04/14 -- US-Sanctioned Tanker Tests Trump Blockade With Hormuz Transit; Blockading The Blockade?
7 views
Skip to first unread message
Thomas L. Knapp
Apr 14, 2026, 6:24:08 AMApr 14
to Freedom News Daily
Freedom News Daily, 04/14/26
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Presented by the Liberty International
https://liberty-intl.org/
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
More News, More Commentary, More Audio/Video at Our Web Edition!
https://news.rationalreview.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Freedom News:
1) US-Sanctioned Tanker Tests Trump Blockade With Hormuz Transit
2) Swalwell, Gonzalez to quit Congress ahead of possible expulsion votes
3) Ukraine war: Russian forces surrender to robots in battlefield first, Zelenskyy claims
4) Judge dismisses Trump’s frivolous defamation suit vs. Wall Street Journal
5) Bitcoin rebounds above $74,000 in “risk-on snapback” despite persisting Middle East tensions
6) US home sales fell in March
7) France: Court rules cement gian Lafarge guilty of funding Syria terrorism
8) Study: Majority of Australian kids are still on banned social media platforms
9) Pride flag to be officially restored at Stonewall National Monument after Trump regime agrees to settle lawsuits
10) Hollywood stars sign open letter protesting the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
11) UBS accused of blocking probe into Nazi thefts from Holocaust victims
12) Nigeria: Scores Killed in Regime Military Strikes as Clashes With Militants Intensify
13) TikTok psychic seeks relief from $10 million verdict for false claims in Idaho student murders
14) India: Police Attack Allegedly Violent Protesters With Chemical Weapons
15) China: Regime says it will resume some ties with Taiwan after visit by opposition leader
16) Pope Leo lands in Algeria for historic visit as he starts Africa tour
17) Trump deletes post depicting him as Jesus-like figure after backlash
18) CA: Republicans break with Trump in gubernatorial race
19) UK: Nigerian ex-oil minister denies taking bribes for government contracts
20) Peru: Election results delayed after thousands get a one-day voting extension
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Blockading The Blockade?
22) City-Created Problems and Taxpayer-Funded Fixes
23) It’s high time for this (self-employed) worker revolution
24) Federal Reserve: Without Tariffs, Inflation Would Have Dropped to Pre-Pandemic Levels During 2025
25) Annihilating Iranian Civilization with a Blockade
26) How Iran Won the Meme Wars
27) How silencing medical debates puts patients at risk
28) A Confrontation with Truth
29) The Last Top Jock? Trump as the GOAT (or So He Believes)
30) Orbán Lost Spectacularly Because the Hungarian People Simply Stopped Fearing His Authoritarianism
31) A Blanket Party for Eric Swalwell
32) Despise Israel AND The Entire Western Empire
33) The Twelfth Stone
34) It’s Time to Bring Back Hierarchical Zoning
35) Quitting Time?
36) FDR’s Hubris
37) Goodbye NATO, Hello America First
38) State Wars Bleed a Nation to Death
39) The Housing Crisis Is a Supply Problem
40) UK Royal Navy Russia’s “shadow fleet” makes mockery of UK naval power
41) How Many People Have the US and Israel Killed in Iran?
42) The Constitution Died in Korea
43) Quantum Vibe, 04/13/26
44) The Post-Populist Dilemma
45) How one mom saved her teen from online groomers
46) Lebanon, Iran, and the Forgotten Plight of the Shia “Infidel”
47) Purge the Neoconservatives
48) Ryanair vs. the European Union
49) Congressional Black Caucus to Support Spying Powers Used on BLM Activists
50) What If the FDA Were Eliminated?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 04/13/26
52) Finding Freedom, 04/13/26
53) The Vital Center, 04/13/26
54) Rising, 04/13/26
55) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/13/26
56) EconTalk, 04/13/26
57) Chasing Ghosts, episode 81
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/12/26
59) Free Talk Live, 04/12/26
60) Fountainhead Forum, episode 435
vvvvv SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS vvvvv
SAMUEL EDWARD KONKIN III REVOLUTIONARY FRIEND BY WENDY MCELROY
https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Edward-Konkin-Revolutionary-Friend-ebook/dp/B0DP7B6127
TRY STARLINK: YOU GET A FREE MONTH AND SO DO WE!
https://starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-DF-8980236-19330-50
THE CONSTITUTION OF NON-STATE GOVERNMENT: FIELD GUIDE TO TEXAS SECESSION (2nd edition), by TL Hulsey
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1883853117
Tyranny Demands AN ACT OF SELF-DEFENSE: A NOVEL BY ERNE LEWIS
https://tinyurl.com/actofselfdefense
HOW INDEPENDENT ARE "YOUR" CONGRESS/SENATE MEMBERS?
https://congressionalindependence.deathbutt.org/
^^^^^ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ^^^^^
_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) US-Sanctioned Tanker Tests Trump Blockade With Hormuz Transit
Source: Bloomberg
“A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is making its way through the Strait of Hormuz, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade. Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It is not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo. This exit from the Persian Gulf is a second attempt for the carrier in less than 24 hours. Just as the blockade came into effect, Rich Starry was making its way into the narrow waterway near Iran’s Qeshm Island and turned back — only to restart its exit just hours later, broadcasting that it has a Chinese owner and crew. This is a safety mechanism frequently used by vessels, but will test US resolve to challenge vessels tied to the world’s largest oil importer.” (04/14/26)
https://archive.is/Hcj98
-----
2) Swalwell, Gonzalez to quit Congress ahead of possible expulsion votes
Source: Washington Post
“Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) separately announced plans to depart from Congress on Monday ahead of possible expulsion votes related to allegations of sexual misconduct. … Swalwell faces accusations of sexual assault from a former staffer, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday. Several other women also alleged sexual misconduct in interviews with The Washington Post, CNN and other news outlets. Gonzales is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for having an affair with a staff member who later set herself on fire and died.” (04/13/26)
https://archive.is/EX7jC
-----
3) Ukraine war: Russian forces surrender to robots in battlefield first, Zelenskyy claims
Source: Independent [UK]
“Ukraine says its forces have retaken territory in an operation using only unmanned robots and drones, the first time this has happened in the course of the war. Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian soldiers surrendered when confronted by army robots after an advance ‘carried out without infantry and without losses on our side.’ ‘For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms – ground systems and drones,’ he said on X.” (04/14/26)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-live-putin-zelensky-hungary-frontline-update-b2945082.html
-----
4) Judge dismisses Trump’s frivolous defamation suit vs. Wall Street Journal
Source: USA Today
“A judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for alleging he sent Jeffrey Epstein a lewd birthday note but said Trump may amend the lawsuit and refile it within two weeks. … Florida federal Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled Trump didn’t make a plausible allegation in his lawsuit that The Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, published the story with ‘actual malice,’ a legal term referring to publishing something while either knowing it was false or with a reckless disregard for whether it was false.” (04/13/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/13/trump-epstein-lawsuit-wall-street-journal/89588086007/
-----
5) Bitcoin rebounds above $74,000 in “risk-on snapback” despite persisting Middle East tensions
Source: The Block
“Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major cryptocurrencies rebounded late Monday in a ‘classic risk-on snapback,’ as traders continue to digest the protracted U.S.-Iran conflict, analysts said. Bitcoin climbed 4.9% over the past 24 hours to $74,414 as of 12:55 a.m. ET Tuesday, offsetting weekend losses, according to The Block’s crypto price page. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell to a low of around $70,600 earlier in the day. Ether jumped 7.9% to $2,365, while XRP added 3.2% to $1.37, and Solana gained 4.9% to $85.97.” (04/14/26)
https://www.theblock.co/post/397308/bitcoin-rebounds-74000
-----
6) US home sales fell in March
Source: ABC News
“Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in March to their slowest pace nine months, as easing mortgage rates failed to motivate home shoppers during what’s traditionally been the busiest time of the year for the housing market. Existing home sales fell 3.6% last month from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Monday. Sales also fell 1% compared with March last year, weighed down by declines in the Northeast and Midwest. The latest sales figure fell short of the roughly 4.06 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.” (04/13/26)
https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/us-home-sales-fall-march-marking-slow-start-131993414
----
7) France: Court rules cement gian Lafarge guilty of funding Syria terrorism
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A French court has found cement group Lafarge guilty of financing ‘terrorism’ through its Syrian subsidiary, fining the company and jailing its former CEO. The Paris court ruled on Monday that Lafarge had paid protection money directly to ISIL (ISIS) and other armed groups and breached European sanctions to operate in northern Syria during the country’s civil war in 2013-2014. The case is just the latest of several concerning the company’s conduct during the conflict. The court ordered Lafarge to pay a fine of 1.12 million euros ($1.32m), and for 30 million euros ($35.1m) worth of its assets to be confiscated. An additional fine was levied for having disregarded international sanctions. The ruling can be appealed.” (04/13/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/13/french-court-rules-cement-giant-lafarge-guilty-of-funding-syrian-terrorism
----
8) Study: Majority of Australian kids are still on banned social media platforms
Source: Engadget
“Many countries are pursuing social media bans for anyone under 16, but a recent poll is putting the effectiveness of such laws into question. The Molly Rose Foundation, a charity organization that focuses on preventing online harm, recently published a study that polled 1,050 Australian children between ages 12 and 15 in March. The study’s results showed that 61 percent of those between 12 and 15 who previously had access to affected social media platforms still have one or more active accounts. Australia made a first-in-the-world decision to ban social media for those under 16 years old, beginning on December 10. While it’s only been a few months since the ban went into effect, the foundation’s poll concluded that the ban doesn’t have a ‘clear positive or negative impact on children’s wellbeing.’ The study also noted that 70 percent of children trying to get on restricted platforms said that it was easy to get around the ban.” (04/13/26)
https://www.engadget.com/social-media/majority-of-australian-kids-are-still-on-banned-social-media-platforms-study-finds-162922768.html
----
9) Pride flag to be officially restored at Stonewall National Monument after Trump regime agrees to settle lawsuits
Source: CBS News
