04/08 -- US, Iranian regimes agree to two-week ceasefire, with strait of Hormuz to open; Libertarian Office Seeking As Political Pickup Artistry
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Thomas L. Knapp
Apr 8, 2026, 6:23:25 AM (3 days ago) Apr 8
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 04/08/26
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Today's Freedom News:
1) US, Iranian regimes agree to two-week ceasefire, with strait of Hormuz to open
2) Bitcoin, ether, oil shorts lead $427 million wipeout on US-Iran ceasefire
3) Hungary: Vance says EU is meddling in election as he meddles in election
4) Palestine: WHO suspends Gaza medical evacuations after contractor murdered by Israeli troops
5) GA: Republican wins special election to replace Greene in US House
6) Kalshi Forecasts Coming to Fox News [sic] as Prediction Market Strikes Deal With Cable Leader
7) UK: Regime denies entry to Ye
8) Appeals court allows Iowa regime’s LGBTQ books ban to take effect
9) Macron: Iran has allowed two French former detainees to leave the country
10) Panama: Huge explosion at Bridge of the Americas leaves one dead and more injured
11) Australia: Soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders in Afghanistan
12) Officials say Ukrainian forces operating in Libya attacked Russian tanker
13) Cheap Blood Test Might Spot Cancers, Other Diseases
14) France: Sarkozy claims innocence at appeals trial over Libya funding
15) France: Train driver killed after crashing into truck at railway crossing
16) Amazon to cut US Snail deliveries by 20%
17) Fake Australian, Chinese & Brazilian police stations: BBC goes inside seized scam compound
18) Iran: Tehran synagogue destroyed in alleged US-Israeli attack
19) Iran-backed Iraqi militia says it will release American journalist Shelly Kittleson
20) FL: Temu Trump Signs “Terrorist Designation Law”
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Libertarian Office Seeking As Political Pickup Artistry
22) The Age of the Gilded Apple
23) Time for the 25th Amendment?
24) Why Should Trump Worry About War Crimes?
25) The Iran War Is Now as Dangerous as It Is Senseless with Trump’s Intensified Threats
26) Let’s Pretend a lot of anti-American protests are made in China
27) Trump’s Monstrous Threats Against the Iranian People
28) Bringing Harvard to Heel: The Trump vs. Harvard Brawl is a Necessary Battle for the Salvation of Both Harvard’s and America’s Soul
29) Trump’s Game for War: How the News Media Is Covering His War
30) How To Stop the War Against Iran
31) What San Francisco is doing about homelessness that LA is not
32) Trump isn’t ready to accept his strategic failures in Iran
33) Times of forgiveness and redemption
34) The Philosophy of Bah
35) Why SCOTUS Ruled 8–1 Against Colorado’s “Conversion Therapy” Ban
36) Congress Can End Trump’s Unconstitutional War in Iran
37) Another Liberal Media Hoax About ICE Bites the Dust
38) Gerrymandered Hypocrisy
39) The Moral Thinness of Geopolitics
40) Deregulation Must Drive the Rideshare Industry
41) Trump’s Gold Card Is Birth Tourism
42) The Road to Justice Is Paved with Good Intentions — and Fewer Jurors?
43) Burmese Way to Crony Capitalism: The Socialist Roots of Burmese Cronyism
44) Worse than John McCain?
45) Wisdom From America’s Founders: Government Isn’t Evil, But…
46) Democratic Party faces its internal demons on US-Israel policy — again
47) A Look at Our Material Progress
48) What Hegel Knew About Trump
49) A Retrospective on Bidenomics
50) What Would Robert Louis Stevenson Say about Ozempic?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 04/07/26
52) Nonzero, 04/07/26
53) The Bryan Hyde Show, 07/04/26
54) Trump Watch, 04/07/26
55) The Dispatch Podcast, 04/07/26
56) Law & Liberty Podcast, 04/07/26
57) The Corbett Report, episode 497
58) Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock, 04/06/26
59) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/06/26
60) Finding Freedom, 04/06/26
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) US, Iranian regimes agree to two-week ceasefire, with strait of Hormuz to open
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday evening after a last-minute diplomatic intervention led by Pakistan, canceling an ultimatum from Donald Trump for Iran to surrender or face widespread destruction. Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire agreement came less than two hours before the US president’s self-imposed 8pm Eastern time deadline to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges in a move that legal scholars, as well as officials from numerous countries and the Pope, had warned could constitute war crimes. … Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a statement shortly after Trump’s announcement saying Iran had agreed to the ceasefire.” (04/07/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/07/trump-iran-war-ceasefire
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2) Bitcoin, ether, oil shorts lead $427 million wipeout on US-Iran ceasefire
Source: CoinDesk
“Days of bearish positioning unraveled in about two hours on Tuesday night as bitcoin surged past $72,700 after Trump confirmed a two-week ceasefire with Iran via Truth Social just before his 8 p.m. ET deadline. The move triggered $595 million in total crypto liquidations across 118,489 traders, according to CoinGlass data. Short positions accounted for $427 million versus $168 million in longs, a ratio of more than 2.5-to-1 that reflects just how heavily the market was positioned for further downside heading into the deadline.” (04/08/26)
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/04/08/bitcoin-ether-oil-shorts-lead-usd427-million-wipeout-on-us-iran-ceasefire
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3) Hungary: Vance says EU is meddling in election as he meddles in election
Source: Reuters
“U.S. Vice President JD Vance lashed out on Tuesday at what he called ‘disgraceful’ European Union interference in Hungary’s election, even as he openly endorsed Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of both President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, days before the vote. Vance’s visit to Budapest came ahead of Sunday’s election, which independent public opinion polls show Orban is likely to lose. The trip — and the rare endorsement by a sitting U.S. official — underscored how crucial Trump deems the veteran Hungarian nationalist’s reelection. The visit broke with the norms of prior U.S. presidential administrations of not openly campaigning in foreign elections, especially for a government that has maintained close ties with Putin. It was not immediately clear whether Vance’s public support would strengthen Orban’s candidacy.” (04/07/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/vice-president-vance-visits-hungary-boost-orban-ahead-pivotal-election-2026-04-07/
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4) Palestine: WHO suspends Gaza medical evacuations after contractor murdered by Israeli troops
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“The World Health Organization has suspended medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing after a contractor was killed by Israeli troops on Monday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the contractor (named locally as Majdi Aslan, 54) was killed in a ‘security incident’ and that two staff were present but not injured. He gave no further details. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said the contractor was driving a WHO-rented vehicle in southern Gaza when it was targeted by Israeli forces. Israel’s military said its troops ‘identified an unmarked vehicle approaching them and the Yellow Line, posing an immediate threat,’ referring to the line marking Israeli-held territory. ‘In response, the troops fired warning shots. The vehicle continued to accelerate toward the troops, who then responded with additional fire that hit the vehicle,’ it added. ‘The incident is under review.'” (04/07/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8pzpw2g2o
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5) GA: Republican wins special election to replace Greene in US House
Source: Politico
“Republicans held onto former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s House seat on Tuesday. Republican Clay Fuller defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special runoff election in the state’s 14th Congressional District, giving the GOP another vote for their narrow House majority. But his margin of victory is on track to be less than half of President Donald Trump’s 37-point win in 2024. … The northwest Georgia district is the reddest in the Peach State, and the slimmer margin had Democrats bullish on their ambitious plans to flip seats in November’s midterms.” (04/07/26)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/07/clay-fuller-wins-special-election-marjorie-taylor-greene-00863221
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6) Kalshi Forecasts Coming to Fox News [sic] as Prediction Market Strikes Deal With Cable Leader
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
“The biggest prediction market in the U.S. is teaming up with the biggest TV news [sic] channel in the U.S. Kalshi, the betting platform that lets users put their money on the line to predict the outcome of world events (from elections and sporting events to unemployment rates, Oscar winners and updates in the Iran war), has inked a wide-ranging deal with Fox Corp. that will see its forecasts integrated into Fox News [sic], Fox Business Network, Fox One and Fox Weather. Kalsi has been aggressive about inking deals with media partners: It has similar arrangements with both CNN and CNBC, with the goal to get Kalshi-branded forecasts and predictions onscreen.” (04/07/26)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/fox-news-deal-kalshi-prediction-market-1236557283/
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7) UK: Regime denies entry to Ye
Source: CBS News
“The rapper formerly known as Kanye West was barred Tuesday from entering the U.K., where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July, after a backlash over Ye’s history of antisemitic remarks. Festival organizers canceled the three-day outdoor event as a result of the travel ban and said those who had bought tickets would get refunds. Ye had been granted an electronic travel authorization which has now been withdrawn on the grounds that his presence in the U.K. would not be ‘conducive to the public good,’ CBS News partner network BBC News said, citing the Home Office.” (04/07/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kanye-west-blocked-uk-wireless-festival/
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8) Appeals court allows Iowa regime’s LGBTQ books ban to take effect
Source: United Press International
“A 2023 Iowa law banning LGBTQ books and topics from being discussed in public school classrooms is taking effect after an appeals court lifted an injunction against it on Tuesday. The Court of Appeals for the Eighth U.S. Circuit ruled against the injunction after a lower court judge blocked the law last year. The law also requires school administrators to inform parents if a student requests accommodations to affirm their gender identity, such as preferred pronouns.” (04/07/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/04/07/iowa-lgbtq-book-ban-parental-notification-law-takes-effect/2491775576362/
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9) Macron: Iran has allowed two French former detainees to leave the country
Source: SFGate
“Iran has allowed two French former detainees, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, to leave the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. They had been holed up in French diplomatic premises there since their release from prison in November. ‘Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on route toward French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran,’ Macron posted on X. The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signaled how Iran is differentiating between nations, treating some favorably and others as foes, in the context of the Iran war. Macron has distanced France from the conflict, saying his country wasn’t consulted in advance about the U.S-Israel strikes and didn’t want the war. He thanked Oman for playing a mediation role in the release of Kohler and Paris.” (04/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/iran-has-allowed-two-french-former-detainees-to-22193239.php
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10) Panama: Huge explosion at Bridge of the Americas leaves one dead and more injured
Source: Independent [UK]
“A massive explosion under the Bridge of the Americas has killed one person and injured two, temporarily closing the vital crossing over the Panama Canal. Smoke and flames engulfed part of the bridge, footage on social media showed, after a fuel tanker truck exploded in the area of La Boca, under the 5,400ft-long bridge. Cars and buses sped up in order to move past the explosion. … The Bridge of Americas spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, a vital waterway for commodities connecting the Panama Sea with the Pacific Ocean.” (04/07/26)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/panama-canal-bridge-of-americas-explosion-b2952852.html
