War as a Pretext: Gulf States Are Tightening the Screws on Speech—Again

Source: Electronic Frontier Foundation
by Jillian C York

“War does not only reshape borders. It also reshapes what can be seen, said, and remembered. When governments invoke ‘misinformation’ during wartime, they often mean something simpler: speech they do not control. Since the escalation of conflict between the United States, Israel, Iran, and related spillover attacks in the Gulf, several governments have intensified efforts to silence dissent and restrict the flow of information.” (04/13/26)

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/04/war-pretext-gulf-states-are-tightening-screws-speech-again

Thomas L. Knapp

We Need “More Muckrakers and Fewer Buck-Takers”

Source: CounterPunch
by Mickey S Huff

“Fifty years ago, Carl Jensen founded Project Censored because he knew that journalism was the lifeblood of democracy. He argued that the news media, despite its increasingly corporate and commercial nature, can have a positive influence on the world, especially when it operates ethically and independently in the public interest. He encouraged journalism programs at colleges across the country to turn out ‘more muckrakers and fewer buck-takers.'” (04/13/26)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/04/13/we-need-more-muckrakers-and-fewer-buck-takers/

Thomas L. Knapp

How Many People Have the US and Israel Killed in Iran?

Source: Common Dreams
by Medea Benjamin & Nicolas JS Davies

“After the breakdown of talks in Pakistan, the ceasefire between the US and Iran is more fragile than ever, and now seems likely to give way to a new phase of the war. The ceasefire and talks have failed to end Israel’s devastating attacks on Lebanon or to negotiate international access to the Strait of Hormuz, now under Iran’s control. The world must use this pause in the war to push for a permanent ceasefire and peace agreement, but we must also start to assess the true human cost of the war–something the US is always reluctant to do in its wars, from Vietnam to Iraq to Afghanistan. While we always know the exact number of Americans killed in these wars, we never have an accurate tally of how many people we have killed …” (04/13/26)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/how-civilians-killed-by-us-in-iran

Steve Trinward

India: Police Attack Allegedly Violent Protesters With Chemical Weapons

Source: US News & World Report

“Police lobbed ⁠tear ⁠gas shells and used ‘minimum ⁠force’ on Monday to quell a factory workers’ protest ​in the Indian national capital’s suburb of Noida, which turned violent on its fourth ‌day, with vehicles torched and ‌stones pelted in parts of the satellite city. … Visuals ⁠from news agency ANI, in which Reuters has a minority stake, showed ⁠dozens of protesters marching on the street and chanting slogans, while security personnel in anti-riot gear looked on. Other visuals showed an overturned vehicle with flames rising out of it, and protesters hurling stones and trying to break through barricades.” (04/13/26)

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-04-13/police-fire-tear-gas-as-workers-protest-in-indias-noida-turns-violent

Thomas L. Knapp

The Nations in Wealth of Nations

Source: EconLog
by Caleb Petitt

“Much of Adam Smith’s writing in An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (WN) is concrete. He explores examples of contemporary and ancient economic, political, religious, and military situations to better understand the world he lived in. As a result, his commentary touched on the economic situations of many nations.” (04/13/26)

https://www.econlib.org/econlog/the-nations-in-wealth-of-nations

Thomas L. Knapp