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04/30 -- Pakistan: Regime claims "credible intelligence" of Indian regime strike within 36 hours; Texas Pols Think They Get To Control Speech. Nope.
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Thomas L. Knapp
Apr 30, 2025, 6:20:47 AMApr 30
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 04/30/25
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Presented by the Liberty International
https://liberty-intl.org/
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
https://news.rationalreview.com/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Pakistan: Regime claims “credible intelligence” of Indian regime strike within 36 hours
2) Trump’s first 100 days mark worst for US stock market since Gerald Ford
3) Ukraine: Russian drone attack injures at least one in Kharkiv
4) House debate over $150 billion increase to corporate welfare for “defense” devolves into fight over Hegseth’s controversies
5) Palestine: Israeli regime releases Gaza medic who survived IDF murder attempt
6) White House whines about Amazon showing its customers how much Trump’s tax hikes are costing them
7) Hong Kong: Former lawmakers released from prison after serving sentences for “subversion” of Beijing quisling regime
8) US Senate confirms Perdue as ambassador to China
9) Syria: More Than a Dozen Killed in Sectarian Clashes Near Capital
10) Adidas warns it will raise prices on all US products due to tariffs
11) Amazon launches its first internet satellites to compete against SpaceX’s Starlinks
12) EU’s top court rules against Malta’s “golden passport” program
13) DC: After overwhelming House vote, Internet censorship bill backed by Melania Trump heads to president’s desk
14) Judge orders involuntary medication of conspiracy theorist charged with killing kids in Mexico
15) SCOTUS seems likely to rule narrowly in case over FBI raid on wrong home
16) US Navy loses $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier
17) NJ: Off-duty female cop arrested for allegedly assaulting two people after breaking into their home
18) Nigeria: Roadside bomb blast kills 26
19) World Food Program and other UN aid agencies slash jobs amid US funding cuts
20) Next target in Trump’s war on US economy: Freight delivery by truck
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Texas Pols Think They Get To Control Speech. Nope.
22) If Other Governments Do It, Why Shouldn’t We?
23) Fifty Years On: US Elites Learned Nothing From the Vietnam Defeat
24) America’s Implicit Defaults
25) Independent Institutions and Private Force
26) Whatever Happened to Kilmar?
27) Trump Revives the Alien and Sedition Acts
28) The Longest 100 Days
29) How Trump Plays the Media
30) The Economics of Trump’s Tariffs vs Income Tax
31) Ignore biased polls, Trump voters love his first 100 days
32) The Natalist’s Dilemma
33) Biden Never Pushed For A Ceasefire In Gaza
34) Trump Promised Not To Weaponize The Government — But He Is
35) A Victory for Boring White Guy Centrism
36) Video Game Industry Reeling From US Trade Crackdown
37) Activist judges become the judged
38) The Limitations of Military Might
39) Can Trump cool Turkey-Israel tensions over Syria?
40) An Independent Nation
41) Why David Hogg (Almost) Gets It, and the DNC Still Doesn’t
42) Epic Failure
43) Trump Is More Likely to Get a Third Impeachment Than a Third Term
44) Texas’s War on Abortion Is Now a War on Free Speech
45) At White House Correspondents’ Dinner, fake remorse over Biden “mistakes”
46) Bad Economic Policy Trumps Monetary Policy
47) Two Paths to Immortality: Some Civic Religion for Nonbelievers
48) The Empire Strikes Back
49) Private Equity’s Do-or-Die Moment
50) Trump’s fake emergencies are the real crisis
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 04/29/25
52) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/29/25
53) Advisory Opinions, 04/29/25
54) Daniel Davis on The Scott Horton Show
55) Fountainhead Forum, episode 301
56) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/29/25
57) Pink Flame of Liberty, 04/28/25
58) LPA Live, episode 14
59) System Update, episode 444
60) Kinsella On Liberty, episode 463
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Pakistan: Regime claims “credible intelligence” of Indian regime strike within 36 hours
Source: CNN
“Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated further after a top Pakistani official claimed early Wednesday to have ‘credible intelligence’ that New Delhi will carry out a military action against Islamabad within the next two days. The claim came as both the United States and China urged restraint. ‘Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours,’ Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in an unusual middle of the night post on X. He did not elaborate on what evidence Pakistan had used to make the claim. Tarar’s comments come just one week after militants massacred 26 tourists in the mountainous town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, a rampage that has sparked widespread outrage.” (04/30/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/asia/kashmir-pakistan-india-tension-military-intl-hnk/index.html
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2) Trump’s first 100 days mark worst for US stock market since Gerald Ford
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“US stocks are on course to have lost almost 8 per cent during the rollercoaster first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term — the worst start for a new administration since Gerald Ford assumed the presidency five decades ago. Wall Street’s S&P 500 was down 0.4 per cent on Tuesday morning. It has declined 8 per cent since inauguration day as Trump’s aggressive trade agenda has unleashed waves of volatility that have rocked investors’ faith in America’s growth prospects and fuelled concerns about a tariff-induced inflation rebound in the world’s biggest economy. The blue-chip index, which hit a record high in mid February, last fell further over the course of a president’s first 100 days in office in the second half of 1974, when Ford entered the White House following the resignation of Richard Nixon, according to Financial Times calculations based on FactSet data.” (04/29/25)
https://archive.is/Rpioj
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3) Ukraine: Russian drone attack injures at least one in Kharkiv
Source: Reuters
“Russian drones hit a high-rise apartment block, a medical facility and private homes late on Tuesday in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, injuring at least 20 people, some seriously, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. ‘There have been 16 strikes on Kharkiv,’ Terekhov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. ‘A high-rise apartment block was hit as were private homes, a medical facility and civil infrastructure.’ … Kharkiv remained uncaptured in the early weeks of the war, when Russian forces unsuccessfully tried to advance on the capital Kyiv. More than three years into the conflict, it has been a frequent target of air attacks, while Russian forces concentrated their ground advances on the Donbas region in the east of the country.” (04/30/25)
https://archive.is/hYkTg
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4) House debate over $150 billion increase to corporate welfare for “defense” devolves into fight over Hegseth’s controversies
Source: Military Times
“House Democrats on Tuesday unsuccessfully tried to turn debate over future years’ military spending into a referendum of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership, insisting Congress has failed in its oversight duties amid numerous Pentagon scandals. ‘The fact that Secretary Hegseth is still employed is a joke,’ House Armed Services Committee member Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., said during a panel markup on the defense [sic] budget boost. ‘And what is more appalling to me is [Republicans’] conspicuous silence. At some point, you have to speak up for the American people.’ Tuesday’s hearing was scheduled to allow committee members to mark up the defense [sic] funding section of congressional Republicans’ massive reconciliation bill. While the measure calls for steep cuts in a number of federal agencies, the Defense Department would see a $150 billion boost in the plan.” (04/29/25)
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2025/04/29/defense-budget-debate-devolves-into-fight-over-hegseths-controversies/
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5) Palestine: Israeli regime releases Gaza medic who survived IDF murder attempt
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A Palestinian paramedic who survived a deadly Israeli attack on a group of first responders in southern Gaza last month has been released from Israeli detention, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says. Assaad al-Nassasra, an ambulance driver, was among at least 10 Palestinian [hostages] who were released into the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the PRCS said. The agency shared footage on social media that showed a visibly emotional al-Nassasra, dressed in a bright red PRCS jacket, embracing his colleagues after 37 days in Israeli detention. His exact whereabouts had been unknown after the Israeli military opened fire on Palestinian first responders in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on March 23, [murdering] 15 health workers in an attack that drew widespread outrage and calls for an independent investigation.” (04/29/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/29/israel-releases-gaza-paramedic-who-survived-deadly-attack-on-health-workers
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6) White House whines about Amazon showing its customers how much Trump’s tax hikes are costing them
Source: Axios
“White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Amazon’s reported plan to display the breakdown of how much tariffs are adding to the price of each good as a ‘hostile and political act’ on Tuesday. Amazon’s plan exposes the growing rift between businesses and President Trump who has made aggressive tariffs and a global trade war central to his economic agenda. Trump’s massive 145% tariffs on [American buyers of] Chinese imports will hit Amazon hard because 60% of its sales come from smaller, independent retailers often heavily reliant on imports. Punchbowl reported Tuesday that Amazon will soon show how much of an item’s cost is due to tariffs next to the total listed price.” [editor’s note: Unfortunately, Amazon has since denied that it plans to share that information – TLK] (04/29/25)
https://www.axios.com/2025/04/29/tariffs-amazon-prime-day-sellers-report
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7) Hong Kong: Former lawmakers released from prison after serving sentences for “subversion” of Beijing quisling regime
Source: United Press International
“Four former Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers were released from prison Tuesday after completing their sentences for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government of the special administrative region of China. Claudia Mo, 68; Kwok Ka-ki, 63; Jeremy Tan, 49; and Gary Fan, 58; pleaded guilty to being members of the so-called ‘Hong Kong 47’ group charged under a controversial National Security [sic] Law imposed by Beijing over organizing an unofficial primary ahead of 2020 elections in a bid to help pro-democracy parties win a majority in the legislature. … The four were all sentenced to four years and two months in prison in November but were freed due to time served since being arrested in 2021.” (04/29/25)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/04/29/Hong-kong-pro-democracy-lawmakers-freed/2081745926457/
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8) US Senate confirms Perdue as ambassador to China
Source: Politico
“The Senate confirmed former Georgia Sen. David Perdue as the new U.S. ambassador to China on Tuesday. The vote broke down mostly along party lines. Fifty-one Republicans voted in support of Perdue, along with 15 Democrats and one independent lawmaker. A total of 28 Democrats voted against Perdue’s confirmation, along with one independent legislator. … Perdue, who served as a Republican senator for Georgia from 2015 to 2021, is a longtime President Donald Trump supporter.” (04/29/25)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/29/david-perdue-ambassador-china-confirmed-senate-00315468
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9) Syria: More Than a Dozen Killed in Sectarian Clashes Near Capital
Source: US News & World Report
“More than a dozen people were killed in a predominantly Druze town near the Syrian capital on Tuesday in clashes sparked by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad which angered Sunni gunmen, rescuers and security sources said. The fighting marked the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minorities have been swelling since Islamist-led rebels ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad from power in December, installing their own government and security forces. Those fears spiked after the killings of hundreds of Alawites in March in apparent revenge for an attack by Assad loyalists. The clashes began overnight when gunmen from the nearby town of Maliha and other predominantly Sunni areas converged on the mostly Druze town of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, security sources said.” (04/29/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-04-29/more-than-a-dozen-killed-in-sectarian-clashes-near-syrian-capital
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10) Adidas warns it will raise prices on all US products due to tariffs
Source: CNBC
“Sportswear giant Adidas on Tuesday said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs would result in price hikes for all its U.S. products. The company said it did not yet know by how much it would boost prices, also noting that the global trade dispute was preventing it from raising its full-year outlook despite a bumper increase in first-quarter profits. … Adidas said it was currently unable to produce almost any of its products in the U.S. The company, best-known for sneakers including Superstar, Sambas, Stan Smiths and Gazelles as well as sportswear, uses factories in countries including Vietnam and Cambodia — which are facing U.S. tariffs upwards of 40% in the absence of a trade deal.” (04/29/25)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/adidas-warns-it-will-raise-prices-on-all-us-products-due-to-tariffs.html
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11) Amazon launches its first internet satellites to compete against SpaceX’s Starlinks
Source: SFGate
