Source: SFGate
“More than 17,000 American and Filipino military personnel will participate in one of their largest annual combat exercises in the Philippines that underscore the United States’ staunch commitment to Asia despite its preoccupation with the Middle East, a U.S. military official said Tuesday. During the April 20-May 8 maneuvers, called the Balikatan, Japanese forces will fire a missile in a ship-sinking exercise in northwestern Philippine waters facing the disputed South China Sea. Japan’s defense chief has been invited to witness the live-fire drill, Philippine military officials said. The large-scale combat drills between the U.S. and Philippines, which are longtime treaty allies, will expand this year to include other friendly forces, including those from Japan, France and Canada, which have signed visiting forces agreements with Manila, the Philippine military said.” (04/14/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/us-forces-to-join-combat-drills-in-philippines-to-22205418.php
Source: Adam Smith Institute
by Madsen Pirie
“The idea of the ‘property ladder,’ buying a starter home, then trading up over time to larger ones, was a huge part of UK culture from the late 20th century through the early 2000s. It has not disappeared entirely, but for many people it barely functions in the way that it once did. The average property now costs nearly eight times the average income, making it one of the toughest financial challenges of our time. According to the Resolution Foundation, it now takes the average first-time buyer about nine years to save for a deposit, and more than half of all first-time buyers under 35 rely on family help, the so-called ‘Bank of mum and dad,’ to enter the property market. Barclays research from 2025 found that many first-time buyers are no longer perceiving their first home as the start of a journey, but as the final destination.” (04/13/26)
https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/goodbye-to-the-property-ladder
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen, Emma Janssen & Whitney Curry Wimbish
“It may seem strange to focus on consequences while the war is still occurring, but the truth is that the die has already been cast when the Strait of Hormuz became a choke point rather than a natural waterway. This will have deep implications on economic security, technology, energy, and geopolitics, which we can now begin to chronicle, regardless of the ultimate outcome of the fighting between the U.S., Israel, and Iran.” (04/14/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/04/14/aftermath-plastics-clogged-in-persian-gulf/
Source: CNBC
“China has called the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz a ‘dangerous and irresponsible act’ that will further enflame tensions in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that the targeted blockade of the vital shipping channel, which began at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, coupled with an increase in U.S. military deployment, risks undermining an ‘already fragile ceasefire situation.’ Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a press conference that only a full ceasefire can help ease the situation, adding that Beijing would make efforts to help restore peace and stability in the Middle East.” (04/14/26)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/14/china-us-strait-of-hormuz-war-donald-trump-oil-energy-crisis-conflict-middle-east-iran.html
Source: Antiwar.com
“Netanyahu Says the Trump Admin Briefs Him Every Day, Pope Leo Responds to Trump Attack, and More.” (04/13/26)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNXvOyECmFU
Source: USA Today
by Paul Bledsoe
“The energy affordability crisis caused by the Iran war and electricity-hungry data centers has now risen, like prices, to near the top of Americans’ political concerns. … The good news is we no longer face the false choice between cutting emissions and cutting prices. We can do both. … Advanced technologies lower emissions while cutting prices. Adding electric car batteries in tens of millions of homes and workplaces along with other cheaper power storage units, which could provide a quarter of new U.S. power this year, might greatly reduce the need for expensive and polluting backup power plants on the grid.” (04/13/26)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2026/04/14/iran-war-ev-democrats-renewable-energy-policy/89518724007/
Source: Bloomberg
“A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is making its way through the Strait of Hormuz, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade. Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It is not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo. This exit from the Persian Gulf is a second attempt for the carrier in less than 24 hours. Just as the blockade came into effect, Rich Starry was making its way into the narrow waterway near Iran’s Qeshm Island and turned back — only to restart its exit just hours later, broadcasting that it has a Chinese owner and crew. This is a safety mechanism frequently used by vessels, but will test US resolve to challenge vessels tied to the world’s largest oil importer.” (04/14/26)
https://archive.is/Hcj98
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul
“President Trump was presented with a great opportunity on Saturday to take the off-ramp from his war on Iran. After threatening Iran that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight,’ Trump managed to get a two week pause in the war with the intervention of the Pakistani government. … after a month and a half of war, where tens of billions of dollars have been spent, every US base in the region is either damaged or destroyed, and dozens of military aircraft have been lost, President Trump did not take the off-ramp. He hit the accelerator. … Over the past weeks he has alternated between insisting that the Strait of Hormuz is unimportant to the United States and demanding that the Strait be opened immediately. Then yesterday he announced – via his social media account – that the United States military would start blockading Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.” (04/13/26)
http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/blockading-the-blockade
Source: Reason
“Is the War in Iran Totally Pointless?” (04/13/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/04/13/is-the-war-in-iran-totally-pointless/
Source: Washington Post
“Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-California) and Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) separately announced plans to depart from Congress on Monday ahead of possible expulsion votes related to allegations of sexual misconduct. … Swalwell faces accusations of sexual assault from a former staffer, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle on Friday. Several other women also alleged sexual misconduct in interviews with The Washington Post, CNN and other news outlets. Gonzales is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for having an affair with a staff member who later set herself on fire and died.” (04/13/26)
https://archive.is/EX7jC