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11) Australia: Soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders in Afghanistan
Source: ABC News
“A former Australian soldier was charged on Tuesday with war crimes on allegations that he killed five unarmed Afghans while serving in Afghanistan from 2009 and 2012, police said. Police have not confirmed the 47-year-old man’s name. He is expected to appear in a Sydney court later Tuesday. The soldier is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime. … The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence that elite Australian SAS and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants.” (04/07/26)
https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/former-australian-soldier-charged-committing-5-war-crime-131789288
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12) Officials say Ukrainian forces operating in Libya attacked Russian tanker
Source: SFGate
“Ukrainian forces are operating in western Libya under a covert deal endorsed by the West, and they used the Northern African country’s territory to strike a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean last month, two Libyan officials said Tuesday. The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying 61,000 tons of liquefied natural gas, was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone attack near Maltese waters early in March. It has since drifted off Libya. All 30 crew members were rescued and put on another vessel heading to the Libyan city of Benghazi, the Libyan Maritime Authority said. The tanker is part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet transporting oil in violation of international sanctions over Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine. A recent temporary U.S. waiver on those sanctions is aimed at easing supply shortages amid the Iran war.” (04/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/ukrainian-forces-operating-in-libya-have-attacked-22193618.php
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13) Cheap Blood Test Might Spot Cancers, Other Diseases
Source: US News & World Report
“A simple and cost-effective blood test might be able to help detect multiple cancers and other diseases, a new study says. The test works by analyzing DNA fragments in a person’s bloodstream and could offer a powerful and affordable approach to screening for cancer and other health problems, researchers reported April 6 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. … The test, called MethylScan, analyzed DNA that cells from every organ naturally shed into the bloodstream. This genetic material carries signals that reflects what is happening in the body.” (04/07/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2026-04-07/cheap-blood-test-might-spot-cancers-other-diseases
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14) France: Sarkozy claims innocence at appeals trial over Libya funding
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“France’s ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy at an appeals trial Tuesday said he was ‘innocent,’ rejecting charges he had sought Libyan financing for his 2007 election in exchange for helping improve Tripoli’s image after deadly bombings. A lower court in September found the right-wing politician, who was president from 2007 to 2012, guilty of seeking to acquire funding from Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya for the campaign that saw him elected and sentenced him to five years behind bars. The case saw Sarkozy, who has always denied any wrongdoing, become modern France’s first president to have gone to prison. He served 20 days before he was released pending the appeal.” (04/07/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260407-former-french-president-sarkozy-claims-innocence-at-appeals-trial-over-libya-funding
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15) France: Train driver killed after crashing into truck at railway crossing
Source: SFGate
“A French high-speed train driver was killed on Tuesday and 16 people were injured when his locomotive slammed into a truck carrying military equipment at a railway crossing in northern France, local authorities said. The driver of the truck was detained, and an aggravated manslaughter investigation was opened, but it is too early to determine the exact cause of the crash, Prosecutor Etienne Thieffry told reporters. Jean Castex, the head of the national railway authority SNCF, said the railroad crossing gates were functioning correctly. The train was traveling at 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) when it hit the truck, the local prefect said. Rescue crews rushed to the scene after the crash in the town of Bully-les-Mines on a train route leading from Dunkirk to Paris, the regional administration said in a statement, adding that two of those wounded were seriously injured and that more than 200 train passengers were evacuated.” (04/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/french-train-driver-killed-16-injured-in-a-22193411.php
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16) Amazon to cut US Snail deliveries by 20%
Source: Engadget
“Earlier this year, Amazon threatened to cut US Postal Service deliveries by as much as two thirds. Now, the parties have reached tentative a deal that will see USPS deliveries reduced by 20 percent, The Wall Street Journal reported. While not as drastic as first menaced, the reduced volume will still deal a financial blow to the USPS. … Amazon is the USPS’s largest customer, accounting for 15 percent of its volume and $6 billion in revenue.” (04/06/26)
https://www.engadget.com/general/amazons-new-usps-deal-will-see-postal-deliveries-cut-by-20-percent-054608944.html
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17) Fake Australian, Chinese & Brazilian police stations: BBC goes inside seized scam compound
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Wandering down the unlit corridors of a six-storey building behind the Royal Hill casino, each door opens onto a different world. In one there is a perfect replica of a Vietnamese bank. In another, you’re in an Australian police station. A Chinese police officer’s shirt hangs in one corner. Motivational messages have been painted on the walls. ‘Money Coming From Everywhere,’ read the Chinese characters on one sign. Discarded fake hundred dollar bills are lying all over the floor. This was a massive scam compound, just inside Cambodia in a border town called O Smach. Thousands of people from different countries worked here, under a harsh regime which strictly regimented their lives, defrauding thousands of others across the world of their savings.” (04/07/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjenpy8gx71o
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18) Iran: Tehran synagogue destroyed in alleged US-Israeli attack
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“United States-Israeli strikes have ‘completely destroyed’ a synagogue in Tehran, according to Iranian media, as the attacks across Iran killed more than a dozen people overnight. ‘According to preliminary information, the Rafi-Nia Synagogue … was completely destroyed in this morning’s attacks,’ the Shargh newspaper reported on Tuesday. … In a video published on Telegram by Iran’s official IRIB News outlet, Homayoun Sameh, a Jewish representative in the country’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, said ‘the Zionist regime showed no mercy to this community during the Jewish holidays and targeted one of our ancient and holy synagogues. Unfortunately, during this attack, the synagogue building was completely destroyed and our Torah scrolls were left under the rubble,’ he said.” (04/07/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/7/synagogue-in-tehran-destroyed-in-us-israeli-strikes-on-iran
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19) Iran-backed Iraqi militia says it will release American journalist Shelly Kittleson
Source: SFGate
“The powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement on Tuesday that it will release American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped from a Baghdad street corner last week. The group said its decision came ‘in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing Prime Minister’ Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without giving more details. It added that ‘this initiative will not be repeated in future.’ Kataib Hezbollah had not previously acknowledged that it was the one responsible for Kittleson’s abduction, although both U.S. and Iraqi officials had pointed fingers at the group. U.S. officials had previously alleged the group was responsible for abducting freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson from a Baghdad street corner on March 31. The Iraqi government has not publicly named the group responsible, and the militia has not claimed the kidnapping.” (04/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/iraqi-officials-believe-a-powerful-iran-backed-22193294.php
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20) FL: Temu Trump Signs “Terrorist Designation Law”
Source: US News & World Report
“Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a measure that gave him and other state officials the power to designate groups as ‘terrorist organizations’ and expel students who support them, with rights groups saying the law will chill free speech. The law empowers the state’s chief of domestic security, governor and cabinet to designate any organization they determine engages in extremist acts as a ‘terrorist organization.'” (04/06/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2026-04-06/florida-governor-signs-terrorist-designation-law-raises-free-speech-and-due-process-concerns
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Libertarian Office Seeking As Political Pickup Artistry
Source: Desultory Scribblings
by Tyler Harris
“There’s a big difference between a man who hits on 1,000 women and finds only two who are interested, and another man who asks two women out and they both respond positively. Both men have gotten two dates over that same time period, but they’ve adopted very different approaches and built very different reputations. The latter is likely respectful, charismatic, and creates an environment where the women he interacts with feel good. The former’s a loser. In the same way, when the Libertarian Party fields thousands of candidates to win dozens of offices, they sacrifice their success rate on the altar of raw numbers. Like pickup artists, they, too, have adopted in advance the narratives necessary to reinforce this approach even in the face of repeated failures.” (04/07/26)
https://tylerjohnharris.substack.com/p/libertarian-office-seeking-as-political
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22) The Age of the Gilded Apple
Source: Garrison Center
by Joel Schlosberg
“Bill Gates owes much of his fortune to emulating Apple. The video game Halo was first showcased at MacWorld by Jobs before it became an exclusive killer app for Microsoft’s Xbox. Gates’s Windows operating system tapped the talent of Macintosh’s iconic icon designer Susan Kare. And yet the broader impact of Apple’s innovations is hardly confined to such sheerly financial windfalls. This is not just because Apple efforts like the HyperCard which made creating and viewing multimedia straightforward, the Pippin which brought built-in Internet access to a video game console, and the Newton which pioneered the personal digital assistant were influential on later developments without managing to become profitable products for them or anyone else. Indeed, much of the creativity that spread from Apple’s roots in Cupertino, California to cyberspace is closer in spirit to Wozniak than Jobs.” (04/07/26)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20475
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23) Time for the 25th Amendment?
Source: The Realist Review
by Peter Kuznick
“Trump is capable of declaring victory and walking away but he is equally capable of unleashing the worst violence we have seen in decades. How does one read the mind of a madman? A desperate madman for that matter. … Iran didn’t put Trump in this position, he did it himself with the help of Netanyahu and his other enablers who I mentioned above. So all bets are off. Trump is capable of anything. The world is holding its collective breath and hoping that saner individuals intervene to put Trump out to pasture or that the military refuses to obey illegal and immoral orders.” (04/07/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/time-for-the-25th-amendment
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24) Why Should Trump Worry About War Crimes?
