04/20 -- Iranian military warns it will "soon respond" after US destroyer attacks cargo ship; The War Powers Resolution Is Not What You've Been Told
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Thomas L. Knapp
Apr 20, 2026, 6:06:46 AM (11 days ago) Apr 20
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 04/20/26
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Iranian military warns it will “soon respond” after US destroyer attacks cargo ship
2) Russia: Ukrainian drone attack on port kills one
3) US regime publicly confesses to three more Caribbean murders
4) Bulgaria: Eurosceptic Radev poised for majority in election
5) MI: Regime refuses to hand over 2024 ballots to feds
6) Blue Origin Marks First Landing of Reused New Glenn Rocket Booster, Ratcheting up SpaceX Rivalry
7) SEC Charges Bitcoin Latinum Founder Donald Basile With $16 Million Investor Fraud
8) Australian, Japanese regimes sign contracts for $7 billion warships deal
9) Trinidad and Tobago: Bodies of 50 infants found dumped at graveyard
10) Titanic survivor’s life jacket sells for over $900k at auction, far exceeding price expectations
11) WI: Chemical weapons attacks as animal rights activists clash with police
12) UK: Police investigating if arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies
13) Chinese robot breaks human world record in Beijing half-marathon
14) WI: Three-year-old shoots two people during “Youth Turkey Hunt”
15) Deaths, disappearances of scientists seen as UFO-linked: Trump orders FBI probe, says “hopefully, coincidence”
16) DR Congo: Regime accepts first set of US ICE gang abductees
17) Trump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
18) Judge signs with creators of banned gang activity trackers
19) CA: Three sentenced in “unbelievable” bear attack insurance scam
20) Canada: Man who sold legal substance bullied into plea deal to avoid clearly false murder charges
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) The War Powers Resolution Is Not What You’ve Been Told
22) Trump: An Alternative Hypothesis
23) We Are America, and We Play Rock ’n’ Roll
24) The Political Culture of the Smartphone and the Cult of the Algorithm
25) Business leaders are done picking sides, and the two parties should be worried
26) We Should Not Fear The Tyrants; The Tyrants Should Fear Us
27) The eternal English revolt
28) Can Primary Reform Keep Out Extremist Candidates and Depolarize America?
29) I’m a truck driver. I’m not worried about AI taking my job.
30) Tech Troubleshooting in Space
31) Chief Justice Roberts could learn from baseball great Ted Williams when it comes to leaks
32) Why I Oppose Race-Consciousness
33) On Witless Great Vengeance and Furious Anger
34) After three years of fighting, Sudan’s civil war is only getting worse
35) The Causes of Unemployment: What’s Missing
36) Marty Makary: The FDA’s Quiet Blockade on Safer Nicotine
37) I was one of a few conservative professors at Harvard — here’s where the school went wrong
38) Thinking in Crisis
39) Anarchist Notes on the Theory of Money, Credit, and Capital. Part I: Theory
40) Mises on “Rightly Understood Interests”
41) How Trump Undermines Trump
42) The Government Store to Nowhere
43) NATO Allies Adopt Evasive Policies on US War in Iran
44) AI Abundance Won’t End Inflation, Nor Make Money Meaningless
45) Grace and Truth: Navigating Conversion Therapy and a Client’s Faith-Based Rights
46) Most Young Australians Successfully Evade the Country’s Social Media Ban
47) Be defiant
48) No, Virginia, Delaware’s Congressional District Isn’t Gerrymandered
49) Only One Side Has Clearly Broken the Law In the Strait of Hormuz
50) Is It Time to Impeach Trump?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) The Good Fight, 04/18/26
52) Free Talk Live, 04/18/26
53) Serious Trouble, 04/18/26
54) The Climate Realism Show, episode 198
55) Mean Age Daydream, 04/18/26
56) Trita Parsi on The Scott Horton Show
57) The Tom Woods Show, episode 2753
58) LPA After Dark, 04/17/26
59) The Evil Within, episode 7
60) The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan, 04/17/26
61) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 04/17/26
62) Rising, 04/17/26
63) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/17/26
64) Political Theater, 04/17/26
65) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/17/26
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Iranian military warns it will “soon respond” after US destroyer attacks cargo ship
Source: Le Monde [France]
“A US destroyer on Sunday, April 19, fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a US naval blockade, President Donald Trump and the US military said the same day. … Iran’s military on Sunday vowed to respond. ‘We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military,’ said a spokesperson for the military’s central command center, Khatam Al-Anbiya, cited by ISNA news agency. He accused the United States of having ‘violated the ceasefire’ that has been in place since April 8.” (04/20/26)
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/20/us-destroyer-fires-on-seizes-iran-cargo-ship-trying-to-evade-blockade_6752601_4.html
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2) Russia: Ukrainian drone attack on port kills one
Source: Reuters
“A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse sparked a fire and killed at least one person, Russian officials said on Monday, only hours after a blaze was extinguished following a similar attack on April 16. One of Russia’s major southern ports, Tuapse is an oil product export hub that also handles dry bulk cargo, such as coal and fertiliser. In addition, it is home to a major oil refinery of the same name owned by Rosneft. … Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure in the past month as U.S.-brokered peace talks have stalled with Washington more focused on the war in Iran.” (04/20/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-drone-attack-russias-tuapse-port-kills-one-2026-04-20/
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3) US regime publicly confesses to three more Caribbean murders
Source: CBS News
“The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat it accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, [murdering] three people Sunday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and [murdered] at least 181 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean. At least 54 vessels have been targeted in the campaign.” (04/19/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drug-boat-strike-kills-3-in-caribbean-sea/
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4) Bulgaria: Eurosceptic Radev poised for majority in election
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“Bulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia – on Sunday hailed a ‘victory of hope’ after his formation topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years. Projections from polling agencies put his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) grouping at 44%, which would give him an absolute majority of at least 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament. … the landslide victory marks the first outright parliamentary majority for a single formation in Bulgaria since 1997 when a centre-right, pro-European grouping won.” (04/20/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/20/bulgaria-election-ukraine-russia-hungary-macron-poland-latest-news-updates
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5) MI: Regime refuses to hand over 2024 ballots to feds
Source: Independent [UK]
“Michigan officials have strongly rejected a demand from the US Department of Justice for 2024 election materials from the Detroit area, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to undermine the integrity of future polls. The DOJ’s request, sent last week, sought ballots, ballot receipts, and envelopes from the clerk in Wayne County, home to the heavily Democratic city of Detroit. The letter was authored by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson – all Democrats – released the DOJ’s letter and their reply, vowing to fight the request.” (04/20/26)
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/michagan-trump-2024-election-ballots-b2960879.html
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6) Blue Origin Marks First Landing of Reused New Glenn Rocket Booster, Ratcheting up SpaceX Rivalry
Source: US News & World Report
“Jeff Bezos'[s] Blue Origin on Sunday said its New Glenn rocket booster touched down after its launch, marking its first landing of a reused booster. The rocket, which had a launch window of 6:45 a.m. to 12:19 p.m. ET on Sunday, lifted off at around 7:25 a.m. ET (1125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the booster touchdown happened about 10 minutes later. New Glenn carried AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite to low-Earth orbit in a flight that marks a pivotal step for the company. The mission was key to demonstrating that New Glenn, a 29-story heavy-lift rocket, has a reliable booster reuse capability and can compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.” (04/19/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-04-19/blue-origin-says-it-has-landed-reused-new-glenn-rocket-booster
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7) SEC Charges Bitcoin Latinum Founder Donald Basile With $16 Million Investor Fraud
Source: Blockonomi [UK]
“Bitcoin Latinum founder Donald G. Basile now faces federal fraud charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC claims Basile and his two companies raised $16 million from hundreds of American investors through fraudulent crypto offerings. Regulators filed the complaint on April 17, 2026, in the Eastern District of New York. The charges center on false claims about insurance, asset backing, and the intended use of investor funds. The case revolves around the sale of Simple Agreements for Future Tokens, or SAFTs. These instruments promised investors the right to receive a crypto asset known as Bitcoin Latinum, or LTNM.” (04/19/26)
https://blockonomi.com/sec-charges-bitcoin-latinum-founder-donald-basile-with-16-million-investor-fraud/
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8) Australian, Japanese regimes sign contracts for $7 billion warships deal
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Australia and Japan have signed contracts for the first three of 11 warships set to be delivered to the Australian navy under a landmark $7bn defence deal, as the two close US allies in the Asia Pacific region deepen defence cooperation. Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro made the announcement in Melbourne on Saturday at the signing ceremony for the Mogami-class warships. … Australia has committed to a record $305bn in military spending over the next decade, as part of a widespread defence overhaul aimed at boosting the country’s naval power to levels not seen since World War II.” (04/19/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/4/19/australia-and-japan-sign-contracts-for-7bn-warships-deal
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9) Trinidad and Tobago: Bodies of 50 infants found dumped at graveyard
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The remains of at least 50 infants and six adults have been dumped at a graveyard in Trinidad and Tobago, police say. In a statement, the country’s police service (TTPS) said the bodies were found in the town of Cumuto, about 40km (25 miles) from the capital Port of Spain on Trinidad – one of the two islands forming the Caribbean nation. A preliminary investigation shows it may be a case of an ‘unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses,’ it added. It is unclear if the incident is linked to gang violence in the country with one of the highest murder rates in Latin America and the Caribbean.” (04/19/26)
https://archive.is/E3xrU
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10) Titanic survivor’s life jacket sells for over $900k at auction, far exceeding price expectations
Source: Fox News
“A life jacket worn by a Titanic survivor sold for more than $900,000 at auction Saturday, far exceeding expectations and highlighting the enduring fascination with the doomed ship. The flotation device — believed to be one of only a handful of Titanic life jackets still in existence — was used by first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli during the ship’s 1912 sinking and was the only one of its kind ever offered at auction. It sold for 670,000 pounds, or roughly $906,000, including fees, at Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers in Devizes, England, to an unidentified telephone bidder.” (04/19/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/titanic-survivors-life-jacket-sells-900k-auction-far-exceeding-price-expectations
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11) WI: Chemical weapons attacks as animal rights activists clash with police
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader. It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison. Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were ‘violently trying to break into the property’ and assault officers. … The sheriff’s department said a ‘significant’ number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.” (04/19/26)
https://archive.is/cEacZ
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12) UK: Police investigating if arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies
Source: SFGate
“U.K. police said Sunday they are investigating whether a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies, as the country’s chief rabbi said British Jews are facing a campaign of violence and intimidation. The Metropolitan Police force says counterterror officers are probing fires at synagogues and other sites linked to the Jewish community, as well as an attack on a Persian-language media company. No one has been injured in the blazes, the latest of which caused minor damage to a north London synagogue on Saturday night.” (04/19/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/britain-s-chief-rabbi-says-jews-are-facing-a-22214429.php
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13) Chinese robot breaks human world record in Beijing half-marathon
