“‘If man is not fit to govern himself, how can he be fit to govern someone else?’ – James Madison … A very clear — and truthful — analysis by Mr. Madison, and it explains in a few words, the problem with most governments in history, and that includes the current American government. As I have noted countless times, the American Founders said that the country cannot succeed without a virtuous people electing virtuous leaders. Well, people elected Eric Swalwell, who is the epitome of vice and immorality. Swalwell is human scum, but what does his election to Congress tell us about the people who put him there in the first place? And do we really think the people of his Congressional district are going to learn from their folly and replace Swalwell with a paragon of Christian virtue?” (04/20/26)
“In September, it was reported that FDA officials had privately investigated 25 paediatric deaths following Covid vaccination — the first systematic review of such cases since the rollout began. The findings were meant to be presented to the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). But the presentation never came. The meeting passed without a word. Something had happened behind closed doors. Now we know what.” (04/20/26)
“Four huge media conglomerates forked over $63 million in ‘settlements’ earmarked for Trump’s presidential library. Democrats are trying to track that money — and the latest developments don’t inspire confidence.” (04/20/26)
“It started with Gaza, but the admin’s fight with the pope and its insistence that Jesus blesses US bombing raids have put this pillar of the base at serious risk.” (04/20/26)
“On Thursday and Friday, there seemed to be progress toward a war-ending deal. President Trump went along with an Iranian demand that Israel must cease bombing Lebanon as a precondition to talks. … on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the Strait of Hormuz was ‘completely open.’ Trump claimed that a deal was at hand, leading the stock market to jump and the price of oil to fall. In ordinary diplomacy, this is how a deal unfolds. Each side offers the other something constructive, a process that builds confidence and trust, until eventually a firm agreement can be signed. But Trump is not a ordinary diplomat. Only a few hours after Araghchi proclaimed the strait open, Trump closed it again, announcing that the U.S. would continue its own blockade of the strait ‘until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.” (04/20/26)
“The recent ceasefire between Israel and Iran may have paused the most intense phase of direct military confrontation, but it has done nothing to resolve the deeper questions about Middle Eastern stability that have emerged since October 7, 2023. Behind the temporary calm lies a profound transformation in Israeli strategic thinking, one that has moved from containment to active regional reorganization. Israel is not a normal democracy that abides by the rule of law or legal restraint. It is very much an expansionist state with bold ambitions and a demonstrated willingness to break international law. The events of the past two years have made this reality impossible to ignore.” (04/20/26)
“The conservative-populist movement that Trump summoned has dominated the American right for a decade, but when he leaves office three years hence, either something new will take its place or a period of incoherence will commence. Right-wingers in recent years have propounded several alternatives: Catholic ‘integralism,’ which seems unable to garner much support in our secular, erstwhile Protestant nation; ‘post-liberalism,’ an empty signifier and mere negation; white nationalism, a dead end; CEO-style monarchism, which Trumpism has in effect only further delegitimized (hence the ‘No Kings’ protests); and so on. This essay proposes and adumbrates a different ideology, which I believe could not only glue together a winning coalition but also guide responsible governance: right-liberalism.” (04/20/26)
Source: Grist
by Rebecca Egan McCarthy & Kate Yoder
“The future looked dire for renewable energy in the United States last spring. Republicans in Congress started gutting the Inflation Reduction Act, forcing its generous tax credits for wind and solar into an early retirement. The Interior Department then rolled out a series of byzantine regulations aimed at restricting clean energy on federal land. Some feared those regulations would curb wind and solar development on private land, too. Although these restrictions do seem to have hindered the wind industry, there are some signs that its fortunes are changing. But a year later, solar continues to boom.” (04/20/26)
