Progressivism’s attack dog SPLC blows itself up

Source: Washington Times
by Robert Knight

“‘He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making.’ (Psalm 7:15) The Southern Poverty Law Center, famous for battling ‘hate groups’, helped stoke hate by funneling millions of dollars to the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and other extremists and engaged in criminal activity to cover it up, according to the Justice Department. Announcing an indictment with 11 counts Tuesday, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that from 2014 to 2023, the SPLC paid big bucks to leaders at the Ku Klux Klan, the United Klans of America, Unite the Right, National Alliance, the National Socialist Movement, the Aryan Nation Motorcycle Club, the National Socialist Party of America and the American Front.” (04/27/26)

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/26/progressivisms-attack-dog-splc-blows/

Lawmakers want to force Californians to take anti-hate speech training

Source: Expression
by Greg Gonzalez & Adam Goldstein

“California lawmakers are considering two bills that would make ‘anti-hate speech training’ a requirement. Assembly Bill 1803 would require employers with five or more employees to incorporate such training into existing, already-mandated sexual harassment prevention programs. Under Assembly Bill 1578, a similar training would be mandated for all state and local elected officials. … But ‘hate speech’ includes speech protected by the First Amendment — speech the government has no business trying to snuff out with legal mandates. But also, it has no clear or consistent definition. Because of that vagueness, efforts to regulate ‘hate speech’ risk giving the government sweeping authority to suppress views it doesn’t like.” (04/27/26)

https://expression.fire.org/p/lawmakers-want-to-force-californians

Bad Vibes and the Trump Betrayal

Source: CounterPunch
by Dean Baker

“Sometimes, something that seems too absurd to be taken seriously really should be taken seriously. As Paul Krugman argued a couple of days ago, Trump backers’ sense of betrayal by Trump may actually explain much of the negative attitude being reported by surveys of consumer sentiment.” (04/27/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/27/bad-vibes-and-the-trump-betrayal/

What Happens if America Nationalizes AI?

Source: The Atlantic
by Matteo Wong & Lila Shroff

“AI companies are beginning to entertain the possibility that they could cease to exist. This notion was, until recently, more theoretical: A couple of years ago, an ex-OpenAI employee named Leopold Aschenbrenner wrote a lengthy memo speculating that the U.S. government might soon take control of the industry. By 2026 or 2027, Aschenbrenner wrote, an ‘obvious question’ will be circling through the Pentagon and Congress: Do we need a government-led program for artificial general intelligence — an AGI Manhattan Project? He predicted that Washington would decide to go all in on such an effort.
Aschenbrenner may have been prescient.” (04/27/26)

https://archive.is/fHUCU

Reining in the Pentagon: Can the Military-Industrial Beast Be Tamed?

Source: TomDispatch
by William D Hartung

“Right at this moment, we are witnessing an unprecedented shift of resources from domestic investments in the United States to the military-industrial complex (aka the war machine). The only comparable period in our history was the buildup to World War II, when the United States confronted a powerful adversary in Nazi Germany with designs to control not just Europe, but the world. The current buildup is breathtaking in scope and will certainly prove devastating in its impact — not just on this country’s foreign and domestic policies but also on the economic prospects of average Americans. When, in 2023, my colleague Ben Freeman and I first conceived of our book, The Trillion Dollar War Machine, we viewed it in part as a cautionary tale about just how high the Pentagon budget might rise in the years to come (absent pushback from Congress and the taxpaying public).” (04/26/26)

https://tomdispatch.com/reining-in-the-pentagon

We Marinate in Conspiracy Today. Who’s to Blame? Partly, Donald Trump.

Source: The New Republic
by Michael Tomasky

“With respect to the attempts on his life, Donald Trump is the victim of conspiracy-mongering. But somehow, it’s a little hard to feel too bad for him.” (04/27/26)

https://newrepublic.com/article/209520/conspiracy-trump-correspondents-dinner-shooting

Would Jacqueline Coleman bring sound education policy into the governor’s office?

Source: Bluegrass Institute
by Gary W Houchens, John Garen, & Caleb O Brown

“Coleman could be amenable to dismantling some regulatory barriers to education and employment, but her overall record raises serious questions about the policies she would bring to the Governor’s office.” (04/27/26)

https://www.bluegrassinstitute.org/would-jacqueline-coleman-bring-sound-education-policy-into-the-governors-office/

Continued Right-Wing Obtuseness on the Drug War

Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
by Jacob G Hornberger

“The obtuseness regarding the U.S. drug war that has long afflicted American conservatives never ceases to amaze me. I just cannot understand how intelligent people can be so steadfastly ignorant when it comes to this manifestly evil and immoral federal program. Yet another example of this strange phenomenon comes from a right-winger named Joshua Treviño, who serves in two conservative organizations — the America First Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., and the Texas Public Policy Institute in Austin, Texas. I’m not sure how old Treviño is but …. He obviously is a smart man and he’s clearly old enough to be able to figure things out. Unfortunately, however, when it comes to the drug war, he remains steadfastly obtuse, just like almost every other right-winger in America.” (04/27/26)

https://www.fff.org/2026/04/27/continued-right-wing-obtuseness-on-the-drug-war/

The “No Kings” Movement Is Sheer Hypocrisy

Source: Town Hall
by Mark Lewis

“I’m convinced that the majority of people who take part in the ‘No Kings’ marches have absolutely no idea what they are doing. The Democratic masses are, sadly but inexcusably, nothing but ignorant, foolish sheep, being led to the slaughter by their ‘shepherds,’ who are wolves in wool. The sheep are taught to hate Donald Trump, and so, like Pavlov’s dogs, when the bell rings, they slobber and shout ‘Nazi!’ ‘No king!’ etc. Many of them probably actually believe Donald Trump wants to be king. It will never happen, even if Trump wanted it. You and I wouldn’t allow it. That’s what we rebelled against, remember. But while the Democratic masses are ignorant sheep, their ‘shepherds’ know exactly what they are doing and what they want.” (04/26/26)

https://townhall.com/columnists/marklewis/2026/04/26/the-no-kings-movement-is-sheer-hypocrisy-n2675051