Source: Yahoo! News
“A Chinese-built humanoid robot beat the human half-marathon world record in Beijing on Sunday, marking a breakthrough moment in a high-stakes global race for technological dominance. A robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor completed the 21-kilometer (13-mile) race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the human record of about 57 minutes set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo last month. The performance marked a dramatic improvement from last year’s inaugural event, when the top robot finished in more than 2 hours and 40 minutes. Dozens of humanoid robots competed alongside about 12,000 human runners, navigating a parallel course to avoid collisions.” (04/19/26)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/chinese-robot-breaks-human-world-114425148.html
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14) WI: Three-year-old shoots two people during “Youth Turkey Hunt”
Source: New York Post
“A 3-year-old boy shot and wounded a man and his son after mistaking them for a turkey at a Youth Turkey Hunt in Wisconsin. The toddler was being mentored by his 34-year-old parent who aided the three-year-old in shooting the 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun. The two spotted motion in the woods that they mistook for a wild turkey, according to the Department of Natural Resources report. However, a 40-year-old man and his seven-year-old child were actually in the brush 35 yards away from the shooters and were struck by pellets in the back, hands and head.” (04/19/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/us-news/wisconsin-three-year-old-shoots-two-people-in-freak-turkey-hunting-accident/
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15) Deaths, disappearances of scientists seen as UFO-linked: Trump orders FBI probe, says “hopefully, coincidence”
Source: Hindustan Times [India]
“US President Donald Trump has directed the FBI to investigate a series of deaths and disappearances involving government workers who were somehow linked to sensitive nuclear and space programmes, amid swirling public speculation about whether the cases are ‘connected to UFOs.’ … White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the inquiry on Friday, stating that the administration was ‘actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together and identify any potential commonalities that may exist.’ … The cases in question involve approximately 10 individuals with ties to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and other sensitive defence facilities. They span roughly three years and include disappearances, murders, and deaths from apparently unrelated causes.” (04/19/26)
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/deaths-disappearances-of-scientists-seen-as-ufo-related-trump-orders-fbi-probe-says-hopefully-coincidence-101776594558147.html
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16) DR Congo: Regime accepts first set of US ICE gang abductees
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Fifteen people deported from the US, who are reportedly from South America, have arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is the first group of an unknown number of people that the US has expelled which the DR Congo had agreed to take in. The government in Kinshasa has stressed that their stay in the country is only temporary and that Washington is funding ‘their reception, support and care.’ The US has already sent deportees to several other African countries, including Ghana, South Sudan and Eswatini, as part of the crackdown on immigration.” (04/19/26)
https://archive.is/VSnv3
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17) Trump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
Source: Fox News
“The Justice Department is turning to former Trump attorney Joeseph diGenova to spearhead a probe into ex-CIA Director John Brennan and others over the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, as the department reshuffles leadership of the sprawling inquiry. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has tapped diGenova to serve as counsel overseeing the matter, according to a New York Times report, putting a former Trump attorney in a key role in the high-profile probe. A federal grand jury seated in Miami has been impaneled since late last year. … DiGenova, a former U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who represented Trump during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, has repeatedly accused Brennan of misconduct tied to the origins of the Russia probe — allegations that have not resulted in criminal charges.” (04/19/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-ally-digenova-tapped-lead-doj-probe-brennan-over-russia-probe-origins
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18) Judge signs with creators of banned gang activity trackers
Source: Engadget
“A judge has granted the makers of the ‘ICE Sightings — Chicagoland’ Facebook group and the Eyes Up app a preliminary injunction to stop the Trump administration from coercing platforms to take these projects down. Judge Jorge L. Alonso of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois found that the plaintiffs, Kassandra Rosado and Kreisau Group, are likely to succeed in their case, which alleges that the government suppressed protected speech under the First Amendment by strong-arming Facebook and Apple into removing ICE monitoring efforts.” (04/18/26)
https://www.engadget.com/apps/judge-sides-with-creators-of-banned-ice-trackers-who-allege-dhs-and-doj-violated-their-first-amendment-rights-191701801.html
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19) CA: Three sentenced in “unbelievable” bear attack insurance scam
Source: SFGate
“Multiple people in Glendale have been sentenced in a bizarre felony insurance fraud case involving a bear costume and luxury cars. Officials from the California Department of Insurance launched the investigation back in 2024 after an insurance company flagged an unusual claim of a Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan being damaged after a bear climbed inside near Lake Arrowhead. The grainy surveillance footage appeared to show a bear rummaging through the vehicle, and photos submitted showed scratches on the interior of the car, which can retail for over $400,000 when new. But the video and photos from the scene didn’t look quite right. During the investigation, detectives sent the footage to a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who ‘concluded the animal shown was clearly a human in a bear suit,’ according to the news release from the California Department of Insurance.” (04/17/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/fake-bear-attack-22211907.php
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20) Canada: Man who sold legal substance bullied into plea deal to avoid clearly false murder charges
Source: Times of India [India]
“A Canadian man facing murder charges for allegedly selling lethal substances online to people at risk of self-harm has agreed to plead guilty to 14 counts of counseling or aiding suicide, his lawyer said on Saturday. In turn, Canadian prosecutors will withdraw all 14 murder charges filed against Kenneth Law, lawyer Matthew Gourlay told The Associated Press in a email. … Canadian police say Law, from the Toronto area, used a series of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used to cure meats that can be deadly if ingested.” (04/18/26)
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/canadian-man-facing-14-murder-charges-to-plead-guilty-to-aiding-suicide-his-lawyer-says/articleshow/130367041.cms
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) The War Powers Resolution Is Not What You’ve Been Told
Source: Antiwar.com
by David Swanson
“According to The Hill, in an article typical of U.S. media, Trump’s war on Iran is totally legal for 60 days if Congress does nothing, after which it becomes illegal, unless Congress has explicitly OK’d it. This is supposedly because of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. And The Hill is not alone in pushing this idea. However, the War Powers Resolution consists of words that you can read for yourself, and here are some of them …. It is simply not true that the war will become illegal after 60 days; it has been illegal since the instant it was begun. It is factually false that it must be ended after 60 days in order to comply with the law; it must be ended immediately.” (04/19/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/david_swanson/2026/04/19/the-war-powers-resolution-is-not-what-youve-been-told/
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22) Trump: An Alternative Hypothesis
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Some commentators look at Trump and the MAGA-dominated Republican Party and conclude that ‘the chaos is the point.’ That is, the purpose of some of the weirder and wilder actions of Trump’s administration is to build an omnipotent totalitarian state by sowing fear, discord, and confusion — to keep their opponents on perpetual tenterhooks, disorganized and unable to effectively respond, as new authoritarian measures roll out. But what if it’s not that?” (04/19/26)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20546
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23) We Are America, and We Play Rock ’n’ Roll
Source: The Dispatch
by Kevin D Williamson
“[T]he young and the hungry around the world, from India to Ukraine, want something different: They want choices and agency and fun and freedom that may not look exactly like our version of it but that is freedom nonetheless. They want to rock. And rock, as Johnny Rotten knows, is both a product of affluence and a route to it. It is not exactly a swindle, as the Sex Pistols insisted, but there is a kind of swindle at the heart of it: Rock is a rebellious pose for the rich kids of the world. It is not a product of rebellion, nor is it, in the American context, an instrument of rebellion. … Freedom is about having choices, and, unromantic and adultified and boring and Protestant and old-fashioned Republican as this particular piece of wisdom might be, money gives you choices.” (04/17/26)
https://archive.is/rvvnt
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24) The Political Culture of the Smartphone and the Cult of the Algorithm
Source: CounterPunch
by David S D’Amato
“Digital environments like social media platforms are designed to deliver rewards intermittently and unpredictably, imitating the psychologically addictive qualities of slot machines. The randomness, opacity, and variability are all there on purpose to provoke compulsive engagement. If we take a step back and consider this system, it is strange beyond words: the system links the most personal, private aspects of life and identity to a gambling mechanism, co-opting the most fundamental human feelings and motivations. It has colonized life’s inherent uncertainty and unpredictability, leveraging these fundamental features of existence to generate anxiety and disciplinary power. Digital capitalism has changed the concept of uncertainty itself.” (04/17/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/17/the-political-culture-of-the-smartphone-and-the-cult-of-the-algorithm/
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25) Business leaders are done picking sides, and the two parties should be worried
Source: The Hill
by Adam Brandon
“The 1970s are back, as are fears of an economic recession. With oil prices extremely volatile, major supply chain disruptions in the energy sector, and mixed signals from both the White House and Congress, Americans are preparing for yet another year of inflation. High gas prices are just the beginning of what is almost certainly going to be even more pressure on a struggling middle class. If there’s one thing Wall Street hates, it is uncertainty. And in today’s political climate, neither Republicans nor Democrats are providing reassurance to business leaders or the average American. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has seen enough. In a recent interview with Axios, Dimon suggested that an independent candidate might be needed to fix this dysfunction that we’re living through. Welcome to the independent movement, sir.” [editpr’s note: “Independent,” Dimon presumably means, except of the influence of JPMorgan Chase – TLK] (04/18/26)
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5837158-economic-recession-fears-rise/
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26) We Should Not Fear The Tyrants; The Tyrants Should Fear Us
Source: Caitlin Johnstone
by Caitlin Johnstone
“In our society, we do not push psychopaths off the ice when nobody is looking. In our society, we let them rule the world.” (04/19/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/04/19/we-should-not-fear-the-tyrants-the-tyrants-should-fear-us/
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27) The eternal English revolt
Source: spiked
by Gawain Towler
“Chartism was a constitutional movement. It operated through petition, through the discipline of the mass meeting, through the moral pressure of demonstrated popular will. The General Convention of the Industrious Classes, called regularly from 1839 onwards, styled itself a parliament of the people, not to overthrow parliament but to remind it of its obligation to the people. When three petitions, each signed by millions, were presented and each contemptuously refused, the movement’s response was not insurrection but reorganisation, continued agitation, education and, eventually, decades later, the slow grinding of history through the machinery of genuine reform. Five of the six Chartist demands are now simply the unremarkable fabric of democratic life: universal suffrage, secret ballot, payment of MPs, no property qualification for membership of parliament and equal electoral districts. The sixth, annual parliaments, we decided against, and probably wisely so.” (04/19/26)
https://archive.is/AUd6U
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28) Can Primary Reform Keep Out Extremist Candidates and Depolarize America?