“The federal government has agreed to officially restore the Pride flag that was removed from the Stonewall National Monument in New York’s Greenwich Village. The move marks a reversal by the Trump administration, which had the flag removed back in February. It comes on the heels of a lawsuit brought by several nonprofit groups against Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the National Park Service and others. The agreement to restore the flag settles the lawsuit. The National Park Service said it removed the flag under guidance from the Department of Interior, which had said non-agency flags could not be officially displayed on flagpoles managed by the National Park Service.” (04/13/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/stonewall-national-monument-pride-flag-restored/
----
10) Hollywood stars sign open letter protesting the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
Source: NBC News
“Bryan Cranston, Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix and more than 1,000 other Hollywood professionals released an open letter Monday vehemently opposing Paramount Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing that the corporate tie-up would hurt an industry ‘already under severe strain.’ ‘This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries — and the audiences we serve — can least afford it,’ the signatories wrote in the letter, published early Monday on a website called Block the Merger. … The list of signatories includes A-list stars (Glenn Close, Ben Stiller), celebrated filmmakers (Yorgos Lanthimos, Denis Villeneuve) and acclaimed writers (‘The Sopranos’ creator David Chase).” (04/13/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/hollywood-letter-paramount-warner-bros-merger-rcna331499
----
11) UBS accused of blocking probe into Nazi thefts from Holocaust victims
Source: New York Post
“UBS has been accused of withholding tens of thousands of records about former subsidiary Credit Suisse’s shocking Nazi ties — including involving the forced transfer of assets owned by murdered Jews. Around 23,000 documents are still being ‘redacted or withheld’ from a lawyer conducting an independent investigation into the Nazi-linked accounts at the now-defunct Credit Suisse, according to new testimony submitted to Congress on Monday. The ombudsman, Neil Barofsky, said in supplemental written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he also has yet to see another 1 million pages under review by UBS lawyers for potentially privileged information. The delay of the probe is complicating a related $1.25 billion settlement with Holocaust victims.” (04/13/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/13/us-news/ubs-accused-of-blocking-probe-into-nazi-thefts-from-holocaust-victims/
----
12) Nigeria: Scores Killed in Regime Military Strikes as Clashes With Militants Intensify
Source: New York Times
“At least 50 people were killed and many others injured when the Nigerian military conducted airstrikes Saturday against insurgents in northeastern Nigeria, according to residents and the local authorities. A Nigerian military spokesman, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said the strikes hit what he called a terrorist enclave and logistics hub near Jilli, in what he said was an abandoned village in Borno State, killing militants who had taken up residence there. But the local authorities and human rights groups described a starkly different scene, saying the bombs struck a weekly market that attracts hundreds of people and denying that the town was abandoned. They said the number of dead, mostly civilians, was much higher than reported.” (04/13/26)
https://archive.is/f4JwA
----
13) TikTok psychic seeks relief from $10 million verdict for false claims in Idaho student murders
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A self-proclaimed psychic who in TikTok videos falsely accused a University of Idaho professor of being involved in the murders of four of the school’s students in 2022 is appealing for relief after a civil court jury ordered her to pay $10m in damages to the educator. In a recent legal filing that she prepared herself, tarot card reader Ashley Guillard called the case brought against her by history professor Rebecca Scofield ‘fraudulent’ and asked the federal court in Idaho where a jury delivered a verdict against her to set aside the judgment. … Before authorities arrested Kohberger in late December 2022 in connection with the victims’ brutal stabbing deaths, Guillard published videos on the TikTok platform baselessly alleging Scofield had engaged in a romance with one of the four people slain.” (04/13/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/university-of-idaho-murders-tiktok-psychic
----
14) India: Police Attack Allegedly Violent Protesters With Chemical Weapons
Source: US News & World Report
“Police lobbed tear gas shells and used ‘minimum force’ on Monday to quell a factory workers’ protest in the Indian national capital’s suburb of Noida, which turned violent on its fourth day, with vehicles torched and stones pelted in parts of the satellite city. … Visuals from news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, showed dozens of protesters marching on the street and chanting slogans, while security personnel in anti-riot gear looked on. Other visuals showed an overturned vehicle with flames rising out of it, and protesters hurling stones and trying to break through barricades.” (04/13/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-04-13/police-fire-tear-gas-as-workers-protest-in-indias-noida-turns-violent
----
15) China: Regime says it will resume some ties with Taiwan after visit by opposition leader
Source: Fox News
“China said Sunday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan, such as direct flights and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products, following a visit by the Beijing-friendly opposition leader of the self-ruled island. The Taiwan Work Office under China’s Communist Party issued a statement saying it would explore setting up a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomintang Party. It said it will facilitate the import of Taiwan’s aquaculture products that it had previously banned. Cheng Li-wun, the head of the Kuomintang, and China’s President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting Friday during which they called for peace, without offering specifics. China [pretends the island is] part of its territory and hasn’t ruled out the use of force to annex it.” (04/13/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-says-resume-some-ties-taiwan-after-visit-opposition-leader
----
16) Pope Leo lands in Algeria for historic visit as he starts Africa tour
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Pope Leo XIV has begun a landmark visit to Algeria in the first trip to the Muslim-majority country by a pontiff. The United States-born pope arrived in the capital Algiers at around 09:00 GMT on Monday, an AFP news agency journalist travelling aboard the papal plane said. He is expected to pay tribute to victims of Algeria’s war of independence from France (1954-1962) later in the day. The 70-year-old pontiff is on an ambitious 11-day tour of four countries in Africa, urging global leaders to address the needs of the continent where more than a fifth of the world’s Catholics live, according to Vatican statistics.” (04/13/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/13/pope-leo-heads-to-algeria-as-he-starts-four-country-africa-tour
----
17) Trump deletes post depicting him as Jesus-like figure after backlash
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Faced with growing backlash, US President Donald Trump appears to have removed a controversial Truth Social post depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure. The AI-generated image, which showed Trump appearing to heal a sick man in a hospital bed, sparked fierce backlash from both sides of the US political spectrum, including from some of Trump’s most ardent supporters. The post came just hours after Trump posted a lengthy message criticising Pope Leo XIV, a vocal critic of the US and Israeli military operation in Iran. Trump acknowledged posting the picture, telling reporters he thought it was ‘me as a doctor.’ The now-deleted image showed Trump, wearing a white robe, with a glowing hand on the forehead of a sick man, which critics said was similar to religious paintings showing Jesus healing the infirm.” (04/13/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17v8y0z9z2o
----
18) CA: Republicans break with Trump in gubernatorial race
Source: Politico
“California Republicans refused Sunday to endorse Donald Trump’s pick for governor here, a stark rebuke of the sitting president by the party’s rank-and-file in the nation’s most populous state. The activists’ break with Trump — electing not to endorse in the contest, despite his backing of former Fox News host Steve Hilton — came amid worsening fears within the GOP about the party’s prospects in the midterms, including in critical House battlegrounds in California. … More party delegates voted for Chad Bianco, a firebrand Southern California sheriff who launched a probe into last year’s special election, than Hilton, with neither reaching the 60 percent threshold necessary to secure an endorsement. Bianco received 49 percent support, Hilton drew 44 percent, and the rest of delegates voted not to endorse.” (04/12/26)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/12/republicans-break-with-trump-in-california-governors-race-00868537
----
19) UK: Nigerian ex-oil minister denies taking bribes for government contracts
Source: SFGate
“A former Nigerian oil minister accused of staying in luxury homes for free and enjoying lavish spending sprees in exchange for government contracts denied taking bribes as she gave evidence in a London court on Monday. Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, is accused of benefiting from access to multimillion-pound U.K. homes that were paid for and refurnished by energy firms seeking government contracts in Nigeria. Prosecutors allege that she benefited from private jets, a chauffeur-driven car and shopping trips including 2 million pounds ($2.7 million) spent at Harrods, a famed London department store. They also allege that she received 100,000 pounds ($135,000) in cash while she was Nigerian minister of petroleum resources from April 2010 to May 2015. Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court in London, Alison-Madueke said ‘I did not abuse my office during that period.’ She denies five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.” (04/13/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/nigerian-ex-oil-minister-denies-taking-bribes-for-22203448.php
----
20) Peru: Election results delayed after thousands get a one-day voting extension
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“Peruvian voters will have to wait until at least Monday to learn the outcome of Sunday’s presidential election after the process was mired with logistical issues that even left thousands of people in the country and abroad unable to cast ballots. The problems prompted electoral authorities to allow more than 52,000 residents of Peru’s capital, Lima, to vote on Monday. The extension, announced after vote counting began Sunday evening, also covers Peruvians registered to vote in Orlando, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey. Authorities initially reported 63,300 people could vote Monday but later revised down the figure.” (04/13/26)
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/13/g-s1-117208/peru-election-results-delayed
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Blockading The Blockade?
