“Jay Foreman said he’s ‘locked and loaded’ for the U.S. government’s April 20 launch of a new system to refund up to $166 billion in illegally collected tariffs, but he and many other importers are realistic that much could still go wrong. ‘You have to be worried about what they could possibly do to jam things up,’ said the CEO of toymaker Basic Fun, which sells Tonka trucks, Care Bears and K’Nex construction toys. The refund system is the latest twist in a drawn-out battle over tariffs collected over the past year …. The constantly shifting tariffs roiled global business as companies rushed to shift supply chains to avoid them as well as figure out who would ultimately pay the taxes. The Supreme Court in February struck down the tariffs President Trump pursued under a law meant for use in national emergencies, handing the president a stinging defeat.” (04/20/26)
Source: Radio France Internationale [French state media]
“Billionaire Elon Musk has been summoned to Paris, where investigators are looking into allegations of misconduct related to the social media platform X, including the spread of child sexual abuse material and deepfake content. Musk, the world’s richest man, and Linda Yaccarino – the former CEO of X – have been called for voluntary interviews on Monday, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. It is unclear whether either will attend. Prosecutors said the interviews would allow executives to ‘present their position’ and outline compliance measures. They described the inquiry as a ‘constructive approach’ aimed at ensuring X complies with French law.” (04/20/26)
“The clip-clop of horse hooves echoed as Paul Revere rode through the streets of Boston’s North End on Monday — a reenactment of his historic midnight ride, but with some modern-day tweaks: this time, the revolutionary hero set out under bright daylight and a police escort. Residents lined the narrow streets as the rider passed, some lifting phones to record while others waved, clapped and called out, ‘Here he comes!’ and ‘We love you, Paul!’ The ride cut through dense city blocks where everyday life continued alongside the spectacle — people walking dogs, jogging and moving through parks and apartment-lined streets, some pausing to watch, others carrying on. Mary McCabe, who came from Lowell with her daughter Cecily, said it was interesting ‘just to see how different messages traveled back then.’ Cecily, who said she loves learning about the American Revolution, said seeing the reenactment in person made history feel more real.” (04/20/26)
“A man was shot and killed after police say he forced his way inside a Phoenix home overnight. Just after 3:15 a.m. on April 18, officers said 25-year-old Isaac Nathaniel Cordova-Fregoso forced entry into a home near 74th and Pueblo Avenue. The residents inside confronted the man and shot him at least once. Cordova-Fregoso was found inside the home with at least one gunshot wound. He died at the scene from his injuries.” (04/19/26)
“A US destroyer on Sunday, April 19, fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman that tried to evade a US naval blockade, President Donald Trump and the US military said the same day. … Iran’s military on Sunday vowed to respond. ‘We warn that the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran will soon respond and retaliate against this armed piracy and the US military,’ said a spokesperson for the military’s central command center, Khatam Al-Anbiya, cited by ISNA news agency. He accused the United States of having ‘violated the ceasefire’ that has been in place since April 8.” (04/20/26)
“A Ukrainian drone attack on Russia’s Black Sea port of Tuapse sparked a fire and killed at least one person, Russian officials said on Monday, only hours after a blaze was extinguished following a similar attack on April 16. One of Russia’s major southern ports, Tuapse is an oil product export hub that also handles dry bulk cargo, such as coal and fertiliser. In addition, it is home to a major oil refinery of the same name owned by Rosneft. … Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure in the past month as U.S.-brokered peace talks have stalled with Washington more focused on the war in Iran.” (04/20/26)
“The U.S. military said it launched another strike on a boat it accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, [murdering] three people Sunday. The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and [murdered] at least 181 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean. At least 54 vessels have been targeted in the campaign.” (04/19/26)
“Bulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia – on Sunday hailed a ‘victory of hope’ after his formation topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years. Projections from polling agencies put his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) grouping at 44%, which would give him an absolute majority of at least 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament. … the landslide victory marks the first outright parliamentary majority for a single formation in Bulgaria since 1997 when a centre-right, pro-European grouping won.” (04/20/26)
“Michigan officials have strongly rejected a demand from the US Department of Justice for 2024 election materials from the Detroit area, accusing the Trump administration of attempting to undermine the integrity of future polls. The DOJ’s request, sent last week, sought ballots, ballot receipts, and envelopes from the clerk in Wayne County, home to the heavily Democratic city of Detroit. The letter was authored by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson – all Democrats – released the DOJ’s letter and their reply, vowing to fight the request.” (04/20/26)
“Jeff Bezos'[s] Blue Origin on Sunday said its New Glenn rocket booster touched down after its launch, marking its first landing of a reused booster. The rocket, which had a launch window of 6:45 a.m. to 12:19 p.m. ET on Sunday, lifted off at around 7:25 a.m. ET (1125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and the booster touchdown happened about 10 minutes later. New Glenn carried AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite to low-Earth orbit in a flight that marks a pivotal step for the company. The mission was key to demonstrating that New Glenn, a 29-story heavy-lift rocket, has a reliable booster reuse capability and can compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.” (04/19/26)