Source: The UnPopulist
by Lee Drutman
“The dysfunction in American politics runs deeper than the mechanics of nomination contests. The United States operates under an unusually rigid two‑party system that compresses an enormous range of political views into two increasingly polarized coalitions. Adjusting the rules of primaries may change how candidates are nominated, but it does little to change the incentives created by the larger political environment.” (04/18/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/can-primary-reform-keep-out-extremist
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29) I’m a truck driver. I’m not worried about AI taking my job.
Source: USA Today
by Kris Edney
“The world’s tech leaders – the ones who are driving the AI revolution – insist that people like me are actually the foundation of the technology shaping the future. The numbers prove them right.” (04/19/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2026/04/19/trucker-ai-trades-blue-collar-jobs/89504410007/
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30) Tech Troubleshooting in Space
Source: EconLog
by Joy Buchanan
“When astronaut Christina Koch, the first woman to fly around the moon, reported an issue from space that could have been copy-pasted from any IT helpdesk ticket, something clicked for Americans. Her grievance? ‘No joy seeing the device in the list of available devices when I attempt to re-pair it after doing the Bluetooth forget.’ Commander Reid Wiseman, orbiting Earth aboard the Artemis II mission, radioed Houston with a problem millions of office workers share: ‘I have two Microsoft Outlooks, and neither one of those are working.’ So much for old ‘one small step for man …’ Internet commentators found these moments painfully relatable and shared them widely. Why did those quotes about tech maintenance go viral in April 2026? Beneath the comedy lies an underappreciated cost of modernity: we are wealthier, and that wealth means we own more things.” (04/17/26)
https://www.econlib.org/econlog/tech-troubleshooting-in-space
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31) Chief Justice Roberts could learn from baseball great Ted Williams when it comes to leaks
Source: Fox News
by Jonathan Turley
“The legendary baseball player and manager Ted Williams once wrote a letter to Angels outfielder Jay Johnstone on improving his hitting. Among his pieces of advice was that ‘with two strikes, you simply have to protect the plate.’ Williams'[s] advice on not striking out came to mind this week when another leak of confidential information rocked the Supreme Court. (The prior leak of the Dobbs decision went unsolved.) For Chief Justice John Roberts, the message is clear: it is times like these when you have to protect the plate. Roberts, of course, is famous for his own baseball analogies. In his confirmation, he declared that ‘judges are like umpires. Umpires don’t make the rules. They apply them … Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire.’ Yet, justices do make rules not only in new precedent, but in the operation of the court system. Those rules are being broken.” (04/19/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jonathan-turley-chief-justice-roberts-could-learn-baseball-great-ted-williams-comes-leaks
-----
32) Why I Oppose Race-Consciousness
Source: The Findings Substack
by Paul Rosenberg
“Race-consciousness is not something that belongs in the minds of children; rather than being a virtue, it’s far more of a poison. I want children to be entirely separated from and ignorant of racial issues. Rather, they should simply see people, with their pigmentation being an accidental triviality. Race-consciousness robs that from them, and I think it’s tragic.” (04/17/26)
https://thefindings.substack.com/p/why-i-oppose-race-consciousness
-----
33) On Witless Great Vengeance and Furious Anger
Source: Common Dreams
by Abby Zimet
“Seeking to rally the troops for his unholy war, Christian nationalist, TV-carnie and war fanboy Pete Kegseth just passed off some vengeful Gospel According to Tarantino as scripture at his (unconstitutional) Pentagon prayer service, and yes we have them now. Added to the ‘shameless blasphemy’ of quoting — without credit — Samuel Jackson’s homicidal hitman Jules as ‘prayer,’ Pete moronically misses the redemptive point: As he cites the ‘tyranny of evil men,’ he, unlike Jules, doesn’t friggin’ get that he is one.” (04/18/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/further/on-witless-great-vengeance-and-furious-anger
-----
34) After three years of fighting, Sudan’s civil war is only getting worse
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Alex Thurston
“This month marks the third anniversary of the war in Sudan. Estimates of the death toll range from 150,000 to 400,000 or more; 2025 was, according to the United Nations’ internal estimates, a particularly deadly year for civilians. The humanitarian impacts are even broader: the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs calculates that, as of April 2026, nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s 46.8 million people need humanitarian assistance.” 904/17/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/sudan-war-anniversary/
-----
35) The Causes of Unemployment: What’s Missing
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Walter Block
“Everyone is now concerned about the unemployment rate, it would appear. The scribes are busily scribbling as to the possible causes of this economic debilitation. Their list is long, creative, and clever. One explanation is that the quit rate has plummeted. People are sticking around in jobs they would have left in rosier markets. Well, yes, if this replacement source of new job openings is decreasing, that could well account for fewer new employment slots opening up. But this is a two-way street. Presumably, people are not downing tools for fear that new appointments will not be open to them, at least not on better terms, overall, than they now enjoy. So, it is likely that the unemployment rate is at least partially a cause of this phenomenon, not only a result. Further, this is a sign of economic health, rather than disarray.” (04/17/26)
https://fee.org/articles/the-causes-of-unemployment-whats-missing/
-----
36) Marty Makary: The FDA’s Quiet Blockade on Safer Nicotine
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Roger Bate
“There are moments in public health when the path forward is unusually clear, when the evidence aligns with behavior, when risks are well understood, and when policy has a genuine opportunity to reduce harm at scale. This should be one of those moments. Non-combustible nicotine products — vapes, heated tobacco, and especially nicotine pouches — are widely understood to be far less harmful than smoking, a point I and many others have covered repeatedly, and one that no longer sits at the frontier of scientific debate. … One might expect regulators to respond accordingly, adjusting policy to reflect both the risk gradient and the changed behavioral landscape, but that has not happened. Instead, the system has stalled, quietly but decisively, with approvals for new products slowing to a near standstill.” (04/17/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/marty-makary-the-fdas-quiet-blockade-on-safer-nicotine/
-----
37) I was one of a few conservative professors at Harvard — here’s where the school went wrong
Source: New York Post
by Harvey C Mansfield
“The Ivory Tower was an image, medieval like the university itself, of an institution made of a valuable material and grounded in society but towering above it. In this view, any university in America depends on America for its survival but does its best to rise above its politics. Politics is argument, for example about welfare policies. As an Ivory Tower, the university tries to define the bigger, more abstract question of what is welfare. Policies are about society; abstract definitions come from the Ivory Tower. In abandoning the Ivory Tower Harvard was denying its independence.” 904/19/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/opinion/how-harvard-has-made-itself-vulnerable/
-----
38) Thinking in Crisis
Source: Law & Liberty
by Claudia Franziska Brühwiler
“New technology is changing how human beings learn. But preserving both humanity and democracy means we have to cling to traditional ways of knowing.” (04/17/26)
https://lawliberty.org/thinking-in-crisis/
-----
39) Anarchist Notes on the Theory of Money, Credit, and Capital. Part I: Theory
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
by Kevin Carson
“Part I of this two-part paper will examine a number of loosely related and considerably overlapping conceptual issues concerning the nature of money and credit: metallism vs. chartalism, money theories of credit vs. credit theories of money, and advance vs. synchronization economics. They all hinge, in one way or another, on the question of whether money and credit are ‘real’ material entities, on the one hand, that must be in some way ‘saved’ or ‘accumulated’ before they can be ‘lent’ or ‘invested,’ or simply units of account for allocating resources and tracking the balance of exchange of material goods, on the other. That is, is money a store of value — a commodity with intrinsic value in its own right — and does credit require a stock of past savings to be lent against?” (04/17/26)
https://c4ss.org/content/61109
-----
40) Mises on “Rightly Understood Interests”
Source: Free Association
by Sheldon Richman
“Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) still has much to teach us if we want a society in which individuals freely pursue their happiness. The economist and social philosopher lit the path to that widely shared goal in his magnum opus, Human Action (1949). especially chapter 24, section three, ‘The Harmony of the ‘Rightly Understood’ Interests.’ The title alone is refreshing, considering how preoccupied political philosophy, economics, and history have been with mankind’s supposedly fated and endless conflict — racial, national, or class — and power struggles. That alone should draw us to the work of a thinker who understood that this emphatically is not man’s destiny.” (04/17/26)
https://sheldonrichman.substack.com/p/tgif-mises-on-rightly-understood
-----
41) How Trump Undermines Trump
Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner
“If you want to get a sense of Donald Trump’s deepening dementia, look no further than his self-annihilating vendetta against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. As you may recall, Powell’s term as chair expires soon, on May 15, but his term as a Fed governor continues through January 2028. Trump has appointed a successor, former Fed governor and investment banker Kevin Warsh, who would ordinarily have his confirmation hearing next week. Warsh would then become Fed chair, succeeding Powell, who would likely leave the Fed entirely. So the quickest way for Trump to oust Powell would be just to let Warsh’s confirmation proceed and avoid screwing it up. But Trump being Trump, his vanity, rage, and muddled thinking are causing Powell to stay in office.” (04/17/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/04/17/how-trump-undermines-trump-jerome-powell-federal-reserve/
-----
42) The Government Store to Nowhere
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“New York City Mayor Commie Mamdani is putting into action, sort of, his plan to introduce government-run grocery stores and bring down grocery prices. Renting a Brooklyn storefront may cost anywhere between $60,000 to $600,000 a year depending on location and square footage. And there are other costs. Investors profit when they’re right about the opportunity and revenue exceeds costs. This means that they must satisfy customers. Or … taxpayers can fund everything regardless of success or failure.” (04/17/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/04/17/the-government-store-to-nowhere/
-----
43) NATO Allies Adopt Evasive Policies on US War in Iran