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“President Trump was presented with a great opportunity on Saturday to take the off-ramp from his war on Iran. After threatening Iran that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight,’ Trump managed to get a two week pause in the war with the intervention of the Pakistani government. … after a month and a half of war, where tens of billions of dollars have been spent, every US base in the region is either damaged or destroyed, and dozens of military aircraft have been lost, President Trump did not take the off-ramp. He hit the accelerator. … Over the past weeks he has alternated between insisting that the Strait of Hormuz is unimportant to the United States and demanding that the Strait be opened immediately. Then yesterday he announced – via his social media account – that the United States military would start blockading Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.” (04/13/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/blockading-the-blockade
----
22) City-Created Problems and Taxpayer-Funded Fixes
Source: Bluegrass Institute
by Mark Moses
“Each year, local governments spend tens of billions of dollars on economic development incentives — tax abatements, fee waivers, and direct subsidies — intended to lure private investment. Cities across the nation tout their ability to entice marquee employers, generate buzz with ribbon-cuttings, and implement incentive programs designed to attract private capital. Even small-city councils establish these departments to signal support for economic growth and to boost city revenues. Yet beneath the surface of city branding, press releases, and fiscal sustainability strategies lies a more troubling reality: economic development departments, far from facilitating genuine development and demonstrating the appropriateness of their spending, entrench inefficiency, distort markets, and perpetuate the very obstacles they purport to overcome.” (04/13/26)
https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/city-created-problems-taxpayer-funded-fixes/
----
23) It’s high time for this (self-employed) worker revolution
Source: Washington Post
by Jonathan Wolfson
“While workers have always been free to pursue independent contracting, the companies that hire them aren’t free to offer them benefits such as contributions to retirement plans or health savings accounts. Both federal and state law make it likely that doing so would force companies to classify independent contractors as traditional employees. But independent workers don’t want to be employees. As for businesses, hiring employees imposes extra paperwork and management costs that benefit only lawyers and accountants. That’s a lose-lose for businesses and workers alike. … This is where states are starting to lead. In 2023, Utah passed the nation’s first law giving companies an employment law safe harbor for offering portable benefits. Doing this will no longer affect an independent contractor’s employment status.” (04/13/26)
https://archive.is/wvxq6
----
24) Federal Reserve: Without Tariffs, Inflation Would Have Dropped to Pre-Pandemic Levels During 2025
Source: Reason
by Eric Boehm
“Tariffs implemented last year by President Donald Trump’s administration are entirely to blame for the recent surge in prices for consumer and household goods. Those tariffs have raised core goods prices by 3.1 percent, according to a new study by a trio of economists at the Federal Reserve. Those higher consumer prices were the result of retailers passing the cost of tariffs along the supply chain. As of February 2026, the tariffs ‘can explain the entirety of the excess inflation in the core goods category since January 2025,’ the economists concluded.” [editor’s note: That the claim comes from the Fed at least somewhat taints its credibility. On the other hand, there’s zero doubt that tariffs raise prices – TLK] (04/13/26)
https://reason.com/2026/04/13/federal-reserve-without-tariffs-inflation-would-have-dropped-to-pre-pandemic-levels-during-2025/
----
25) Annihilating Iranian Civilization with a Blockade
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“After threatening to annihilate Iran with bombs, President Trump and the U.S. national-security establishment have decided to do so with their tried and true foreign policy tool of sanctions — or, in this case, they’re calling it for what it is — a blockade, which, as most everyone recognizes, is an act of war just as much as a bombing spree is. … While Trump, the Pentagon, and the CIA realize that American consumers will continue to suffer the economic consequences of their illegal and unconstitutional (i.e., no congressional declaration of war) war of choice and war of aggression on Iran, the hope is that Iranian officials, faced with the prospect of mass starvation among the Iranian people, will capitulate and unconditionally surrender to U.S. forces prior to the mid-term elections.”(04/13/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/04/13/annihilating-iranian-civilization-with-a-blockade/
----
26) How Iran Won the Meme Wars
Source: The Nation
by Jeet Heer
“While Donald Trump panders to MAGA, Iranian satire is reaching a global audience.” (04/13/26)
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/iran-lego-videos-trump-hegseth-memes/
----
27) How silencing medical debates puts patients at risk
Source: Expression
by Alison Riddoch
“Some topics in medicine can be uncomfortable to discuss. But debate and disagreement are signs of conversations worth having, not problems to be avoided. It is only through open discussion that we can meaningfully address questions about ethics, patient care, and medical judgment. When educational institutions censor these conversations, they prevent the very debate necessary for informed decision-making, leaving students less equipped to navigate the ethical and clinical challenges of their chosen fields. Regardless of one’s views on late-term abortion, the ethical questions it raises are a reality that future medical practitioners must confront.” (04/13/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/how-silencing-medical-debates-puts
----
28) A Confrontation with Truth
Source: The Reframe
by AR Moxon
“If you live where I live, which is the United States, your country has been at war overseas for the last many weeks, and also for your entire life. The latest iteration of this war is between a fanatical religious autocracy whose militaristic posture, nuclear ambitions, and zeal for apocalyptic outcomes threatens the future of human life on the planet, and Iran. Yes, despite the best efforts of corporate media propaganda outlets to try to channel the U.S.’s latest needless adventures in overseas civilian-murder into more traditional narratives of American exceptionalism, it has not escaped the attention of most people that the current temporary U.S. president and longtime child rapist Don Trump is utterly deranged.” (04/13/26)
https://www.the-reframe.com/a-confrontation-with-truth
----
29) The Last Top Jock? Trump as the GOAT (or So He Believes)
Source: TomDispatch
by Robert Lipsyte
“Seventy-five years ago, my father and I gazed down from the stands at Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle in the outfield at Yankee Stadium. I was thrilled by the sight of two heroes of my time, but Dad was not impressed. He had seen Babe Ruth. I think about that now, in a time desperate for such symbolic representatives of our better selves, which we once derived from sports figures like Mickey, Joe, and the Babe. They distracted us from pain and poverty. They gave us hope. I wonder if the answer to ‘Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?’ (that line from Simon and Garfunkel’s famed song ‘Mrs. Robinson’) is the same as to so many other wrenching questions these days: Donald Trump. Consider the following: Until he wore himself (and his welcome) out with such excess, he was indeed superb at commanding attention and winning ugly.” (04/12/26)
https://tomdispatch.com/trump-as-the-goat/
----
30) Orbán Lost Spectacularly Because the Hungarian People Simply Stopped Fearing His Authoritarianism
Source: The UnPopulust
by Laszlo Gendler
“Magyar’s victory was not supposed to be possible. Orbán was not supposed to lose his grip on power. How, exactly, did Orbán fail to steal the election? The structural advantages were real and formidable. The gerrymandered electoral map had delivered Fidesz 135 seats on 54% of the vote in 2022. Campaign spending limits had been abolished. Fidesz and its proxies outspent Tisza 11 to 1 on advertising. … Part of the answer is that the EU held its ground. The €19 billion in frozen funds — suspended over rule-of-law violations — became a material argument that Orbán’s system carried a direct cost for ordinary Hungarians. … But the larger answer, put simply, is bravery. Autocracy runs on fear—on the assumption that enough people, confronted with sufficient consequences, will decide that compliance is safer than truth. What dismantled Orbán’s operation was the accumulation of individual decisions to the contrary.” (04/13/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/orban-lost-spectacularly-because
----
31) A Blanket Party for Eric Swalwell
Source: Wall Street Journal
by Matthew Hennessey
“You know what a blanket party is. Popular at sleepover parties, military barracks and prisons, it’s when you throw a blanket over someone’s head so that everyone can take free shots to the guest of honor’s head and ribs. California Democrats, and some in Washington as well, threw a surprise blanket party for Rep. Eric Swalwell Friday night. I don’t mean to traffic in redundancy. A party like this is by definition a surprise for the guy under the blanket. The real surprise is that it was organized at all. Mr. Swalwell, 45, is a seven-term congressman from the Bay Area. He ran for president in 2020, staying in the race just long enough to participate in one debate. … you have to imagine someone backstage on the Biden team, aka the Democratic Party Machine, writing Mr. Swalwell’s name in a little book under the heading ‘Dead Men.'” (04/13/26)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/a-blanket-party-for-eric-swalwell-871bbd09
----
32) Despise Israel AND The Entire Western Empire
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Everyone hates Israel now, which is as it should be. But we all need to understand that Israel has never acted alone. If Israel were acting alone, it would be an asshole with a pointy stick instead of an asshole with an attack helicopter. The west gave it the attack helicopter. An asshole with a pointy stick is not much of a problem. The world is full of assholes with pointy sticks. Get yourself your own pointy stick and you can deter their aggressions without much difficulty. An asshole with an attack helicopter can ruin everyone’s day. He can fuck everything up and kill whoever he wants — even people who have pointy sticks. He doesn’t need to negotiate with anyone. He doesn’t need to be polite or diplomatic. You just have to give him whatever he wants or he’ll fly over there and chain gun you and your family.” (04/13/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/04/13/despise-israel-and-the-entire-western-empire/
----
33) The Twelfth Stone
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“He didn’t recognize them anymore. The world he knew had shattered, and they were all but shards. Sometimes they cut. Whether he walked among the market throngs or sat alone in the forest, he felt alone. In that solitude, he was hollow and anxious, surrounded by loud waves of change, fear, and anger. Sometimes he wanted to gasp and kick, thinking that soon he might tire of treading water, then fall into the deep and drown. But a few, he saw, had turned back to the old ways—the books, the traditions, the places of worship.” (04/13/26)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/the-twelfth-stone
----
34) It’s Time to Bring Back Hierarchical Zoning
Source: Independent Institute
by Christopher J Calton
“In recent years, a growing number of states have begun to allow residential construction in commercial zones in an effort to lower rising housing costs. Since 2023, six states — California, Florida, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Texas — have passed laws requiring local governments to permit multifamily and mixed-use developments in commercial zones (and in some cases, industrial zones). Other states have adopted more modest reforms to allow commercial-to-residential conversions. The trend encouraging residential construction in nonresidential zones resembles an early model of zoning known as ‘hierarchical zoning.’ With the country facing rising housing costs and an unprecedented shortage of multifamily homes, it may be time to bring hierarchical zoning back to America’s cities.” [editor’s note: Better yet, ELIMINATE zoning! – TLK] (04/13/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/04/13/hierarchical-zoning/
----
35) Quitting Time?
Source: The American Conservative
by Bill Kauffman
“While waiting for Vice President J.D. Vance — who as Senator Vance was among the corporal’s guard of war skeptics in that body — either to regain his voice or to reclaim his cojones from a safe-deposit box buried deep within the bowels of Trump Tower, patriots in the administration’s foreign-policy division might examine how their forebears answered the question, ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?’ In Resignation in Protest (1975), the political scientists Edward Weisband and Thomas M. Franck wondered why, despite Vietnam and Watergate, there had been so few ‘courageous public defections of key disaffected members of the Johnson and Nixon administrations.'” (04/13/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/quitting-time/
----
36) FDR’s Hubris
Source: Law & Liberty
by Zachary Yost
“Even from a historical distance, the fireside chats have concealed his petty and vindictive side.” (04/13/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/fdrs-hubris/
----
37) Goodbye NATO, Hello America First
Source: Town Hall
by Jeff Crouere
“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded in 1949 and has grown to 32 nations. Not surprisingly, the United States of America is the largest contributor to the organization, supplying 16 percent of the overall NATO budget and having the largest expenditure on national defense, totaling $980 billion, which is 62 percent of the overall defense spending of all member nations. Realizing that many nations were freeloading and not contributing their fair share, in 2014, the leadership of NATO mandated that members spend at least two percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense spending. Unfortunately, in 2024, then-NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg admitted that nine member nations had still not met their two percent goal. The new goal for NATO is for members to spend 3.5 percent of their annual budget on defense spending by 2035. Currently, only three nations have met that goal.” (04/13/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffcrouere/2026/04/13/goodbye-nato-hello-america-first-n2674330
----
38) State Wars Bleed a Nation to Death
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by George Ford Smith
“The US, with its military prowess that comprises approximately 37 percent of all global military spending and exceeds the combined defense budgets of the next nine largest spenders, no longer worries about winning or losing wars. The point is to get them started — let the death and destruction begin. That’s where the money is — initially. Later, profits are made from rebuilding countries the attackers have demolished. But there’s a looming question: Does the American state have the funds to pick on any country it chooses? The answer: As long as the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve remains functional and Americans remain ignorant of its work, the sky’s the limit, at least until people wise up or the ink runs dry on its printing press.” (04/13/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/state-wars-bleed-nation-death
----
39) The Housing Crisis Is a Supply Problem
Source: The Daily Economy
by Christopher Freiman
“Rising prices make us look for someone to blame, but the broken market has a simple cause: it’s illegal to build enough homes.” (04/13/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-housing-crisis-is-a-supply-problem/
----
40) UK Royal Navy Russia’s “shadow fleet” makes mockery of UK naval power
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Ian Proud
“Even if Britain sent troops to board escorted tankers, they might be fired upon with no effective military means to push back Moscow’s navy.” (04/13/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/uk-russia-shadow-fleet/
----
41) How Many People Have the US and Israel Killed in Iran?
