Source: AOL
“Donald Trump has broken his silence on a key question [sic] surrounding the US-Iran ceasefire deal. The US president addressed reports about the agreement’s scope in a new interview, and his answer has already drawn sharp reactions from multiple world leaders. US President Donald Trump told PBS News that Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire agreement between Washington and Iran. Trump cited Hezbollah as the reason for Lebanon’s exclusion, adding that the situation ‘will get taken care of.’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Lebanon’s exclusion from the deal, according to Axios. Trump also described Israel’s continued strikes on Lebanon as ‘a separate skirmish,’ PBS NewsHour’s Liz Landers reported on X.” [editor’s note: There’s no “question.” Lebanon was part of the deal as announced. The main purpose of the Israeli strikes in Lebanon is probably precisely to get the larger war going again – TLK] (04/09/26)
https://www.aol.com/articles/donald-trump-says-lebanon-not-072703656.html
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Connor O’Keeffe
“[M]ost of the discourse about the economic impacts of the war has focused on the rising prices drivers are facing at the gas pump. That isn’t surprising, as gas prices are an early cost that impact consumers directly. But the emphasis on pain at the pump threatens to badly understate the economic damage of this war. And it helps feed the false impression that, if this new attempt at a ceasefire holds and the war ends somewhat quickly, gas prices will fall back down as fast as they rose, and then all the global economic turmoil the world’s been worrying about will be avoided. It won’t. A lot of economic pain has already been locked in by this war. But to really understand it, it’s necessary to keep a few important economic truths at the front of our minds.” (04/08/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/economic-destruction-trumps-war-goes-far-beyond-high-gas-prices
Source: Reason
“The Rise of the Information State.” (04/08/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/04/08/the-rise-of-the-information-state/
Source: Axios
“Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not comply with a subpoena to appear before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee next week for questioning on her handling of the Epstein files. Bondi, who was ousted from her post earlier this month, previously told reporters she will ‘follow the law’ in responding to a subpoena from the panel. ‘The Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general,’ a committee spokesperson said. The panel will reach out to Bondi’s personal attorney ‘to discuss next steps,’ the spokesperson added.” (04/08/26)
https://archive.is/1ANRM
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
“It’s hard to bodyslam the two-week pause with Iran without taking direct shots at the guy who announced it. But they are trying their best.” (04/08/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-ceasefire-iran/
Source: SFGate
“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has attracted another opposition Conservative lawmaker to the Liberal party, further assuring that he will soon have a majority government. Ontario Member of Parliament Marilyn Gladu alluded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to Canada’s sovereignty and economy for her decision to defect to Carney’s governing Liberals. Trump has talked about making Canada the 51st state and has applied punishing tariffs on certain key sectors. ‘The past year has been like no other Canada has ever faced,’ Gladu said in a statement Wednesday. ‘I’ve heard from constituents that you want serious leadership and a real plan to build a stronger and more independent Canadian economy.’ Gladu is the fifth Member of Parliament to defect to Carney and the fourth Conservative.” (04/08/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/world/article/canadian-prime-minister-mark-carney-attracts-yet-22195678.php
Source: The Watch
by Radley Balko
“Federal immigration officers racially profiled a man, fired at his truck, raided his home at 4 am, and arrested him. Then they lied about it all — both in public and in court.” (04/08/26)
https://radleybalko.substack.com/p/you-cant-hide-your-lying-ice-th
Source: Reuters
“Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Moscow had summoned the Japanese ambassador in protest over an investment made by a Japanese startup in Ukrainian interceptor drone technology.
The Japanese company, Terra Drone, said in March it had invested an undisclosed sum in Ukrainian interceptor-drone producer Amazing Drones, which produces technology designed for rapid deployment on the battlefield. … The Kremlin has described Russia’s relations with Japan as having been ‘reduced to zero’ over what it casts as Tokyo’s ‘unfriendly stance’ towards Moscow.” (04/08/26)
https://www.reuters.com/world/russia-says-it-has-summoned-japanese-ambassador-over-ukrainian-drone-investment-2026-04-08/
Source: Eastern New Mexico News
by Kent McManigal
“Businesses don’t want to harm their customers. That’s no way to stay in business. When a new restaurant opens, people rush to stand in line to try it out. They don’t worry that the restaurant will poison them, and it’s not because of the licenses and permits the owners got from government. Government would love for you to believe this is what keeps you safe, but again, government works harder to protect dishonest businesses than to protect victims. If a business owner is greedy but can’t use government to force you to trade with him or her, this greed is motivation to satisfy you …. It’s only when a crooked business owner has government connections that satisfying the customer loses its importance.” (04/08/26)
https://www.easternnewmexiconews.com/story/2026/04/08/voices/opinion-trust-marketplace-not-the-government/233172.html
Source: Texas Tribune
“Texas hemp industry leaders and advocacy groups have sued the state to block new regulations that eliminate natural smokeable hemp products and increase licensing fees. The Texas Hemp Business Council, Hemp Industry & Farmers of America, and several Texas-based dispensaries and manufacturers filed for a temporary restraining order in state district court in Travis County against the Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on Tuesday. They argue that the agencies have overstepped their constitutional authority by rewriting the statutory definitions of hemp established by lawmakers in 2019. … ‘An administrative agency may not substitute its own policy judgment for the outcome produced by the constitutional lawmaking process,’ the lawsuit states.” (04/08/26)
https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/08/texas-hemp-smokeable-ban-joints-lawsuit/