“Amazon’s first batch of internet satellites rocketed into orbit Monday, the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX’s thousands of Starlinks. The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket carried up 27 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites, named after the frigid fringes of our solar system beyond Neptune. Once released in orbit, the satellites will eventually reach an altitude of nearly 400 miles (630 kilometers). Two test satellites were launched in 2023, also by an Atlas V. Project officials said major upgrades were made to the newest version. The latest satellites also are coated with a mirror film designed to scatter reflected sunlight in an attempt to accommodate astronomers. Stargazers oppose the fast-growing constellations of low-orbiting satellites, arguing they spoil observations. Others fear more satellite collisions.” (04/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/amazon-launches-its-first-internet-satellites-to-20299209.php
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12) EU’s top court rules against Malta’s “golden passport” program
Source: ABC News
“The European Court of Justice on Tuesday ordered Malta to close its ‘golden passport’ program for violating European Union law, even after the Mediterranean island country suspended the program for citizens of Russia and Belarus. The program ‘amounts to the commercialization of the grant of the nationality of a member state and by extension that of union citizenship,’ a judge at the court in Luxembourg said. Under the program, one of the last of its kind in Europe that allows wealthy people to buy EU citizenship, Malta ‘failed to fulfill its obligations’ to the EU, the judge said.” (04/29/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/eus-top-court-rules-maltas-golden-passport-program-121266570
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13) DC: After overwhelming House vote, Internet censorship bill backed by Melania Trump heads to president’s desk
Source: Fox News
“The House on Monday overwhelmingly passed a bill backed by first lady Melania Trump that cracks down on the posting of explicit images, including ‘deep fake’ nudes generated of people by artificial intelligence, without consent. The Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks – known as the TAKE IT DOWN Act – was approved by a 409-2 vote and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. The measure ‘generally prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence,’ according to the bill summary.'” (04/29/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/revenge-porn-bill-backed-melania-trump-heads-presidents-desk-after-overwhelming-house-vote
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14) Judge orders involuntary medication of conspiracy theorist charged with killing kids in Mexico
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“A San Diego federal judge has ordered prison officials to involuntarily medicate a conspiracy theorist charged with killing his two young children in Mexico in an attempt to restore his competency to stand trial. However, U.S. District Judge Cathy Bencivengo issued an immediate stay of her order to allow Matthew Taylor Coleman’s defense team to appeal the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. … According to court records, Coleman has admitted to the killings in detailed confessions during law enforcement interviews, and his wife told investigators that the couple had delved into the sprawling QAnon conspiracy together. Coleman eventually became paranoid by a mix of conspiracy theories, even believing that his wife had passed serpent blood from ‘lizard people’ on to their children, according to the court records. In 2023, Bencivengo ruled Coleman was not competent to stand trial and ordered him to be committed for treatment.” (04/28/25)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/04/28/judge-orders-involuntary-medication-of-conspiracy-theorist-charged-with-killing-kids-in-rosarito/
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15) SCOTUS seems likely to rule narrowly in case over FBI raid on wrong home
Source: SFGate
“The Supreme Court seemed inclined to a narrow ruling on Tuesday in a law-enforcement accountability case over an FBI raid that targeted the wrong house. … The case was filed after FBI agents broke down Trina Martin’s door before dawn in 2017. They pointed guns at Martin and her then-boyfriend and terrified her 7-year-old son before realizing they were in the wrong place. The FBI team quickly apologized and left, with the leader later saying that his personal GPS had led him to the wrong place. The government says judges shouldn’t be second-guessing decisions made in the absence of a specific policy and Martin can’t sue over an honest mistake. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, tossing out the lawsuit in 2022.” (04/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-case-about-fbi-20299571.php
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16) US Navy loses $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier
Source: CNN
“A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet has been lost at sea after it fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier while it was being towed on board, the Navy said in a statement on Monday. A US official said initial reports from the scene indicated the Truman made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard. Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed on Monday to have launched a drone and missile attack on the aircraft carrier, which is in the Red Sea as part of the US military’s major operation against the Iran-backed group. All personnel aboard are accounted for, and one sailor sustained a minor injury, the Navy said.” (04/28/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/28/politics/us-navy-jet-overboard/index.html
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17) NJ: Off-duty female cop arrested for allegedly assaulting two people after breaking into their home
Source: New York Post
“An off-duty female cop in New Jersey was arrested for allegedly smashing her way into a home and then assaulting two people inside in a violent home invasion, authorities said. Toms River Police Officer Rebecca A. Sayegh — who previously sued her department for alleged sexual harassment — is accused of breaking into the house in Berkeley Township just before 11:30 p.m. Friday, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said. The 32-year-old cop allegedly ‘smashed the front glass door’ of the property before assaulting and threatening the two people who lived there. Moments before the alleged home invasion, the off-duty cop also trashed the hood of one of the victims’ cars parked in the driveway of the Evernhan Avenue home, prosecutors alleged. It wasn’t immediately clear if — or how — Sayegh knew the others involved.” (04/29/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/29/us-news/off-duty-female-nj-cop-arrested-for-allegedly-assaulting-two-people-after-breaking-into-their-home/
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18) Nigeria: Roadside bomb blast kills 26
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“At least 26 people have been killed as a truck hit an improvised explosive device in Nigeria’s restive northeast. The blast on Monday killed men, women and children in Borno State, near the border with Cameroon, according to the military and residents. The region has been plagued for decades by armed groups including the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, with violence flaring up in recent days.” (04/29/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/29/roadside-bomb-blast-kills-26-in-nigerias-restive-northeast
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19) World Food Program and other UN aid agencies slash jobs amid US funding cuts
Source: SFGate
“The World Food Program and the United Nations refugee agency will slash jobs because of funding cuts, mainly from the United States, officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday, warning the reductions will severely affect aid programs worldwide. The WFP, also a United Nations organization, is expected to cut up to 30% of its staff. The head of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said it would downsize its headquarters and regional offices to reduce costs by 30% and cut senior-level positions by 50%. That’s according to internal memos obtained by The AP and verified by two U.N. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal personnel decisions. Other agencies like UNICEF — the U.N. children’s agency, and OCHA — the organization’s humanitarian agency — have also announced or plan to announce cuts that would impact around 20% of staff and overall budgets.” (04/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/world-food-program-and-other-un-aid-agencies-20300374.php
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20) Next target in Trump’s war on US economy: Freight delivery by truck
Source: The Hill
“President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that requires commercial truck drivers in the United States to be proficient in English. … Trump designated English as the country’s official language in an executive order in March. In his order on Monday, the president said proficiency in English should be non-negotiable for professional drivers. … Under the order, a driver must be able to read and speak English ‘sufficiently to converse with the general public’ to operate a commercial vehicle in the U.S. … The order states that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will issue a new guidance on English proficiency testing and enforcement policies. A violation of the English language proficiency requirement would put a driver ‘out-of-service,’ the order said.” (04/28/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5271893-trump-executive-order-truck-drivers-speak-english/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Texas Pols Think They Get To Control Speech. Nope.
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Texas’s legislature, the Electronic Frontier Foundation reports, may soon pass SB 2880/HB 5510, which would make it illegal to ‘provide information on the method for obtaining an abortion-inducing drug’ to women in Texas. … From my viewpoint, this isn’t about abortion at all. … It’s also clearly not about the ‘sanctity of life’ where Texas’s government is concerned. That regime has arguably executed more than one innocent prisoner, and last year governor Greg Abbott pardoned actual, convicted, unrepentant murderer Daniel Perry to ‘own the libs.’ These people don’t care about ‘life’ per se; they just care about scoring points with their political base. What it’s about is your right to discuss whatever you please, however you please, whenever you please. That right just isn’t negotiable.” (04/29/25)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/19523
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22) If Other Governments Do It, Why Shouldn’t We?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Lawrence W Reed
“‘If tariffs are so bad for an economy,’ asks a popular meme making the rounds these days, ‘then why do 170 countries have tariffs on American goods?’ Implicit in the question is a dubious assumption, namely, that the governments of those 170 countries would never do anything that didn’t make good sense for their people. Are you kidding me? Sometimes, government officials consult the best and most objective experts, carefully weigh the evidence in the scales of justice, and then thoughtfully and magnanimously do the right thing for everybody. They may even ask the Almighty for guidance along the way. I just can’t remember the last time they conducted their business in this fashion. Government officials usually slop some grease on the squeaky wheel and accept a little campaign grease in return.” (04/29/25)
https://fee.org/articles/if-other-governments-do-it-why-shouldnt-we/
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23) Fifty Years On: US Elites Learned Nothing From the Vietnam Defeat
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“April 30, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the final, definitive defeat of the U.S. military crusade in Vietnam. The images of U.S. helicopters desperately flying American diplomats and Washington’s high-level South Vietnamese collaborators from the roof of the U.S. embassy in Saigon effectively captured not only the chaotic environment, but also the extent of Washington’s overall policy debacle. The outcome of the war was a humiliating defeat for the United States in every respect. … Widespread disillusionment about Washington’s armed crusade in Southeast Asia was evident in the United States, and for a few years, the disastrous experience seemed to inoculate the American public against supporting any similar adventures. … However, a closer look at public attitudes, especially the views of political elites in both parties, would have suggested that the change in Washington’s overall foreign policy orientation was less substantial than it seemed at first glance.” (04/29/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_galen_carpenter/2025/04/28/50-years-on-us-elites-learned-nothing-from-the-vietnam-defeat/
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24) America’s Implicit Defaults
Source: Law & Liberty
by Bruno Meyerhof Salama
“The United States prides itself on never having defaulted on its federal public debt. And in formal terms, that claim holds up: obligations have been paid on time, in full, and in the currency promised. That’s no small achievement — and it sets the US apart from most other countries, as if Hamilton’s dictum still quietly defines the nation’s approach: ‘States, like individuals, who observe their engagements are respected and trusted.’ But that’s not the whole story. The US has found ways to erode the real value of those payments without breaking the legal terms of its debt. … When value is eroded without breaching the formal terms of repayment — whether by inflation, devaluation, or internationally coordinated monetary policy — the real value of the obligation is reduced. Legally, it’s not a default, but economically, it may be.” (04/29/25)
https://lawliberty.org/americas-implicit-defaults/
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25) Independent Institutions and Private Force
Source: EconLog
by Pierre Lemieux
“Harvard University is a great private institution, albeit too enmeshed in our naive political zeitgeist. … as a wealthy and influential private organization, Harvard University can provide a barrier to the power grab within the federal government and the centralization of power in this country. It is true that, like all large private universities, Harvard has imprudently become dependent on federal government money, but this was under the tacit, albeit naive, understanding that the government was motivated by education, research, and a love of free inquiry and the people.” (04/292/25)
https://www.econlib.org/independent-institutions-and-private-force/
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26) Whatever Happened to Kilmar?