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“Commentators are pointing out that if Trump follows through with his vow, he and the Pentagon will be committing a war crime because they will be attacking the civilian population rather than military targets. But why should Trump worry about that? He knows full well that he can commit any act he wants, including criminal acts, and will not be held to account for it. The same, of course, holds true for the Pentagon, the CIA, and the rest of the national-security establishment. There are two entities about which Trump would ordinarily have to be concerned. One is Congress …. Trump has nothing to fear because he controls both houses of Congress though his loyal and deferential Republican toadies. … The other entity is the federal judicial system, which has the power of indicting people for crimes. But Trump controls the Justice Department …” (04/07/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/04/07/why-should-trump-worry-about-war-crimes/
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25) The Iran War Is Now as Dangerous as It Is Senseless with Trump’s Intensified Threats
Source: Glenn Greenwald
by Glenn Greenwald
“The Iran War becomes more senseless, and profoundly more dangerous, with each passing day. This was a war that, as we documented shortly before it began, was never explained to the American people in any meaningful way. That is likely why a large majority have opposed this war from the start, with opposition growing each week. Now, in the war’s sixth full week, we stand on the precipice of dangers unseen for at least two decades. All of this was not only predictable but explicitly and repeatedly predicted. And this is presumably why Trump’s decade-old vows not to involve the U.S. in any new Middle East wars resonated with so many Americans.” (04/07/26)
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-iran-war-is-now-as-dangerous
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26) Let’s Pretend a lot of anti-American protests are made in China
Source: Fox News
by Gordon G Chang
“‘No Kings’ and other protests are sweeping America this year. On May 1, communists and other leftists are planning to try and shut the country down with ‘general strikes.’ ‘Recent reporting indicates that these protests are neither spontaneous nor decentralized,’ wrote Sen. Josh Hawley to then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in February, seeking an investigation into ‘radical left-wing organizations and individuals funding anti-ICE protests—including those with possible ties to the Chinese Communist Party.’ At the center of Chinese funding is Neville Roy Singham, an American tech billionaire living in Shanghai, who is implementing Xi Jinping’s euphemistically stated goal of ‘telling China’s story well.’ Singham, an avowed communist, operates an ‘international Revolutionary Front’ of about 2,000 groups.” (04/07/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gordon-chang-lot-anti-american-protests-made-china
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27) Trump’s Monstrous Threats Against the Iranian People
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“The president has frequently demonstrated that he is a menace to the world and unfit to remain in office, and he has done so again. He ought to be impeached and removed. The fact that we know this won’t happen even after these monstrous, genocidal threats is an indictment of the Republican Party and of our entire political system. If they won’t remove the president, Congress must urgently cut off funding for this war.” (04/07/26)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/trumps-monstrous-threats-against
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28) Bringing Harvard to Heel: The Trump vs. Harvard Brawl is a Necessary Battle for the Salvation of Both Harvard’s and America’s Soul
Source: Isonomia Quarterly
by Barry Scott Zellen
While President Trump says he is still confident in a deal with Harvard – at least more so than he is in securing a ceasefire deal in Ukraine with Russian president Vladimir Putin – his faithful may rightfully ask: why cut a deal with an institution so incestuous, so inbred, so self-serving, and so infested with moral rot, as Harvard?” (04/07/26)
https://isonomiamag.substack.com/p/bringing-harvard-to-heel-the-trump
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29) Trump’s Game for War: How the News Media Is Covering His War
Source: TomDispatch
by Nan Levinson
“A couple of wars ago, when I gave readings from my book War Is Not a Game, I sometimes tried to liven things up by asking the audience to guess which of the names I mentioned were for video games and which were for actual U.S. military campaigns. It didn’t work when there were veterans in the audience — they were too familiar with both — but it did vividly point up the kinship of war and entertainment in our world. Now, welcome to Operation Epic Fury, the perfect name for an adolescent-id-on-steroids-style war. That name was, of course, chosen by Donald (‘How do you like the performance?’) Trump for his campaign against Iran, while his White House social-media team created actual mash-ups of games and reality to match.” (04/07/26)
https://tomdispatch.com/trumps-game-for-war/
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30) How To Stop the War Against Iran
Source: Antiwar.com
by Dennis Kucinich
“If you want to see this war brought to an end, remember this: An appropriations vote is a vote for war. If your congressional representative votes for the ‘National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),’ they vote for war. This is not about disarming. It is about Congress deciding, on our behalf, limitations on aggression. If Congress votes for a supplemental appropriation to replenish missile stocks, and other armaments, they vote for war.” (04/07/26)
https://isonomiamag.substack.com/p/bringing-harvard-to-heel-the-trump
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31) What San Francisco is doing about homelessness that LA is not
Source: New York Post
by Drew Pinsky & Mary LG Theroux
“San Francisco is making real progress in the fight against homelessness; Los Angeles is not. And the difference is how each city treats addiction among the homeless population. Addicts are a crucial subset of that population. It is a brain disease, and brain diseases, as they progress, result in the loss of the ability to manage the necessities of daily life. We are not referring to those who may experience transient homelessness, who can make use of various resources that are available for housing. We are concerned with those for whom their brain conditions have progressed to the point that they lie down on the sidewalk, and stay there.” (04/06/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/06/opinion/how-la-is-failing-the-homeless/
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32) Trump isn’t ready to accept his strategic failures in Iran
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jon Duffy
“The problem in Iran is not that the military has failed to destroy things. It is that destruction is not the same as control. Wars must be judged by the political conditions they produce, not simply by the targets they hit. The Iranian regime still holds its core position. It is still imposing costs and shaping the terms under which other nations, including the U.S., must operate. Tactical violence has not produced durable strategic effect. The administration’s justifications have shifted repeatedly, and its claims of victory have grown more theatrical as the war’s practical results have grown less convincing. … The president launched this war in the name of defending America from imminent threats. He is now applauding limited relief from a coercive order the war itself helped create. What began as a show of force is now a search for smaller and smaller signs of progress.” (04/07/26)
https://archive.is/p8ZDN
-----
33) Times of forgiveness and redemption
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“Within a span of three weeks, the world’s main monotheistic religions have marked significant annual observances – Ramadan for Muslims, Easter for Christians, and Passover for Jews. Specific worship practices during these periods of prayer and reflection differ. But they all touch on common themes of forgiveness as well as redemption or liberation – both from severe external dangers and harsh inner sentiments. ‘Forgiveness … forms an important part of what it means to be a Christian (and to be a follower of many other major religions, too),’ Financial Times columnist Jemima Kelly wrote recently. In addition to benefiting individuals, she noted, ‘It can allow nations to heal after decades of conflict [and] bridge the kind of deep divides … we now see in our societies.’ Celebrating Eid, at the end of Ramadan, ‘is all about forgiving people,’ according to Sadaf Farooqi, a writer and Islamic educator based in Karachi, Pakistan.” (04/06/26)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0406/Times-of-forgiveness-and-redemption
-----
34) The Philosophy of Bah
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“Suppose you’re a juror on a murder trial. A witness testifies that he saw the accused hack the victim to pieces with an ax. When the defense lawyer cross-examines the witness, his only challenges are: ‘Prove it wasn’t a dream’ and ‘Maybe you’re a brain in a vat.’ The correct reaction for the jurors is not to peruse philosophy journals for the latest replies to these classic canards. It is to summarily declare, ‘Bah.’ If that’s your lawyer’s best defense against the charge of murder, the jurors should convict you. If ‘Bah’ seems dogmatic, my response is: ‘I’m not dogmatic; you’re gullible.’” (04/07/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/the-philosophy-of-bah
-----
35) Why SCOTUS Ruled 8–1 Against Colorado’s “Conversion Therapy” Ban
Source: Reason
by Damon Root
“Sometimes, a highly controversial political or social issue will lead to a highly fractious Supreme Court decision. Chiles v. Salazar is a reminder that even the most contentious issues do not always raise equally difficult legal questions for the Supreme Court to answer.” (04/07/26)
https://reason.com/2026/04/07/why-scotus-ruled-8-1-against-colorados-conversion-therapy-ban/
-----
36) Congress Can End Trump’s Unconstitutional War in Iran
Source: The American Conservative
by Bruce Fein
“Congress can brandish the power of the purse to end President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional attack on Iran, a criminal war of aggression as defined by the postwar Nuremberg Tribunal. Congress ended the Vietnam War through the power of the purse. All Congress needs today is a fraction of the courage displayed by the 56 signatories to the American Declaration of Independence who signed their death warrants in defense of unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness 250 years ago.” (04/07/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/congress-can-end-trumps-unconstitutional-war-in-iran/
-----
37) Another Liberal Media Hoax About ICE Bites the Dust
Source: Batya Ungar-Sargon
by Batya Ungar-Sargon
“Everyone remembers the photo of little Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old migrant child pictured in ICE custody wearing a sky blue bunny hat. ICE said that they tried to detain Liam’s father, an illegal [sic] migrant from Ecuador, who ran from them, leaving Liam in their custody. They then tried to give Liam to his mother, but she refused to open the front door, leaving ICE no choice but to detain Liam. Liam and his father were later taken to an ICE detention center, but a judge ordered them released after a few weeks on the grounds that they had a pending asylum case. … Just a month later, the truth that I and many others had suspected came out: The Ramos asylum case is bogus. … You probably didn’t hear about that. The media doesn’t tend to report such things.” (04/07/26)
https://batyaus.substack.com/p/another-liberal-media-hoax-about
-----
38) Gerrymandered Hypocrisy
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“‘Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy,’ declared Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger . . . back in 2019. ‘Let voters decide, not politicians,’ former President Barack Obama offered just last month. The problem? They’re correct! And Republicans are now sharing the statements by these two high-ranking Democrats with Virginia voters. Why? They oppose the April 21 constitutional referendum that, if passed, would allow the legislature to gerrymander the state’s congressional district lines to likely turn the federal delegation from its current six- to five-seat Democratic majority into a ten to one Democratic majority.” (04/07/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/04/07/gerrymandered-hypocrisy/
-----
39) The Moral Thinness of Geopolitics
Source: Law & Liberty
by Daniel Pitt
“The Finland–Russia border is 830 miles long. It is the longest land border with Russia in Europe. It is not only the Finnish border, but also the European Union’s and, more recently, NATO’s too. Therefore, when the president of Finland, Alexander Stubb, writes a book on foreign policy and the world order, it should be of interest to the West. His new book, The Triangle of Power, analyses the transformation of the international system after the end of Western dominance.” (04/07/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/the-moral-thinness-of-geopolitics/
-----
40) Deregulation Must Drive the Rideshare Industry
Source: The Daily Economy
by Alex Rosado
“Streamlined regulations and fair insurance rules can make rideshares safer, more affordable, and more competitive — benefiting drivers, riders, and the broader transit system.” (04/07/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/deregulation-must-drive-the-rideshare-industry/
-----
41) Trump’s Gold Card Is Birth Tourism
Source: Common Dreams
by Jordan Liz
“On April 1, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments in Trump v. Barbara, the class-action lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship. Trump insists that this ban is necessary to stop birth tourism. This refers to the practice of traveling to another country to give birth, thereby allowing the child to automatically acquire citizenship. Via TruthSocial, Trump writes: ‘Birthright Citizenship has to do with the babies of slaves, not Chinese Billionaires who have 56 kids, all of whom ‘become’ American Citizens. One of the many Great Scams of our time!’ Solicitor General D. John Sauer has raised similar concerns. He remarks, ‘Media reported as early as 2015 that, based on Chinese media reports, there are 500 — 500 — birth tourism companies in the People’s Republic of China, whose business is to bring people here to give birth and return to that nation.'” (04/07/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-gold-card-birth-tourism
-----
42) The Road to Justice Is Paved with Good Intentions — and Fewer Jurors?