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“Trump administration officials are discovering that a daunting number of longstanding U.S. allies and security clients are adopting hedging policies or even openly opposing Washington’s decision to wage war against Iran. That sobering reality has become even clearer over the past week than it was during the earlier stages of the armed conflict. On April 12, the president called upon NATO members to join U.S. naval forces in blockading Iranian ports. The proposed move was in response to Tehran’s continuing efforts to selectively close the vital Strait of Hormuz to foreign shipping. However, most of Washington’s alliance partners refused to join the retaliatory blockade.” (04/17/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_galen_carpenter/2026/04/16/nato-allies-adopt-evasive-policies-on-us-war-in-iran/
-----
44) AI Abundance Won’t End Inflation, Nor Make Money Meaningless
Source: The Daily Economy
by Peter C Earle
“Elon Musk claims AI-driven growth could fund UBI transfers without inflation. But relative prices — not just totals — still drive economic allocation.” (04/17/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/ai-abundance-wont-end-inflation-nor-make-money-meaningless/
-----
45) Grace and Truth: Navigating Conversion Therapy and a Client’s Faith-Based Rights
Source: Townhall
by Dr. Eric Scalise
“Counseling, by its very nature, is value-laden, and the process and results are greatly influenced by both the therapist’s and the client’s worldview. One critical question that must be asked is what to do when there appears to be a conflict of values related to the therapeutic process. How should a treatment provider respond if a client seeks therapy because his or her behavior is incongruent with their deeply held spiritual or religious values, and those values appear to take precedent above all others? Which set of values is more valid? Should the client have the autonomy to make that decision? The ethical answer to the last question is an unequivocal ‘Yes!'” (04/19/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/eric-scalise/2026/04/19/grace-and-truth-navigating-conversion-therapy-and-a-clients-faith-based-rights-n2674596
-----
46) Most Young Australians Successfully Evade the Country’s Social Media Ban
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Among the great many bogeymen of the current moment is social media, which stands accused of making young people anxious and unhappy. Whatever the merits of those charges — and they’re debatable — politicians have predictably tried to address concerns by applying the blunt instrument of coercive law to kids’ online activities rather than simply let parents help their children make better choices. The experience in Australia now shows the subjects of the law have, once again, proven cleverer than law enforcers.” (04/17/26)
https://reason.com/2026/04/17/most-young-australians-successfully-evade-the-countrys-social-media-ban/
-----
47) Be defiant
Source: Kent’s Hooligan Libertarian Blog
by Kent McManigal
“Beyond mere non-compliance, there is defiance. Defiance is more ‘in your face’ than non-compliance, and is more dangerous, but you can be smart about it. Practice non-compliance until you get comfortable dipping into defiance. Storming a government building only works if there’s a big enough crowd, and they don’t simply go home to be hunted down later. It’s the same with refusing to be taxed, refusing to have illegal gun rules imposed on you, and rejecting all licenses and permits. There’s safety in numbers. … There’s a tipping point at which defiance is less dangerous because of the number of people participating. It’s not here yet. Until then, you can at least work toward reaching that tipping point.” (04/17/26)
https://kentmcmanigal.blogspot.com/2026/04/be-defiant.html
-----
48) No, Virginia, Delaware’s Congressional District Isn’t Gerrymandered
Source: Desultory Scribblings
by Tyler Harris
“Delaware and Vermont only have one Congressional representative each, elected statewide. It is literally impossible to gerrymander a statewide district. There is no process of drawing boundary lines; the state’s borders are the boundary lines. This in itself should be enough to completely discredit the argument being put forth. Anyone claiming a nefarious Democratic Congressional gerrymander of Delaware should take a big step back. If, after all, they have been fed and subsequently repeated a lie so moronic on its face, then what subtler lies are they also being fed and repeating?” (04/17/26)
https://tylerjohnharris.substack.com/p/no-virginia-delawares-congressional
-----
49) Only One Side Has Clearly Broken the Law In the Strait of Hormuz
Source: The Nation
by Maryam Jamshidi
“The US/Israeli war is indisputably unlawful. It constitutes one of the gravest crimes under international law — the crime of aggression. The legality of Iran’s regulation of the Strait is, however, less clear-cut. Though Iran has not formally blockaded the Strait, it required ships to coordinate with it and abide by its regulatory regime in order to pass through during the war and ceasefire. … Iran has also reportedly charged a fee to some passing ships. Unlike the United States, however, Iran can make a reasonable case that it is within its rights to do all these things under international law.” (04/17/26)
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/iran-strait-of-hormuz-international-law/
-----
50) Is It Time to Impeach Trump?
Source: The American Conservative
by Bruce Fein
“Congress should not idle like Nero while the Constitution is in flames. Members should be inspired by the 56 signatories to the Declaration of Independence who signed their death warrants to secure unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness promoted by government by consent of the governed. Trump must be impeached and removed from office immediately before it is too late.” (04/17/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/is-it-time-to-impeach-trump/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) The Good Fight, 04/18/26
Source: Yascha Mounk
“Michael Shermer on Truth and Conspiracy.” (04/18/26)
https://writing.yaschamounk.com/p/michael-shermer
-----
52) Free Talk Live, 04/18/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Sarah Connor from the Terminator predicted AI today :: Skynet is Big Brother :: Chat GPT wont say Colin is worse than Hitler :: AI run by a free stater, Venice.AI :: Katy Perry is totally innocent :: ICE trying to get a Reddit poster in court for criticizing them :: China using Trump’s blunder to advertise China :: Why are Israelis so morally compromised? :: Iran, what is true and what’s not? :: Jared Kuschner BFFs with Netanyahu :: Trump executive order to look into legalizing psychedelics :: Sabbatean Frankist cult runs the world? :: Vance heckled for his stupid remarks saying God is okay with his wars :: All politicians should be atheists? :: They’re stealing from you for war :: Anti-aging propaganda :: Cloning humans secretly :: Monkey and human “organ sacks” cloned without brains and being kept alive for boomers to live forever :: Surrogates would have to carry the baby with no brain :: 2026-04-18 :: Hosts: Bonnie, Lori, Riley O’Bill.” (04/18/26)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2026-04-18
-----
53) Serious Trouble, 04/18/26
Source: Serious Trouble
“Call the Swalwell Hotline.” (04/18/26)
https://www.serioustrouble.show/p/call-the-swalwell-hotline
-----
54) The Climate Realism Show, episode 198
Source: Heartland Institute
“Conference Rattles Climate Activists.” (04/18/26)
https://heartland.org/podcasts/conference-rattles-climate-activists-the-climate-realism-show-198/
-----
55) Mean Age Daydream, 04/18/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“California’s Response to Fraud? Outlaw Investigative Journalism.” (04/18/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/madd-californias-response-to-fraud-outlaw-investigative-journalism
-----
56) Trita Parsi on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Trita Parsi on the Likeliest Outcome of the Iran Ceasefire.” (04/18/26)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/4-16-26-trita-parsi-on-the-likeliest-outcome-of-the-iran-ceasefire/
-----
57) The Tom Woods Show, episode 2753
Source: The Tom Woods Show
“Where Did Trump’s Poll Numbers Go?” (04/18/27)
https://tomwoods.com/ep-2753-where-did-trumps-poll-numbers-go/
-----
58) LPA After Dark, 04/17/26
Source: LP Alliance
“Join our shadowy globalist ANTIFA government agents for a Very Special read-through of Austin LLMartin’s dossier! The screenshots! The conspiracies! The acronym confusion! What will the LLM get wrong next? Grab a cosmpolitan (get it?) and find out on LPA Live — After Dark!” (04/17/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp32_1jFqaQ
-----
59) The Evil Within, episode 7
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“The Income Tax.” (04/17/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcJbJnSMJpg
-----
60) The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan, 04/17/26
Source: The Weekly Dish
“Jeffrey Toobin On The Pardon Power.” (04/17/26)
https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/jeffrey-toobin-on-the-pardon-power
-----
61) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 04/17/26
Source: The New Republic
“Why Trump Will Be Removed From Office Sooner Than You Think.” (04/17/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/209194/trump-will-removed-office-sooner-think
-----
62) Rising, 04/17/26
Source: The Hill
“Lindsey Granger gives her lens on the increasing number of Republicans breaking ranks with President Trump, and how Democrats could respond.” (04/17/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/5825248-rising-april-17-2026/
-----
63) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/17/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“How Blockades Affect Economic Stability and Growth.” (04/17/26)
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1NxaraRQWlVKj
-----
64) Political Theater, 04/17/26
Source: Roll Call
"The numbers that define Congress." (04/17/26)
https://chrt.fm/track/D3F8DG/traffic.megaphone.fm/FISCAL7854245420.mp3
-----
65) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/17/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Hegseth: US Ready To Bomb Iran’s Power Plants, Trump Announces Lebanon Ceasefire, and More.” (04/17/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji1t-rUWE3M
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Iranian military warns it will “soon respond” after US destroyer attacks cargo ship
2) Russia: Ukrainian drone attack on port kills one
3) US regime publicly confesses to three more Caribbean murders
4) Bulgaria: Eurosceptic Radev poised for majority in election
5) MI: Regime refuses to hand over 2024 ballots to feds
6) Blue Origin Marks First Landing of Reused New Glenn Rocket Booster, Ratcheting up SpaceX Rivalry
7) SEC Charges Bitcoin Latinum Founder Donald Basile With $16 Million Investor Fraud
8) Australian, Japanese regimes sign contracts for $7 billion warships deal
9) Trinidad and Tobago: Bodies of 50 infants found dumped at graveyard
10) Titanic survivor’s life jacket sells for over $900k at auction, far exceeding price expectations
11) WI: Chemical weapons attacks as animal rights activists clash with police
12) UK: Police investigating if arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies
13) Chinese robot breaks human world record in Beijing half-marathon
14) WI: Three-year-old shoots two people during “Youth Turkey Hunt”
15) Deaths, disappearances of scientists seen as UFO-linked: Trump orders FBI probe, says “hopefully, coincidence”
16) DR Congo: Regime accepts first set of US ICE gang abductees
17) Trump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
18) Judge signs with creators of banned gang activity trackers
19) CA: Three sentenced in “unbelievable” bear attack insurance scam
20) Canada: Man who sold legal substance bullied into plea deal to avoid clearly false murder charges
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) The War Powers Resolution Is Not What You’ve Been Told
22) Trump: An Alternative Hypothesis
23) We Are America, and We Play Rock ’n’ Roll
24) The Political Culture of the Smartphone and the Cult of the Algorithm
25) Business leaders are done picking sides, and the two parties should be worried
26) We Should Not Fear The Tyrants; The Tyrants Should Fear Us
27) The eternal English revolt
28) Can Primary Reform Keep Out Extremist Candidates and Depolarize America?