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter
“You have to laugh. Democrats made Kilmar Abrego Garcia into the cause of the moment just a couple of weeks ago, which liberal [sic] Member of Congress after Liberal [sic] Member of Congress making a pilgrimage down to El Salvador for the express purpose of doing media hits where they are seen as simply being there. Now, the whole thing is pretty much done. Democrats have moved on to new shiny objects in a desperate attempt to turn people against President Donald Trump. Abrego Garcia was always the wrong cause for Democrats to get behind. Two immigration judges had determined there was enough evidence that he was a member of MS-13 to declare it to be. There was never any question as to whether or not he was an illegal [sic] alien …. The only issue was whether or not he could be deported back to El Salvador.” (04/29/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/04/29/whatever-happened-to-kilmar-n2656232
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27) Trump Revives the Alien and Sedition Acts
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Thomas Eddlem
“Few Americans today are aware of the vehement and principled opposition to both the Alien and Sedition Acts by American founders Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote in the Kentucky Resolutions that control over immigration was constitutionally administered by the states (and except for these rarely-invoked Alien Acts of 1798, would continue to be until 1892), and that the Tenth Amendment prohibited the federal government from even legislating on immigration … ‘Alien friends are under the jurisdiction and protection of the laws of the State wherein they are: that no power over them has been delegated to the United States, nor prohibited to the individual States, distinct from their power over citizens.’ … If your head is exploding because you didn’t know that immigration is not among the enumerated powers of the federal government … you’re not alone.” (04/29/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/trump-revives-the-alien-and-sedition-acts
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28) The Longest 100 Days
Source: The Atlantic
by Jonathan Chait
“Shortly before taking office, Donald Trump promised his supporters that he’d have ‘the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history.’ And, well, it certainly hasn’t been ordinary. Historians tend to rate presidencies by the breadth of their accomplishments, on a scale ranging from ineffectual to transformative. The classic measuring stick for hundred-day achievements is the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The frenetic first stretch of the New Deal featured a raft of major legislation that established new financial regulations and ambitious public-works projects, helping the economy begin to recover from the Great Depression. Judged against Roosevelt’s record, the first 100 days of the second Trump term would be deemed a miserable failure. The president has passed no major legislation, and his economic interventions have had the opposite effect of Roosevelt’s, injecting uncertainty into a healthy recovery and seeding an economic crisis.” (04/29/25)
https://archive.is/v5Lbf
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29) How Trump Plays the Media
Source: TomDispatch
by Nan Levinson
“It’s not a good time to be an American journalist. Or a consumer of American journalism. Or, for that matter, even a skimmer of the headlines crawling across American phones. Donald Trump is suing media corporations and targeting individual journalists on social media. The White House press office is playing musical chairs at its press conferences and withholding press pool reports it dislikes. Republicans in Congress have called on public broadcasters to defend themselves against ‘systemically biased content’ and are trying to claw back their funding. Large newspapers are choosing to tailor what they write to stay in the government’s good graces and smaller ones are being forced to do the same. Sources are increasingly reluctant to go on the record and violence against journalists has become a punchline. Even student newspapers haven’t escaped the threats.” (04/29/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/seven-and-a-half-propositions-for-journalism-in-the-age-of-trump/
-----
30) The Economics of Trump’s Tariffs vs Income Tax
Source: Cobden Centre
by Benn Steil and Elisabeth Harding
“President Trump has many times suggested that tariff revenue could replace the federal income tax. This claim is absurdly off-base, since it is mathematically impossible for tariffs, even at current levels of imports, to generate the $2.4trn in revenue that would be necessary. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, however, has said that the president only aspires to eliminate income tax for Americans earning less than $150k. Could tariffs cover that? As shown in the figure above, annual tariff revenue from the current effective Trump tariff rate of 28% would — assuming that imports stayed constant — amount to $838bn more than that collected in 2024, under Joe Biden. But the constant-imports assumption is clearly ludicrous, as imports are bound to shift away from China.” (04/29/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/04/the-economics-of-trumps-tariffs-vs-income-tax/
-----
31) Ignore biased polls, Trump voters love his first 100 days
Source: Fox News
by Liz Peek
“Today, April 29, 2025, is President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office. The liberal [sic] media, which has underestimated and misrepresented this president for the past decade, would have us believe that his second term so far has been a disaster. Many of us who voted for Trump disagree. Pollsters tell us that Trump’s approval ratings are in free fall. Critics (and the president) suggest some polls don’t pass the smell test. GOP pollster John McLaughlin reports that in the new NY Times/Siena poll, which showed Trump with a meager 42% approving of how the president is handling his job, only 37% of the survey group voted for Trump in 2024. The recent ABC/Washington Post poll showed Trump at 39% approval – ‘The Lowest in 80 Years’ blared a headline – but included, according to McLaughlin, only 34% Trump voters. As McLaughlin asked pointedly on Truth Social, ‘Didn’t we win popular vote with 50%?'” (04/29/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/liz-peek-ignore-biased-polls-trump-voters-love-his-first-100-days
-----
32) The Natalist’s Dilemma
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“Pro-baby birth policies, while well-intentioned, probably don’t work and could backfire.” (04/29/25)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/the-natalists-dilemma
-----
33) Biden Never Pushed For A Ceasefire In Gaza
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Former Israeli ambassador to the United States Mike Herzog acknowledged on Israeli media on Sunday that the Biden administration never at any time pressured Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza. ‘God did the State of Israel a favor that Biden was the president during this period, because it could have been much worse,’ Herzog said. ‘We fought [in Gaza] for over a year and the administration never came to us and said, ‘ceasefire now.’ It never did.’ So everyone who said the Biden administration was working for a ceasefire lied. They lied that whole entire time. They committed genocide and lied about it, and then they said you were crazy and irresponsible if you didn’t support them. People’s rage should shake heaven and earth.” (04/29/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/04/29/biden-never-pushed-for-a-ceasefire-in-gaza/
-----
34) Trump Promised Not To Weaponize The Government — But He Is
Source: Chasing Liberty
by Jeff Charles
“Despite assurances on campaign trail that President Donald Trump would not weaponize the government against his political opponents as former President Joe Biden did, Trump is weaponizing the government against his political opponents as former President Joe Biden did. And ‘limited government’ Republicans are ecstatic.” (04/29/25)
https://www.libertychasers.com/p/trump-promised-not-to-weaponize-the
-----
35) A Victory for Boring White Guy Centrism
Source: Persuasion
by Quico Toro
“Mark Carney has done the impossible. A former central banker turned centrist politico, Carney’s brought his Liberal Party back from the electoral dead, winning a historic fourth straight term in government. Positioning himself as the tough, experienced pair of hands Canada needs to face down an unpredictable southern neighbor, Carney single-handedly saved the Liberals from annihilation in just a few short weeks. The campaign was fought amid existential dread set off by Donald Trump’s repeated threats to Canadian sovereignty.” (04/29/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/a-victory-for-boring-white-guy-centrism
-----
36) Video Game Industry Reeling From US Trade Crackdown
Source: The Daily Economy
by Alex Rosado
“In early April, President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs in part of his greater protectionist economic policy. Included was a baseline 10 percent tariff on nearly all imports, with major manufacturing hubs for gaming hardware such as China, Vietnam, and Japan now facing rates of up to 145 percent, 34 percent, and 24 percent, respectively. As Asian suppliers exported $23.6 billion or 75.5 percent of the global total of video games in 2023, the international video game market is bracing for impact. So far, the shocks have prompted adjustments from video game companies and outcries from fans. As the largest entertainment sector, millions of customers would feel any downturn in the international video game market. The Trump administration must calibrate its approach to ensure it isn’t game over.” (04/29/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/video-game-industry-reeling-from-us-trade-crackdown/
-----
37) Activist judges become the judged
Source: Washington Times
by staff
“Liberal [sic] judges have been making a mess of America’s immigration policy, but that could soon be changing. At the state level, a pair of obstructionists could soon trade their black robes for striped jumpsuits. FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday that agents arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan for attempting to foil the capture of an illegal [sic] alien named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. President Obama deported Flores-Ruiz back to Mexico in 2013, but he returned under Democratic open borders [sic] policies, only to find himself on trial for domestic battery. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials intended to arrest Flores-Ruiz at the courthouse when he showed up to answer for an alleged violent outburst where he punched his roommate in the face 30 times because he was ‘playing loud music.’ He purportedly struck two women who tried to intervene.” (04/28/25)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/28/editorial-activist-judges-become-judged/
-----
38) The Limitations of Military Might
Source: CounterPunch
by Lawrence Wittner
“Although the statement that ‘power grows out of the barrel of a gun’ was made by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, it’s an idea that, in one form or another, has motivated a great many people, from the members of teenage street gangs to the statesmen of major nations. The rising spiral of world military spending provides a striking example of how highly national governments value armed forces. … Of course, advocates of military power argue that, in a dangerous world, there is a necessity for deterring a military attack upon their nations. And that is surely a valid concern. But does military might really meet the need for national security?” (04/29/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/04/29/the-limitations-of-military-might/
-----
39) Can Trump cool Turkey-Israel tensions over Syria?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Giorgio Cafiero
“Soon after Syria experienced its Arab Spring uprising in 2011 and slid into a gruesome civil war, the country became a battleground for Russia, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah supporting the former regime on one side, and Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey backing rebel groups on the other. Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster late last year, however, dynamics have shifted, transforming Syria into an arena of Turkish-Israeli competition. A major source of tension between Turkey and Israel stems from the former’s desire to see Syria emerge as a strong, unitary state with a Turkey-oriented government in Damascus while the latter wants Syria permanently weak and divided along ethno-sectarian lines.” (04/29/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/israel-turkey-syria/
-----
40) An Independent Nation
