“A first-of-its-kind law in New York could force 3D printers sold for homes and business to come equipped with technology blocking them from making guns. The new requirement, also under consideration in California, attempts to thwart the latest technique for producing untraceable ‘ghost guns’ that have turned up in crimes. … A New York law signed last month and a bill in the California Legislature both would direct panels of experts to come up with standards for firearm blueprint detection algorithms. The technology would analyze every design submitted for 3D printing, compare it to a digital library of firearm parts and reject those that are similar.” [editor’s note: If the idea wasn’t so irredeemably evil, it would be kind of funny to watch them fantasize about their ability to implement it – TLK] (06/14/26)
“Voters in Switzerland on Sunday cast ballots to decide the fate of a proposal to cap the Alpine nation’s population at 10 million by 2050. Preliminary projections by national broadcaster SRF have indicated that the proposal has been rejected by some 55% as against 45% in favor. Under Switzerland’s direct democracy system, referendums are mostly binding in their effect. The proposal has been put forward by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which has the most seats in the Swiss parliament. Currently, Switzerland has a population of 9.1 million.” (06/14/26)
“Bitcoin climbed to its highest level in nearly two weeks after the US and Iran reached a deal to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, removing the energy-supply fear that had weighed on markets for months. The token traded around $65,844 on Monday, up 2.1% over 24 hours, after touching a low near $63,722 in the early hours of Asian trading before the deal news broke, per CoinDesk data. The move puts bitcoin about 9% above the sub-$60,000 low it hit last week, its weakest level since October 2024.” (06/15/26)
“Brian Rauch has felt the squeeze of higher gas prices on his 30-mile (50-km) drives from his home in rural Stevensville, Montana, to the doctor’s office. He has also noticed food prices going up and, as an Air Force veteran, sees little rationale for the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. These are among the reasons the 42-year-old increasingly disapproves of the performance of President Donald Trump, the man he voted for in the last three presidential elections, putting him among a growing portion of rural Americans disappointed by his leadership in Washington. Trump’s approval rating among rural Americans dropped in June to a new low of 50%, according to the June 3-8 Reuters/Ipsos poll. That compares with 60% approval in February 2025 shortly after Trump took office. Rural disapproval of Trump’s performance meanwhile rose to 48% from 34% in February 2025, according to the poll of 4,531 U.S. adults nationwide.” (06/14/26)
“The leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has been killed in a U.S. military strike, President Donald Trump said in a social media post Friday night. ‘At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua,’ Trump said in the post. The president described Friday’s action as ‘retribution’ for what he claimed were the deaths of American citizens at the hands of illegal immigrants that he claimed are Tren de Aragua members. The post included a 10 second video showing a strike on a structure. The president said the action was coordinated with Venezuelan leaders.” (06/13/26)
“Taiwan’s intelligence agency said on Sunday it is establishing an information-reporting channel for Chinese nationals to offer tips securely, at a time when tensions between Beijing and the self-ruled island remain elevated. In a statement, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said they are launching a webpage that will act as a secure channel for Chinese nationals to provide intelligence-related information, saying that an increasing number of people have recently approached relevant agencies in Taiwan wishing to ‘provide various types of information.’ … China had earlier said it launched an online platform to encourage reporting of ‘Taiwan independence’ activities, aiming at holding ‘separatists’ accountable.” (06/14/26)
“Sweden has dropped plans to imprison serious offenders as young as 13 due to a lack of parliamentary support. The country is currently grappling with children being recruited into violent gangs, with more than 50 children aged under 15 appearing in court last year on murder or attempted murder charges, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said. Sweden’s centre-right government will now draft legislation to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 14 from its current limit of 15. … Currently, children under 15 who are convicted of violent crimes are sent to youth homes, which Strommer said led to more inmates later re-offending. The government will now seek to lower the age of criminal responsibility by just one year instead of two ahead of legislative elections, due to take place in September.” (06/14/26)
“Mark Hill, a conservative lawyer who served on the local school board, won a divisive mayoral runoff on Saturday in Frisco, Texas, that turned into a referendum on the city’s diversity and a testing ground for the power of anti-Muslim messaging. Mr. Hill defeated Rod Vilhauer, a retired construction company owner who gained a following on the hard right with his promises to keep ‘terrorists’ from gaining a foothold in Frisco and to prevent Shariah, or Islamic religious codes, from taking precedence over local and federal law.” (06/13/26)
“Mexican authorities discovered a decomposing corpse with ‘signs of violence’ near Tijuana’s Caliente Stadium, where the Iranian national soccer team is training during the World Cup, according to a New York Post report. Authorities responded to complaints about a bad smell wafting from a gray Toyota SUV with California plates parked in a grocery store parking lot near the stadium, the Post reported. ‘Upon inspecting the vehicle, they found a person wrapped in a black bag in the trunk, showing signs of violence,’ a spokesperson for the Tijuana prosecutor’s office told the Post.” (06/13/26)
“British [pirates] have seized a Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker that was trying to transit the English Channel, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says. ‘This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide,’ Starmer said in a post on X on Sunday. The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence also confirmed the early Sunday seizure of the vessel Smyrtos. It said the tanker, sailing under a Cameroon flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officials with support from Chinook helicopters and other aircraft, a frigate and a minehunter.” (06/14/26)
