“A federal judge who halted construction of President Donald Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom clarified on Thursday that the administration can proceed with below-ground construction of a bunker and other ‘national security facilities’ at the site. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington issued his latest ruling in a lawsuit over the ballroom project several days after an appeals court instructed him to reconsider the possible national security implications of stopping construction. Government lawyers had argued that the project includes critical security features to guard against a range of possible threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards. Leon had barred work from proceeding without congressional approval, but his March 31 order suspended enforcement of that order for two weeks. The appeals court extended that stay until Friday, but Leon stayed his latest decision for another week, which gives the administration more time to seek Supreme Court review.” (04/16/26)
“Turkish police have ordered the arrest of scores of people accused of either praising or spreading fake news about the country’s recent school shootings online. At least nine people died in a school shooting in the southern province of Kahramanmaras on Wednesday, and on Tuesday, a former student opened fire at a high school in the southeastern district of Siverek, injuring 16.” (04/16/26)
“The Utah judge overseeing the case against Charlie Kirk’s accused assassin Tyler Robinson has unsealed a ballistics report from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that could not conclusively match a bullet fragment to the suspected murder weapon but confirmed a match with the spent casing. Prosecutors have alleged that separate testing found DNA consistent with Robinson’s on the gun, on the towel and on three of the four rounds inside. The report’s conclusions had already been made public in prior court proceedings, but the document itself is now available from the court, and it includes some new details. The tested material includes a ‘deformed/damaged’ piece of the bullet jacket as well as four lead fragments.” (04/16/26)
“The California Supreme Court has disbarred John Eastman, President Donald Trump’s former lawyer, over his involvement in the so-called fake electors scheme to overturn the 2020 election. The state’s high court ruled Wednesday that Eastman, 65, is disbarred from practicing law in California and must pay a $5,000 sanction to the State Bar of California Client Security Fund, a discretionary fund that reimburses clients for financial losses caused by dishonest conduct or theft by their lawyers. Eastman is considered one of the main architects of the plan to replace legitimate electors of President Joe Biden with fakes supporting Trump in several battleground states, including Georgia where he was charged in the scheme.” (04/16/26)
“Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Thursday that while Cuba does not want military aggression from the United States, his country is prepared to fight should it happen. Díaz-Canel spoke during a rally that drew hundreds of people to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the declaration of the Cuban Revolution’s socialist essence. ‘The moment is extremely challenging and calls upon us once again, as on April 16, 1961, to be ready to confront serious threats, including military aggression. We do not want it, but it is our duty to prepare to avoid it and, if it becomes inevitable, to defeat it,’ Díaz-Canel said. He spoke as tensions remain high between the two countries, with Cuba’s crises deepening as a result of a U.S. energy blockade. Earlier this week, Trump said his administration could focus on Cuba after the war in Iran ends.” (04/16/26)
“El Salvador has published a new law that will allow authorities to penalise minors as young as 12 with life imprisonment for severe crimes, including homicide, terrorism or rape. On Tuesday, the Salvadoran government released the law, which is slated to take effect on April 26. … The life sentences for minors was approved as part of a constitutional amendment in March, championed by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele. The country’s legislative assembly is overwhelmingly controlled by Bukele’s Nuevas Ideas party.” (04/16/26)
“Russian strikes killed at least 12 people in Ukraine, local authorities have said, after Moscow pummelled its neighbour in overnight attacks. Missile and drone attacks on the southern port city of Odesa killed six people, the head of the city’s military administration, Sergiy Lysak, wrote on Telegram on Thursday. Strikes on the capital Kyiv killed at least four people, including a 12-year-old, the state emergency service of Ukraine said, while another two people died in the central city of Dnipro, according to Oleksandr Ganzha, the head of the regional administration.” 904/16/26)
“Senate Republicans voted down a resolution Wednesday pushed by Democrats to prohibit President Donald Trump from taking further military action in Iran. The vote was 47-52, largely along party lines. Once again, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote for the measure and Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., was the only Democrat or independent to vote against it. (Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., missed the vote.) It was the latest instance of Republicans rejecting attempts to end the war or rein in Trump’s authority to act without congressional approval.” [editor’s note: Trump HAS no “authority” under US law to wage war without a congressional declaration – TLK] (04/15/26)
“Israel’s High Court of Justice is discussing petitions seeking to compel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remove Itamar Ben-Gvir from his position as national security minister, citing alleged interference in police work and harm to democratic norms. Four groups of citizens filed the petitions against Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir and the government. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supports the petitioners, who argue that the minister’s removal is required due to what they describe as systematic, ongoing violations of police independence and the transformation of the police from a law-enforcement body into a political instrument.” (04/15/26)
“Chinese President Xi Jinping brought up the significance of the friendship treaty between Beijing and Moscow on Wednesday in a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Xi described relations with Russia as particularly ‘precious,’ calling for deeper cooperation and mutual support. He said both countries should strengthen coordination and defend shared interests, Chinese state media reported. The Russian foreign minister offered China Russia’s help in boosting energy supplies to offset disruptions caused by the Iran war, including constraints on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.” (04/15/26)