29) I’m a truck driver. I’m not worried about AI taking my job.
30) Tech Troubleshooting in Space
31) Chief Justice Roberts could learn from baseball great Ted Williams when it comes to leaks
32) Why I Oppose Race-Consciousness
33) On Witless Great Vengeance and Furious Anger
34) After three years of fighting, Sudan’s civil war is only getting worse
35) The Causes of Unemployment: What’s Missing
36) Marty Makary: The FDA’s Quiet Blockade on Safer Nicotine
37) I was one of a few conservative professors at Harvard — here’s where the school went wrong
38) Thinking in Crisis
39) Anarchist Notes on the Theory of Money, Credit, and Capital. Part I: Theory
40) Mises on “Rightly Understood Interests”
41) How Trump Undermines Trump
42) The Government Store to Nowhere
43) NATO Allies Adopt Evasive Policies on US War in Iran
44) AI Abundance Won’t End Inflation, Nor Make Money Meaningless
45) Grace and Truth: Navigating Conversion Therapy and a Client’s Faith-Based Rights
46) Most Young Australians Successfully Evade the Country’s Social Media Ban
47) Be defiant
48) No, Virginia, Delaware’s Congressional District Isn’t Gerrymandered
49) Only One Side Has Clearly Broken the Law In the Strait of Hormuz
50) Is It Time to Impeach Trump?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) The Good Fight, 04/18/26
52) Free Talk Live, 04/18/26
53) Serious Trouble, 04/18/26
54) The Climate Realism Show, episode 198
55) Mean Age Daydream, 04/18/26
56) Trita Parsi on The Scott Horton Show
57) The Tom Woods Show, episode 2753
58) LPA After Dark, 04/17/26
59) The Evil Within, episode 7
60) The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan, 04/17/26
61) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 04/17/26
62) Rising, 04/17/26
63) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/17/26
64) Political Theater, 04/17/26
65) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/17/26
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Iranian military warns it will “soon respond” after US destroyer attacks cargo ship
Source: Le Monde [France]
“A US destroyer on Sunday, April 19, fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a US naval blockade, President Donald Trump and the US military said the same day. … Iran’s military on Sunday vowed to respond. ‘We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military,’ said a spokesperson for the military’s central command center, Khatam Al-Anbiya, cited by ISNA news agency. He accused the United States of having ‘violated the ceasefire’ that has been in place since April 8.” (04/20/26)
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/04/20/us-destroyer-fires-on-seizes-iran-cargo-ship-trying-to-evade-blockade_6752601_4.html
-----
2) Russia: Ukrainian drone attack on port kills one
Source: Reuters
“A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse sparked a fire and killed at least one person, Russian officials said on Monday, only hours after a blaze was extinguished following a similar attack on April 16. One of Russia’s major southern ports, Tuapse is an oil product export hub that also handles dry bulk cargo, such as coal and fertiliser. In addition, it is home to a major oil refinery of the same name owned by Rosneft. … Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure in the past month as U.S.-brokered peace talks have stalled with Washington more focused on the war in Iran.” (04/20/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukrainian-drone-attack-russias-tuapse-port-kills-one-2026-04-20/
-----
3) US regime publicly confesses to three more Caribbean murders
Source: CBS News
“The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat it accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, [murdering] three people Sunday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and [murdered] at least 181 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean. At least 54 vessels have been targeted in the campaign.” (04/19/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drug-boat-strike-kills-3-in-caribbean-sea/
-----
4) Bulgaria: Eurosceptic Radev poised for majority in election
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“Bulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia – on Sunday hailed a ‘victory of hope’ after his formation topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years. Projections from polling agencies put his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) grouping at 44%, which would give him an absolute majority of at least 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament. … the landslide victory marks the first outright parliamentary majority for a single formation in Bulgaria since 1997 when a centre-right, pro-European grouping won.” (04/20/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/20/bulgaria-election-ukraine-russia-hungary-macron-poland-latest-news-updates
-----
5) MI: Regime refuses to hand over 2024 ballots to feds
Source: Independent [UK]
“Michigan officials have strongly rejected a demand from the US Department of Justice for 2024 election materials from the Detroit area, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to undermine the integrity of future polls. The DOJ’s request, sent last week, sought ballots, ballot receipts, and envelopes from the clerk in Wayne County, home to the heavily Democratic city of Detroit. The letter was authored by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson – all Democrats – released the DOJ’s letter and their reply, vowing to fight the request.” (04/20/26)
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/michagan-trump-2024-election-ballots-b2960879.html
-----
6) Blue Origin Marks First Landing of Reused New Glenn Rocket Booster, Ratcheting up SpaceX Rivalry
Source: US News & World Report
“Jeff Bezos'[s] Blue Origin on Sunday said its New Glenn rocket booster touched down after its launch, marking its first landing of a reused booster. The rocket, which had a launch window of 6:45 a.m. to 12:19 p.m. ET on Sunday, lifted off at around 7:25 a.m. ET (1125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the booster touchdown happened about 10 minutes later. New Glenn carried AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite to low-Earth orbit in a flight that marks a pivotal step for the company. The mission was key to demonstrating that New Glenn, a 29-story heavy-lift rocket, has a reliable booster reuse capability and can compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.” (04/19/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-04-19/blue-origin-says-it-has-landed-reused-new-glenn-rocket-booster
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7) SEC Charges Bitcoin Latinum Founder Donald Basile With $16 Million Investor Fraud
Source: Blockonomi [UK]
“Bitcoin Latinum founder Donald G. Basile now faces federal fraud charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC claims Basile and his two companies raised $16 million from hundreds of American investors through fraudulent crypto offerings. Regulators filed the complaint on April 17, 2026, in the Eastern District of New York. The charges center on false claims about insurance, asset backing, and the intended use of investor funds. The case revolves around the sale of Simple Agreements for Future Tokens, or SAFTs. These instruments promised investors the right to receive a crypto asset known as Bitcoin Latinum, or LTNM.” (04/19/26)
https://blockonomi.com/sec-charges-bitcoin-latinum-founder-donald-basile-with-16-million-investor-fraud/
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8) Australian, Japanese regimes sign contracts for $7 billion warships deal
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Australia and Japan have signed contracts for the first three of 11 warships set to be delivered to the Australian navy under a landmark $7bn defence deal, as the two close US allies in the Asia Pacific region deepen defence cooperation. Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro made the announcement in Melbourne on Saturday at the signing ceremony for the Mogami-class warships. … Australia has committed to a record $305bn in military spending over the next decade, as part of a widespread defence overhaul aimed at boosting the country’s naval power to levels not seen since World War II.” (04/19/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/4/19/australia-and-japan-sign-contracts-for-7bn-warships-deal
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9) Trinidad and Tobago: Bodies of 50 infants found dumped at graveyard
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“The remains of at least 50 infants and six adults have been dumped at a graveyard in Trinidad and Tobago, police say. In a statement, the country’s police service (TTPS) said the bodies were found in the town of Cumuto, about 40km (25 miles) from the capital Port of Spain on Trinidad – one of the two islands forming the Caribbean nation. A preliminary investigation shows it may be a case of an ‘unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses,’ it added. It is unclear if the incident is linked to gang violence in the country with one of the highest murder rates in Latin America and the Caribbean.” (04/19/26)
https://archive.is/E3xrU
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10) Titanic survivor’s life jacket sells for over $900k at auction, far exceeding price expectations
Source: Fox News
“A life jacket worn by a Titanic survivor sold for more than $900,000 at auction Saturday, far exceeding expectations and highlighting the enduring fascination with the doomed ship. The flotation device — believed to be one of only a handful of Titanic life jackets still in existence — was used by first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli during the ship’s 1912 sinking and was the only one of its kind ever offered at auction. It sold for 670,000 pounds, or roughly $906,000, including fees, at Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers in Devizes, England, to an unidentified telephone bidder.” (04/19/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/titanic-survivors-life-jacket-sells-900k-auction-far-exceeding-price-expectations
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11) WI: Chemical weapons attacks as animal rights activists clash with police
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“About 1,000 animal welfare activists who tried to gain entry on Saturday to a beagle breeding and research facility in Wisconsin were turned back by police who fired rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrested the group’s leader. It was the second attempt in as many months by protesters to take beagles from the Ridglan Farms facility in Blue Mounds, a small town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometres) southwest of Wisconsin’s capital, Madison. Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a video statement that 300 to 400 protesters were ‘violently trying to break into the property’ and assault officers. … The sheriff’s department said a ‘significant’ number of people were arrested out of about 1,000 protesters at the site but did not give an exact total as they were still being processed as of the afternoon.” (04/19/26)
https://archive.is/cEacZ
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12) UK: Police investigating if arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies
Source: SFGate
“U.K. police said Sunday they are investigating whether a string of arson attacks on Jewish sites in London are the work of Iranian proxies, as the country’s chief rabbi said British Jews are facing a campaign of violence and intimidation. The Metropolitan Police force says counterterror officers are probing fires at synagogues and other sites linked to the Jewish community, as well as an attack on a Persian-language media company. No one has been injured in the blazes, the latest of which caused minor damage to a north London synagogue on Saturday night.” (04/19/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/britain-s-chief-rabbi-says-jews-are-facing-a-22214429.php
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13) Chinese robot breaks human world record in Beijing half-marathon
Source: Yahoo! News
“A Chinese-built humanoid robot beat the human half-marathon world record in Beijing on Sunday, marking a breakthrough moment in a high-stakes global race for technological dominance. A robot developed by Chinese smartphone maker Honor completed the 21-kilometer (13-mile) race in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, beating the human record of about 57 minutes set by Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo last month. The performance marked a dramatic improvement from last year’s inaugural event, when the top robot finished in more than 2 hours and 40 minutes. Dozens of humanoid robots competed alongside about 12,000 human runners, navigating a parallel course to avoid collisions.” (04/19/26)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/chinese-robot-breaks-human-world-114425148.html
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14) WI: Three-year-old shoots two people during “Youth Turkey Hunt”
Source: New York Post