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Owen Ashworth
“Trial by jury isn’t just a British legal and cultural tradition. It isn’t just a part of our legal system. It’s a safeguard against the tyranny of the state. To be judged by your peers is to be judged by the society of which you make up but one part. The people are meant to check the determination of the state to forebay its determination to prove its own worth, which all too often means people get the book thrown at them when all they truly deserve is a chapter. David Lammy, the justice secretary and deputy prime minister, is seeking to abolish jury trials to a certain extent. However, the enthusiastic Fabianism that runs deep in this Labour government makes this measure all the more sinister.” (04/07/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-road-to-justice-is-paved-with-good-intentions-and-fewer-jurors/
-----
43) Burmese Way to Crony Capitalism: The Socialist Roots of Burmese Cronyism
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
by Hein Htet Kyaw
“History often remembers the 1962 coup as an unexpected seizure of power by a power-hungry General. However, the military’s current denial to depart the politics and their evolution into an elite ‘crony’ class from the military bureaucratic class are rooted in the seven-decade growth of their bureaucratic power and economic interests, which began in the 1950s. To understand today’s political situation, one must trace how the military successfully embedded itself into the nation’s economic and administrative core over the last seventy years.” (04/07/26)
https://c4ss.org/content/61092
-----
44) Worse than John McCain?
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“Following President Trump’s address to the nation on Wednesday about the Iran War, stock markets suffered losses while oil prices rose. The decline in stocks and increase in oil prices reflected disappointment over President Trump’s failure to articulate a plan to end the Iran War and the related restraint of shipping through of the Strait of Hormuz. The average gas price in America has risen to over four dollars per gallon since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran at the end of February. The increased cost of gas is raising prices at the pump and, by increasing shipping costs, resulting in higher prices at grocery stores and even on Amazon.” (04/06/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/worse-than-john-mccain
-----
45) Wisdom From America’s Founders: Government Isn’t Evil, But…
Source: Town Hall
by Mark Lewis
“Government isn’t evil. People are evil, not institutions or things. An army, a gun, isn’t evil, but they certainly can be, and have been, used by evil people, for evil purposes. And this describes governments down through history as well. I have often said that government is a ‘necessary evil’. That isn’t quite accurate; it is, sadly, ‘necessary.’ If all men were angels, Mr. Madison said, we wouldn’t need government. But, obviously, all men aren’t angels, thus some restraining force is required to curb what evil men do. Governments should be established for that purpose, and it is a legitimate one. The apostle Paul, in Romans 13, describes the reality of our world even today by talking about the rationale for government and what our response to it should be.” (04/07/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/04/07/wisdom-from-americas-founders-government-isnt-evil-but-n2673996
-----
46) Democratic Party faces its internal demons on US-Israel policy — again
Source: Semafor
by David Weigel
“Rank-and-file Democratic support for Palestinians has surged since 2024 and risen more since last summer, but there are influential party leaders who disagree. The US-Israel attacks on Iran are more unifying inside the party. Democrats are against them and happy to blame them for rising prices. But the demand for the official party to take a position is fraught with risk, at a moment when the party is feeling good about the issues this midterm election will be fought over.” (04/06/26)
https://www.semafor.com/article/04/06/2026/democratic-party-faces-its-internal-demons-on-us-israel-policy-again
-----
47) A Look at Our Material Progress
Source: Independent Institute
by Alex Tokarev
“Year after year, we are told by whoever is in opposition and seeks to get elected to a public office that life is getting harder. Young people can’t afford anything. That America was somehow better ‘back then.’ And ‘back then’ usually means 50 or 100 years ago, times often romanticized by Hollywood, but when life was actually much harder and less enjoyable. The truth is that, in material terms, we live in the best of times. And it will get better even when we hit a few bumps by electing the occasional socialist. Life now is much more affordable, safer, healthier, and full of opportunity than it was a century ago. Profit-seeking undertakers, the ones politicians love to demonize, are making everything more abundant, convenient, and reliable.” (04/06/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/04/06/a-look-at-our-material-progress/
-----
48) What Hegel Knew About Trump
Source: Persuasion
by John B Judis
“Hegel viewed history as consisting of stages punctuated by times of upheaval. He assigned to what he called “world-historical individuals” a special role in spurring the transition from one era to another. These individuals didn’t necessarily grasp the full import of what they were doing, and their actions, while transformative, didn’t necessarily result in the outcomes they intended. Trump, I have come to believe, is exactly such an individual: He is speeding the transition from one historical era to another. The ultimate results are very unlikely to line up with his exact ideological aims, but they will be profound. And the world is never going back to what it was.” (04/06/26)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/what-hegel-knew-about-trump
-----
49) A Retrospective on Bidenomics
Source: The American Prospect
by Ryan Cooper
“As an American political writer on the left, it is quite unusual to see one’s advice being followed. During Barack Obama’s presidency, I argued repeatedly that Democrats badly botched the response to the Great Recession. Thanks in part to backroom maneuverings from then-head of the National Economic Council Larry Summers, the stimulus package of 2009 was roughly half as big as it needed to be. As a result, unemployment was still 10 percent on Election Day 2010—a big reason why Democrats lost 63 seats in the House and six in the Senate, relinquishing full control of Congress that never returned for the duration of Obama’s presidency. Fast-forward to 2021, and much to my surprise, ol’ Joe Biden and congressional Democrats did exactly what I and other critics recommended. With the economy still coming out of a very severe recession from the pandemic, Biden met the challenge with a $1.9 trillion stimulus.” (04/07/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/04/07/apr-2026-magazine-retrospective-on-bidenomics/
-----
50) What Would Robert Louis Stevenson Say about Ozempic?
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Ann Bauer
“Ozempic and its cousins (Mounjaro, Wegovy, Zepbound, et al.) modify the pleasure centers of the brain, making everything people crave — food, sex, smoking, alcohol, shopping, gambling, cocaine — less appealing. It doesn’t address the underlying problems of addiction, such as depression or dishonesty. It just eliminates the part of the person that enjoys and revels, the colorful, joyous side. It’s a version of the drug in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, that the doctor ginned up to divide himself, creating a respectable man bound by reserve and a separate murderous, pleasure-seeking monster.” (04/06/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/what-would-robert-louis-stevenson-say-about-ozempic/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 04/07/26
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“News and misinformation in early America.” (04/07/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/news-and-misinformation-early-america
-----
52) Nonzero, 04/07/26
Source: bloggingheads.tv
“The Iran War: A Debate | Robert Wright & Eli Lake.” (04/07/26)
https://bloggingheads.tv/videos/69400
-----
53) The Bryan Hyde Show, 07/04/26
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
“Eric Peters from Eric Peters Autos is my guest and boy do we have a lot to discuss today.” (04/07/26)
https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-2pptc-1a913e3
-----
54) Trump Watch, 04/07/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Things Just Keep Getting More Bizarre.” (04/07/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMXnasM59w0
-----
55) The Dispatch Podcast, 04/07/26
Source: The Dispatch
“The Department of Justice After Pam Bondi.” (04/07/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/dispatch-podcast/the-department-of-justice-after-pam-bondi/
-----
56) Law & Liberty Podcast, 04/07/26
Source: Law & Liberty
“Mercy from on high.” (04/07/26)
https://lawliberty.org/podcast/mercy-from-on-high/
-----
57) The Corbett Report, episode 497
Source: The Corbett Report
“The ‘Multipolar World Order’ IS the New World Order!” (04/07/26)
https://corbettreport.com/the-multipolar-world-order-is-the-new-world-order/
-----
58) Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock, 04/06/26
Source: Freedom’s Phoenix
“Ernest Hancock (Publisher of Freedom’s Phoenix, Pirates Without Borders, Occpy the Land and Libertas.Earth; and Host of the Declare Your independence with Ernest Hancock show) declares ‘The Beginning is Nigh.’ What does that mean? What can we look forward to? What are some solutions?” (04/06/26)
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Media/393695-2026-04-06-2026-04-06-ernest-hancock-the-beginning-is-nigh-mp3.htm
-----
59) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/06/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Threatens To ‘Take Out Entire Country’ of Iran, Israeli Attacks Pound Gaza, and More.” (04/06/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdqQLGxQGP0
-----
60) Finding Freedom, 04/06/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“No Options With Ty Gipson.” (04/06/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/ff-no-options-with-ty-gipson
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Today's Freedom News:
1) US, Iranian regimes agree to two-week ceasefire, with strait of Hormuz to open
2) Bitcoin, ether, oil shorts lead $427 million wipeout on US-Iran ceasefire
3) Hungary: Vance says EU is meddling in election as he meddles in election
4) Palestine: WHO suspends Gaza medical evacuations after contractor murdered by Israeli troops
5) GA: Republican wins special election to replace Greene in US House
6) Kalshi Forecasts Coming to Fox News [sic] as Prediction Market Strikes Deal With Cable Leader
7) UK: Regime denies entry to Ye
8) Appeals court allows Iowa regime’s LGBTQ books ban to take effect
9) Macron: Iran has allowed two French former detainees to leave the country
10) Panama: Huge explosion at Bridge of the Americas leaves one dead and more injured
11) Australia: Soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders in Afghanistan
12) Officials say Ukrainian forces operating in Libya attacked Russian tanker
13) Cheap Blood Test Might Spot Cancers, Other Diseases
14) France: Sarkozy claims innocence at appeals trial over Libya funding
15) France: Train driver killed after crashing into truck at railway crossing
16) Amazon to cut US Snail deliveries by 20%
17) Fake Australian, Chinese & Brazilian police stations: BBC goes inside seized scam compound
18) Iran: Tehran synagogue destroyed in alleged US-Israeli attack
19) Iran-backed Iraqi militia says it will release American journalist Shelly Kittleson
20) FL: Temu Trump Signs “Terrorist Designation Law”
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Libertarian Office Seeking As Political Pickup Artistry
22) The Age of the Gilded Apple
23) Time for the 25th Amendment?