Source: Common Dreams
by Medea Benjamin & Nicolas JS Davies
“After the breakdown of talks in Pakistan, the ceasefire between the US and Iran is more fragile than ever, and now seems likely to give way to a new phase of the war. The ceasefire and talks have failed to end Israel’s devastating attacks on Lebanon or to negotiate international access to the Strait of Hormuz, now under Iran’s control. The world must use this pause in the war to push for a permanent ceasefire and peace agreement, but we must also start to assess the true human cost of the war–something the US is always reluctant to do in its wars, from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan. While we always know the exact number of Americans killed in these wars, we never have an accurate tally of how many people we have killed …” (04/13/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/how-civilians-killed-by-us-in-iran
----
42) The Constitution Died in Korea
Source: Libertarian Institute
by José Niño
“The Constitution of the United States could not be clearer on the question of who possesses the authority to take the nation to war. Article I, Section 8 grants Congress alone the power ‘to declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.’ The Founders understood that the decision to send Americans to kill and die in foreign lands was too consequential to rest in the hands of a single individual. They had witnessed the European monarchs drag their subjects into endless conflicts for dynastic glory and they resolved that the American republic would be different. That resolution lasted until 1950. President Harry Truman’s decision to send American forces into Korea without a congressional declaration of war established the precedent that every subsequent president has exploited.” (04/13/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-constitution-died-in-korea
----
43) Quantum Vibe, 04/13/26
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (04/13/26)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2583
----
44) The Post-Populist Dilemma
Source: Yascha Mounk
by Yascha Mounk
“Orbán is out. Now comes the hard part.” (04/12/26)
https://writing.yaschamounk.com/p/the-fall-of-viktor-orban
----
45) How one mom saved her teen from online groomers
Source: New York Post
by Lenore Skenazy
“Colorado mom Dana Grueser is still trying to piece together how her sweet son ended up on a locked ward screaming at her for being a Nazi and begging for his phone. … When her son Ari was 14 and starting high school, Dana says, his friend group fell apart. He and his girlfriend broke up, and his parents separated, too. Dana encouraged him to go outside, but he said no one else was out there. He started spending more time online. Dana wasn’t too worried. She’d set up parental controls. And yet, she would later learn, Ari got to the point where he was eluding all the safeguards and spending 12-14 hours online a day. Online he made new ‘friends,’ who urged him to do things like carve pentagrams and upside down crosses on his chest.” (04/12/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/12/opinion/how-one-mom-saved-her-teen-from-online-groomers/
----
46) Lebanon, Iran, and the Forgotten Plight of the Shia “Infidel”
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“As a badly battered Middle East hangs off the edge of a cliff by a string with a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran, peace or anything remotely resembling it looks even less likely for Southern Lebanon than it does for the rest of that treacherous map drawn by dead British arseholes. Even if Israel were the kind of creature who could be trusted to respect a ceasefire with anyone, much of the damage is already done.” (04/12/26)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2026/04/lebanon-iran-and-forgotten-plight-of.html
----
47) Purge the Neoconservatives
Source: The Realist Review
by Chris Mott
“Under the influence of neoconservatism and other varieties of hawkism, America has lost its ability to think strategically and now acts as one of the primary sources of global instability. But herein lies the opportunity, as every time the neoconservatives manage to achieve their aims, their popularity and prestige collapse once the results become apparent. New and establishment-bucking political candidates openly run against them, thanks to a strong desire amongst the public to move on from wars that don’t advance the national interest. And the neoconservatives have, potentially, sown the seeds of their own dismantling in the security state they have helped to build.” (04/12/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/purge-the-neoconservatives
----
48) Ryanair vs. the European Union
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Cláudia Ascensão Nunes
“In 1985, inspired by Southwest Airlines, the first major low-cost airline in the world, and following the liberalization of European airspace, Ryanair brought the low-cost model to scale in Europe, revolutionizing air travel across the continent. It did so through an efficiency-driven model that enabled the sale of extremely low-cost tickets in a market previously dominated by expensive legacy carriers. … However, 41 years later, Ryanair is preparing to cut around 3 million seats, corresponding to an estimated 75 to 90 routes across Europe. A combination of aggressive green ideology from the European Union and state-protected airport monopolies lies at the root of this decision.” (04/12/26)
https://fee.org/articles/ryanair-vs-the-european-union/
----
49) Congressional Black Caucus to Support Spying Powers Used on BLM Activists
Source: The American Prospect
by Daniel Boguslaw & James Baratta
“This week, the Congressional Black Caucus will quietly support an effort to reauthorize surveillance powers that were used to spy on Black Lives Matter activists in 2020, the Prospect has learned. According to multiple congressional sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, CBC support for the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) comes after Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the powerful ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, successfully lobbied CBC leadership to stand down on reforming the vast intelligence authority. Section 702 grants U.S. intelligence agencies the authority to collect communications data on foreign intelligence targets abroad. In practice, however, it has allowed those agencies to amass troves of data on American citizens.” (04/13/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/04/13/congressional-black-caucus-support-spying-powers-blm-activists-fisa-702/
----
50) What If the FDA Were Eliminated?
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Jeffrey A Tucker
“Institutions like Underwriters Laboratory and the Better Business Bureau are titans in these sectors with no assistance from government. User ratings emerging in the digital era have a vast impact on sales success, as any Amazon seller can tell you. And in industries like sports, household construction, and driving skill, private insurers exercise a dominant influence through financial carrots and sticks, as directed by actuaries assessing risks. The very existence of the FDA has crowded out such elaborate and complex systems in the case of food and drugs, which is precisely why their safety and efficacy is the subject of such huge public controversy.” (04/12/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/what-if-the-fda-were-eliminated/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 04/13/26
Source: Reason
"Is the War in Iran Totally Pointless?" (04/13/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/04/13/is-the-war-in-iran-totally-pointless/
----
52) Finding Freedom, 04/13/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“Paradise Lost: The Dubai Expat Crisis with Mikkel Thorup.” (04/13/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/ff-paradise-lost-the-dubai-expat-crisis-with-mikkel-thorup
----
53) The Vital Center, 04/13/26
Source: Niskanen Center
“Recovering the lost genius of liberalism, with Adrian Wooldridge.” (04/13/26)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/recovering-the-lost-genius-of-liberalism-with-adrian-wooldridge
----
54) Rising, 04/13/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on Rep. Eric Swalwell dropping out of the California governor’s race after being accused by multiple women of misconduct, including alleged sexual assault of a former aide.” (04/13/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/5825244-rising-april-13-2026/
----
55) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/13/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Trump To Iran: ‘We’re Gonna Blockade Your Blockade!'” (04/13/26)
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1nxnRYjwyPXxO
----
56) EconTalk, 04/13/26
Source: EconTalk
“The Man Who Built NVIDIA (with Stephen Witt).” (04/13/26)
https://www.econtalk.org/the-man-who-built-nvidia-with-stephen-witt/
----
57) Chasing Ghosts, episode 81
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Strategic Empathy: Grokking the Pendulum of Indecision.” (04/13/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/cgpodcast/ep-081-strategic-empathy-grokking-the-pendulum-of-indecision/
----
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/12/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US Military Says It Will Blockade Iran’s Ports, US and Israel May Start Bombing Iran Again, and More.” (04/12/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7aAxzaQC5I
-----
59) Free Talk Live, 04/12/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Internet routers being nationalized in the US :: Cash for Clunkers but for routers :: AI data centers are buying up all manufacturing capacity for electronics, driving up prices :: Penguin warns of upcoming electronics price surges :: Why the US can’t use our own oil :: Talks of Forkfest which is coming soon :: Liberty failing in all of the world except New Hampshire :: How do you define Free Stater? :: What does liberty mean? :: Dems in NH and their anger and hate towards Free Staters :: It’s over for us as far as privacy in electronics, we’re screwed :: Steve Gibson’s Security Now! podcast :: Article by Activist Post about Ian Freeman being in a cage while Epstein’s clients walk free :: DCYF kidnapping children but Free Staters are pushing back :: 2026-04-12 :: Hosts: Bonnie, Mark Edge, Penguin.” (04/12/26)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2026-04-12
----
60) Fountainhead Forum, episode 435
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Richard Vedder on the end of academia.” (04/12/26)
https://rumble.com/v78dzt6-ff-435-richard-vedder-on-the-end-of-academia.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FND is published every weekday except on holidays. Forward freely.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
http://groups.google.com/group/freedom-news-daily
Support the Liberty International (tax deductible)
https://liberty-intl.org/join-the-movement/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Presented by the Liberty International
https://liberty-intl.org/
Produced by the staff of Rational Review News Digest
More News, More Commentary, More Audio/Video at Our Web Edition!
https://news.rationalreview.com/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Freedom News:
1) US-Sanctioned Tanker Tests Trump Blockade With Hormuz Transit
2) Swalwell, Gonzalez to quit Congress ahead of possible expulsion votes
3) Ukraine war: Russian forces surrender to robots in battlefield first, Zelenskyy claims
4) Judge dismisses Trump’s frivolous defamation suit vs. Wall Street Journal
5) Bitcoin rebounds above $74,000 in “risk-on snapback” despite persisting Middle East tensions
6) US home sales fell in March
7) France: Court rules cement gian Lafarge guilty of funding Syria terrorism
8) Study: Majority of Australian kids are still on banned social media platforms
9) Pride flag to be officially restored at Stonewall National Monument after Trump regime agrees to settle lawsuits
10) Hollywood stars sign open letter protesting the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
11) UBS accused of blocking probe into Nazi thefts from Holocaust victims
12) Nigeria: Scores Killed in Regime Military Strikes as Clashes With Militants Intensify
13) TikTok psychic seeks relief from $10 million verdict for false claims in Idaho student murders
14) India: Police Attack Allegedly Violent Protesters With Chemical Weapons
15) China: Regime says it will resume some ties with Taiwan after visit by opposition leader
16) Pope Leo lands in Algeria for historic visit as he starts Africa tour
17) Trump deletes post depicting him as Jesus-like figure after backlash
18) CA: Republicans break with Trump in gubernatorial race
19) UK: Nigerian ex-oil minister denies taking bribes for government contracts
20) Peru: Election results delayed after thousands get a one-day voting extension
Today's Freedom Commentary:
21) Blockading The Blockade?