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“Our leaders have been surprisingly expressive in signaling U.S. military support for the defense of Taiwan. Ironic, considering that official U.S. policy is dubbed ‘strategic ambiguity,’ meaning we don’t say one way or the other about our defensive intentions for helping the island nation against a regularly threatened and rehearsed-for Chinese invasion or naval blockade. Four separate times during his term, however, former President Joe Biden publicly pledged American military help to counter a People’s Republic of China assault on Taiwan. As for the Trump 2.0 Pentagon, weeks ago it leaked (or suffered a leak of) a global defense strategy memo that said preventing a PRC takeover of Taiwan was the ‘sole pacing scenario’ engaging our armed forces. Surprising unanimity for the two parties in Washington. But has anyone asked what the American people think?” (04/29/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/04/29/an-independent-nation/
-----
41) Why David Hogg (Almost) Gets It, and the DNC Still Doesn’t
Source: Common Dreams
by Kendall Avenia & Hartzell Gray
“The Democratic National Committee needs to take a step back and reflect on the moment in which it finds itself. The sense of national anxiety and uncertainty is palpable. Trust in our institutions is staggeringly low. Everyday Americans are scared, and they’re looking for actual leadership. They’re looking for hope. They’re looking for visionaries. However, for the sake of party unity and integrity, the leaders of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) must remain neutral when it comes to primary challengers. At least, that’s what the DNC leadership is saying now. That certainly wasn’t the approach taken in 2016 when Hillary Clinton was given insurmountable preference and privilege by the DNC, and again in 2020 when early primary victories for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent the party establishment into a panic. … Neutrality surely wasn’t a priority then.” (04/29/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/david-hogg-dnc
-----
42) Epic Failure
Source: Quillette
by Jaspreet Singh Boparai
“Many of the people involved in Uberto Pasolini’s new screen adaptation of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ are intimidatingly talented. It’s a pity, then, that the film is such a disaster.” (04/29/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/04/29/epic-failure-homer-odyssey-return-ralph-fiennes-juliette-binoche-uberto-pasolini/
-----
43) Trump Is More Likely to Get a Third Impeachment Than a Third Term
Source: The Bulwark
by Jill Lawrence
“To mark Trump’s first (worst?) hundred days, I thought it might be fun to look at all the impeachment articles against presidents and figure out how many Trump has already matched or surpassed. Spoiler: It has not been fun. And the answer is pretty much all of them — from Andrew Johnson in 1868 to the charges in Trump’s own pair of impeachments a few short years ago. How do we know? Because it’s all unfolding publicly and blatantly in real time.” (04/29/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-is-more-likely-to-get-a-third-impeachment-than-third-term-100-days
-----
44) Texas’s War on Abortion Is Now a War on Free Speech
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Jennifer Pinsof
“Senate Bill (S.B.) 2880 seeks to prevent the sale and distribution of abortion pills — but it doesn’t stop there. By restricting access to certain information online, the bill tries to keep people from learning about abortion drugs, or even knowing that they exist. If passed, S.B. 2880 would make it illegal to ‘provide information’ on how to obtain an abortion-inducing drug. If you exchange e-mails or have an online chat about seeking an abortion, you could violate the bill. If you create a website that shares information about legal abortion services in other states, you could violate the bill. Even your social media posts could put you at risk. … Texas legislators not only want to make sure no one can start a discussion on these topics, they also want to make sure no one can find one.” (04/28/25)
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/04/texass-war-abortion-now-war-free-speech
-----
45) At White House Correspondents’ Dinner, fake remorse over Biden “mistakes”
Source: New York Post
by Glenn H Reynolds
“Imagine a neurological disease that changed your perceptions in subtle, damaging ways. Stubbing your toe would bring pleasure. Rotten meat would taste delicious. Deadly cold would feel comfy. Meanwhile, a gentle neck massage would make you feel sick, and fresh food would taste disgusting. You wouldn’t last long with such a disease. But our society is facing something similar. The news media, which are supposed to act as a sort of nervous system for the body politic, instead give us misinformation. The national equivalent of stubbed toes and rotten meat gets media praise and approval, while healthy things are treated as vile and wrong. The latest example comes from Saturday’s much-diminished annual dinner of the much-diminished White House Correspondents’ Association, whose self-appointed members meet annually to give themselves awards and congratulate themselves on their brave truth-telling. This year went badly.” (04/28/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/28/opinion/at-white-house-correspondents-dinner-fake-remorse-over-biden-mistakes/
-----
46) Bad Economic Policy Trumps Monetary Policy
Source: Cato Institute
by Norbert Michel
“Americans should not scapegoat Jerome Powell for the administration’s tragic trade policy mistakes.” (04/28/25)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/bad-economic-policy-trumps-monetary-policy
-----
47) Two Paths to Immortality: Some Civic Religion for Nonbelievers
Source: Liberal Currents
by Jason Kuznicki
“Reactionary immortality projects explain a lot about American political culture — above all why and how we Americans choose to panic.” (04/28/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/two-paths-to-immortality-some-civic-religion-for-nonbelievers/
-----
48) The Empire Strikes Back
Source: Campaign For Liberty
by Ron Paul
“News this week that Elon Musk will soon be departing his ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) is a grim reminder of what happens when you challenge big spending DC. Unfortunately, the lesson once again is that when you challenge the empire, the empire eventually strikes back. … The exposure of the real harm being done to the country by agencies like USAID and others reinforced the idea that much of the ‘Federal bureaucracy’ was simply not needed. Although Musk became a figure of hate for the entrenched special interests, to the large chunk of America forced to pay for Washington’s excesses he became a hero.” [editor’s note: He only became a “hero” to those who didn’t notice that he cut no overall or future spending and largely just jiggered particular current spending to benefit his cronies – TLK] (04/28/25)
https://www.campaignforliberty.org/empire-strikes-back
-----
49) Private Equity’s Do-or-Die Moment
Source: The American Prospect
by James Baratta
“The year 1978 is not just noteworthy for the election of Pope John Paul II and National Lampoon’s Animal House. It was also the year that a little investment banking firm known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts announced plans to take manufacturing conglomerate Houdaille Industries private through a leveraged deal, using the company’s assets and future cash flows as collateral to secure debt financing for the acquisition. Although KKR had completed three smaller deals the year before, its acquisition of Houdaille was the first leveraged buyout of a public company in modern history. The successful deal set the stage for KKR’s rapid expansion into the 1980s and beyond. Today, KKR is a publicly traded investment firm with $638 billion in assets under management. Despite some initial skepticism, Wall Street would go on to follow in the firm’s footsteps.” (04/29/25)
https://prospect.org/power/2025-04-29-private-equitys-do-or-die-moment/
-----
50) Trump’s fake emergencies are the real crisis
Source: Washington Post
by Serena Mayeri, Amanda Shanor, & Alexander Volokh
“Alleging an ‘invasion’ or ‘predatory incursion’ of terrorists and foreign criminals, President Donald Trump is removing and imprisoning noncitizens without due process, asserting he is authorized to do so by the Alien Enemies Act. The administration invokes ‘foreign policy’ to seize and detain students, including legal permanent residents, conflating political speech and peaceful protest with ‘terrorism.’ Citing ‘national security,’ the president has sought to revoke security clearances, order investigations into, and otherwise threaten and punish lawyers, law firms and former government officials who have opposed Trump in court or publicly criticized him. In each instance, Trump asserts that the courts cannot stop him because, he says, these ’emergencies’ give him exclusive presidential power under Article II of the Constitution. But his true motive appears to be liberating the executive from all accountability to constitutional law.” (04/28/25)
https://archive.is/CP6rT
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) The Kyle Anzalon Show, 04/29/25
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Host Kyle Anzalone talks with former British diplomat Iran Proud.” (04/29/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/guest-ian-proud-fmr-british-diplomat-to-russia-is-the-end-of-war-near-new-episode-of-the-kyle-anzalone-show/
-----
52) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/29/25
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Fury at Bad Polls Boils Over as Allies Rush to Calm Him Down.” (04/29/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/194524/trump-fury-bad-polls-goes-nuclear-allies-rush-calm
-----
53) Advisory Opinions, 04/29/25
Source: The Dispatch
“The Arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan.” (04/29/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/the-arrest-of-judge-hannah-dugan/
-----
54) Daniel Davis on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Daniel Davis on Why a Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal Is Not Likely in the Near Future.” (04/29/25)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/4-25-25-daniel-davis-on-why-a-ukraine-russia-peace-deal-is-not-likely-in-the-near-future/
-----
55) Fountainhead Forum, episode 301
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Alec Egizi on defending immigrants in court.” (04/29/25)
https://rumble.com/v6sps0v-ff-301-alec-egizi-on-defending-immigrants-in-court.html
-----
56) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/29/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“US Airstrike on Migrant Facility in Yemen Kills 68, Putin: 3-Day Truce To Start on May 8, and More.” (04/29/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzZlUdZ6LGM
-----
57) Pink Flame of Liberty, 04/28/25
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Jimmy Snow is just another ENTITLED progressive.” (04/28/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Diaaxn0IhU
-----
58) LPA Live, episode 14
Source: LPAlliance
“State Convention Results April 2025.” (04/28/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXRHP3GQ4Qk
-----
59) System Update, episode 444
Source: System Update
“Gaza Starves, Pro-Israel Propagandists Escalate Extremist Rhetoric and Actions.” (04/28/25)
https://rumble.com/v6sp05p-system-update-show-445.html
-----
60) Kinsella On Liberty, episode 463
Source: StephanKinsella.com
“Contracts, Usury, Fractional-Reserve Banking with André Simoni.” (04/28/25)
https://stephankinsella.com/as_paf_podcast/kol463-contracts-usury-frb-andre-simoni/
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Today's Freedom News:
1) Pakistan: Regime claims “credible intelligence” of Indian regime strike within 36 hours
2) Trump’s first 100 days mark worst for US stock market since Gerald Ford
3) Ukraine: Russian drone attack injures at least one in Kharkiv
4) House debate over $150 billion increase to corporate welfare for “defense” devolves into fight over Hegseth’s controversies
5) Palestine: Israeli regime releases Gaza medic who survived IDF murder attempt
6) White House whines about Amazon showing its customers how much Trump’s tax hikes are costing them
7) Hong Kong: Former lawmakers released from prison after serving sentences for “subversion” of Beijing quisling regime
8) US Senate confirms Perdue as ambassador to China
9) Syria: More Than a Dozen Killed in Sectarian Clashes Near Capital
10) Adidas warns it will raise prices on all US products due to tariffs
11) Amazon launches its first internet satellites to compete against SpaceX’s Starlinks
12) EU’s top court rules against Malta’s “golden passport” program
13) DC: After overwhelming House vote, Internet censorship bill backed by Melania Trump heads to president’s desk
14) Judge orders involuntary medication of conspiracy theorist charged with killing kids in Mexico
15) SCOTUS seems likely to rule narrowly in case over FBI raid on wrong home
16) US Navy loses $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier
17) NJ: Off-duty female cop arrested for allegedly assaulting two people after breaking into their home
18) Nigeria: Roadside bomb blast kills 26
19) World Food Program and other UN aid agencies slash jobs amid US funding cuts
20) Next target in Trump’s war on US economy: Freight delivery by truck
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Texas Pols Think They Get To Control Speech. Nope.
