“Australia and Japan have signed contracts for the first three of 11 warships set to be delivered to the Australian navy under a landmark $7bn defence deal, as the two close US allies in the Asia Pacific region deepen defence cooperation. Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles and Japanese Defence Minister Koizumi Shinjiro made the announcement in Melbourne on Saturday at the signing ceremony for the Mogami-class warships. … Australia has committed to a record $305bn in military spending over the next decade, as part of a widespread defence overhaul aimed at boosting the country’s naval power to levels not seen since World War II.” (04/19/26)
“The remains of at least 50 infants and six adults have been dumped at a graveyard in Trinidad and Tobago, police say. In a statement, the country’s police service (TTPS) said the bodies were found in the town of Cumuto, about 40km (25 miles) from the capital Port of Spain on Trinidad – one of the two islands forming the Caribbean nation. A preliminary investigation shows it may be a case of an ‘unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses,’ it added. It is unclear if the incident is linked to gang violence in the country with one of the highest murder rates in Latin America and the Caribbean.” (04/19/26)
“Race-consciousness is not something that belongs in the minds of children; rather than being a virtue, it’s far more of a poison. I want children to be entirely separated from and ignorant of racial issues. Rather, they should simply see people, with their pigmentation being an accidental triviality. Race-consciousness robs that from them, and I think it’s tragic.” (04/17/26)
“Seeking to rally the troops for his unholy war, Christian nationalist, TV-carnie and war fanboy Pete Kegseth just passed off some vengeful Gospel According to Tarantino as scripture at his (unconstitutional) Pentagon prayer service, and yes we have them now. Added to the ‘shameless blasphemy’ of quoting — without credit — Samuel Jackson’s homicidal hitman Jules as ‘prayer,’ Pete moronically misses the redemptive point: As he cites the ‘tyranny of evil men,’ he, unlike Jules, doesn’t friggin’ get that he is one.” (04/18/26)
“This month marks the third anniversary of the war in Sudan. Estimates of the death toll range from 150,000 to 400,000 or more; 2025 was, according to the United Nations’ internal estimates, a particularly deadly year for civilians. The humanitarian impacts are even broader: the U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs calculates that, as of April 2026, nearly two-thirds of Sudan’s 46.8 million people need humanitarian assistance.” 904/17/26)
“A life jacket worn by a Titanic survivor sold for more than $900,000 at auction Saturday, far exceeding expectations and highlighting the enduring fascination with the doomed ship. The flotation device — believed to be one of only a handful of Titanic life jackets still in existence — was used by first-class passenger Laura Mabel Francatelli during the ship’s 1912 sinking and was the only one of its kind ever offered at auction. It sold for 670,000 pounds, or roughly $906,000, including fees, at Henry Aldridge & Son auctioneers in Devizes, England, to an unidentified telephone bidder.” (04/19/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Walter Block
“Everyone is now concerned about the unemployment rate, it would appear. The scribes are busily scribbling as to the possible causes of this economic debilitation. Their list is long, creative, and clever. One explanation is that the quit rate has plummeted. People are sticking around in jobs they would have left in rosier markets. Well, yes, if this replacement source of new job openings is decreasing, that could well account for fewer new employment slots opening up. But this is a two-way street. Presumably, people are not downing tools for fear that new appointments will not be open to them, at least not on better terms, overall, than they now enjoy. So, it is likely that the unemployment rate is at least partially a cause of this phenomenon, not only a result. Further, this is a sign of economic health, rather than disarray.” (04/17/26)
