MAGA Is Winning Its War Against US Science
Source: Paul Krugman
by Paul Krugman
“When a political movement believes that ignorance is strength.” (04/07/26)
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/maga-is-winning-its-war-against-us
Politico Playbook Audio Briefing, 04/07/26
Source: Politico
“Clock ticks on Trump’s deadline.” (04/07/26)
Why SCOTUS Ruled 8–1 Against Colorado’s “Conversion Therapy” Ban
Source: Reason
by Damon Root
“Sometimes, a highly controversial political or social issue will lead to a highly fractious Supreme Court decision. Chiles v. Salazar is a reminder that even the most contentious issues do not always raise equally difficult legal questions for the Supreme Court to answer.” (04/07/26)
https://reason.com/2026/04/07/why-scotus-ruled-8-1-against-colorados-conversion-therapy-ban/
Affordability Theater Is a Band-Aid, Not a Cure
Source: The Dispatch
by Jeremiah Johnson
“It’s easy to propose ideas that make things feel more affordable without actually making them less expensive. And while both parties traffic in this kind of theater, the GOP — especially under President Donald Trump — has turned it into a governing ethos. The formula is simple. First, Trump will create an affordability problem through his own policies. Then, instead of fixing the underlying cause, he will propose to paper over the problem with a subsidy, a tax gimmick, or a check. Tariffs are the most obvious example.” (04/07/26)
Australia: Soldier charged with committing 5 war crime murders in Afghanistan
Source: ABC News
“A former Australian soldier was charged on Tuesday with war crimes on allegations that he killed five unarmed Afghans while serving in Afghanistan from 2009 and 2012, police said. Police have not confirmed the 47-year-old man’s name. He is expected to appear in a Sydney court later Tuesday. The soldier is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime. … The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence that elite Australian SAS and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants.” (04/07/26)
The Dispatch Podcast, 04/07/26
Source: The Dispatch
“The Department of Justice After Pam Bondi.” (04/07/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/dispatch-podcast/the-department-of-justice-after-pam-bondi/
Congress Can End Trump’s Unconstitutional War in Iran
Source: The American Conservative
by Bruce Fein
“Congress can brandish the power of the purse to end President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional attack on Iran, a criminal war of aggression as defined by the postwar Nuremberg Tribunal. Congress ended the Vietnam War through the power of the purse. All Congress needs today is a fraction of the courage displayed by the 56 signatories to the American Declaration of Independence who signed their death warrants in defense of unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness 250 years ago.” (04/07/26)
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/congress-can-end-trumps-unconstitutional-war-in-iran/
Another Liberal Media Hoax About ICE Bites the Dust
Source: Batya Ungar-Sargon
by Batya Ungar-Sargon
“Everyone remembers the photo of little Liam Ramos, the 5-year-old migrant child pictured in ICE custody wearing a sky blue bunny hat. ICE said that they tried to detain Liam’s father, an illegal [sic] migrant from Ecuador, who ran from them, leaving Liam in their custody. They then tried to give Liam to his mother, but she refused to open the front door, leaving ICE no choice but to detain Liam. Liam and his father were later taken to an ICE detention center, but a judge ordered them released after a few weeks on the grounds that they had a pending asylum case. … Just a month later, the truth that I and many others had suspected came out: The Ramos asylum case is bogus. … You probably didn’t hear about that. The media doesn’t tend to report such things.” (04/07/26)
https://batyaus.substack.com/p/another-liberal-media-hoax-about
Officials say Ukrainian forces operating in Libya attacked Russian tanker
Source: SFGate
“Ukrainian forces are operating in western Libya under a covert deal endorsed by the West, and they used the Northern African country’s territory to strike a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean last month, two Libyan officials said Tuesday. The Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz, carrying 61,000 tons of liquefied natural gas, was badly damaged in a suspected sea drone attack near Maltese waters early in March. It has since drifted off Libya. All 30 crew members were rescued and put on another vessel heading to the Libyan city of Benghazi, the Libyan Maritime Authority said. The tanker is part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet transporting oil in violation of international sanctions over Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine. A recent temporary U.S. waiver on those sanctions is aimed at easing supply shortages amid the Iran war.” (04/07/26)
Compound Interest, 04/07/26
Source: Semafor
“Why Oura’s CEO is embracing Washington regulation.” (04/07/26)