24) Why Should Trump Worry About War Crimes?
25) The Iran War Is Now as Dangerous as It Is Senseless with Trump’s Intensified Threats
26) Let’s Pretend a lot of anti-American protests are made in China
27) Trump’s Monstrous Threats Against the Iranian People
28) Bringing Harvard to Heel: The Trump vs. Harvard Brawl is a Necessary Battle for the Salvation of Both Harvard’s and America’s Soul
29) Trump’s Game for War: How the News Media Is Covering His War
30) How To Stop the War Against Iran
31) What San Francisco is doing about homelessness that LA is not
32) Trump isn’t ready to accept his strategic failures in Iran
33) Times of forgiveness and redemption
34) The Philosophy of Bah
35) Why SCOTUS Ruled 8–1 Against Colorado’s “Conversion Therapy” Ban
36) Congress Can End Trump’s Unconstitutional War in Iran
37) Another Liberal Media Hoax About ICE Bites the Dust
38) Gerrymandered Hypocrisy
39) The Moral Thinness of Geopolitics
40) Deregulation Must Drive the Rideshare Industry
41) Trump’s Gold Card Is Birth Tourism
42) The Road to Justice Is Paved with Good Intentions — and Fewer Jurors?
43) Burmese Way to Crony Capitalism: The Socialist Roots of Burmese Cronyism
44) Worse than John McCain?
45) Wisdom From America’s Founders: Government Isn’t Evil, But…
46) Democratic Party faces its internal demons on US-Israel policy — again
47) A Look at Our Material Progress
48) What Hegel Knew About Trump
49) A Retrospective on Bidenomics
50) What Would Robert Louis Stevenson Say about Ozempic?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 04/07/26
52) Nonzero, 04/07/26
53) The Bryan Hyde Show, 07/04/26
54) Trump Watch, 04/07/26
55) The Dispatch Podcast, 04/07/26
56) Law & Liberty Podcast, 04/07/26
57) The Corbett Report, episode 497
58) Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock, 04/06/26
59) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/06/26
60) Finding Freedom, 04/06/26
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) US, Iranian regimes agree to two-week ceasefire, with strait of Hormuz to open
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday evening after a last-minute diplomatic intervention led by Pakistan, canceling an ultimatum from Donald Trump for Iran to surrender or face widespread destruction. Trump’s announcement of the ceasefire agreement came less than two hours before the US president’s self-imposed 8pm Eastern time deadline to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges in a move that legal scholars, as well as officials from numerous countries and the Pope, had warned could constitute war crimes. … Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, issued a statement shortly after Trump’s announcement saying Iran had agreed to the ceasefire.” (04/07/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/07/trump-iran-war-ceasefire
-----
2) Bitcoin, ether, oil shorts lead $427 million wipeout on US-Iran ceasefire
Source: CoinDesk
“Days of bearish positioning unraveled in about two hours on Tuesday night as bitcoin surged past $72,700 after Trump confirmed a two-week ceasefire with Iran via Truth Social just before his 8 p.m. ET deadline. The move triggered $595 million in total crypto liquidations across 118,489 traders, according to CoinGlass data. Short positions accounted for $427 million versus $168 million in longs, a ratio of more than 2.5-to-1 that reflects just how heavily the market was positioned for further downside heading into the deadline.” (04/08/26)
https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/04/08/bitcoin-ether-oil-shorts-lead-usd427-million-wipeout-on-us-iran-ceasefire
-----
3) Hungary: Vance says EU is meddling in election as he meddles in election
Source: Reuters
“U.S. Vice President JD Vance lashed out on Tuesday at what he called ‘disgraceful’ European Union interference in Hungary’s election, even as he openly endorsed Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of both President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, days before the vote. Vance’s visit to Budapest came ahead of Sunday’s election, which independent public opinion polls show Orban is likely to lose. The trip — and the rare endorsement by a sitting U.S. official — underscored how crucial Trump deems the veteran Hungarian nationalist’s reelection. The visit broke with the norms of prior U.S. presidential administrations of not openly campaigning in foreign elections, especially for a government that has maintained close ties with Putin. It was not immediately clear whether Vance’s public support would strengthen Orban’s candidacy.” (04/07/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/vice-president-vance-visits-hungary-boost-orban-ahead-pivotal-election-2026-04-07/
-----
4) Palestine: WHO suspends Gaza medical evacuations after contractor murdered by Israeli troops
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“The World Health Organization has suspended medical evacuations from Gaza to Egypt via the Rafah crossing after a contractor was killed by Israeli troops on Monday. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the contractor (named locally as Majdi Aslan, 54) was killed in a ‘security incident’ and that two staff were present but not injured. He gave no further details. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said the contractor was driving a WHO-rented vehicle in southern Gaza when it was targeted by Israeli forces. Israel’s military said its troops ‘identified an unmarked vehicle approaching them and the Yellow Line, posing an immediate threat,’ referring to the line marking Israeli-held territory. ‘In response, the troops fired warning shots. The vehicle continued to accelerate toward the troops, who then responded with additional fire that hit the vehicle,’ it added. ‘The incident is under review.'” (04/07/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g8pzpw2g2o
-----
5) GA: Republican wins special election to replace Greene in US House
Source: Politico
“Republicans held onto former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s House seat on Tuesday. Republican Clay Fuller defeated Democrat Shawn Harris in a special runoff election in the state’s 14th Congressional District, giving the GOP another vote for their narrow House majority. But his margin of victory is on track to be less than half of President Donald Trump’s 37-point win in 2024. … The northwest Georgia district is the reddest in the Peach State, and the slimmer margin had Democrats bullish on their ambitious plans to flip seats in November’s midterms.” (04/07/26)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/07/clay-fuller-wins-special-election-marjorie-taylor-greene-00863221
-----
6) Kalshi Forecasts Coming to Fox News [sic] as Prediction Market Strikes Deal With Cable Leader
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
“The biggest prediction market in the U.S. is teaming up with the biggest TV news [sic] channel in the U.S. Kalshi, the betting platform that lets users put their money on the line to predict the outcome of world events (from elections and sporting events to unemployment rates, Oscar winners and updates in the Iran war), has inked a wide-ranging deal with Fox Corp. that will see its forecasts integrated into Fox News [sic], Fox Business Network, Fox One and Fox Weather. Kalsi has been aggressive about inking deals with media partners: It has similar arrangements with both CNN and CNBC, with the goal to get Kalshi-branded forecasts and predictions onscreen.” (04/07/26)
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/fox-news-deal-kalshi-prediction-market-1236557283/
-----
7) UK: Regime denies entry to Ye
Source: CBS News
“The rapper formerly known as Kanye West was barred Tuesday from entering the U.K., where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July, after a backlash over Ye’s history of antisemitic remarks. Festival organizers canceled the three-day outdoor event as a result of the travel ban and said those who had bought tickets would get refunds. Ye had been granted an electronic travel authorization which has now been withdrawn on the grounds that his presence in the U.K. would not be ‘conducive to the public good,’ CBS News partner network BBC News said, citing the Home Office.” (04/07/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kanye-west-blocked-uk-wireless-festival/
-----
8) Appeals court allows Iowa regime’s LGBTQ books ban to take effect
Source: United Press International
“A 2023 Iowa law banning LGBTQ books and topics from being discussed in public school classrooms is taking effect after an appeals court lifted an injunction against it on Tuesday. The Court of Appeals for the Eighth U.S. Circuit ruled against the injunction after a lower court judge blocked the law last year. The law also requires school administrators to inform parents if a student requests accommodations to affirm their gender identity, such as preferred pronouns.” (04/07/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/04/07/iowa-lgbtq-book-ban-parental-notification-law-takes-effect/2491775576362/
-----
9) Macron: Iran has allowed two French former detainees to leave the country
Source: SFGate
“Iran has allowed two French former detainees, Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris, to leave the country, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. They had been holed up in French diplomatic premises there since their release from prison in November. ‘Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on route toward French territory, after three and a half years of detention in Iran,’ Macron posted on X. The green light for them to leave Iran, long sought by France, signaled how Iran is differentiating between nations, treating some favorably and others as foes, in the context of the Iran war. Macron has distanced France from the conflict, saying his country wasn’t consulted in advance about the U.S-Israel strikes and didn’t want the war. He thanked Oman for playing a mediation role in the release of Kohler and Paris.” (04/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/iran-has-allowed-two-french-former-detainees-to-22193239.php
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10) Panama: Huge explosion at Bridge of the Americas leaves one dead and more injured
Source: Independent [UK]
“A massive explosion under the Bridge of the Americas has killed one person and injured two, temporarily closing the vital crossing over the Panama Canal. Smoke and flames engulfed part of the bridge, footage on social media showed, after a fuel tanker truck exploded in the area of La Boca, under the 5,400ft-long bridge. Cars and buses sped up in order to move past the explosion. … The Bridge of Americas spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, a vital waterway for commodities connecting the Panama Sea with the Pacific Ocean.” (04/07/26)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/panama-canal-bridge-of-americas-explosion-b2952852.html
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11) Australia: Soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders in Afghanistan
Source: ABC News
“A former Australian soldier was charged on Tuesday with war crimes on allegations that he killed five unarmed Afghans while serving in Afghanistan from 2009 and 2012, police said. Police have not confirmed the 47-year-old man’s name. He is expected to appear in a Sydney court later Tuesday. The soldier is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime. … The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence that elite Australian SAS and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants.” (04/07/26)
https://abcnews.com/International/wireStory/former-australian-soldier-charged-committing-5-war-crime-131789288
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12) Officials say Ukrainian forces operating in Libya attacked Russian tanker