“A 3-year-old boy shot and wounded a man and his son after mistaking them for a turkey at a Youth Turkey Hunt in Wisconsin. The toddler was being mentored by his 34-year-old parent who aided the three-year-old in shooting the 12-gauge semiautomatic shotgun. The two spotted motion in the woods that they mistook for a wild turkey, according to the Department of Natural Resources report. However, a 40-year-old man and his seven-year-old child were actually in the brush 35 yards away from the shooters and were struck by pellets in the back, hands and head.” (04/19/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/us-news/wisconsin-three-year-old-shoots-two-people-in-freak-turkey-hunting-accident/
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15) Deaths, disappearances of scientists seen as UFO-linked: Trump orders FBI probe, says “hopefully, coincidence”
Source: Hindustan Times [India]
“US President Donald Trump has directed the FBI to investigate a series of deaths and disappearances involving government workers who were somehow linked to sensitive nuclear and space programmes, amid swirling public speculation about whether the cases are ‘connected to UFOs.’ … White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the inquiry on Friday, stating that the administration was ‘actively working with all relevant agencies and the FBI to holistically review all of the cases together and identify any potential commonalities that may exist.’ … The cases in question involve approximately 10 individuals with ties to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and other sensitive defence facilities. They span roughly three years and include disappearances, murders, and deaths from apparently unrelated causes.” (04/19/26)
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/deaths-disappearances-of-scientists-seen-as-ufo-related-trump-orders-fbi-probe-says-hopefully-coincidence-101776594558147.html
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16) DR Congo: Regime accepts first set of US ICE gang abductees
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Fifteen people deported from the US, who are reportedly from South America, have arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is the first group of an unknown number of people that the US has expelled which the DR Congo had agreed to take in. The government in Kinshasa has stressed that their stay in the country is only temporary and that Washington is funding ‘their reception, support and care.’ The US has already sent deportees to several other African countries, including Ghana, South Sudan and Eswatini, as part of the crackdown on immigration.” (04/19/26)
https://archive.is/VSnv3
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17) Trump ally diGenova tapped to lead DOJ probe into Brennan over Russia probe origins
Source: Fox News
“The Justice Department is turning to former Trump attorney Joeseph diGenova to spearhead a probe into ex-CIA Director John Brennan and others over the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, as the department reshuffles leadership of the sprawling inquiry. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has tapped diGenova to serve as counsel overseeing the matter, according to a New York Times report, putting a former Trump attorney in a key role in the high-profile probe. A federal grand jury seated in Miami has been impaneled since late last year. … DiGenova, a former U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., who represented Trump during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, has repeatedly accused Brennan of misconduct tied to the origins of the Russia probe — allegations that have not resulted in criminal charges.” (04/19/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-ally-digenova-tapped-lead-doj-probe-brennan-over-russia-probe-origins
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18) Judge signs with creators of banned gang activity trackers
Source: Engadget
“A judge has granted the makers of the ‘ICE Sightings — Chicagoland’ Facebook group and the Eyes Up app a preliminary injunction to stop the Trump administration from coercing platforms to take these projects down. Judge Jorge L. Alonso of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois found that the plaintiffs, Kassandra Rosado and Kreisau Group, are likely to succeed in their case, which alleges that the government suppressed protected speech under the First Amendment by strong-arming Facebook and Apple into removing ICE monitoring efforts.” (04/18/26)
https://www.engadget.com/apps/judge-sides-with-creators-of-banned-ice-trackers-who-allege-dhs-and-doj-violated-their-first-amendment-rights-191701801.html
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19) CA: Three sentenced in “unbelievable” bear attack insurance scam
Source: SFGate
“Multiple people in Glendale have been sentenced in a bizarre felony insurance fraud case involving a bear costume and luxury cars. Officials from the California Department of Insurance launched the investigation back in 2024 after an insurance company flagged an unusual claim of a Rolls-Royce Ghost sedan being damaged after a bear climbed inside near Lake Arrowhead. The grainy surveillance footage appeared to show a bear rummaging through the vehicle, and photos submitted showed scratches on the interior of the car, which can retail for over $400,000 when new. But the video and photos from the scene didn’t look quite right. During the investigation, detectives sent the footage to a biologist from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who ‘concluded the animal shown was clearly a human in a bear suit,’ according to the news release from the California Department of Insurance.” (04/17/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/fake-bear-attack-22211907.php
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20) Canada: Man who sold legal substance bullied into plea deal to avoid clearly false murder charges
Source: Times of India [India]
“A Canadian man facing murder charges for allegedly selling lethal substances online to people at risk of self-harm has agreed to plead guilty to 14 counts of counseling or aiding suicide, his lawyer said on Saturday. In turn, Canadian prosecutors will withdraw all 14 murder charges filed against Kenneth Law, lawyer Matthew Gourlay told The Associated Press in a email. … Canadian police say Law, from the Toronto area, used a series of websites to market and sell sodium nitrite, a substance commonly used to cure meats that can be deadly if ingested.” (04/18/26)
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/canadian-man-facing-14-murder-charges-to-plead-guilty-to-aiding-suicide-his-lawyer-says/articleshow/130367041.cms
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) The War Powers Resolution Is Not What You’ve Been Told
Source: Antiwar.com
by David Swanson
“According to The Hill, in an article typical of U.S. media, Trump’s war on Iran is totally legal for 60 days if Congress does nothing, after which it becomes illegal, unless Congress has explicitly OK’d it. This is supposedly because of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. And The Hill is not alone in pushing this idea. However, the War Powers Resolution consists of words that you can read for yourself, and here are some of them …. It is simply not true that the war will become illegal after 60 days; it has been illegal since the instant it was begun. It is factually false that it must be ended after 60 days in order to comply with the law; it must be ended immediately.” (04/19/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/david_swanson/2026/04/19/the-war-powers-resolution-is-not-what-youve-been-told/
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22) Trump: An Alternative Hypothesis
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Some commentators look at Trump and the MAGA-dominated Republican Party and conclude that ‘the chaos is the point.’ That is, the purpose of some of the weirder and wilder actions of Trump’s administration is to build an omnipotent totalitarian state by sowing fear, discord, and confusion — to keep their opponents on perpetual tenterhooks, disorganized and unable to effectively respond, as new authoritarian measures roll out. But what if it’s not that?” (04/19/26)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20546
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23) We Are America, and We Play Rock ’n’ Roll
Source: The Dispatch
by Kevin D Williamson
“[T]he young and the hungry around the world, from India to Ukraine, want something different: They want choices and agency and fun and freedom that may not look exactly like our version of it but that is freedom nonetheless. They want to rock. And rock, as Johnny Rotten knows, is both a product of affluence and a route to it. It is not exactly a swindle, as the Sex Pistols insisted, but there is a kind of swindle at the heart of it: Rock is a rebellious pose for the rich kids of the world. It is not a product of rebellion, nor is it, in the American context, an instrument of rebellion. … Freedom is about having choices, and, unromantic and adultified and boring and Protestant and old-fashioned Republican as this particular piece of wisdom might be, money gives you choices.” (04/17/26)
https://archive.is/rvvnt
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24) The Political Culture of the Smartphone and the Cult of the Algorithm
Source: CounterPunch
by David S D’Amato
“Digital environments like social media platforms are designed to deliver rewards intermittently and unpredictably, imitating the psychologically addictive qualities of slot machines. The randomness, opacity, and variability are all there on purpose to provoke compulsive engagement. If we take a step back and consider this system, it is strange beyond words: the system links the most personal, private aspects of life and identity to a gambling mechanism, co-opting the most fundamental human feelings and motivations. It has colonized life’s inherent uncertainty and unpredictability, leveraging these fundamental features of existence to generate anxiety and disciplinary power. Digital capitalism has changed the concept of uncertainty itself.” (04/17/26)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/17/the-political-culture-of-the-smartphone-and-the-cult-of-the-algorithm/
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25) Business leaders are done picking sides, and the two parties should be worried
Source: The Hill
by Adam Brandon
“The 1970s are back, as are fears of an economic recession. With oil prices extremely volatile, major supply chain disruptions in the energy sector, and mixed signals from both the White House and Congress, Americans are preparing for yet another year of inflation. High gas prices are just the beginning of what is almost certainly going to be even more pressure on a struggling middle class. If there’s one thing Wall Street hates, it is uncertainty. And in today’s political climate, neither Republicans nor Democrats are providing reassurance to business leaders or the average American. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has seen enough. In a recent interview with Axios, Dimon suggested that an independent candidate might be needed to fix this dysfunction that we’re living through. Welcome to the independent movement, sir.” [editpr’s note: “Independent,” Dimon presumably means, except of the influence of JPMorgan Chase – TLK] (04/18/26)
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5837158-economic-recession-fears-rise/
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26) We Should Not Fear The Tyrants; The Tyrants Should Fear Us
Source: Caitlin Johnstone
by Caitlin Johnstone
“In our society, we do not push psychopaths off the ice when nobody is looking. In our society, we let them rule the world.” (04/19/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/04/19/we-should-not-fear-the-tyrants-the-tyrants-should-fear-us/
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27) The eternal English revolt
Source: spiked
by Gawain Towler
“Chartism was a constitutional movement. It operated through petition, through the discipline of the mass meeting, through the moral pressure of demonstrated popular will. The General Convention of the Industrious Classes, called regularly from 1839 onwards, styled itself a parliament of the people, not to overthrow parliament but to remind it of its obligation to the people. When three petitions, each signed by millions, were presented and each contemptuously refused, the movement’s response was not insurrection but reorganisation, continued agitation, education and, eventually, decades later, the slow grinding of history through the machinery of genuine reform. Five of the six Chartist demands are now simply the unremarkable fabric of democratic life: universal suffrage, secret ballot, payment of MPs, no property qualification for membership of parliament and equal electoral districts. The sixth, annual parliaments, we decided against, and probably wisely so.” (04/19/26)
https://archive.is/AUd6U
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28) Can Primary Reform Keep Out Extremist Candidates and Depolarize America?
