“Two people were arrested in northern Mendocino County last week after California Highway Patrol officers discovered homemade explosives and hidden pistols during a routine traffic stop, according to CHP officials. In a news release posted to Facebook, the Garberville office of the CHP said officers pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation on April 15 and found more than they bargained for. Not only did the driver have a suspended license, but officers also discovered a bag that contained what appeared to be ‘homemade fireworks’ in the vehicle. The Northern Division Investigative Services Unit and the Humboldt Regional Bomb Squad responded to the scene, the release said. Investigators also discovered two pistols and explosive-making material in the bed of the vehicle.” [editor’s note: Sounds like activity protected by the Second Amendment – TLK] (04/22/25)
“Israel’s spy chief has accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to fire him for his refusal to commit illegal acts aimed at protecting the leader’s personal and political interests. Ronen Bar, chief of Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, made the assertion in an affidavit to the Supreme Court on Monday. … In the unclassified part of the court submission, Bar said Netanyahu had told him ‘on more than one occasion’ that he expected Shin Bet to take action against Israelis involved in antigovernment demonstrations, ‘with a particular focus on monitoring the protests’ financial backers.’ The Shin Bet head also said he had refused to sign off on a security request aimed at relieving Netanyahu from testifying at an ongoing corruption trial in which he faces charges of bribery, fraud and breach of public trust.” (04/22/25)
“Wall Street weakened Monday as investors worldwide became more skeptical about American investments, something many economists suggest is due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and his ongoing criticism of the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 sank 2.4 per cent in another wipeout. That yanked the index 16 per cent below its record set two months ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 971 points, or 2.5 per cent, while losses for Tesla and Nvidia helped drag the Nasdaq composite down 2.6 per cent. In Canada, the main S&P/TSX composite index fell 0.76 per cent today. Perhaps more worryingly, U.S. government bonds and the value of the U.S. dollar also sank as prices retreated across U.S. markets.” (04/21/25)
“Russia on Monday said US statements suggesting that Ukraine will not be allowed to join the Western defence alliance Nato align with the Russian position. ‘We have heard from Washington at various levels that Ukraine’s membership of Nato is out of the question,’ Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies. ‘And this is certainly something that gives us satisfaction and is in line with our position.’ US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg told broadcaster Fox News on Sunday that Nato membership for Ukraine ‘is off the table,’ after US President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ruled out such a step in February.” [editor’s note: With unanimous consent of member regimes required for NATO admission, it was never “on the table” for Ukraine, and the Kremlin has always known that – TLK] (04/21/25)
“Immigration authorities denied an urgent request by Mahmoud Khalil to be temporarily released from detention, under monitoring, so he could attend the birth of his first child. His wife, Noor Abdalla, delivered their son on Monday in New York. Khalil, who is being held at a remote Louisiana detention center, instead experienced part of the birth through a phone call. Khalil’s legal team wrote to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement official overseeing his detention on Sunday and informed her that his wife had gone into labor in New York that morning, emails obtained by NPR show. They asked her to grant Khalil a two-week conditional release so he could be present for the birth. … Khalil, a Columbia University graduate student, was the first student protester that the Trump administration [abducted] in its crackdown on pro-Palestinian activists.” (04/21/25)
“China on Monday hit out at other countries making trade deals with the United States at Beijing’s expense, promising countermeasures against those who ‘appease’ Washington in the blistering tariff war. While [American buyers of goods from] the rest of the world ha[ve] been slapped with a blanket 10 percent tariff, [American buyers of goods from] China [face] levies of up to 145 percent on many products. Beijing has responded with duties of 125 percent on [Chinese buyers of] US goods. A number of countries are now engaged in negotiations with the United States to lower tariffs, parallel to Washington’s full trade war against top US economic rival China. But Beijing warned nations on Monday not to seek a deal with the United States that compromised its interests.” (04/21/25)
“The Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Minnesota Monday that would have prevented its residents ages 18 through 20 from being permitted to carry firearms in public. The court granted a writ of certiorari in regard to Worth v. Jacobson, in which case a judgment was entered in July of 2024 by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. … The Eighth Circuit court had ruled a carry ban violated the Second Amendment ‘as applied to Minnesota through the Fourteenth Amendment, and, thus, is unconstitutional.’ The Supreme Court did not issue a ruling, but just rejected Minnesota’s appeal to put the carry ban law back into effect.” (04/21/25)
“The Trump administration on Monday threatened to withhold federal funding for New York City highway projects if the MTA continues to ignore an order from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to shut down Manhattan’s congestion pricing tolls. In a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, Duffy outlined a plan for the Federal Highway Administration to hold up money and regulatory approvals for some federally funded road projects in the city. Duffy wrote that his department gave New York transportation officials a May 21 deadline to either terminate the MTA’s congestion pricing program or demonstrate why it doesn’t violate a federal law prohibiting the collection of tolls on roads that receive federal subsidies.” (04/21/25)
“Walgreens has agreed to pay $300 million to settle U.S. prosecutors’ allegations that it illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances, the U.S. Justice Department said on Monday. The money, plus 4% interest annually, will be paid out over six years under the terms of the agreement. Walgreens will also owe [sic] the U.S. an additional $50 million if the company is sold, merged, or transferred prior to fiscal year 2032, the Justice Department said. Walgreens said in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that the case was ‘the last anticipated major opioid regulatory matter’ and that it had settled without admitting wrongdoing ‘to avoid the cost and uncertainty of continued litigation.'” (04/21/25)
“Sudan’s notorious paramilitary group attacked a city in the western Darfur region, killing more than 30 people, an activist group said, in the latest deadly offensive on an area that is home to hundreds of thousands of displaced people. The Rapid Support Forces and allied militias launched an offensive on el-Fasher, the provincial capital of North Darfur province, on Sunday, the Resistance Committees in the city said. Dozens of other people were wounded in the attack, said the group, which tracks the war. There was no immediate comment from the RSF.” (04/21/25)