Source: SFGate
“Ukrainian forces are operating in western Libya under a covert deal endorsed by the West, and they used the Northern African country’s territory to strike a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean last month, two Libyan officials said Tuesday. The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying 61,000 tons of liquefied natural gas, was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone attack near Maltese waters early in March. It has since drifted off Libya. All 30 crew members were rescued and put on another vessel heading to the Libyan city of Benghazi, the Libyan Maritime Authority said. The tanker is part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet transporting oil in violation of international sanctions over Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine. A recent temporary U.S. waiver on those sanctions is aimed at easing supply shortages amid the Iran war.” (04/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/ukrainian-forces-operating-in-libya-have-attacked-22193618.php
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13) Cheap Blood Test Might Spot Cancers, Other Diseases
Source: US News & World Report
“A simple and cost-effective blood test might be able to help detect multiple cancers and other diseases, a new study says. The test works by analyzing DNA fragments in a person’s bloodstream and could offer a powerful and affordable approach to screening for cancer and other health problems, researchers reported April 6 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. … The test, called MethylScan, analyzed DNA that cells from every organ naturally shed into the bloodstream. This genetic material carries signals that reflects what is happening in the body.” (04/07/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2026-04-07/cheap-blood-test-might-spot-cancers-other-diseases
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14) France: Sarkozy claims innocence at appeals trial over Libya funding
Source: France 24 [French state media]
“France’s ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy at an appeals trial Tuesday said he was ‘innocent,’ rejecting charges he had sought Libyan financing for his 2007 election in exchange for helping improve Tripoli’s image after deadly bombings. A lower court in September found the right-wing politician, who was president from 2007 to 2012, guilty of seeking to acquire funding from Muammar Gaddafi’s Libya for the campaign that saw him elected and sentenced him to five years behind bars. The case saw Sarkozy, who has always denied any wrongdoing, become modern France’s first president to have gone to prison. He served 20 days before he was released pending the appeal.” (04/07/26)
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260407-former-french-president-sarkozy-claims-innocence-at-appeals-trial-over-libya-funding
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15) France: Train driver killed after crashing into truck at railway crossing
Source: SFGate
“A French high-speed train driver was killed on Tuesday and 16 people were injured when his locomotive slammed into a truck carrying military equipment at a railway crossing in northern France, local authorities said. The driver of the truck was detained, and an aggravated manslaughter investigation was opened, but it is too early to determine the exact cause of the crash, Prosecutor Etienne Thieffry told reporters. Jean Castex, the head of the national railway authority SNCF, said the railroad crossing gates were functioning correctly. The train was traveling at 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) when it hit the truck, the local prefect said. Rescue crews rushed to the scene after the crash in the town of Bully-les-Mines on a train route leading from Dunkirk to Paris, the regional administration said in a statement, adding that two of those wounded were seriously injured and that more than 200 train passengers were evacuated.” (04/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/french-train-driver-killed-16-injured-in-a-22193411.php
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16) Amazon to cut US Snail deliveries by 20%
Source: Engadget
“Earlier this year, Amazon threatened to cut US Postal Service deliveries by as much as two thirds. Now, the parties have reached tentative a deal that will see USPS deliveries reduced by 20 percent, The Wall Street Journal reported. While not as drastic as first menaced, the reduced volume will still deal a financial blow to the USPS. … Amazon is the USPS’s largest customer, accounting for 15 percent of its volume and $6 billion in revenue.” (04/06/26)
https://www.engadget.com/general/amazons-new-usps-deal-will-see-postal-deliveries-cut-by-20-percent-054608944.html
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17) Fake Australian, Chinese & Brazilian police stations: BBC goes inside seized scam compound
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Wandering down the unlit corridors of a six-storey building behind the Royal Hill casino, each door opens onto a different world. In one there is a perfect replica of a Vietnamese bank. In another, you’re in an Australian police station. A Chinese police officer’s shirt hangs in one corner. Motivational messages have been painted on the walls. ‘Money Coming From Everywhere,’ read the Chinese characters on one sign. Discarded fake hundred dollar bills are lying all over the floor. This was a massive scam compound, just inside Cambodia in a border town called O Smach. Thousands of people from different countries worked here, under a harsh regime which strictly regimented their lives, defrauding thousands of others across the world of their savings.” (04/07/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjenpy8gx71o
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18) Iran: Tehran synagogue destroyed in alleged US-Israeli attack
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“United States-Israeli strikes have ‘completely destroyed’ a synagogue in Tehran, according to Iranian media, as the attacks across Iran killed more than a dozen people overnight. ‘According to preliminary information, the Rafi-Nia Synagogue … was completely destroyed in this morning’s attacks,’ the Shargh newspaper reported on Tuesday. … In a video published on Telegram by Iran’s official IRIB News outlet, Homayoun Sameh, a Jewish representative in the country’s Islamic Consultative Assembly, said ‘the Zionist regime showed no mercy to this community during the Jewish holidays and targeted one of our ancient and holy synagogues. Unfortunately, during this attack, the synagogue building was completely destroyed and our Torah scrolls were left under the rubble,’ he said.” (04/07/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/7/synagogue-in-tehran-destroyed-in-us-israeli-strikes-on-iran
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19) Iran-backed Iraqi militia says it will release American journalist Shelly Kittleson
Source: SFGate
“The powerful Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah said in a statement on Tuesday that it will release American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped from a Baghdad street corner last week. The group said its decision came ‘in appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing Prime Minister’ Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, without giving more details. It added that ‘this initiative will not be repeated in future.’ Kataib Hezbollah had not previously acknowledged that it was the one responsible for Kittleson’s abduction, although both U.S. and Iraqi officials had pointed fingers at the group. U.S. officials had previously alleged the group was responsible for abducting freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson from a Baghdad street corner on March 31. The Iraqi government has not publicly named the group responsible, and the militia has not claimed the kidnapping.” (04/07/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/iraqi-officials-believe-a-powerful-iran-backed-22193294.php
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20) FL: Temu Trump Signs “Terrorist Designation Law”
Source: US News & World Report
“Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a measure that gave him and other state officials the power to designate groups as ‘terrorist organizations’ and expel students who support them, with rights groups saying the law will chill free speech. The law empowers the state’s chief of domestic security, governor and cabinet to designate any organization they determine engages in extremist acts as a ‘terrorist organization.'” (04/06/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2026-04-06/florida-governor-signs-terrorist-designation-law-raises-free-speech-and-due-process-concerns
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Libertarian Office Seeking As Political Pickup Artistry
Source: Desultory Scribblings
by Tyler Harris
“There’s a big difference between a man who hits on 1,000 women and finds only two who are interested, and another man who asks two women out and they both respond positively. Both men have gotten two dates over that same time period, but they’ve adopted very different approaches and built very different reputations. The latter is likely respectful, charismatic, and creates an environment where the women he interacts with feel good. The former’s a loser. In the same way, when the Libertarian Party fields thousands of candidates to win dozens of offices, they sacrifice their success rate on the altar of raw numbers. Like pickup artists, they, too, have adopted in advance the narratives necessary to reinforce this approach even in the face of repeated failures.” (04/07/26)
https://tylerjohnharris.substack.com/p/libertarian-office-seeking-as-political
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22) The Age of the Gilded Apple
Source: Garrison Center
by Joel Schlosberg
“Bill Gates owes much of his fortune to emulating Apple. The video game Halo was first showcased at MacWorld by Jobs before it became an exclusive killer app for Microsoft’s Xbox. Gates’s Windows operating system tapped the talent of Macintosh’s iconic icon designer Susan Kare. And yet the broader impact of Apple’s innovations is hardly confined to such sheerly financial windfalls. This is not just because Apple efforts like the HyperCard which made creating and viewing multimedia straightforward, the Pippin which brought built-in Internet access to a video game console, and the Newton which pioneered the personal digital assistant were influential on later developments without managing to become profitable products for them or anyone else. Indeed, much of the creativity that spread from Apple’s roots in Cupertino, California to cyberspace is closer in spirit to Wozniak than Jobs.” (04/07/26)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20475
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23) Time for the 25th Amendment?
Source: The Realist Review
by Peter Kuznick
“Trump is capable of declaring victory and walking away but he is equally capable of unleashing the worst violence we have seen in decades. How does one read the mind of a madman? A desperate madman for that matter. … Iran didn’t put Trump in this position, he did it himself with the help of Netanyahu and his other enablers who I mentioned above. So all bets are off. Trump is capable of anything. The world is holding its collective breath and hoping that saner individuals intervene to put Trump out to pasture or that the military refuses to obey illegal and immoral orders.” (04/07/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/time-for-the-25th-amendment
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24) Why Should Trump Worry About War Crimes?