22) If Other Governments Do It, Why Shouldn’t We?
23) Fifty Years On: US Elites Learned Nothing From the Vietnam Defeat
24) America’s Implicit Defaults
25) Independent Institutions and Private Force
26) Whatever Happened to Kilmar?
27) Trump Revives the Alien and Sedition Acts
28) The Longest 100 Days
29) How Trump Plays the Media
30) The Economics of Trump’s Tariffs vs Income Tax
31) Ignore biased polls, Trump voters love his first 100 days
32) The Natalist’s Dilemma
33) Biden Never Pushed For A Ceasefire In Gaza
34) Trump Promised Not To Weaponize The Government — But He Is
35) A Victory for Boring White Guy Centrism
36) Video Game Industry Reeling From US Trade Crackdown
37) Activist judges become the judged
38) The Limitations of Military Might
39) Can Trump cool Turkey-Israel tensions over Syria?
40) An Independent Nation
41) Why David Hogg (Almost) Gets It, and the DNC Still Doesn’t
42) Epic Failure
43) Trump Is More Likely to Get a Third Impeachment Than a Third Term
44) Texas’s War on Abortion Is Now a War on Free Speech
45) At White House Correspondents’ Dinner, fake remorse over Biden “mistakes”
46) Bad Economic Policy Trumps Monetary Policy
47) Two Paths to Immortality: Some Civic Religion for Nonbelievers
48) The Empire Strikes Back
49) Private Equity’s Do-or-Die Moment
50) Trump’s fake emergencies are the real crisis
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) The Kyle Anzalone Show, 04/29/25
52) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/29/25
53) Advisory Opinions, 04/29/25
54) Daniel Davis on The Scott Horton Show
55) Fountainhead Forum, episode 301
56) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/29/25
57) Pink Flame of Liberty, 04/28/25
58) LPA Live, episode 14
59) System Update, episode 444
60) Kinsella On Liberty, episode 463
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_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) Pakistan: Regime claims “credible intelligence” of Indian regime strike within 36 hours
Source: CNN
“Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated further after a top Pakistani official claimed early Wednesday to have ‘credible intelligence’ that New Delhi will carry out a military action against Islamabad within the next two days. The claim came as both the United States and China urged restraint. ‘Pakistan has credible intelligence that India intends carrying out military action against Pakistan in the next 24-36 hours,’ Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in an unusual middle of the night post on X. He did not elaborate on what evidence Pakistan had used to make the claim. Tarar’s comments come just one week after militants massacred 26 tourists in the mountainous town of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, a rampage that has sparked widespread outrage.” (04/30/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/asia/kashmir-pakistan-india-tension-military-intl-hnk/index.html
-----
2) Trump’s first 100 days mark worst for US stock market since Gerald Ford
Source: Financial Times [UK]
“US stocks are on course to have lost almost 8 per cent during the rollercoaster first 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term — the worst start for a new administration since Gerald Ford assumed the presidency five decades ago. Wall Street’s S&P 500 was down 0.4 per cent on Tuesday morning. It has declined 8 per cent since inauguration day as Trump’s aggressive trade agenda has unleashed waves of volatility that have rocked investors’ faith in America’s growth prospects and fuelled concerns about a tariff-induced inflation rebound in the world’s biggest economy. The blue-chip index, which hit a record high in mid February, last fell further over the course of a president’s first 100 days in office in the second half of 1974, when Ford entered the White House following the resignation of Richard Nixon, according to Financial Times calculations based on FactSet data.” (04/29/25)
https://archive.is/Rpioj
-----
3) Ukraine: Russian drone attack injures at least one in Kharkiv
Source: Reuters
“Russian drones hit a high-rise apartment block, a medical facility and private homes late on Tuesday in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, injuring at least 20 people, some seriously, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. ‘There have been 16 strikes on Kharkiv,’ Terekhov wrote on the Telegram messaging app. ‘A high-rise apartment block was hit as were private homes, a medical facility and civil infrastructure.’ … Kharkiv remained uncaptured in the early weeks of the war, when Russian forces unsuccessfully tried to advance on the capital Kyiv. More than three years into the conflict, it has been a frequent target of air attacks, while Russian forces concentrated their ground advances on the Donbas region in the east of the country.” (04/30/25)
https://archive.is/hYkTg
-----
4) House debate over $150 billion increase to corporate welfare for “defense” devolves into fight over Hegseth’s controversies
Source: Military Times
“House Democrats on Tuesday unsuccessfully tried to turn debate over future years’ military spending into a referendum of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership, insisting Congress has failed in its oversight duties amid numerous Pentagon scandals. ‘The fact that Secretary Hegseth is still employed is a joke,’ House Armed Services Committee member Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., said during a panel markup on the defense [sic] budget boost. ‘And what is more appalling to me is [Republicans’] conspicuous silence. At some point, you have to speak up for the American people.’ Tuesday’s hearing was scheduled to allow committee members to mark up the defense [sic] funding section of congressional Republicans’ massive reconciliation bill. While the measure calls for steep cuts in a number of federal agencies, the Defense Department would see a $150 billion boost in the plan.” (04/29/25)
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2025/04/29/defense-budget-debate-devolves-into-fight-over-hegseths-controversies/
-----
5) Palestine: Israeli regime releases Gaza medic who survived IDF murder attempt
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A Palestinian paramedic who survived a deadly Israeli attack on a group of first responders in southern Gaza last month has been released from Israeli detention, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says. Assaad al-Nassasra, an ambulance driver, was among at least 10 Palestinian [hostages] who were released into the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the PRCS said. The agency shared footage on social media that showed a visibly emotional al-Nassasra, dressed in a bright red PRCS jacket, embracing his colleagues after 37 days in Israeli detention. His exact whereabouts had been unknown after the Israeli military opened fire on Palestinian first responders in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on March 23, [murdering] 15 health workers in an attack that drew widespread outrage and calls for an independent investigation.” (04/29/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/29/israel-releases-gaza-paramedic-who-survived-deadly-attack-on-health-workers
-----
6) White House whines about Amazon showing its customers how much Trump’s tax hikes are costing them
Source: Axios
“White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed Amazon’s reported plan to display the breakdown of how much tariffs are adding to the price of each good as a ‘hostile and political act’ on Tuesday. Amazon’s plan exposes the growing rift between businesses and President Trump who has made aggressive tariffs and a global trade war central to his economic agenda. Trump’s massive 145% tariffs on [American buyers of] Chinese imports will hit Amazon hard because 60% of its sales come from smaller, independent retailers often heavily reliant on imports. Punchbowl reported Tuesday that Amazon will soon show how much of an item’s cost is due to tariffs next to the total listed price.” [editor’s note: Unfortunately, Amazon has since denied that it plans to share that information – TLK] (04/29/25)
https://www.axios.com/2025/04/29/tariffs-amazon-prime-day-sellers-report
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7) Hong Kong: Former lawmakers released from prison after serving sentences for “subversion” of Beijing quisling regime
Source: United Press International
“Four former Hong Kong pro-democracy lawmakers were released from prison Tuesday after completing their sentences for allegedly attempting to overthrow the government of the special administrative region of China. Claudia Mo, 68; Kwok Ka-ki, 63; Jeremy Tan, 49; and Gary Fan, 58; pleaded guilty to being members of the so-called ‘Hong Kong 47’ group charged under a controversial National Security [sic] Law imposed by Beijing over organizing an unofficial primary ahead of 2020 elections in a bid to help pro-democracy parties win a majority in the legislature. … The four were all sentenced to four years and two months in prison in November but were freed due to time served since being arrested in 2021.” (04/29/25)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/04/29/Hong-kong-pro-democracy-lawmakers-freed/2081745926457/
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8) US Senate confirms Perdue as ambassador to China
Source: Politico
“The Senate confirmed former Georgia Sen. David Perdue as the new U.S. ambassador to China on Tuesday. The vote broke down mostly along party lines. Fifty-one Republicans voted in support of Perdue, along with 15 Democrats and one independent lawmaker. A total of 28 Democrats voted against Perdue’s confirmation, along with one independent legislator. … Perdue, who served as a Republican senator for Georgia from 2015 to 2021, is a longtime President Donald Trump supporter.” (04/29/25)
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/29/david-perdue-ambassador-china-confirmed-senate-00315468
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9) Syria: More Than a Dozen Killed in Sectarian Clashes Near Capital
Source: US News & World Report
“More than a dozen people were killed in a predominantly Druze town near the Syrian capital on Tuesday in clashes sparked by a purported recording of a Druze man cursing the Prophet Mohammad which angered Sunni gunmen, rescuers and security sources said. The fighting marked the latest episode of deadly sectarian violence in Syria, where fears among minorities have been swelling since Islamist-led rebels ousted former leader Bashar al-Assad from power in December, installing their own government and security forces. Those fears spiked after the killings of hundreds of Alawites in March in apparent revenge for an attack by Assad loyalists. The clashes began overnight when gunmen from the nearby town of Maliha and other predominantly Sunni areas converged on the mostly Druze town of Jaramana, southeast of Damascus, security sources said.” (04/29/25)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2025-04-29/more-than-a-dozen-killed-in-sectarian-clashes-near-syrian-capital
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10) Adidas warns it will raise prices on all US products due to tariffs
Source: CNBC
“Sportswear giant Adidas on Tuesday said that U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs would result in price hikes for all its U.S. products. The company said it did not yet know by how much it would boost prices, also noting that the global trade dispute was preventing it from raising its full-year outlook despite a bumper increase in first-quarter profits. … Adidas said it was currently unable to produce almost any of its products in the U.S. The company, best-known for sneakers including Superstar, Sambas, Stan Smiths and Gazelles as well as sportswear, uses factories in countries including Vietnam and Cambodia — which are facing U.S. tariffs upwards of 40% in the absence of a trade deal.” (04/29/25)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/29/adidas-warns-it-will-raise-prices-on-all-us-products-due-to-tariffs.html
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11) Amazon launches its first internet satellites to compete against SpaceX’s Starlinks
Source: SFGate
“Amazon’s first batch of internet satellites rocketed into orbit Monday, the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX’s thousands of Starlinks. The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket carried up 27 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites, named after the frigid fringes of our solar system beyond Neptune. Once released in orbit, the satellites will eventually reach an altitude of nearly 400 miles (630 kilometers). Two test satellites were launched in 2023, also by an Atlas V. Project officials said major upgrades were made to the newest version. The latest satellites also are coated with a mirror film designed to scatter reflected sunlight in an attempt to accommodate astronomers. Stargazers oppose the fast-growing constellations of low-orbiting satellites, arguing they spoil observations. Others fear more satellite collisions.” (04/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/amazon-launches-its-first-internet-satellites-to-20299209.php
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12) EU’s top court rules against Malta’s “golden passport” program
Source: ABC News
“The European Court of Justice on Tuesday ordered Malta to close its ‘golden passport’ program for violating European Union law, even after the Mediterranean island country suspended the program for citizens of Russia and Belarus. The program ‘amounts to the commercialization of the grant of the nationality of a member state and by extension that of union citizenship,’ a judge at the court in Luxembourg said. Under the program, one of the last of its kind in Europe that allows wealthy people to buy EU citizenship, Malta ‘failed to fulfill its obligations’ to the EU, the judge said.” (04/29/25)