Source: The UnPopulist
by Lee Drutman
“The dysfunction in American politics runs deeper than the mechanics of nomination contests. The United States operates under an unusually rigid two‑party system that compresses an enormous range of political views into two increasingly polarized coalitions. Adjusting the rules of primaries may change how candidates are nominated, but it does little to change the incentives created by the larger political environment.” (04/18/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/can-primary-reform-keep-out-extremist
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29) I’m a truck driver. I’m not worried about AI taking my job.
Source: USA Today
by Kris Edney
“The world’s tech leaders – the ones who are driving the AI revolution – insist that people like me are actually the foundation of the technology shaping the future. The numbers prove them right.” (04/19/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2026/04/19/trucker-ai-trades-blue-collar-jobs/89504410007/
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30) Tech Troubleshooting in Space
Source: EconLog
by Joy Buchanan
“When astronaut Christina Koch, the first woman to fly around the moon, reported an issue from space that could have been copy-pasted from any IT helpdesk ticket, something clicked for Americans. Her grievance? ‘No joy seeing the device in the list of available devices when I attempt to re-pair it after doing the Bluetooth forget.’ Commander Reid Wiseman, orbiting Earth aboard the Artemis II mission, radioed Houston with a problem millions of office workers share: ‘I have two Microsoft Outlooks, and neither one of those are working.’ So much for old ‘one small step for man …’ Internet commentators found these moments painfully relatable and shared them widely. Why did those quotes about tech maintenance go viral in April 2026? Beneath the comedy lies an underappreciated cost of modernity: we are wealthier, and that wealth means we own more things.” (04/17/26)
https://www.econlib.org/econlog/tech-troubleshooting-in-space
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31) Chief Justice Roberts could learn from baseball great Ted Williams when it comes to leaks
Source: Fox News
by Jonathan Turley
“The legendary baseball player and manager Ted Williams once wrote a letter to Angels outfielder Jay Johnstone on improving his hitting. Among his pieces of advice was that ‘with two strikes, you simply have to protect the plate.’ Williams'[s] advice on not striking out came to mind this week when another leak of confidential information rocked the Supreme Court. (The prior leak of the Dobbs decision went unsolved.) For Chief Justice John Roberts, the message is clear: it is times like these when you have to protect the plate. Roberts, of course, is famous for his own baseball analogies. In his confirmation, he declared that ‘judges are like umpires. Umpires don’t make the rules. They apply them … Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire.’ Yet, justices do make rules not only in new precedent, but in the operation of the court system. Those rules are being broken.” (04/19/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jonathan-turley-chief-justice-roberts-could-learn-baseball-great-ted-williams-comes-leaks
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32) Why I Oppose Race-Consciousness
Source: The Findings Substack
by Paul Rosenberg
“Race-consciousness is not something that belongs in the minds of children; rather than being a virtue, it’s far more of a poison. I want children to be entirely separated from and ignorant of racial issues. Rather, they should simply see people, with their pigmentation being an accidental triviality. Race-consciousness robs that from them, and I think it’s tragic.” (04/17/26)
https://thefindings.substack.com/p/why-i-oppose-race-consciousness
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33) On Witless Great Vengeance and Furious Anger
Source: Common Dreams
by Abby Zimet
“Seeking to rally the troops for his unholy war, Christian nationalist, TV-carnie and war fanboy Pete Kegseth just passed off some vengeful Gospel According to Tarantino as scripture at his (unconstitutional) Pentagon prayer service, and yes we have them now. Added to the ‘shameless blasphemy’ of quoting — without credit — Samuel Jackson’s homicidal hitman Jules as ‘prayer,’ Pete moronically misses the redemptive point: As he cites the ‘tyranny of evil men,’ he, unlike Jules, doesn’t friggin’ get that he is one.” (04/18/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/further/on-witless-great-vengeance-and-furious-anger
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34) After three years of fighting, Sudan’s civil war is only getting worse
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Alex Thurston
“This month marks the third anniversary of the war in Sudan. Estimates of the death toll range from 150,000 to 400,000 or more; 2025 was, according to the United Nations’ internal estimates, a particularly deadly year for civilians. The humanitarian impacts are even broader: the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs calculates that, as of April 2026, nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s 46.8 million people need humanitarian assistance.” 904/17/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/sudan-war-anniversary/
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35) The Causes of Unemployment: What’s Missing
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Walter Block
“Everyone is now concerned about the unemployment rate, it would appear. The scribes are busily scribbling as to the possible causes of this economic debilitation. Their list is long, creative, and clever. One explanation is that the quit rate has plummeted. People are sticking around in jobs they would have left in rosier markets. Well, yes, if this replacement source of new job openings is decreasing, that could well account for fewer new employment slots opening up. But this is a two-way street. Presumably, people are not downing tools for fear that new appointments will not be open to them, at least not on better terms, overall, than they now enjoy. So, it is likely that the unemployment rate is at least partially a cause of this phenomenon, not only a result. Further, this is a sign of economic health, rather than disarray.” (04/17/26)
https://fee.org/articles/the-causes-of-unemployment-whats-missing/
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36) Marty Makary: The FDA’s Quiet Blockade on Safer Nicotine
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Roger Bate
“There are moments in public health when the path forward is unusually clear, when the evidence aligns with behavior, when risks are well understood, and when policy has a genuine opportunity to reduce harm at scale. This should be one of those moments. Non-combustible nicotine products — vapes, heated tobacco, and especially nicotine pouches — are widely understood to be far less harmful than smoking, a point I and many others have covered repeatedly, and one that no longer sits at the frontier of scientific debate. … One might expect regulators to respond accordingly, adjusting policy to reflect both the risk gradient and the changed behavioral landscape, but that has not happened. Instead, the system has stalled, quietly but decisively, with approvals for new products slowing to a near standstill.” (04/17/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/marty-makary-the-fdas-quiet-blockade-on-safer-nicotine/
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37) I was one of a few conservative professors at Harvard — here’s where the school went wrong
Source: New York Post
by Harvey C Mansfield
“The Ivory Tower was an image, medieval like the university itself, of an institution made of a valuable material and grounded in society but towering above it. In this view, any university in America depends on America for its survival but does its best to rise above its politics. Politics is argument, for example about welfare policies. As an Ivory Tower, the university tries to define the bigger, more abstract question of what is welfare. Policies are about society; abstract definitions come from the Ivory Tower. In abandoning the Ivory Tower Harvard was denying its independence.” 904/19/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/19/opinion/how-harvard-has-made-itself-vulnerable/
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38) Thinking in Crisis
Source: Law & Liberty
by Claudia Franziska Brühwiler
“New technology is changing how human beings learn. But preserving both humanity and democracy means we have to cling to traditional ways of knowing.” (04/17/26)
https://lawliberty.org/thinking-in-crisis/
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39) Anarchist Notes on the Theory of Money, Credit, and Capital. Part I: Theory
Source: Center for a Stateless Society
by Kevin Carson
“Part I of this two-part paper will examine a number of loosely related and considerably overlapping conceptual issues concerning the nature of money and credit: metallism vs. chartalism, money theories of credit vs. credit theories of money, and advance vs. synchronization economics. They all hinge, in one way or another, on the question of whether money and credit are ‘real’ material entities, on the one hand, that must be in some way ‘saved’ or ‘accumulated’ before they can be ‘lent’ or ‘invested,’ or simply units of account for allocating resources and tracking the balance of exchange of material goods, on the other. That is, is money a store of value — a commodity with intrinsic value in its own right — and does credit require a stock of past savings to be lent against?” (04/17/26)
https://c4ss.org/content/61109
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40) Mises on “Rightly Understood Interests”
Source: Free Association
by Sheldon Richman
“Ludwig von Mises (1881-1973) still has much to teach us if we want a society in which individuals freely pursue their happiness. The economist and social philosopher lit the path to that widely shared goal in his magnum opus, Human Action (1949). especially chapter 24, section three, ‘The Harmony of the ‘Rightly Understood’ Interests.’ The title alone is refreshing, considering how preoccupied political philosophy, economics, and history have been with mankind’s supposedly fated and endless conflict — racial, national, or class — and power struggles. That alone should draw us to the work of a thinker who understood that this emphatically is not man’s destiny.” (04/17/26)
https://sheldonrichman.substack.com/p/tgif-mises-on-rightly-understood
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41) How Trump Undermines Trump
Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner
“If you want to get a sense of Donald Trump’s deepening dementia, look no further than his self-annihilating vendetta against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. As you may recall, Powell’s term as chair expires soon, on May 15, but his term as a Fed governor continues through January 2028. Trump has appointed a successor, former Fed governor and investment banker Kevin Warsh, who would ordinarily have his confirmation hearing next week. Warsh would then become Fed chair, succeeding Powell, who would likely leave the Fed entirely. So the quickest way for Trump to oust Powell would be just to let Warsh’s confirmation proceed and avoid screwing it up. But Trump being Trump, his vanity, rage, and muddled thinking are causing Powell to stay in office.” (04/17/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/04/17/how-trump-undermines-trump-jerome-powell-federal-reserve/
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42) The Government Store to Nowhere
