admin Climate Plan: Red States Get Hydrogen, Blue States Don’t
Source: The American Prospect
by Audrey Carleton
“Less than a year after announcing plans to establish a hydrogen-based aviation fuel hub at Pittsburgh International Airport, Pennsylvania-based natural gas producer CNX has quietly taken down the website on which it advertised the hub. The move comes as the fate of the much-vaunted hydrogen industry — seen by the Biden administration as a way to power America while reducing climate-altering emissions — is in upheaval. While a Biden-era rule dealt a blow to those in the gas and oil industry hoping to invest in hydrogen technology and offered greater financial incentives to the renewable energy sector, President Donald Trump is showing preference for fossil fuel-powered hydrogen. Meanwhile, the fate of those Biden-era tax credits — whether for renewable energy or fossil fuel — is up in the air as congress wades through the budget reconciliation process.” (04/22/25)
https://prospect.org/environment/2025-04-22-trump-pennsylvania-hydrogen-fuel/
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50) Taking the power back: How the publicly-owned utility model could impact nationwide transmission buildout
Source: Niskanen Center
by Rachel Levine
“As energy costs rise and reliability issues persist, more Americans are questioning if the investor-owned utility (IOU) model still serves their needs. Growing frustration has sparked a shift: communities across the country are exploring ways to gain more control and accountability in how their power is delivered. Many are turning to publicly owned utility models as a solution.” [editor’s note: Niskanen seems obsessed with “transmission” over long distances, when the only solution to power reliability is extreme localization (preferably to the household, or at most neighborhood, level – TLK] (04/21/25)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/taking-the-power-back-how-the-publicly-owned-utility-model-could-impact-nationwide-transmission-buildout/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Trump Watch, 04/22/25
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Harvard, the Fed, Tariffs, and Immigration.” (04/22/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPH9oftwegI
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52) Good on Paper, 04/22/25
Source: The Atlantic
“The Framers of the U.S. Constitution designed a government that they hoped would be impervious to tyranny of the majority. What they didn’t spend much time worrying about was the reverse: a tyranny of the minority. The political scientist Steve Teles explains how very small minorities have come to dominate government and what should be done about it.” (04/22/25)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/minority-rule-in-america/id1746176654?i=1000704434899
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53) Kathy Sanders on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Scott interviews Kathy Sanders, who lost two of her grandchildren in the Oklahoma City bombing and has spent the years since trying to get to the bottom of what really happened that day. Sanders tells Scott about her experience arriving quickly on the scene after the attack before they dive into all she’s been able to piece together and how she’s working to get the truth out.” (04/22/25)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/4-15-25-kathy-sanders-on-the-true-story-of-the-okc-bombing/
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54) Capital Record, episode 228
Source: National Review
“Moving the Wrong Way with the Fed.” (04/22/25)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/moving-the-wrong-way-with-the-fed/
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55) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/22/25
Source: The New Republic
“‘Full-Blown Meltdown’: Don Jr. and MAGA Rage as GOPers Turn on Hegseth.” (04/22/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/194228/full-blown-meltdown-don-jr-maga-rage-gopers-turn-hegseth
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56) Advisory Opinions, 04/22/25
Source: The Dispatch
“Judge v. (Unethical) Lawyer.” (04/22/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/judge-v-unethical-lawyer/
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57) Anarcho Agenda, episode 134
Source: Anarcho Agenda
“Performing to an empty audience is a big fear for performers, but I do it anyway. Here’s that story.” (04/21/25)
https://anarchoagenda.libsyn.com/anarcho-agenda-ep-134-2025-04-21
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58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/22/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“Huckabee Backs Israel’s Total Blockade on Gaza, US Airstrikes Kill 12 at Yemen Market, and More.” (04/22/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeZXQXla2G4
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59) Pink Flame of Liberty, 04/21/25
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Examining SCOTUS — Trump v. JGG (Majority got it WRONG!).” (04/21/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3SjqlLDfZ0
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60) Remy: Cupid (Tariff Version)
Source: Reason
“Love hurts (and so does protectionism).” (04/21/25)
https://reason.com/video/2025/04/21/remy-cupid-tariff-version/
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