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/eus-top-court-rules-maltas-golden-passport-program-121266570
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13) DC: After overwhelming House vote, Internet censorship bill backed by Melania Trump heads to president’s desk
Source: Fox News
“The House on Monday overwhelmingly passed a bill backed by first lady Melania Trump that cracks down on the posting of explicit images, including ‘deep fake’ nudes generated of people by artificial intelligence, without consent. The Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks – known as the TAKE IT DOWN Act – was approved by a 409-2 vote and now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. The measure ‘generally prohibits the nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals, both authentic and computer-generated, and requires certain online platforms to promptly remove such depictions upon receiving notice of their existence,’ according to the bill summary.'” (04/29/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/revenge-porn-bill-backed-melania-trump-heads-presidents-desk-after-overwhelming-house-vote
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14) Judge orders involuntary medication of conspiracy theorist charged with killing kids in Mexico
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“A San Diego federal judge has ordered prison officials to involuntarily medicate a conspiracy theorist charged with killing his two young children in Mexico in an attempt to restore his competency to stand trial. However, U.S. District Judge Cathy Bencivengo issued an immediate stay of her order to allow Matthew Taylor Coleman’s defense team to appeal the ruling to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. … According to court records, Coleman has admitted to the killings in detailed confessions during law enforcement interviews, and his wife told investigators that the couple had delved into the sprawling QAnon conspiracy together. Coleman eventually became paranoid by a mix of conspiracy theories, even believing that his wife had passed serpent blood from ‘lizard people’ on to their children, according to the court records. In 2023, Bencivengo ruled Coleman was not competent to stand trial and ordered him to be committed for treatment.” (04/28/25)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/04/28/judge-orders-involuntary-medication-of-conspiracy-theorist-charged-with-killing-kids-in-rosarito/
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15) SCOTUS seems likely to rule narrowly in case over FBI raid on wrong home
Source: SFGate
“The Supreme Court seemed inclined to a narrow ruling on Tuesday in a law-enforcement accountability case over an FBI raid that targeted the wrong house. … The case was filed after FBI agents broke down Trina Martin’s door before dawn in 2017. They pointed guns at Martin and her then-boyfriend and terrified her 7-year-old son before realizing they were in the wrong place. The FBI team quickly apologized and left, with the leader later saying that his personal GPS had led him to the wrong place. The government says judges shouldn’t be second-guessing decisions made in the absence of a specific policy and Martin can’t sue over an honest mistake. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, tossing out the lawsuit in 2022.” (04/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/supreme-court-hears-arguments-on-case-about-fbi-20299571.php
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16) US Navy loses $60 million jet at sea after it fell overboard from aircraft carrier
Source: CNN
“A US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet has been lost at sea after it fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier while it was being towed on board, the Navy said in a statement on Monday. A US official said initial reports from the scene indicated the Truman made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard. Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed on Monday to have launched a drone and missile attack on the aircraft carrier, which is in the Red Sea as part of the US military’s major operation against the Iran-backed group. All personnel aboard are accounted for, and one sailor sustained a minor injury, the Navy said.” (04/28/25)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/28/politics/us-navy-jet-overboard/index.html
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17) NJ: Off-duty female cop arrested for allegedly assaulting two people after breaking into their home
Source: New York Post
“An off-duty female cop in New Jersey was arrested for allegedly smashing her way into a home and then assaulting two people inside in a violent home invasion, authorities said. Toms River Police Officer Rebecca A. Sayegh — who previously sued her department for alleged sexual harassment — is accused of breaking into the house in Berkeley Township just before 11:30 p.m. Friday, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said. The 32-year-old cop allegedly ‘smashed the front glass door’ of the property before assaulting and threatening the two people who lived there. Moments before the alleged home invasion, the off-duty cop also trashed the hood of one of the victims’ cars parked in the driveway of the Evernhan Avenue home, prosecutors alleged. It wasn’t immediately clear if — or how — Sayegh knew the others involved.” (04/29/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/29/us-news/off-duty-female-nj-cop-arrested-for-allegedly-assaulting-two-people-after-breaking-into-their-home/
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18) Nigeria: Roadside bomb blast kills 26
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“At least 26 people have been killed as a truck hit an improvised explosive device in Nigeria’s restive northeast. The blast on Monday killed men, women and children in Borno State, near the border with Cameroon, according to the military and residents. The region has been plagued for decades by armed groups including the ISIL affiliate in West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram, with violence flaring up in recent days.” (04/29/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/29/roadside-bomb-blast-kills-26-in-nigerias-restive-northeast
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19) World Food Program and other UN aid agencies slash jobs amid US funding cuts
Source: SFGate
“The World Food Program and the United Nations refugee agency will slash jobs because of funding cuts, mainly from the United States, officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday, warning the reductions will severely affect aid programs worldwide. The WFP, also a United Nations organization, is expected to cut up to 30% of its staff. The head of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees said it would downsize its headquarters and regional offices to reduce costs by 30% and cut senior-level positions by 50%. That’s according to internal memos obtained by The AP and verified by two U.N. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal personnel decisions. Other agencies like UNICEF — the U.N. children’s agency, and OCHA — the organization’s humanitarian agency — have also announced or plan to announce cuts that would impact around 20% of staff and overall budgets.” (04/29/25)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/world-food-program-and-other-un-aid-agencies-20300374.php
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20) Next target in Trump’s war on US economy: Freight delivery by truck
Source: The Hill
“President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that requires commercial truck drivers in the United States to be proficient in English. … Trump designated English as the country’s official language in an executive order in March. In his order on Monday, the president said proficiency in English should be non-negotiable for professional drivers. … Under the order, a driver must be able to read and speak English ‘sufficiently to converse with the general public’ to operate a commercial vehicle in the U.S. … The order states that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will issue a new guidance on English proficiency testing and enforcement policies. A violation of the English language proficiency requirement would put a driver ‘out-of-service,’ the order said.” (04/28/25)
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5271893-trump-executive-order-truck-drivers-speak-english/
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Texas Pols Think They Get To Control Speech. Nope.
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Texas’s legislature, the Electronic Frontier Foundation reports, may soon pass SB 2880/HB 5510, which would make it illegal to ‘provide information on the method for obtaining an abortion-inducing drug’ to women in Texas. … From my viewpoint, this isn’t about abortion at all. … It’s also clearly not about the ‘sanctity of life’ where Texas’s government is concerned. That regime has arguably executed more than one innocent prisoner, and last year governor Greg Abbott pardoned actual, convicted, unrepentant murderer Daniel Perry to ‘own the libs.’ These people don’t care about ‘life’ per se; they just care about scoring points with their political base. What it’s about is your right to discuss whatever you please, however you please, whenever you please. That right just isn’t negotiable.” (04/29/25)
https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/19523
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22) If Other Governments Do It, Why Shouldn’t We?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Lawrence W Reed
“‘If tariffs are so bad for an economy,’ asks a popular meme making the rounds these days, ‘then why do 170 countries have tariffs on American goods?’ Implicit in the question is a dubious assumption, namely, that the governments of those 170 countries would never do anything that didn’t make good sense for their people. Are you kidding me? Sometimes, government officials consult the best and most objective experts, carefully weigh the evidence in the scales of justice, and then thoughtfully and magnanimously do the right thing for everybody. They may even ask the Almighty for guidance along the way. I just can’t remember the last time they conducted their business in this fashion. Government officials usually slop some grease on the squeaky wheel and accept a little campaign grease in return.” (04/29/25)
https://fee.org/articles/if-other-governments-do-it-why-shouldnt-we/
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23) Fifty Years On: US Elites Learned Nothing From the Vietnam Defeat
Source: Antiwar.com
by Ted Galen Carpenter
“April 30, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of the final, definitive defeat of the U.S. military crusade in Vietnam. The images of U.S. helicopters desperately flying American diplomats and Washington’s high-level South Vietnamese collaborators from the roof of the U.S. embassy in Saigon effectively captured not only the chaotic environment, but also the extent of Washington’s overall policy debacle. The outcome of the war was a humiliating defeat for the United States in every respect. … Widespread disillusionment about Washington’s armed crusade in Southeast Asia was evident in the United States, and for a few years, the disastrous experience seemed to inoculate the American public against supporting any similar adventures. … However, a closer look at public attitudes, especially the views of political elites in both parties, would have suggested that the change in Washington’s overall foreign policy orientation was less substantial than it seemed at first glance.” (04/29/25)
https://original.antiwar.com/ted_galen_carpenter/2025/04/28/50-years-on-us-elites-learned-nothing-from-the-vietnam-defeat/
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24) America’s Implicit Defaults
Source: Law & Liberty
by Bruno Meyerhof Salama
“The United States prides itself on never having defaulted on its federal public debt. And in formal terms, that claim holds up: obligations have been paid on time, in full, and in the currency promised. That’s no small achievement — and it sets the US apart from most other countries, as if Hamilton’s dictum still quietly defines the nation’s approach: ‘States, like individuals, who observe their engagements are respected and trusted.’ But that’s not the whole story. The US has found ways to erode the real value of those payments without breaking the legal terms of its debt. … When value is eroded without breaching the formal terms of repayment — whether by inflation, devaluation, or internationally coordinated monetary policy — the real value of the obligation is reduced. Legally, it’s not a default, but economically, it may be.” (04/29/25)
https://lawliberty.org/americas-implicit-defaults/
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25) Independent Institutions and Private Force
Source: EconLog
by Pierre Lemieux
“Harvard University is a great private institution, albeit too enmeshed in our naive political zeitgeist. … as a wealthy and influential private organization, Harvard University can provide a barrier to the power grab within the federal government and the centralization of power in this country. It is true that, like all large private universities, Harvard has imprudently become dependent on federal government money, but this was under the tacit, albeit naive, understanding that the government was motivated by education, research, and a love of free inquiry and the people.” (04/292/25)
https://www.econlib.org/independent-institutions-and-private-force/
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26) Whatever Happened to Kilmar?