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“New York City Mayor Commie Mamdani is putting into action, sort of, his plan to introduce government-run grocery stores and bring down grocery prices. Renting a Brooklyn storefront may cost anywhere between $60,000 to $600,000 a year depending on location and square footage. And there are other costs. Investors profit when they’re right about the opportunity and revenue exceeds costs. This means that they must satisfy customers. Or … taxpayers can fund everything regardless of success or failure.” (04/17/26)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2026/04/17/the-government-store-to-nowhere/
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43) NATO Allies Adopt Evasive Policies on US War in Iran
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“Trump administration officials are discovering that a daunting number of longstanding U.S. allies and security clients are adopting hedging policies or even openly opposing Washington’s decision to wage war against Iran. That sobering reality has become even clearer over the past week than it was during the earlier stages of the armed conflict. On April 12, the president called upon NATO members to join U.S. naval forces in blockading Iranian ports. The proposed move was in response to Tehran’s continuing efforts to selectively close the vital Strait of Hormuz to foreign shipping. However, most of Washington’s alliance partners refused to join the retaliatory blockade.” (04/17/26)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_galen_carpenter/2026/04/16/nato-allies-adopt-evasive-policies-on-us-war-in-iran/
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44) AI Abundance Won’t End Inflation, Nor Make Money Meaningless
Source: The Daily Economy
by Peter C Earle
“Elon Musk claims AI-driven growth could fund UBI transfers without inflation. But relative prices — not just totals — still drive economic allocation.” (04/17/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/ai-abundance-wont-end-inflation-nor-make-money-meaningless/
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45) Grace and Truth: Navigating Conversion Therapy and a Client’s Faith-Based Rights
Source: Townhall
by Dr. Eric Scalise
“Counseling, by its very nature, is value-laden, and the process and results are greatly influenced by both the therapist’s and the client’s worldview. One critical question that must be asked is what to do when there appears to be a conflict of values related to the therapeutic process. How should a treatment provider respond if a client seeks therapy because his or her behavior is incongruent with their deeply held spiritual or religious values, and those values appear to take precedent above all others? Which set of values is more valid? Should the client have the autonomy to make that decision? The ethical answer to the last question is an unequivocal ‘Yes!'” (04/19/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/eric-scalise/2026/04/19/grace-and-truth-navigating-conversion-therapy-and-a-clients-faith-based-rights-n2674596
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46) Most Young Australians Successfully Evade the Country’s Social Media Ban
Source: Reason
by JD Tuccille
“Among the great many bogeymen of the current moment is social media, which stands accused of making young people anxious and unhappy. Whatever the merits of those charges — and they’re debatable — politicians have predictably tried to address concerns by applying the blunt instrument of coercive law to kids’ online activities rather than simply let parents help their children make better choices. The experience in Australia now shows the subjects of the law have, once again, proven cleverer than law enforcers.” (04/17/26)
https://reason.com/2026/04/17/most-young-australians-successfully-evade-the-countrys-social-media-ban/
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47) Be defiant
Source: Kent’s Hooligan Libertarian Blog
by Kent McManigal
“Beyond mere non-compliance, there is defiance. Defiance is more ‘in your face’ than non-compliance, and is more dangerous, but you can be smart about it. Practice non-compliance until you get comfortable dipping into defiance. Storming a government building only works if there’s a big enough crowd, and they don’t simply go home to be hunted down later. It’s the same with refusing to be taxed, refusing to have illegal gun rules imposed on you, and rejecting all licenses and permits. There’s safety in numbers. … There’s a tipping point at which defiance is less dangerous because of the number of people participating. It’s not here yet. Until then, you can at least work toward reaching that tipping point.” (04/17/26)
https://kentmcmanigal.blogspot.com/2026/04/be-defiant.html
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48) No, Virginia, Delaware’s Congressional District Isn’t Gerrymandered
Source: Desultory Scribblings
by Tyler Harris
“Delaware and Vermont only have one Congressional representative each, elected statewide. It is literally impossible to gerrymander a statewide district. There is no process of drawing boundary lines; the state’s borders are the boundary lines. This in itself should be enough to completely discredit the argument being put forth. Anyone claiming a nefarious Democratic Congressional gerrymander of Delaware should take a big step back. If, after all, they have been fed and subsequently repeated a lie so moronic on its face, then what subtler lies are they also being fed and repeating?” (04/17/26)
https://tylerjohnharris.substack.com/p/no-virginia-delawares-congressional
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49) Only One Side Has Clearly Broken the Law In the Strait of Hormuz
Source: The Nation
by Maryam Jamshidi
“The US/Israeli war is indisputably unlawful. It constitutes one of the gravest crimes under international law — the crime of aggression. The legality of Iran’s regulation of the Strait is, however, less clear-cut. Though Iran has not formally blockaded the Strait, it required ships to coordinate with it and abide by its regulatory regime in order to pass through during the war and ceasefire. … Iran has also reportedly charged a fee to some passing ships. Unlike the United States, however, Iran can make a reasonable case that it is within its rights to do all these things under international law.” (04/17/26)
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/iran-strait-of-hormuz-international-law/
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50) Is It Time to Impeach Trump?
Source: The American Conservative
by Bruce Fein
“Congress should not idle like Nero while the Constitution is in flames. Members should be inspired by the 56 signatories to the Declaration of Independence who signed their death warrants to secure unalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness promoted by government by consent of the governed. Trump must be impeached and removed from office immediately before it is too late.” (04/17/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/is-it-time-to-impeach-trump/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) The Good Fight, 04/18/26
Source: Yascha Mounk
“Michael Shermer on Truth and Conspiracy.” (04/18/26)
https://writing.yaschamounk.com/p/michael-shermer
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52) Free Talk Live, 04/18/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Sarah Connor from the Terminator predicted AI today :: Skynet is Big Brother :: Chat GPT wont say Colin is worse than Hitler :: AI run by a free stater, Venice.AI :: Katy Perry is totally innocent :: ICE trying to get a Reddit poster in court for criticizing them :: China using Trump’s blunder to advertise China :: Why are Israelis so morally compromised? :: Iran, what is true and what’s not? :: Jared Kuschner BFFs with Netanyahu :: Trump executive order to look into legalizing psychedelics :: Sabbatean Frankist cult runs the world? :: Vance heckled for his stupid remarks saying God is okay with his wars :: All politicians should be atheists? :: They’re stealing from you for war :: Anti-aging propaganda :: Cloning humans secretly :: Monkey and human “organ sacks” cloned without brains and being kept alive for boomers to live forever :: Surrogates would have to carry the baby with no brain :: 2026-04-18 :: Hosts: Bonnie, Lori, Riley O’Bill.” (04/18/26)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2026-04-18
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53) Serious Trouble, 04/18/26
Source: Serious Trouble
“Call the Swalwell Hotline.” (04/18/26)
https://www.serioustrouble.show/p/call-the-swalwell-hotline
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54) The Climate Realism Show, episode 198
Source: Heartland Institute
“Conference Rattles Climate Activists.” (04/18/26)
https://heartland.org/podcasts/conference-rattles-climate-activists-the-climate-realism-show-198/
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55) Mean Age Daydream, 04/18/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“California’s Response to Fraud? Outlaw Investigative Journalism.” (04/18/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/madd-californias-response-to-fraud-outlaw-investigative-journalism
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56) Trita Parsi on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Trita Parsi on the Likeliest Outcome of the Iran Ceasefire.” (04/18/26)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/4-16-26-trita-parsi-on-the-likeliest-outcome-of-the-iran-ceasefire/
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57) The Tom Woods Show, episode 2753
Source: The Tom Woods Show
“Where Did Trump’s Poll Numbers Go?” (04/18/27)
https://tomwoods.com/ep-2753-where-did-trumps-poll-numbers-go/
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58) LPA After Dark, 04/17/26
Source: LP Alliance
“Join our shadowy globalist ANTIFA government agents for a Very Special read-through of Austin LLMartin’s dossier! The screenshots! The conspiracies! The acronym confusion! What will the LLM get wrong next? Grab a cosmpolitan (get it?) and find out on LPA Live — After Dark!” (04/17/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp32_1jFqaQ
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59) The Evil Within, episode 7
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“The Income Tax.” (04/17/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcJbJnSMJpg
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60) The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan, 04/17/26
Source: The Weekly Dish
“Jeffrey Toobin On The Pardon Power.” (04/17/26)
https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/jeffrey-toobin-on-the-pardon-power
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61) The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 04/17/26
Source: The New Republic
“Why Trump Will Be Removed From Office Sooner Than You Think.” (04/17/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/209194/trump-will-removed-office-sooner-think
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62) Rising, 04/17/26
Source: The Hill
“Lindsey Granger gives her lens on the increasing number of Republicans breaking ranks with President Trump, and how Democrats could respond.” (04/17/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/5825248-rising-april-17-2026/
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63) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/17/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“How Blockades Affect Economic Stability and Growth.” (04/17/26)
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1NxaraRQWlVKj
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64) Political Theater, 04/17/26
Source: Roll Call
"The numbers that define Congress." (04/17/26)
https://chrt.fm/track/D3F8DG/traffic.megaphone.fm/FISCAL7854245420.mp3
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65) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/17/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“Hegseth: US Ready To Bomb Iran’s Power Plants, Trump Announces Lebanon Ceasefire, and More.” (04/17/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji1t-rUWE3M
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