22) City-Created Problems and Taxpayer-Funded Fixes
23) It’s high time for this (self-employed) worker revolution
24) Federal Reserve: Without Tariffs, Inflation Would Have Dropped to Pre-Pandemic Levels During 2025
25) Annihilating Iranian Civilization with a Blockade
26) How Iran Won the Meme Wars
27) How silencing medical debates puts patients at risk
28) A Confrontation with Truth
29) The Last Top Jock? Trump as the GOAT (or So He Believes)
30) Orbán Lost Spectacularly Because the Hungarian People Simply Stopped Fearing His Authoritarianism
31) A Blanket Party for Eric Swalwell
32) Despise Israel AND The Entire Western Empire
33) The Twelfth Stone
34) It’s Time to Bring Back Hierarchical Zoning
35) Quitting Time?
36) FDR’s Hubris
37) Goodbye NATO, Hello America First
38) State Wars Bleed a Nation to Death
39) The Housing Crisis Is a Supply Problem
40) UK Royal Navy Russia’s “shadow fleet” makes mockery of UK naval power
41) How Many People Have the US and Israel Killed in Iran?
42) The Constitution Died in Korea
43) Quantum Vibe, 04/13/26
44) The Post-Populist Dilemma
45) How one mom saved her teen from online groomers
46) Lebanon, Iran, and the Forgotten Plight of the Shia “Infidel”
47) Purge the Neoconservatives
48) Ryanair vs. the European Union
49) Congressional Black Caucus to Support Spying Powers Used on BLM Activists
50) What If the FDA Were Eliminated?
Today's Freedom Podcast and Video:
51) Reason Roundtable, 04/13/26
52) Finding Freedom, 04/13/26
53) The Vital Center, 04/13/26
54) Rising, 04/13/26
55) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/13/26
56) EconTalk, 04/13/26
57) Chasing Ghosts, episode 81
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/12/26
59) Free Talk Live, 04/12/26
60) Fountainhead Forum, episode 435
vvvvv SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS vvvvv
SAMUEL EDWARD KONKIN III REVOLUTIONARY FRIEND BY WENDY MCELROY
https://www.amazon.com/Samuel-Edward-Konkin-Revolutionary-Friend-ebook/dp/B0DP7B6127
TRY STARLINK: YOU GET A FREE MONTH AND SO DO WE!
https://starlink.com/residential?referral=RC-DF-8980236-19330-50
THE CONSTITUTION OF NON-STATE GOVERNMENT: FIELD GUIDE TO TEXAS SECESSION (2nd edition), by TL Hulsey
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1883853117
Tyranny Demands AN ACT OF SELF-DEFENSE: A NOVEL BY ERNE LEWIS
https://tinyurl.com/actofselfdefense
HOW INDEPENDENT ARE "YOUR" CONGRESS/SENATE MEMBERS?
https://congressionalindependence.deathbutt.org/
^^^^^ SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS ^^^^^
_____ Today's Freedom News _____
1) US-Sanctioned Tanker Tests Trump Blockade With Hormuz Transit
Source: Bloomberg
“A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is making its way through the Strait of Hormuz, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade. Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It is not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo. This exit from the Persian Gulf is a second attempt for the carrier in less than 24 hours. Just as the blockade came into effect, Rich Starry was making its way into the narrow waterway near Iran’s Qeshm Island and turned back — only to restart its exit just hours later, broadcasting that it has a Chinese owner and crew. This is a safety mechanism frequently used by vessels, but will test US resolve to challenge vessels tied to the world’s largest oil importer.” (04/14/26)
https://archive.is/Hcj98
-----
2) Swalwell, Gonzalez to quit Congress ahead of possible expulsion votes
Source: Washington Post
“Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) separately announced plans to depart from Congress on Monday ahead of possible expulsion votes related to allegations of sexual misconduct. … Swalwell faces accusations of sexual assault from a former staffer, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday. Several other women also alleged sexual misconduct in interviews with The Washington Post, CNN and other news outlets. Gonzales is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for having an affair with a staff member who later set herself on fire and died.” (04/13/26)
https://archive.is/EX7jC
-----
3) Ukraine war: Russian forces surrender to robots in battlefield first, Zelenskyy claims
Source: Independent [UK]
“Ukraine says its forces have retaken territory in an operation using only unmanned robots and drones, the first time this has happened in the course of the war. Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian soldiers surrendered when confronted by army robots after an advance ‘carried out without infantry and without losses on our side.’ ‘For the first time in the history of this war, an enemy position was taken exclusively by unmanned platforms – ground systems and drones,’ he said on X.” (04/14/26)
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-live-putin-zelensky-hungary-frontline-update-b2945082.html
-----
4) Judge dismisses Trump’s frivolous defamation suit vs. Wall Street Journal
Source: USA Today
“A judge dismissed President Donald Trump’s defamation lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal for alleging he sent Jeffrey Epstein a lewd birthday note but said Trump may amend the lawsuit and refile it within two weeks. … Florida federal Judge Darrin P. Gayles ruled Trump didn’t make a plausible allegation in his lawsuit that The Journal and its owner, Rupert Murdoch, published the story with ‘actual malice,’ a legal term referring to publishing something while either knowing it was false or with a reckless disregard for whether it was false.” (04/13/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/04/13/trump-epstein-lawsuit-wall-street-journal/89588086007/
-----
5) Bitcoin rebounds above $74,000 in “risk-on snapback” despite persisting Middle East tensions
Source: The Block
“Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major cryptocurrencies rebounded late Monday in a ‘classic risk-on snapback,’ as traders continue to digest the protracted U.S.-Iran conflict, analysts said. Bitcoin climbed 4.9% over the past 24 hours to $74,414 as of 12:55 a.m. ET Tuesday, offsetting weekend losses, according to The Block’s crypto price page. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell to a low of around $70,600 earlier in the day. Ether jumped 7.9% to $2,365, while XRP added 3.2% to $1.37, and Solana gained 4.9% to $85.97.” (04/14/26)
https://www.theblock.co/post/397308/bitcoin-rebounds-74000
-----
6) US home sales fell in March
Source: ABC News
“Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in March to their slowest pace nine months, as easing mortgage rates failed to motivate home shoppers during what’s traditionally been the busiest time of the year for the housing market. Existing home sales fell 3.6% last month from February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Monday. Sales also fell 1% compared with March last year, weighed down by declines in the Northeast and Midwest. The latest sales figure fell short of the roughly 4.06 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.” (04/13/26)
https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/us-home-sales-fall-march-marking-slow-start-131993414
----
7) France: Court rules cement gian Lafarge guilty of funding Syria terrorism
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“A French court has found cement group Lafarge guilty of financing ‘terrorism’ through its Syrian subsidiary, fining the company and jailing its former CEO. The Paris court ruled on Monday that Lafarge had paid protection money directly to ISIL (ISIS) and other armed groups and breached European sanctions to operate in northern Syria during the country’s civil war in 2013-2014. The case is just the latest of several concerning the company’s conduct during the conflict. The court ordered Lafarge to pay a fine of 1.12 million euros ($1.32m), and for 30 million euros ($35.1m) worth of its assets to be confiscated. An additional fine was levied for having disregarded international sanctions. The ruling can be appealed.” (04/13/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/13/french-court-rules-cement-giant-lafarge-guilty-of-funding-syrian-terrorism
----
8) Study: Majority of Australian kids are still on banned social media platforms
Source: Engadget
“Many countries are pursuing social media bans for anyone under 16, but a recent poll is putting the effectiveness of such laws into question. The Molly Rose Foundation, a charity organization that focuses on preventing online harm, recently published a study that polled 1,050 Australian children between ages 12 and 15 in March. The study’s results showed that 61 percent of those between 12 and 15 who previously had access to affected social media platforms still have one or more active accounts. Australia made a first-in-the-world decision to ban social media for those under 16 years old, beginning on December 10. While it’s only been a few months since the ban went into effect, the foundation’s poll concluded that the ban doesn’t have a ‘clear positive or negative impact on children’s wellbeing.’ The study also noted that 70 percent of children trying to get on restricted platforms said that it was easy to get around the ban.” (04/13/26)
https://www.engadget.com/social-media/majority-of-australian-kids-are-still-on-banned-social-media-platforms-study-finds-162922768.html
----
9) Pride flag to be officially restored at Stonewall National Monument after Trump regime agrees to settle lawsuits
Source: CBS News
“The federal government has agreed to officially restore the Pride flag that was removed from the Stonewall National Monument in New York’s Greenwich Village. The move marks a reversal by the Trump administration, which had the flag removed back in February. It comes on the heels of a lawsuit brought by several nonprofit groups against Department of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the National Park Service and others. The agreement to restore the flag settles the lawsuit. The National Park Service said it removed the flag under guidance from the Department of Interior, which had said non-agency flags could not be officially displayed on flagpoles managed by the National Park Service.” (04/13/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/stonewall-national-monument-pride-flag-restored/
----
10) Hollywood stars sign open letter protesting the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
Source: NBC News