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter
“You have to laugh. Democrats made Kilmar Abrego Garcia into the cause of the moment just a couple of weeks ago, which liberal [sic] Member of Congress after Liberal [sic] Member of Congress making a pilgrimage down to El Salvador for the express purpose of doing media hits where they are seen as simply being there. Now, the whole thing is pretty much done. Democrats have moved on to new shiny objects in a desperate attempt to turn people against President Donald Trump. Abrego Garcia was always the wrong cause for Democrats to get behind. Two immigration judges had determined there was enough evidence that he was a member of MS-13 to declare it to be. There was never any question as to whether or not he was an illegal [sic] alien …. The only issue was whether or not he could be deported back to El Salvador.” (04/29/25)
https://townhall.com/columnists/derekhunter/2025/04/29/whatever-happened-to-kilmar-n2656232
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27) Trump Revives the Alien and Sedition Acts
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Thomas Eddlem
“Few Americans today are aware of the vehement and principled opposition to both the Alien and Sedition Acts by American founders Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, wrote in the Kentucky Resolutions that control over immigration was constitutionally administered by the states (and except for these rarely-invoked Alien Acts of 1798, would continue to be until 1892), and that the Tenth Amendment prohibited the federal government from even legislating on immigration … ‘Alien friends are under the jurisdiction and protection of the laws of the State wherein they are: that no power over them has been delegated to the United States, nor prohibited to the individual States, distinct from their power over citizens.’ … If your head is exploding because you didn’t know that immigration is not among the enumerated powers of the federal government … you’re not alone.” (04/29/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/trump-revives-the-alien-and-sedition-acts
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28) The Longest 100 Days
Source: The Atlantic
by Jonathan Chait
“Shortly before taking office, Donald Trump promised his supporters that he’d have ‘the most extraordinary first 100 days of any presidency in American history.’ And, well, it certainly hasn’t been ordinary. Historians tend to rate presidencies by the breadth of their accomplishments, on a scale ranging from ineffectual to transformative. The classic measuring stick for hundred-day achievements is the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The frenetic first stretch of the New Deal featured a raft of major legislation that established new financial regulations and ambitious public-works projects, helping the economy begin to recover from the Great Depression. Judged against Roosevelt’s record, the first 100 days of the second Trump term would be deemed a miserable failure. The president has passed no major legislation, and his economic interventions have had the opposite effect of Roosevelt’s, injecting uncertainty into a healthy recovery and seeding an economic crisis.” (04/29/25)
https://archive.is/v5Lbf
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29) How Trump Plays the Media
Source: TomDispatch
by Nan Levinson
“It’s not a good time to be an American journalist. Or a consumer of American journalism. Or, for that matter, even a skimmer of the headlines crawling across American phones. Donald Trump is suing media corporations and targeting individual journalists on social media. The White House press office is playing musical chairs at its press conferences and withholding press pool reports it dislikes. Republicans in Congress have called on public broadcasters to defend themselves against ‘systemically biased content’ and are trying to claw back their funding. Large newspapers are choosing to tailor what they write to stay in the government’s good graces and smaller ones are being forced to do the same. Sources are increasingly reluctant to go on the record and violence against journalists has become a punchline. Even student newspapers haven’t escaped the threats.” (04/29/25)
https://tomdispatch.com/seven-and-a-half-propositions-for-journalism-in-the-age-of-trump/
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30) The Economics of Trump’s Tariffs vs Income Tax
Source: Cobden Centre
by Benn Steil and Elisabeth Harding
“President Trump has many times suggested that tariff revenue could replace the federal income tax. This claim is absurdly off-base, since it is mathematically impossible for tariffs, even at current levels of imports, to generate the $2.4trn in revenue that would be necessary. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, however, has said that the president only aspires to eliminate income tax for Americans earning less than $150k. Could tariffs cover that? As shown in the figure above, annual tariff revenue from the current effective Trump tariff rate of 28% would — assuming that imports stayed constant — amount to $838bn more than that collected in 2024, under Joe Biden. But the constant-imports assumption is clearly ludicrous, as imports are bound to shift away from China.” (04/29/25)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2025/04/the-economics-of-trumps-tariffs-vs-income-tax/
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31) Ignore biased polls, Trump voters love his first 100 days
Source: Fox News
by Liz Peek
“Today, April 29, 2025, is President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office. The liberal [sic] media, which has underestimated and misrepresented this president for the past decade, would have us believe that his second term so far has been a disaster. Many of us who voted for Trump disagree. Pollsters tell us that Trump’s approval ratings are in free fall. Critics (and the president) suggest some polls don’t pass the smell test. GOP pollster John McLaughlin reports that in the new NY Times/Siena poll, which showed Trump with a meager 42% approving of how the president is handling his job, only 37% of the survey group voted for Trump in 2024. The recent ABC/Washington Post poll showed Trump at 39% approval – ‘The Lowest in 80 Years’ blared a headline – but included, according to McLaughlin, only 34% Trump voters. As McLaughlin asked pointedly on Truth Social, ‘Didn’t we win popular vote with 50%?'” (04/29/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/liz-peek-ignore-biased-polls-trump-voters-love-his-first-100-days
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32) The Natalist’s Dilemma
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“Pro-baby birth policies, while well-intentioned, probably don’t work and could backfire.” (04/29/25)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/the-natalists-dilemma
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33) Biden Never Pushed For A Ceasefire In Gaza
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Former Israeli ambassador to the United States Mike Herzog acknowledged on Israeli media on Sunday that the Biden administration never at any time pressured Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza. ‘God did the State of Israel a favor that Biden was the president during this period, because it could have been much worse,’ Herzog said. ‘We fought [in Gaza] for over a year and the administration never came to us and said, ‘ceasefire now.’ It never did.’ So everyone who said the Biden administration was working for a ceasefire lied. They lied that whole entire time. They committed genocide and lied about it, and then they said you were crazy and irresponsible if you didn’t support them. People’s rage should shake heaven and earth.” (04/29/25)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/04/29/biden-never-pushed-for-a-ceasefire-in-gaza/
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34) Trump Promised Not To Weaponize The Government — But He Is
Source: Chasing Liberty
by Jeff Charles
“Despite assurances on campaign trail that President Donald Trump would not weaponize the government against his political opponents as former President Joe Biden did, Trump is weaponizing the government against his political opponents as former President Joe Biden did. And ‘limited government’ Republicans are ecstatic.” (04/29/25)
https://www.libertychasers.com/p/trump-promised-not-to-weaponize-the
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35) A Victory for Boring White Guy Centrism
Source: Persuasion
by Quico Toro
“Mark Carney has done the impossible. A former central banker turned centrist politico, Carney’s brought his Liberal Party back from the electoral dead, winning a historic fourth straight term in government. Positioning himself as the tough, experienced pair of hands Canada needs to face down an unpredictable southern neighbor, Carney single-handedly saved the Liberals from annihilation in just a few short weeks. The campaign was fought amid existential dread set off by Donald Trump’s repeated threats to Canadian sovereignty.” (04/29/25)
https://www.persuasion.community/p/a-victory-for-boring-white-guy-centrism
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36) Video Game Industry Reeling From US Trade Crackdown
Source: The Daily Economy
by Alex Rosado
“In early April, President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs in part of his greater protectionist economic policy. Included was a baseline 10 percent tariff on nearly all imports, with major manufacturing hubs for gaming hardware such as China, Vietnam, and Japan now facing rates of up to 145 percent, 34 percent, and 24 percent, respectively. As Asian suppliers exported $23.6 billion or 75.5 percent of the global total of video games in 2023, the international video game market is bracing for impact. So far, the shocks have prompted adjustments from video game companies and outcries from fans. As the largest entertainment sector, millions of customers would feel any downturn in the international video game market. The Trump administration must calibrate its approach to ensure it isn’t game over.” (04/29/25)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/video-game-industry-reeling-from-us-trade-crackdown/
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37) Activist judges become the judged
Source: Washington Times
by staff
“Liberal [sic] judges have been making a mess of America’s immigration policy, but that could soon be changing. At the state level, a pair of obstructionists could soon trade their black robes for striped jumpsuits. FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday that agents arrested Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan for attempting to foil the capture of an illegal [sic] alien named Eduardo Flores-Ruiz. President Obama deported Flores-Ruiz back to Mexico in 2013, but he returned under Democratic open borders [sic] policies, only to find himself on trial for domestic battery. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials intended to arrest Flores-Ruiz at the courthouse when he showed up to answer for an alleged violent outburst where he punched his roommate in the face 30 times because he was ‘playing loud music.’ He purportedly struck two women who tried to intervene.” (04/28/25)
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/apr/28/editorial-activist-judges-become-judged/
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38) The Limitations of Military Might
Source: CounterPunch
by Lawrence Wittner
“Although the statement that ‘power grows out of the barrel of a gun’ was made by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, it’s an idea that, in one form or another, has motivated a great many people, from the members of teenage street gangs to the statesmen of major nations. The rising spiral of world military spending provides a striking example of how highly national governments value armed forces. … Of course, advocates of military power argue that, in a dangerous world, there is a necessity for deterring a military attack upon their nations. And that is surely a valid concern. But does military might really meet the need for national security?” (04/29/25)
https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/04/29/the-limitations-of-military-might/
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39) Can Trump cool Turkey-Israel tensions over Syria?
