Every so often (and one really big time closer to the end of each year) I come to our readers to remind you that we’re a reader-supported publication. It’s not time for our year-end fundraiser and won’t be for several more months, but this is one of those “every so often” bits. PLEASE do one or both of the following things:
Tell your friends about us! The more readers we have, the better in every way … especially when it comes time to ask for money. Many hands make light work, etc. Send people you know our way at:
“A 10-day ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon took effect at 5 p.m. Thursday, after Israel’s continued attacks on Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah — an Iranian proxy — had threatened the ceasefire in the wider Iran war.” (04/17/26)
“The House unanimously passed a short-term of the [regime’s] spy powers until in the wee hours Friday morning — pushing the deadline from April 20 to April 30 — after GOP rebels dramatically rejected a late-night, last-minute deal to extend for five years while adding some additional reforms and language intended to woo the holdouts. The move buys time for leaders to figure out how to address Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act after the deal crumbled, while avoiding a lapse in the authorization that expires on April 20. … it marked one of the most notable instances of the GOP’s right flank outright defying Trump’s wishes on a major vote.” (04/17/26)
“A Russian overnight drone attack damaged port infrastructure in Ukraine’s largest Danube river port Izmail and one drone strayed into Romanian territory, Ukrainian and Romanian authorities said on Friday. The port lies on the southwestern tip of Ukraine facing Romanian territory across the Danube. It has become an important and frequently hit logistical area for wartime Ukraine.” (04/17/26)
“An ICE agent who was part of the federal immigration surge in Minnesota earlier this year was charged with felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, a Minnesota prosecutor announced Thursday. The agent, Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., is accused of pointing a gun at the heads of two civilians in a vehicle, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said. This is the first case of an ICE agent facing charges related to the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota, which drew national outrage after the [murders] of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration authorities. Morgan was charged Thursday with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, one count for each victim, and there is a warrant out for his arrest, Moriarty said. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the charges.” (04/16/26)
“Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, whose tenure was marred by sexual assault allegations, shot and killed his wife, Cerina Fairfax, inside their home and then killed himself, police said. The couple’s two teenage children were inside the home when the shootings occurred, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said, noting their son had placed the 911 call. Fairfax County police responded to the home in Annandale, Virginia, shortly after midnight Thursday, where they found a man and woman dead inside, police said earlier. The same firearm appears to have been used in both shootings, Davis said. The shooting stemmed from an ongoing domestic dispute surrounding ‘what seems to be a complicated or messy divorce,’ Davis said.” (04/16/26)
“British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced calls Thursday to resign after it emerged that Peter Mandelson was initially denied security clearance for the post of ambassador to the United States, which he was eventually fired from over his close links to the disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Following the revelation in the Guardian newspaper, the government said Starmer was not aware that the Foreign Office had overruled a security vetting process for Mandelson to become U.K. ambassador to Washington ‘until earlier this week.’ Starmer has previously insisted due process was followed in the appointment, and that Mandelson, who was fired in September 2025, had lied about the extent of his links to Epstein.” (04/16/26)
“A bomb threat occurred at the home of the brother of Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday night, police in Illinois confirmed. The New Lenox Police Department issued a statement acknowledging the threat at the home, but after a comprehensive search, it was determined to be unsubstantiated.” (04/16/26)
“A 10-number mistake is costing a popular grocery store a seven-figure settlement. Trader Joe’s has agreed to pay out a $7.4 million settlement for a 2019 receipt snafu, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court documents. Affected customers could receive an estimated $102.45, although the figure could change depending on how many people join the lawsuit. … The lawsuit began on July 17, 2019, when a customer filed a class-action lawsuit in Florida against Trader Joe’s, court documents note. He claimed the company printed receipts for debit and credit card transactions that included 10 digits of the card number. Card transaction receipts can show a maximum of the last five digits of a card number, per the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act.” (04/16/26)
“International Monetary Fund is not currently discussing an augmentation of Egypt’s two-year-old, $8 billion IMF loan program despite a severe impact from the Middle East war on the country’s economy, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said on Wednesday. … Speaking to reporters, Georgieva made it clear that the existing Extended Fund Facility arrangement, approved in late 2024, remains unchanged and that no talks are taking place to expand its size or scope. … The announcement comes as Egypt grapples with significant economic challenges triggered by the Iran-Gulf war that erupted on February 28. The conflict has disrupted regional energy markets, raised global oil prices, and created uncertainty in maritime trade routes, all of which have strained Egypt’s key revenue sources — particularly Suez Canal receipts and tourism.” (04/16/26)