“Bryan Cranston, Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix and more than 1,000 other Hollywood professionals released an open letter Monday vehemently opposing Paramount Skydance’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing that the corporate tie-up would hurt an industry ‘already under severe strain.’ ‘This transaction would further consolidate an already concentrated media landscape, reducing competition at a moment when our industries — and the audiences we serve — can least afford it,’ the signatories wrote in the letter, published early Monday on a website called Block the Merger. … The list of signatories includes A-list stars (Glenn Close, Ben Stiller), celebrated filmmakers (Yorgos Lanthimos, Denis Villeneuve) and acclaimed writers (‘The Sopranos’ creator David Chase).” (04/13/26)
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/hollywood-letter-paramount-warner-bros-merger-rcna331499
----
11) UBS accused of blocking probe into Nazi thefts from Holocaust victims
Source: New York Post
“UBS has been accused of withholding tens of thousands of records about former subsidiary Credit Suisse’s shocking Nazi ties — including involving the forced transfer of assets owned by murdered Jews. Around 23,000 documents are still being ‘redacted or withheld’ from a lawyer conducting an independent investigation into the Nazi-linked accounts at the now-defunct Credit Suisse, according to new testimony submitted to Congress on Monday. The ombudsman, Neil Barofsky, said in supplemental written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he also has yet to see another 1 million pages under review by UBS lawyers for potentially privileged information. The delay of the probe is complicating a related $1.25 billion settlement with Holocaust victims.” (04/13/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/13/us-news/ubs-accused-of-blocking-probe-into-nazi-thefts-from-holocaust-victims/
----
12) Nigeria: Scores Killed in Regime Military Strikes as Clashes With Militants Intensify
Source: New York Times
“At least 50 people were killed and many others injured when the Nigerian military conducted airstrikes Saturday against insurgents in northeastern Nigeria, according to residents and the local authorities. A Nigerian military spokesman, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said the strikes hit what he called a terrorist enclave and logistics hub near Jilli, in what he said was an abandoned village in Borno State, killing militants who had taken up residence there. But the local authorities and human rights groups described a starkly different scene, saying the bombs struck a weekly market that attracts hundreds of people and denying that the town was abandoned. They said the number of dead, mostly civilians, was much higher than reported.” (04/13/26)
https://archive.is/f4JwA
----
13) TikTok psychic seeks relief from $10 million verdict for false claims in Idaho student murders
Source: The Guardian [UK]
“A self-proclaimed psychic who in TikTok videos falsely accused a University of Idaho professor of being involved in the murders of four of the school’s students in 2022 is appealing for relief after a civil court jury ordered her to pay $10m in damages to the educator. In a recent legal filing that she prepared herself, tarot card reader Ashley Guillard called the case brought against her by history professor Rebecca Scofield ‘fraudulent’ and asked the federal court in Idaho where a jury delivered a verdict against her to set aside the judgment. … Before authorities arrested Kohberger in late December 2022 in connection with the victims’ brutal stabbing deaths, Guillard published videos on the TikTok platform baselessly alleging Scofield had engaged in a romance with one of the four people slain.” (04/13/26)
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/university-of-idaho-murders-tiktok-psychic
----
14) India: Police Attack Allegedly Violent Protesters With Chemical Weapons
Source: US News & World Report
“Police lobbed tear gas shells and used ‘minimum force’ on Monday to quell a factory workers’ protest in the Indian national capital’s suburb of Noida, which turned violent on its fourth day, with vehicles torched and stones pelted in parts of the satellite city. … Visuals from news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, showed dozens of protesters marching on the street and chanting slogans, while security personnel in anti-riot gear looked on. Other visuals showed an overturned vehicle with flames rising out of it, and protesters hurling stones and trying to break through barricades.” (04/13/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-04-13/police-fire-tear-gas-as-workers-protest-in-indias-noida-turns-violent
----
15) China: Regime says it will resume some ties with Taiwan after visit by opposition leader
Source: Fox News
“China said Sunday it would resume some ties it had suspended with Taiwan, such as direct flights and imports of Taiwanese aquaculture products, following a visit by the Beijing-friendly opposition leader of the self-ruled island. The Taiwan Work Office under China’s Communist Party issued a statement saying it would explore setting up a longstanding communication mechanism between the Communist Party and Taiwan’s Kuomintang Party. It said it will facilitate the import of Taiwan’s aquaculture products that it had previously banned. Cheng Li-wun, the head of the Kuomintang, and China’s President Xi Jinping held a high-profile meeting Friday during which they called for peace, without offering specifics. China [pretends the island is] part of its territory and hasn’t ruled out the use of force to annex it.” (04/13/26)
https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-says-resume-some-ties-taiwan-after-visit-opposition-leader
----
16) Pope Leo lands in Algeria for historic visit as he starts Africa tour
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Pope Leo XIV has begun a landmark visit to Algeria in the first trip to the Muslim-majority country by a pontiff. The United States-born pope arrived in the capital Algiers at around 09:00 GMT on Monday, an AFP news agency journalist travelling aboard the papal plane said. He is expected to pay tribute to victims of Algeria’s war of independence from France (1954-1962) later in the day. The 70-year-old pontiff is on an ambitious 11-day tour of four countries in Africa, urging global leaders to address the needs of the continent where more than a fifth of the world’s Catholics live, according to Vatican statistics.” (04/13/26)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/13/pope-leo-heads-to-algeria-as-he-starts-four-country-africa-tour
----
17) Trump deletes post depicting him as Jesus-like figure after backlash
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Faced with growing backlash, US President Donald Trump appears to have removed a controversial Truth Social post depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure. The AI-generated image, which showed Trump appearing to heal a sick man in a hospital bed, sparked fierce backlash from both sides of the US political spectrum, including from some of Trump’s most ardent supporters. The post came just hours after Trump posted a lengthy message criticising Pope Leo XIV, a vocal critic of the US and Israeli military operation in Iran. Trump acknowledged posting the picture, telling reporters he thought it was ‘me as a doctor.’ The now-deleted image showed Trump, wearing a white robe, with a glowing hand on the forehead of a sick man, which critics said was similar to religious paintings showing Jesus healing the infirm.” (04/13/26)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17v8y0z9z2o
----
18) CA: Republicans break with Trump in gubernatorial race
Source: Politico
“California Republicans refused Sunday to endorse Donald Trump’s pick for governor here, a stark rebuke of the sitting president by the party’s rank-and-file in the nation’s most populous state. The activists’ break with Trump — electing not to endorse in the contest, despite his backing of former Fox News host Steve Hilton — came amid worsening fears within the GOP about the party’s prospects in the midterms, including in critical House battlegrounds in California. … More party delegates voted for Chad Bianco, a firebrand Southern California sheriff who launched a probe into last year’s special election, than Hilton, with neither reaching the 60 percent threshold necessary to secure an endorsement. Bianco received 49 percent support, Hilton drew 44 percent, and the rest of delegates voted not to endorse.” (04/12/26)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/12/republicans-break-with-trump-in-california-governors-race-00868537
----
19) UK: Nigerian ex-oil minister denies taking bribes for government contracts
Source: SFGate
“A former Nigerian oil minister accused of staying in luxury homes for free and enjoying lavish spending sprees in exchange for government contracts denied taking bribes as she gave evidence in a London court on Monday. Diezani Alison-Madueke, 65, is accused of benefiting from access to multimillion-pound U.K. homes that were paid for and refurnished by energy firms seeking government contracts in Nigeria. Prosecutors allege that she benefited from private jets, a chauffeur-driven car and shopping trips including 2 million pounds ($2.7 million) spent at Harrods, a famed London department store. They also allege that she received 100,000 pounds ($135,000) in cash while she was Nigerian minister of petroleum resources from April 2010 to May 2015. Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court in London, Alison-Madueke said ‘I did not abuse my office during that period.’ She denies five counts of accepting bribes and a charge of conspiracy to commit bribery.” (04/13/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/nigerian-ex-oil-minister-denies-taking-bribes-for-22203448.php
----
20) Peru: Election results delayed after thousands get a one-day voting extension
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“Peruvian voters will have to wait until at least Monday to learn the outcome of Sunday’s presidential election after the process was mired with logistical issues that even left thousands of people in the country and abroad unable to cast ballots. The problems prompted electoral authorities to allow more than 52,000 residents of Peru’s capital, Lima, to vote on Monday. The extension, announced after vote counting began Sunday evening, also covers Peruvians registered to vote in Orlando, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey. Authorities initially reported 63,300 people could vote Monday but later revised down the figure.” (04/13/26)
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/13/g-s1-117208/peru-election-results-delayed
_____ Today's Freedom Commentary _____
21) Blockading The Blockade?