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“Commentators are pointing out that if Trump follows through with his vow, he and the Pentagon will be committing a war crime because they will be attacking the civilian population rather than military targets. But why should Trump worry about that? He knows full well that he can commit any act he wants, including criminal acts, and will not be held to account for it. The same, of course, holds true for the Pentagon, the CIA, and the rest of the national-security establishment. There are two entities about which Trump would ordinarily have to be concerned. One is Congress …. Trump has nothing to fear because he controls both houses of Congress though his loyal and deferential Republican toadies. … The other entity is the federal judicial system, which has the power of indicting people for crimes. But Trump controls the Justice Department …” (04/07/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/04/07/why-should-trump-worry-about-war-crimes/
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25) The Iran War Is Now as Dangerous as It Is Senseless with Trump’s Intensified Threats
Source: Glenn Greenwald
by Glenn Greenwald
“The Iran War becomes more senseless, and profoundly more dangerous, with each passing day. This was a war that, as we documented shortly before it began, was never explained to the American people in any meaningful way. That is likely why a large majority have opposed this war from the start, with opposition growing each week. Now, in the war’s sixth full week, we stand on the precipice of dangers unseen for at least two decades. All of this was not only predictable but explicitly and repeatedly predicted. And this is presumably why Trump’s decade-old vows not to involve the U.S. in any new Middle East wars resonated with so many Americans.” (04/07/26)
https://greenwald.substack.com/p/the-iran-war-is-now-as-dangerous
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26) Let’s Pretend a lot of anti-American protests are made in China
Source: Fox News
by Gordon G Chang
“‘No Kings’ and other protests are sweeping America this year. On May 1, communists and other leftists are planning to try and shut the country down with ‘general strikes.’ ‘Recent reporting indicates that these protests are neither spontaneous nor decentralized,’ wrote Sen. Josh Hawley to then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in February, seeking an investigation into ‘radical left-wing organizations and individuals funding anti-ICE protests—including those with possible ties to the Chinese Communist Party.’ At the center of Chinese funding is Neville Roy Singham, an American tech billionaire living in Shanghai, who is implementing Xi Jinping’s euphemistically stated goal of ‘telling China’s story well.’ Singham, an avowed communist, operates an ‘international Revolutionary Front’ of about 2,000 groups.” (04/07/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/gordon-chang-lot-anti-american-protests-made-china
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27) Trump’s Monstrous Threats Against the Iranian People
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“The president has frequently demonstrated that he is a menace to the world and unfit to remain in office, and he has done so again. He ought to be impeached and removed. The fact that we know this won’t happen even after these monstrous, genocidal threats is an indictment of the Republican Party and of our entire political system. If they won’t remove the president, Congress must urgently cut off funding for this war.” (04/07/26)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/trumps-monstrous-threats-against
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28) Bringing Harvard to Heel: The Trump vs. Harvard Brawl is a Necessary Battle for the Salvation of Both Harvard’s and America’s Soul
Source: Isonomia Quarterly
by Barry Scott Zellen
While President Trump says he is still confident in a deal with Harvard – at least more so than he is in securing a ceasefire deal in Ukraine with Russian president Vladimir Putin – his faithful may rightfully ask: why cut a deal with an institution so incestuous, so inbred, so self-serving, and so infested with moral rot, as Harvard?” (04/07/26)
https://isonomiamag.substack.com/p/bringing-harvard-to-heel-the-trump
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29) Trump’s Game for War: How the News Media Is Covering His War
Source: TomDispatch
by Nan Levinson
“A couple of wars ago, when I gave readings from my book War Is Not a Game, I sometimes tried to liven things up by asking the audience to guess which of the names I mentioned were for video games and which were for actual U.S. military campaigns. It didn’t work when there were veterans in the audience — they were too familiar with both — but it did vividly point up the kinship of war and entertainment in our world. Now, welcome to Operation Epic Fury, the perfect name for an adolescent-id-on-steroids-style war. That name was, of course, chosen by Donald (‘How do you like the performance?’) Trump for his campaign against Iran, while his White House social-media team created actual mash-ups of games and reality to match.” (04/07/26)
https://tomdispatch.com/trumps-game-for-war/
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30) How To Stop the War Against Iran
Source: Antiwar.com
by Dennis Kucinich
“If you want to see this war brought to an end, remember this: An appropriations vote is a vote for war. If your congressional representative votes for the ‘National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),’ they vote for war. This is not about disarming. It is about Congress deciding, on our behalf, limitations on aggression. If Congress votes for a supplemental appropriation to replenish missile stocks, and other armaments, they vote for war.” (04/07/26)
https://isonomiamag.substack.com/p/bringing-harvard-to-heel-the-trump
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31) What San Francisco is doing about homelessness that LA is not
Source: New York Post
by Drew Pinsky & Mary LG Theroux
“San Francisco is making real progress in the fight against homelessness; Los Angeles is not. And the difference is how each city treats addiction among the homeless population. Addicts are a crucial subset of that population. It is a brain disease, and brain diseases, as they progress, result in the loss of the ability to manage the necessities of daily life. We are not referring to those who may experience transient homelessness, who can make use of various resources that are available for housing. We are concerned with those for whom their brain conditions have progressed to the point that they lie down on the sidewalk, and stay there.” (04/06/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/06/opinion/how-la-is-failing-the-homeless/
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32) Trump isn’t ready to accept his strategic failures in Iran
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jon Duffy
“The problem in Iran is not that the military has failed to destroy things. It is that destruction is not the same as control. Wars must be judged by the political conditions they produce, not simply by the targets they hit. The Iranian regime still holds its core position. It is still imposing costs and shaping the terms under which other nations, including the U.S., must operate. Tactical violence has not produced durable strategic effect. The administration’s justifications have shifted repeatedly, and its claims of victory have grown more theatrical as the war’s practical results have grown less convincing. … The president launched this war in the name of defending America from imminent threats. He is now applauding limited relief from a coercive order the war itself helped create. What began as a show of force is now a search for smaller and smaller signs of progress.” (04/07/26)
https://archive.is/p8ZDN
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33) Times of forgiveness and redemption
Source: Christian Science Monitor
by staff
“Within a span of three weeks, the world’s main monotheistic religions have marked significant annual observances – Ramadan for Muslims, Easter for Christians, and Passover for Jews. Specific worship practices during these periods of prayer and reflection differ. But they all touch on common themes of forgiveness as well as redemption or liberation – both from severe external dangers and harsh inner sentiments. ‘Forgiveness … forms an important part of what it means to be a Christian (and to be a follower of many other major religions, too),’ Financial Times columnist Jemima Kelly wrote recently. In addition to benefiting individuals, she noted, ‘It can allow nations to heal after decades of conflict [and] bridge the kind of deep divides … we now see in our societies.’ Celebrating Eid, at the end of Ramadan, ‘is all about forgiving people,’ according to Sadaf Farooqi, a writer and Islamic educator based in Karachi, Pakistan.” (04/06/26)
https://www.csmonitor.com/Editorials/the-monitors-view/2026/0406/Times-of-forgiveness-and-redemption
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34) The Philosophy of Bah
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“Suppose you’re a juror on a murder trial. A witness testifies that he saw the accused hack the victim to pieces with an ax. When the defense lawyer cross-examines the witness, his only challenges are: ‘Prove it wasn’t a dream’ and ‘Maybe you’re a brain in a vat.’ The correct reaction for the jurors is not to peruse philosophy journals for the latest replies to these classic canards. It is to summarily declare, ‘Bah.’ If that’s your lawyer’s best defense against the charge of murder, the jurors should convict you. If ‘Bah’ seems dogmatic, my response is: ‘I’m not dogmatic; you’re gullible.’” (04/07/26)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/the-philosophy-of-bah
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35) Why SCOTUS Ruled 8–1 Against Colorado’s “Conversion Therapy” Ban
Source: Reason
by Damon Root
“Sometimes, a highly controversial political or social issue will lead to a highly fractious Supreme Court decision. Chiles v. Salazar is a reminder that even the most contentious issues do not always raise equally difficult legal questions for the Supreme Court to answer.” (04/07/26)
https://reason.com/2026/04/07/why-scotus-ruled-8-1-against-colorados-conversion-therapy-ban/
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36) Congress Can End Trump’s Unconstitutional War in Iran
Source: The American Conservative
by Bruce Fein
“Congress can brandish the power of the purse to end President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional attack on Iran, a criminal war of aggression as defined by the postwar Nuremberg Tribunal. Congress ended the Vietnam War through the power of the purse. All Congress needs today is a fraction of the courage displayed by the 56 signatories to the American Declaration of Independence who signed their death warrants in defense of unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness 250 years ago.” (04/07/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/congress-can-end-trumps-unconstitutional-war-in-iran/
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37) Another Liberal Media Hoax About ICE Bites the Dust
Source: Batya Ungar-Sargon
by Batya Ungar-Sargon
“Everyone remembers the photo of little Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old migrant child pictured in ICE custody wearing a sky blue bunny hat. ICE said that they tried to detain Liam’s father, an illegal [sic] migrant from Ecuador, who ran from them, leaving Liam in their custody. They then tried to give Liam to his mother, but she refused to open the front door, leaving ICE no choice but to detain Liam. Liam and his father were later taken to an ICE detention center, but a judge ordered them released after a few weeks on the grounds that they had a pending asylum case. … Just a month later, the truth that I and many others had suspected came out: The Ramos asylum case is bogus. … You probably didn’t hear about that. The media doesn’t tend to report such things.” (04/07/26)
https://batyaus.substack.com/p/another-liberal-media-hoax-about
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38) Gerrymandered Hypocrisy
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“‘Gerrymandering is detrimental to our democracy,’ declared Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger . . . back in 2019. ‘Let voters decide, not politicians,’ former President Barack Obama offered just last month. The problem? They’re correct! And Republicans are now sharing the statements by these two high-ranking Democrats with Virginia voters. Why? They oppose the April 21 constitutional referendum that, if passed, would allow the legislature to gerrymander the state’s congressional district lines to likely turn the federal delegation from its current six- to five-seat Democratic majority into a ten to one Democratic majority.” (04/07/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/04/07/gerrymandered-hypocrisy/
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39) The Moral Thinness of Geopolitics
Source: Law & Liberty
by Daniel Pitt
“The Finland–Russia border is 830 miles long. It is the longest land border with Russia in Europe. It is not only the Finnish border, but also the European Union’s and, more recently, NATO’s too. Therefore, when the president of Finland, Alexander Stubb, writes a book on foreign policy and the world order, it should be of interest to the West. His new book, The Triangle of Power, analyses the transformation of the international system after the end of Western dominance.” (04/07/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/the-moral-thinness-of-geopolitics/
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40) Deregulation Must Drive the Rideshare Industry
Source: The Daily Economy
by Alex Rosado
“Streamlined regulations and fair insurance rules can make rideshares safer, more affordable, and more competitive — benefiting drivers, riders, and the broader transit system.” (04/07/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/deregulation-must-drive-the-rideshare-industry/
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41) Trump’s Gold Card Is Birth Tourism
Source: Common Dreams
by Jordan Liz
“On April 1, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments in Trump v. Barbara, the class-action lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship. Trump insists that this ban is necessary to stop birth tourism. This refers to the practice of traveling to another country to give birth, thereby allowing the child to automatically acquire citizenship. Via TruthSocial, Trump writes: ‘Birthright Citizenship has to do with the babies of slaves, not Chinese Billionaires who have 56 kids, all of whom ‘become’ American Citizens. One of the many Great Scams of our time!’ Solicitor General D. John Sauer has raised similar concerns. He remarks, ‘Media reported as early as 2015 that, based on Chinese media reports, there are 500 — 500 — birth tourism companies in the People’s Republic of China, whose business is to bring people here to give birth and return to that nation.'” (04/07/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-gold-card-birth-tourism
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42) The Road to Justice Is Paved with Good Intentions — and Fewer Jurors?