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Giorgio Cafiero
“Soon after Syria experienced its Arab Spring uprising in 2011 and slid into a gruesome civil war, the country became a battleground for Russia, Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah supporting the former regime on one side, and Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey backing rebel groups on the other. Since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster late last year, however, dynamics have shifted, transforming Syria into an arena of Turkish-Israeli competition. A major source of tension between Turkey and Israel stems from the former’s desire to see Syria emerge as a strong, unitary state with a Turkey-oriented government in Damascus while the latter wants Syria permanently weak and divided along ethno-sectarian lines.” (04/29/25)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/israel-turkey-syria/
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40) An Independent Nation
Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob
“Our leaders have been surprisingly expressive in signaling U.S. military support for the defense of Taiwan. Ironic, considering that official U.S. policy is dubbed ‘strategic ambiguity,’ meaning we don’t say one way or the other about our defensive intentions for helping the island nation against a regularly threatened and rehearsed-for Chinese invasion or naval blockade. Four separate times during his term, however, former President Joe Biden publicly pledged American military help to counter a People’s Republic of China assault on Taiwan. As for the Trump 2.0 Pentagon, weeks ago it leaked (or suffered a leak of) a global defense strategy memo that said preventing a PRC takeover of Taiwan was the ‘sole pacing scenario’ engaging our armed forces. Surprising unanimity for the two parties in Washington. But has anyone asked what the American people think?” (04/29/25)
https://thisiscommonsense.org/2025/04/29/an-independent-nation/
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41) Why David Hogg (Almost) Gets It, and the DNC Still Doesn’t
Source: Common Dreams
by Kendall Avenia & Hartzell Gray
“The Democratic National Committee needs to take a step back and reflect on the moment in which it finds itself. The sense of national anxiety and uncertainty is palpable. Trust in our institutions is staggeringly low. Everyday Americans are scared, and they’re looking for actual leadership. They’re looking for hope. They’re looking for visionaries. However, for the sake of party unity and integrity, the leaders of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) must remain neutral when it comes to primary challengers. At least, that’s what the DNC leadership is saying now. That certainly wasn’t the approach taken in 2016 when Hillary Clinton was given insurmountable preference and privilege by the DNC, and again in 2020 when early primary victories for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) sent the party establishment into a panic. … Neutrality surely wasn’t a priority then.” (04/29/25)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/david-hogg-dnc
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42) Epic Failure
Source: Quillette
by Jaspreet Singh Boparai
“Many of the people involved in Uberto Pasolini’s new screen adaptation of Homer’s ‘Odyssey’ are intimidatingly talented. It’s a pity, then, that the film is such a disaster.” (04/29/25)
https://quillette.com/2025/04/29/epic-failure-homer-odyssey-return-ralph-fiennes-juliette-binoche-uberto-pasolini/
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43) Trump Is More Likely to Get a Third Impeachment Than a Third Term
Source: The Bulwark
by Jill Lawrence
“To mark Trump’s first (worst?) hundred days, I thought it might be fun to look at all the impeachment articles against presidents and figure out how many Trump has already matched or surpassed. Spoiler: It has not been fun. And the answer is pretty much all of them — from Andrew Johnson in 1868 to the charges in Trump’s own pair of impeachments a few short years ago. How do we know? Because it’s all unfolding publicly and blatantly in real time.” (04/29/25)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-is-more-likely-to-get-a-third-impeachment-than-third-term-100-days
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44) Texas’s War on Abortion Is Now a War on Free Speech
Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Jennifer Pinsof
“Senate Bill (S.B.) 2880 seeks to prevent the sale and distribution of abortion pills — but it doesn’t stop there. By restricting access to certain information online, the bill tries to keep people from learning about abortion drugs, or even knowing that they exist. If passed, S.B. 2880 would make it illegal to ‘provide information’ on how to obtain an abortion-inducing drug. If you exchange e-mails or have an online chat about seeking an abortion, you could violate the bill. If you create a website that shares information about legal abortion services in other states, you could violate the bill. Even your social media posts could put you at risk. … Texas legislators not only want to make sure no one can start a discussion on these topics, they also want to make sure no one can find one.” (04/28/25)
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/04/texass-war-abortion-now-war-free-speech
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45) At White House Correspondents’ Dinner, fake remorse over Biden “mistakes”
Source: New York Post
by Glenn H Reynolds
“Imagine a neurological disease that changed your perceptions in subtle, damaging ways. Stubbing your toe would bring pleasure. Rotten meat would taste delicious. Deadly cold would feel comfy. Meanwhile, a gentle neck massage would make you feel sick, and fresh food would taste disgusting. You wouldn’t last long with such a disease. But our society is facing something similar. The news media, which are supposed to act as a sort of nervous system for the body politic, instead give us misinformation. The national equivalent of stubbed toes and rotten meat gets media praise and approval, while healthy things are treated as vile and wrong. The latest example comes from Saturday’s much-diminished annual dinner of the much-diminished White House Correspondents’ Association, whose self-appointed members meet annually to give themselves awards and congratulate themselves on their brave truth-telling. This year went badly.” (04/28/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/04/28/opinion/at-white-house-correspondents-dinner-fake-remorse-over-biden-mistakes/
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46) Bad Economic Policy Trumps Monetary Policy
Source: Cato Institute
by Norbert Michel
“Americans should not scapegoat Jerome Powell for the administration’s tragic trade policy mistakes.” (04/28/25)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/bad-economic-policy-trumps-monetary-policy
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47) Two Paths to Immortality: Some Civic Religion for Nonbelievers
Source: Liberal Currents
by Jason Kuznicki
“Reactionary immortality projects explain a lot about American political culture — above all why and how we Americans choose to panic.” (04/28/25)
https://www.liberalcurrents.com/two-paths-to-immortality-some-civic-religion-for-nonbelievers/
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48) The Empire Strikes Back
Source: Campaign For Liberty
by Ron Paul
“News this week that Elon Musk will soon be departing his ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ (DOGE) is a grim reminder of what happens when you challenge big spending DC. Unfortunately, the lesson once again is that when you challenge the empire, the empire eventually strikes back. … The exposure of the real harm being done to the country by agencies like USAID and others reinforced the idea that much of the ‘Federal bureaucracy’ was simply not needed. Although Musk became a figure of hate for the entrenched special interests, to the large chunk of America forced to pay for Washington’s excesses he became a hero.” [editor’s note: He only became a “hero” to those who didn’t notice that he cut no overall or future spending and largely just jiggered particular current spending to benefit his cronies – TLK] (04/28/25)
https://www.campaignforliberty.org/empire-strikes-back
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49) Private Equity’s Do-or-Die Moment
Source: The American Prospect
by James Baratta
“The year 1978 is not just noteworthy for the election of Pope John Paul II and National Lampoon’s Animal House. It was also the year that a little investment banking firm known as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts announced plans to take manufacturing conglomerate Houdaille Industries private through a leveraged deal, using the company’s assets and future cash flows as collateral to secure debt financing for the acquisition. Although KKR had completed three smaller deals the year before, its acquisition of Houdaille was the first leveraged buyout of a public company in modern history. The successful deal set the stage for KKR’s rapid expansion into the 1980s and beyond. Today, KKR is a publicly traded investment firm with $638 billion in assets under management. Despite some initial skepticism, Wall Street would go on to follow in the firm’s footsteps.” (04/29/25)
https://prospect.org/power/2025-04-29-private-equitys-do-or-die-moment/
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50) Trump’s fake emergencies are the real crisis
Source: Washington Post
by Serena Mayeri, Amanda Shanor, & Alexander Volokh
“Alleging an ‘invasion’ or ‘predatory incursion’ of terrorists and foreign criminals, President Donald Trump is removing and imprisoning noncitizens without due process, asserting he is authorized to do so by the Alien Enemies Act. The administration invokes ‘foreign policy’ to seize and detain students, including legal permanent residents, conflating political speech and peaceful protest with ‘terrorism.’ Citing ‘national security,’ the president has sought to revoke security clearances, order investigations into, and otherwise threaten and punish lawyers, law firms and former government officials who have opposed Trump in court or publicly criticized him. In each instance, Trump asserts that the courts cannot stop him because, he says, these ’emergencies’ give him exclusive presidential power under Article II of the Constitution. But his true motive appears to be liberating the executive from all accountability to constitutional law.” (04/28/25)
https://archive.is/CP6rT
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) The Kyle Anzalon Show, 04/29/25
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Host Kyle Anzalone talks with former British diplomat Iran Proud.” (04/29/25)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/blog/guest-ian-proud-fmr-british-diplomat-to-russia-is-the-end-of-war-near-new-episode-of-the-kyle-anzalone-show/
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52) The Daily Blast with Greg Sargent, 04/29/25
Source: The New Republic
“Trump’s Fury at Bad Polls Boils Over as Allies Rush to Calm Him Down.” (04/29/25)
https://newrepublic.com/article/194524/trump-fury-bad-polls-goes-nuclear-allies-rush-calm
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53) Advisory Opinions, 04/29/25
Source: The Dispatch
“The Arrest of Judge Hannah Dugan.” (04/29/25)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/the-arrest-of-judge-hannah-dugan/
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54) Daniel Davis on The Scott Horton Show
Source: The Scott Horton Show
“Daniel Davis on Why a Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal Is Not Likely in the Near Future.” (04/29/25)
https://scotthorton.org/interviews/4-25-25-daniel-davis-on-why-a-ukraine-russia-peace-deal-is-not-likely-in-the-near-future/
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55) Fountainhead Forum, episode 301
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Alec Egizi on defending immigrants in court.” (04/29/25)
https://rumble.com/v6sps0v-ff-301-alec-egizi-on-defending-immigrants-in-court.html
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56) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/29/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“US Airstrike on Migrant Facility in Yemen Kills 68, Putin: 3-Day Truce To Start on May 8, and More.” (04/29/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzZlUdZ6LGM
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57) Pink Flame of Liberty, 04/28/25
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Jimmy Snow is just another ENTITLED progressive.” (04/28/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Diaaxn0IhU
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58) LPA Live, episode 14
Source: LPAlliance
“State Convention Results April 2025.” (04/28/25)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXRHP3GQ4Qk
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59) System Update, episode 444
Source: System Update
“Gaza Starves, Pro-Israel Propagandists Escalate Extremist Rhetoric and Actions.” (04/28/25)
https://rumble.com/v6sp05p-system-update-show-445.html
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60) Kinsella On Liberty, episode 463
Source: StephanKinsella.com
“Contracts, Usury, Fractional-Reserve Banking with André Simoni.” (04/28/25)
https://stephankinsella.com/as_paf_podcast/kol463-contracts-usury-frb-andre-simoni/
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