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“President Trump was presented with a great opportunity on Saturday to take the off-ramp from his war on Iran. After threatening Iran that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight,’ Trump managed to get a two week pause in the war with the intervention of the Pakistani government. … after a month and a half of war, where tens of billions of dollars have been spent, every US base in the region is either damaged or destroyed, and dozens of military aircraft have been lost, President Trump did not take the off-ramp. He hit the accelerator. … Over the past weeks he has alternated between insisting that the Strait of Hormuz is unimportant to the United States and demanding that the Strait be opened immediately. Then yesterday he announced – via his social media account – that the United States military would start blockading Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.” (04/13/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/blockading-the-blockade
----
22) City-Created Problems and Taxpayer-Funded Fixes
Source: Bluegrass Institute
by Mark Moses
“Each year, local governments spend tens of billions of dollars on economic development incentives — tax abatements, fee waivers, and direct subsidies — intended to lure private investment. Cities across the nation tout their ability to entice marquee employers, generate buzz with ribbon-cuttings, and implement incentive programs designed to attract private capital. Even small-city councils establish these departments to signal support for economic growth and to boost city revenues. Yet beneath the surface of city branding, press releases, and fiscal sustainability strategies lies a more troubling reality: economic development departments, far from facilitating genuine development and demonstrating the appropriateness of their spending, entrench inefficiency, distort markets, and perpetuate the very obstacles they purport to overcome.” (04/13/26)
https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/city-created-problems-taxpayer-funded-fixes/
----
23) It’s high time for this (self-employed) worker revolution
Source: Washington Post
by Jonathan Wolfson
“While workers have always been free to pursue independent contracting, the companies that hire them aren’t free to offer them benefits such as contributions to retirement plans or health savings accounts. Both federal and state law make it likely that doing so would force companies to classify independent contractors as traditional employees. But independent workers don’t want to be employees. As for businesses, hiring employees imposes extra paperwork and management costs that benefit only lawyers and accountants. That’s a lose-lose for businesses and workers alike. … This is where states are starting to lead. In 2023, Utah passed the nation’s first law giving companies an employment law safe harbor for offering portable benefits. Doing this will no longer affect an independent contractor’s employment status.” (04/13/26)
https://archive.is/wvxq6
----
24) Federal Reserve: Without Tariffs, Inflation Would Have Dropped to Pre-Pandemic Levels During 2025
Source: Reason
by Eric Boehm
“Tariffs implemented last year by President Donald Trump’s administration are entirely to blame for the recent surge in prices for consumer and household goods. Those tariffs have raised core goods prices by 3.1 percent, according to a new study by a trio of economists at the Federal Reserve. Those higher consumer prices were the result of retailers passing the cost of tariffs along the supply chain. As of February 2026, the tariffs ‘can explain the entirety of the excess inflation in the core goods category since January 2025,’ the economists concluded.” [editor’s note: That the claim comes from the Fed at least somewhat taints its credibility. On the other hand, there’s zero doubt that tariffs raise prices – TLK] (04/13/26)
https://reason.com/2026/04/13/federal-reserve-without-tariffs-inflation-would-have-dropped-to-pre-pandemic-levels-during-2025/
----
25) Annihilating Iranian Civilization with a Blockade
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger
“After threatening to annihilate Iran with bombs, President Trump and the U.S. national-security establishment have decided to do so with their tried and true foreign policy tool of sanctions — or, in this case, they’re calling it for what it is — a blockade, which, as most everyone recognizes, is an act of war just as much as a bombing spree is. … While Trump, the Pentagon, and the CIA realize that American consumers will continue to suffer the economic consequences of their illegal and unconstitutional (i.e., no congressional declaration of war) war of choice and war of aggression on Iran, the hope is that Iranian officials, faced with the prospect of mass starvation among the Iranian people, will capitulate and unconditionally surrender to U.S. forces prior to the mid-term elections.”(04/13/26)
https://www.fff.org/2026/04/13/annihilating-iranian-civilization-with-a-blockade/
----
26) How Iran Won the Meme Wars
Source: The Nation
by Jeet Heer
“While Donald Trump panders to MAGA, Iranian satire is reaching a global audience.” (04/13/26)
https://www.thenation.com/article/world/iran-lego-videos-trump-hegseth-memes/
----
27) How silencing medical debates puts patients at risk
Source: Expression
by Alison Riddoch
“Some topics in medicine can be uncomfortable to discuss. But debate and disagreement are signs of conversations worth having, not problems to be avoided. It is only through open discussion that we can meaningfully address questions about ethics, patient care, and medical judgment. When educational institutions censor these conversations, they prevent the very debate necessary for informed decision-making, leaving students less equipped to navigate the ethical and clinical challenges of their chosen fields. Regardless of one’s views on late-term abortion, the ethical questions it raises are a reality that future medical practitioners must confront.” (04/13/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/how-silencing-medical-debates-puts
----
28) A Confrontation with Truth
Source: The Reframe
by AR Moxon
“If you live where I live, which is the United States, your country has been at war overseas for the last many weeks, and also for your entire life. The latest iteration of this war is between a fanatical religious autocracy whose militaristic posture, nuclear ambitions, and zeal for apocalyptic outcomes threatens the future of human life on the planet, and Iran. Yes, despite the best efforts of corporate media propaganda outlets to try to channel the U.S.’s latest needless adventures in overseas civilian-murder into more traditional narratives of American exceptionalism, it has not escaped the attention of most people that the current temporary U.S. president and longtime child rapist Don Trump is utterly deranged.” (04/13/26)
https://www.the-reframe.com/a-confrontation-with-truth
----
29) The Last Top Jock? Trump as the GOAT (or So He Believes)
Source: TomDispatch
by Robert Lipsyte
“Seventy-five years ago, my father and I gazed down from the stands at Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle in the outfield at Yankee Stadium. I was thrilled by the sight of two heroes of my time, but Dad was not impressed. He had seen Babe Ruth. I think about that now, in a time desperate for such symbolic representatives of our better selves, which we once derived from sports figures like Mickey, Joe, and the Babe. They distracted us from pain and poverty. They gave us hope. I wonder if the answer to ‘Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?’ (that line from Simon and Garfunkel’s famed song ‘Mrs. Robinson’) is the same as to so many other wrenching questions these days: Donald Trump. Consider the following: Until he wore himself (and his welcome) out with such excess, he was indeed superb at commanding attention and winning ugly.” (04/12/26)
https://tomdispatch.com/trump-as-the-goat/
----
30) Orbán Lost Spectacularly Because the Hungarian People Simply Stopped Fearing His Authoritarianism
Source: The UnPopulust
by Laszlo Gendler
“Magyar’s victory was not supposed to be possible. Orbán was not supposed to lose his grip on power. How, exactly, did Orbán fail to steal the election? The structural advantages were real and formidable. The gerrymandered electoral map had delivered Fidesz 135 seats on 54% of the vote in 2022. Campaign spending limits had been abolished. Fidesz and its proxies outspent Tisza 11 to 1 on advertising. … Part of the answer is that the EU held its ground. The €19 billion in frozen funds — suspended over rule-of-law violations — became a material argument that Orbán’s system carried a direct cost for ordinary Hungarians. … But the larger answer, put simply, is bravery. Autocracy runs on fear—on the assumption that enough people, confronted with sufficient consequences, will decide that compliance is safer than truth. What dismantled Orbán’s operation was the accumulation of individual decisions to the contrary.” (04/13/26)
https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/orban-lost-spectacularly-because
----
31) A Blanket Party for Eric Swalwell
Source: Wall Street Journal
by Matthew Hennessey
“You know what a blanket party is. Popular at sleepover parties, military barracks and prisons, it’s when you throw a blanket over someone’s head so that everyone can take free shots to the guest of honor’s head and ribs. California Democrats, and some in Washington as well, threw a surprise blanket party for Rep. Eric Swalwell Friday night. I don’t mean to traffic in redundancy. A party like this is by definition a surprise for the guy under the blanket. The real surprise is that it was organized at all. Mr. Swalwell, 45, is a seven-term congressman from the Bay Area. He ran for president in 2020, staying in the race just long enough to participate in one debate. … you have to imagine someone backstage on the Biden team, aka the Democratic Party Machine, writing Mr. Swalwell’s name in a little book under the heading ‘Dead Men.'” (04/13/26)
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/a-blanket-party-for-eric-swalwell-871bbd09
----
32) Despise Israel AND The Entire Western Empire
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone
“Everyone hates Israel now, which is as it should be. But we all need to understand that Israel has never acted alone. If Israel were acting alone, it would be an asshole with a pointy stick instead of an asshole with an attack helicopter. The west gave it the attack helicopter. An asshole with a pointy stick is not much of a problem. The world is full of assholes with pointy sticks. Get yourself your own pointy stick and you can deter their aggressions without much difficulty. An asshole with an attack helicopter can ruin everyone’s day. He can fuck everything up and kill whoever he wants — even people who have pointy sticks. He doesn’t need to negotiate with anyone. He doesn’t need to be polite or diplomatic. You just have to give him whatever he wants or he’ll fly over there and chain gun you and your family.” (04/13/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/04/13/despise-israel-and-the-entire-western-empire/
----
33) The Twelfth Stone
Source: Underthrow
by Max Borders
“He didn’t recognize them anymore. The world he knew had shattered, and they were all but shards. Sometimes they cut. Whether he walked among the market throngs or sat alone in the forest, he felt alone. In that solitude, he was hollow and anxious, surrounded by loud waves of change, fear, and anger. Sometimes he wanted to gasp and kick, thinking that soon he might tire of treading water, then fall into the deep and drown. But a few, he saw, had turned back to the old ways—the books, the traditions, the places of worship.” (04/13/26)
https://underthrow.substack.com/p/the-twelfth-stone
----
34) It’s Time to Bring Back Hierarchical Zoning
Source: Independent Institute
by Christopher J Calton
“In recent years, a growing number of states have begun to allow residential construction in commercial zones in an effort to lower rising housing costs. Since 2023, six states — California, Florida, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Texas — have passed laws requiring local governments to permit multifamily and mixed-use developments in commercial zones (and in some cases, industrial zones). Other states have adopted more modest reforms to allow commercial-to-residential conversions. The trend encouraging residential construction in nonresidential zones resembles an early model of zoning known as ‘hierarchical zoning.’ With the country facing rising housing costs and an unprecedented shortage of multifamily homes, it may be time to bring hierarchical zoning back to America’s cities.” [editor’s note: Better yet, ELIMINATE zoning! – TLK] (04/13/26)
https://www.independent.org/article/2026/04/13/hierarchical-zoning/
----
35) Quitting Time?
Source: The American Conservative
by Bill Kauffman
“While waiting for Vice President J.D. Vance — who as Senator Vance was among the corporal’s guard of war skeptics in that body — either to regain his voice or to reclaim his cojones from a safe-deposit box buried deep within the bowels of Trump Tower, patriots in the administration’s foreign-policy division might examine how their forebears answered the question, ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go?’ In Resignation in Protest (1975), the political scientists Edward Weisband and Thomas M. Franck wondered why, despite Vietnam and Watergate, there had been so few ‘courageous public defections of key disaffected members of the Johnson and Nixon administrations.'” (04/13/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/quitting-time/
----
36) FDR’s Hubris
Source: Law & Liberty
by Zachary Yost
“Even from a historical distance, the fireside chats have concealed his petty and vindictive side.” (04/13/26)
https://lawliberty.org/book-review/fdrs-hubris/
----
37) Goodbye NATO, Hello America First
Source: Town Hall
by Jeff Crouere
“The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was founded in 1949 and has grown to 32 nations. Not surprisingly, the United States of America is the largest contributor to the organization, supplying 16 percent of the overall NATO budget and having the largest expenditure on national defense, totaling $980 billion, which is 62 percent of the overall defense spending of all member nations. Realizing that many nations were freeloading and not contributing their fair share, in 2014, the leadership of NATO mandated that members spend at least two percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense spending. Unfortunately, in 2024, then-NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg admitted that nine member nations had still not met their two percent goal. The new goal for NATO is for members to spend 3.5 percent of their annual budget on defense spending by 2035. Currently, only three nations have met that goal.” (04/13/26)
https://townhall.com/columnists/jeffcrouere/2026/04/13/goodbye-nato-hello-america-first-n2674330
----
38) State Wars Bleed a Nation to Death
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by George Ford Smith
“The US, with its military prowess that comprises approximately 37 percent of all global military spending and exceeds the combined defense budgets of the next nine largest spenders, no longer worries about winning or losing wars. The point is to get them started — let the death and destruction begin. That’s where the money is — initially. Later, profits are made from rebuilding countries the attackers have demolished. But there’s a looming question: Does the American state have the funds to pick on any country it chooses? The answer: As long as the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve remains functional and Americans remain ignorant of its work, the sky’s the limit, at least until people wise up or the ink runs dry on its printing press.” (04/13/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/state-wars-bleed-nation-death
----
39) The Housing Crisis Is a Supply Problem
Source: The Daily Economy
by Christopher Freiman
“Rising prices make us look for someone to blame, but the broken market has a simple cause: it’s illegal to build enough homes.” (04/13/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/the-housing-crisis-is-a-supply-problem/
----
40) UK Royal Navy Russia’s “shadow fleet” makes mockery of UK naval power
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Ian Proud
“Even if Britain sent troops to board escorted tankers, they might be fired upon with no effective military means to push back Moscow’s navy.” (04/13/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/uk-russia-shadow-fleet/
----
41) How Many People Have the US and Israel Killed in Iran?