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Owen Ashworth
“Trial by jury isn’t just a British legal and cultural tradition. It isn’t just a part of our legal system. It’s a safeguard against the tyranny of the state. To be judged by your peers is to be judged by the society of which you make up but one part. The people are meant to check the determination of the state to forebay its determination to prove its own worth, which all too often means people get the book thrown at them when all they truly deserve is a chapter. David Lammy, the justice secretary and deputy prime minister, is seeking to abolish jury trials to a certain extent. However, the enthusiastic Fabianism that runs deep in this Labour government makes this measure all the more sinister.” (04/07/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-road-to-justice-is-paved-with-good-intentions-and-fewer-jurors/
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43) Burmese Way to Crony Capitalism: The Socialist Roots of Burmese Cronyism
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
by Hein Htet Kyaw
“History often remembers the 1962 coup as an unexpected seizure of power by a power-hungry General. However, the military’s current denial to depart the politics and their evolution into an elite ‘crony’ class from the military bureaucratic class are rooted in the seven-decade growth of their bureaucratic power and economic interests, which began in the 1950s. To understand today’s political situation, one must trace how the military successfully embedded itself into the nation’s economic and administrative core over the last seventy years.” (04/07/26)
https://c4ss.org/content/61092
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44) Worse than John McCain?
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“Following President Trump’s address to the nation on Wednesday about the Iran War, stock markets suffered losses while oil prices rose. The decline in stocks and increase in oil prices reflected disappointment over President Trump’s failure to articulate a plan to end the Iran War and the related restraint of shipping through of the Strait of Hormuz. The average gas price in America has risen to over four dollars per gallon since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran at the end of February. The increased cost of gas is raising prices at the pump and, by increasing shipping costs, resulting in higher prices at grocery stores and even on Amazon.” (04/06/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/worse-than-john-mccain
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45) Wisdom From America’s Founders: Government Isn’t Evil, But…
Source: Town Hall
by Mark Lewis
“Government isn’t evil. People are evil, not institutions or things. An army, a gun, isn’t evil, but they certainly can be, and have been, used by evil people, for evil purposes. And this describes governments down through history as well. I have often said that government is a ‘necessary evil’. That isn’t quite accurate; it is, sadly, ‘necessary.’ If all men were angels, Mr. Madison said, we wouldn’t need government. But, obviously, all men aren’t angels, thus some restraining force is required to curb what evil men do. Governments should be established for that purpose, and it is a legitimate one. The apostle Paul, in Romans 13, describes the reality of our world even today by talking about the rationale for government and what our response to it should be.” (04/07/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/04/07/wisdom-from-americas-founders-government-isnt-evil-but-n2673996
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46) Democratic Party faces its internal demons on US-Israel policy — again
Source: Semafor
by David Weigel
“Rank-and-file Democratic support for Palestinians has surged since 2024 and risen more since last summer, but there are influential party leaders who disagree. The US-Israel attacks on Iran are more unifying inside the party. Democrats are against them and happy to blame them for rising prices. But the demand for the official party to take a position is fraught with risk, at a moment when the party is feeling good about the issues this midterm election will be fought over.” (04/06/26)
https://www.semafor.com/article/04/06/2026/democratic-party-faces-its-internal-demons-on-us-israel-policy-again
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47) A Look at Our Material Progress
Source: Independent Institute
by Alex Tokarev
“Year after year, we are told by whoever is in opposition and seeks to get elected to a public office that life is getting harder. Young people can’t afford anything. That America was somehow better ‘back then.’ And ‘back then’ usually means 50 or 100 years ago, times often romanticized by Hollywood, but when life was actually much harder and less enjoyable. The truth is that, in material terms, we live in the best of times. And it will get better even when we hit a few bumps by electing the occasional socialist. Life now is much more affordable, safer, healthier, and full of opportunity than it was a century ago. Profit-seeking undertakers, the ones politicians love to demonize, are making everything more abundant, convenient, and reliable.” (04/06/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/04/06/a-look-at-our-material-progress/
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48) What Hegel Knew About Trump
Source: Persuasion
by John B Judis
“Hegel viewed history as consisting of stages punctuated by times of upheaval. He assigned to what he called “world-historical individuals” a special role in spurring the transition from one era to another. These individuals didn’t necessarily grasp the full import of what they were doing, and their actions, while transformative, didn’t necessarily result in the outcomes they intended. Trump, I have come to believe, is exactly such an individual: He is speeding the transition from one historical era to another. The ultimate results are very unlikely to line up with his exact ideological aims, but they will be profound. And the world is never going back to what it was.” (04/06/26)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/what-hegel-knew-about-trump
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49) A Retrospective on Bidenomics
Source: The American Prospect
by Ryan Cooper
“As an American political writer on the left, it is quite unusual to see one’s advice being followed. During Barack Obama’s presidency, I argued repeatedly that Democrats badly botched the response to the Great Recession. Thanks in part to backroom maneuverings from then-head of the National Economic Council Larry Summers, the stimulus package of 2009 was roughly half as big as it needed to be. As a result, unemployment was still 10 percent on Election Day 2010—a big reason why Democrats lost 63 seats in the House and six in the Senate, relinquishing full control of Congress that never returned for the duration of Obama’s presidency. Fast-forward to 2021, and much to my surprise, ol’ Joe Biden and congressional Democrats did exactly what I and other critics recommended. With the economy still coming out of a very severe recession from the pandemic, Biden met the challenge with a $1.9 trillion stimulus.” (04/07/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/04/07/apr-2026-magazine-retrospective-on-bidenomics/
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50) What Would Robert Louis Stevenson Say about Ozempic?
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Ann Bauer
“Ozempic and its cousins (Mounjaro, Wegovy, Zepbound, et al.) modify the pleasure centers of the brain, making everything people crave — food, sex, smoking, alcohol, shopping, gambling, cocaine — less appealing. It doesn’t address the underlying problems of addiction, such as depression or dishonesty. It just eliminates the part of the person that enjoys and revels, the colorful, joyous side. It’s a version of the drug in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, that the doctor ginned up to divide himself, creating a respectable man bound by reserve and a separate murderous, pleasure-seeking monster.” (04/06/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/what-would-robert-louis-stevenson-say-about-ozempic/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast, 04/07/26
Source: Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
“News and misinformation in early America.” (04/07/26)
https://www.fire.org/news/podcasts/so-speak-free-speech-podcast/news-and-misinformation-early-america
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52) Nonzero, 04/07/26
Source: bloggingheads.tv
“The Iran War: A Debate | Robert Wright & Eli Lake.” (04/07/26)
https://bloggingheads.tv/videos/69400
-----
53) The Bryan Hyde Show, 07/04/26
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
“Eric Peters from Eric Peters Autos is my guest and boy do we have a lot to discuss today.” (04/07/26)
https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-2pptc-1a913e3
-----
54) Trump Watch, 04/07/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Things Just Keep Getting More Bizarre.” (04/07/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMXnasM59w0
-----
55) The Dispatch Podcast, 04/07/26
Source: The Dispatch
“The Department of Justice After Pam Bondi.” (04/07/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/dispatch-podcast/the-department-of-justice-after-pam-bondi/
-----
56) Law & Liberty Podcast, 04/07/26
Source: Law & Liberty
“Mercy from on high.” (04/07/26)
https://lawliberty.org/podcast/mercy-from-on-high/
-----
57) The Corbett Report, episode 497
Source: The Corbett Report
“The ‘Multipolar World Order’ IS the New World Order!” (04/07/26)
https://corbettreport.com/the-multipolar-world-order-is-the-new-world-order/
-----
58) Declare Your Independence with Ernest Hancock, 04/06/26
Source: Freedom’s Phoenix
“Ernest Hancock (Publisher of Freedom’s Phoenix, Pirates Without Borders, Occpy the Land and Libertas.Earth; and Host of the Declare Your independence with Ernest Hancock show) declares ‘The Beginning is Nigh.’ What does that mean? What can we look forward to? What are some solutions?” (04/06/26)
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Media/393695-2026-04-06-2026-04-06-ernest-hancock-the-beginning-is-nigh-mp3.htm
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59) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/06/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Trump Threatens To ‘Take Out Entire Country’ of Iran, Israeli Attacks Pound Gaza, and More.” (04/06/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdqQLGxQGP0
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60) Finding Freedom, 04/06/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“No Options With Ty Gipson.” (04/06/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/ff-no-options-with-ty-gipson
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