Explosives found near [sic] pipeline supplying gas to Serbia, Hungary

Source: United Press International

“Explosives were found in a border area between Hungary and Serbia near a pipeline that carries Russian gas, and which both depend heavily on. Serbian president Aleksander Vucic said Sunday that the explosives were found in backpacks ‘a few hundred miles from the gas pipeline,’ and that he’d alerted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that an investigation was being mounted, CNN and The BBC reported. … The purchase and use of Russian oil by Hungary and Serbia, both of whose leaders are allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been controversial in Europe amid Putin’s now four-year-long war to take Ukraine.” [editor’s note: Is there any place in Hungary or Serbia that ISN’T within “a few hundred miles” of the pipeline? – TLK] (04/05/26)

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/04/05/hungary-explosives-found-near-gas-pipeline-with-serbia/5261775429540/

The Lost Art of Medicine: What Maimonides Knew That We Forgot

Source: Brownstone Institute
by Joseph Varon

“Contemporary medicine is not failing for lack of knowledge. It is failing under the weight of its own complexity. The present era is defined by unprecedented access to data, advanced technologies, an ever-expanding network of subspecialties, and a dense architecture of protocols and performance metrics. Nearly every aspect of patient care can now be measured, quantified, and standardized. Interventions that were unimaginable only decades ago are now routine. Yet despite these advances, a fundamental element has been eroded. This erosion is philosophical.” (04/05/26)

https://brownstone.org/articles/the-lost-art-of-medicine-what-maimonides-knew-that-we-forgot/

Trump issues TACO Tuesday proclamation as strikes on, from Iran continue

Source: CNN

“[US president Donald] Trump appeared to set a new deadline for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. ‘Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time,’ he wrote, after issuing a profane message renewing threats to bomb key Iranian infrastructure, including power plants, if Tehran does not comply. Targeting critical civilian infrastructure could be considered a war crime. Trump has declared and then modified deadlines for the opening of the strait multiple times. Senior Iranian officials issued their own threats in response and said the strait will remain blocked until Iran receives payment for war damages. … Two people were killed in the Israeli city of Haifa after a missile struck a seven-story building, with emergency workers still searching for two more missing persons early Monday. … At least 13 people were killed by a US-Israeli attack early Monday on two residential buildings in Baharestan County, a densely populated area southwest of Tehran, according to state media.” (04/06/26)

https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/05/middleeast/iran-us-israel-war-what-we-know-week-6-intl-hnk

Stop Pretending Military Spending is About “Defense”

Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp

“At the height of the US war in Vietnam, in 1969, the US government spent about $85.5 billion ($761 billion in inflated 2026 dollars) on ‘defense.’ In 1991, when the US deployed hundreds of thousands of troops for Desert Storm, the US government spent about $313 billion, or $750 billion accounting for inflation. In 2004, while fighting wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, that number was about $450 billion, or $780 billion in 2026 dollars. … The president keeps telling us THIS war will be over Real Soon Now, and he started talking about a $1.5 trillion military budget months before he launched Operation Epic Fail, so the 40% bump clearly isn’t about Iran. In what universe does the already bloated US military need nearly half again as much money next year as this year, and twice as much as it needed during previous wars?” (04/03/26)

https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20499

Russian attack kills three in Odesa while Ukraine targets Russian oil infrastructure, officials say

Source: WRAL News

“A Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s southern port city of Odesa killed two women and a toddler, authorities said Monday, while Ukrainian long-range drones targeted Russia’s key Black Sea port for oil exports. The nighttime attack on Odesa heavily damaged an apartment block, killing the women and a 2-year-old child, officials said. Rescuers working under floodlights pulled four people from the rubble. … Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said that eight people, including two children, were injured in a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Novorossiisk, one of Russia’s largest Black Sea ports. The attack damaged six apartment buildings and two private houses, he said. Unconfirmed media reports said the drones targeted the Sheskharis oil terminal at the Black Sea port.” (04/06/26)

https://www.wral.com/news/ap/e455a-a-russian-attack-kills-3-in-odesa-while-ukraine-targets-russian-oil-infrastructure-officials-say/

The Republican Plan To Nationalize Elections Is Performative Nonsense

Source: Reason
by Steven Greenhut

“Under Donald Trump’s leadership, the GOP’s outlook is simple: Every election they win is a reflection of the will of the people. Every election they lose is rigged. The president never conceded the 2020 election, nor apologized for the January 6 Capitol attack. That was the result of angry partisans taking seriously Trump’s bogus election-fraud claims. Trump continues to push the tiresome rigged-election narrative even though he failed to win the dozens of court cases making such claims. Lately, Republicans aren’t doing well at the polls. … Instead of moderating their policies or engaging in normal soul searching, Republicans are doubling dow — and trying to nationalize elections by promoting something called the SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) America Act.” (04/03/26)

https://reason.com/2026/04/03/the-republican-plan-to-nationalize-elections-is-performative-nonsense/

Bitcoin reclaims $69,000 as ceasefire talks surface and crypto shorts get squeezed

Source: CoinDesk

“Bitcoin jumped 3% to $69,120 on Monday as traders returned from the Easter weekend to a burst of optimism around a potential Iran ceasefire, pushing the largest cryptocurrency to its highest level in over a week and squeezing $196 million in short positions over the past 24 hours. Ether led a bump among major tokens with a 3.7% gain to $2,130, its strongest daily move in the past week. SOL rose 2% to $82, XRP added 2.2% to $1.34, and dogecoin climbed 1.7% to $0.093. The broad rally pushed the total crypto market cap back above $2.5 trillion.” (04/06/26)

https://www.coindesk.com/markets/2026/04/06/bitcoin-reclaims-usd69-000-as-ceasefire-talks-surface-and-crypto-shorts-get-squeezed