Source: Common Dreams
by Medea Benjamin & Nicolas JS Davies
“After the breakdown of talks in Pakistan, the ceasefire between the US and Iran is more fragile than ever, and now seems likely to give way to a new phase of the war. The ceasefire and talks have failed to end Israel’s devastating attacks on Lebanon or to negotiate international access to the Strait of Hormuz, now under Iran’s control. The world must use this pause in the war to push for a permanent ceasefire and peace agreement, but we must also start to assess the true human cost of the war–something the US is always reluctant to do in its wars, from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan. While we always know the exact number of Americans killed in these wars, we never have an accurate tally of how many people we have killed …” (04/13/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/how-civilians-killed-by-us-in-iran
----
42) The Constitution Died in Korea
Source: Libertarian Institute
by José Niño
“The Constitution of the United States could not be clearer on the question of who possesses the authority to take the nation to war. Article I, Section 8 grants Congress alone the power ‘to declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.’ The Founders understood that the decision to send Americans to kill and die in foreign lands was too consequential to rest in the hands of a single individual. They had witnessed the European monarchs drag their subjects into endless conflicts for dynastic glory and they resolved that the American republic would be different. That resolution lasted until 1950. President Harry Truman’s decision to send American forces into Korea without a congressional declaration of war established the precedent that every subsequent president has exploited.” (04/13/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/the-constitution-died-in-korea
----
43) Quantum Vibe, 04/13/26
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (04/13/26)
https://www.quantumvibe.com/strip?page=2583
----
44) The Post-Populist Dilemma
Source: Yascha Mounk
by Yascha Mounk
“Orbán is out. Now comes the hard part.” (04/12/26)
https://writing.yaschamounk.com/p/the-fall-of-viktor-orban
----
45) How one mom saved her teen from online groomers
Source: New York Post
by Lenore Skenazy
“Colorado mom Dana Grueser is still trying to piece together how her sweet son ended up on a locked ward screaming at her for being a Nazi and begging for his phone. … When her son Ari was 14 and starting high school, Dana says, his friend group fell apart. He and his girlfriend broke up, and his parents separated, too. Dana encouraged him to go outside, but he said no one else was out there. He started spending more time online. Dana wasn’t too worried. She’d set up parental controls. And yet, she would later learn, Ari got to the point where he was eluding all the safeguards and spending 12-14 hours online a day. Online he made new ‘friends,’ who urged him to do things like carve pentagrams and upside down crosses on his chest.” (04/12/26)
https://nypost.com/2026/04/12/opinion/how-one-mom-saved-her-teen-from-online-groomers/
----
46) Lebanon, Iran, and the Forgotten Plight of the Shia “Infidel”
Source: exile in happy valley
by Nicky Reid
“As a badly battered Middle East hangs off the edge of a cliff by a string with a temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran, peace or anything remotely resembling it looks even less likely for Southern Lebanon than it does for the rest of that treacherous map drawn by dead British arseholes. Even if Israel were the kind of creature who could be trusted to respect a ceasefire with anyone, much of the damage is already done.” (04/12/26)
https://exileinhappyvalley.blogspot.com/2026/04/lebanon-iran-and-forgotten-plight-of.html
----
47) Purge the Neoconservatives
Source: The Realist Review
by Chris Mott
“Under the influence of neoconservatism and other varieties of hawkism, America has lost its ability to think strategically and now acts as one of the primary sources of global instability. But herein lies the opportunity, as every time the neoconservatives manage to achieve their aims, their popularity and prestige collapse once the results become apparent. New and establishment-bucking political candidates openly run against them, thanks to a strong desire amongst the public to move on from wars that don’t advance the national interest. And the neoconservatives have, potentially, sown the seeds of their own dismantling in the security state they have helped to build.” (04/12/26)
https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/purge-the-neoconservatives
----
48) Ryanair vs. the European Union
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Cláudia Ascensão Nunes
“In 1985, inspired by Southwest Airlines, the first major low-cost airline in the world, and following the liberalization of European airspace, Ryanair brought the low-cost model to scale in Europe, revolutionizing air travel across the continent. It did so through an efficiency-driven model that enabled the sale of extremely low-cost tickets in a market previously dominated by expensive legacy carriers. … However, 41 years later, Ryanair is preparing to cut around 3 million seats, corresponding to an estimated 75 to 90 routes across Europe. A combination of aggressive green ideology from the European Union and state-protected airport monopolies lies at the root of this decision.” (04/12/26)
https://fee.org/articles/ryanair-vs-the-european-union/
----
49) Congressional Black Caucus to Support Spying Powers Used on BLM Activists
Source: The American Prospect
by Daniel Boguslaw & James Baratta
“This week, the Congressional Black Caucus will quietly support an effort to reauthorize surveillance powers that were used to spy on Black Lives Matter activists in 2020, the Prospect has learned. According to multiple congressional sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, CBC support for the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) comes after Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), the powerful ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, successfully lobbied CBC leadership to stand down on reforming the vast intelligence authority. Section 702 grants U.S. intelligence agencies the authority to collect communications data on foreign intelligence targets abroad. In practice, however, it has allowed those agencies to amass troves of data on American citizens.” (04/13/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/04/13/congressional-black-caucus-support-spying-powers-blm-activists-fisa-702/
----
50) What If the FDA Were Eliminated?
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Jeffrey A Tucker
“Institutions like Underwriters Laboratory and the Better Business Bureau are titans in these sectors with no assistance from government. User ratings emerging in the digital era have a vast impact on sales success, as any Amazon seller can tell you. And in industries like sports, household construction, and driving skill, private insurers exercise a dominant influence through financial carrots and sticks, as directed by actuaries assessing risks. The very existence of the FDA has crowded out such elaborate and complex systems in the case of food and drugs, which is precisely why their safety and efficacy is the subject of such huge public controversy.” (04/12/26)
https://brownstone.org/articles/what-if-the-fda-were-eliminated/
_____ Today's Freedom Podcast and Video _____
51) Reason Roundtable, 04/13/26
Source: Reason
"Is the War in Iran Totally Pointless?" (04/13/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/04/13/is-the-war-in-iran-totally-pointless/
----
52) Finding Freedom, 04/13/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“Paradise Lost: The Dubai Expat Crisis with Mikkel Thorup.” (04/13/26)
https://www.lionsofliberty.com/episodes/ff-paradise-lost-the-dubai-expat-crisis-with-mikkel-thorup
----
53) The Vital Center, 04/13/26
Source: Niskanen Center
“Recovering the lost genius of liberalism, with Adrian Wooldridge.” (04/13/26)
https://www.niskanencenter.org/recovering-the-lost-genius-of-liberalism-with-adrian-wooldridge
----
54) Rising, 04/13/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on Rep. Eric Swalwell dropping out of the California governor’s race after being accused by multiple women of misconduct, including alleged sexual assault of a former aide.” (04/13/26)
https://thehill.com/hilltv/5825244-rising-april-13-2026/
----
55) Ron Paul Liberty Report, 04/13/26
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
“Trump To Iran: ‘We’re Gonna Blockade Your Blockade!'” (04/13/26)
https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1nxnRYjwyPXxO
----
56) EconTalk, 04/13/26
Source: EconTalk
“The Man Who Built NVIDIA (with Stephen Witt).” (04/13/26)
https://www.econtalk.org/the-man-who-built-nvidia-with-stephen-witt/
----
57) Chasing Ghosts, episode 81
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Strategic Empathy: Grokking the Pendulum of Indecision.” (04/13/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/cgpodcast/ep-081-strategic-empathy-grokking-the-pendulum-of-indecision/
----
58) Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 04/12/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US Military Says It Will Blockade Iran’s Ports, US and Israel May Start Bombing Iran Again, and More.” (04/12/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7aAxzaQC5I
-----
59) Free Talk Live, 04/12/26
Source: Free Talk Live
“Internet routers being nationalized in the US :: Cash for Clunkers but for routers :: AI data centers are buying up all manufacturing capacity for electronics, driving up prices :: Penguin warns of upcoming electronics price surges :: Why the US can’t use our own oil :: Talks of Forkfest which is coming soon :: Liberty failing in all of the world except New Hampshire :: How do you define Free Stater? :: What does liberty mean? :: Dems in NH and their anger and hate towards Free Staters :: It’s over for us as far as privacy in electronics, we’re screwed :: Steve Gibson’s Security Now! podcast :: Article by Activist Post about Ian Freeman being in a cage while Epstein’s clients walk free :: DCYF kidnapping children but Free Staters are pushing back :: 2026-04-12 :: Hosts: Bonnie, Mark Edge, Penguin.” (04/12/26)
https://soundcloud.com/freetalklive/ftl2026-04-12
----
60) Fountainhead Forum, episode 435
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Richard Vedder on the end of academia.” (04/12/26)
https://rumble.com/v78dzt6-ff-435-richard-vedder-on-the-end-of-academia.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
FND is published every weekday except on holidays. Forward freely.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit:
http://groups.google.com/group/freedom-news-daily
Support the Liberty International (tax deductible)
https://liberty-intl.org/join-the-movement/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages