News of the Week for April 12th, 2026
- 2026 Election
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Socialized Medicine
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
2026 Election
A new CNN poll reveals how people mad at both parties see the midterms
Americans’ views of both the Democratic and Republican parties remain deeply negative, according to a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS. And in an election year that may turn on which party voters see as the lesser of two evils, the Democrats hold an early advantage.
Today, Maine; Tomorrow, the World
Up in the Maine Democratic Senate primary battle, the Graham Platner campaign contends to Axios that the contest is already over, and that Governor Janet Mills’s Maginot Line of support among Democrats has fallen. With a blitzkrieg attack, Platner has advanced to a consistent lead in polling; if the Impact Polling survey indicating that Platner has a 66 to 28 percent lead is accurate, then the Vernichtungsschlacht is already complete. His stark populism and attacks on Mills as part of a failed Democratic establishment proved to be a deft Bewegungskrieg and have entrapped her in a Kesselschlacht, with two months to the June 9 primary.
‘A wow moment’: Democrats make big gains in key battlegrounds
They notched a landslide victory in Wisconsin and cut into the GOP’s margins in Georgia’s reddest House district.
‘We got our butts kicked’: Republicans reckon with Democratic success ahead of the midterms
The bluntest assessment of Republican failures during this week’s elections in Wisconsin came from one of their own.
Abortion
Court Cases & Legislation
Planned Parenthood’s 2025 Annual Report: More Abortions, More Taxpayer Dollars, and Fewer Health Services
This week, Planned Parenthood released its 2025 annual report. In recent years, these reports have taken on additional significance. That is because congressional Republicans have demonstrated their willingness to stop federal taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. Indeed, this year’s report should bolster pro-life efforts to defund Planned Parenthood for the upcoming fiscal year. That is because, once again, this report provides very solid evidence that Planned Parenthood continues to prioritize abortion at the expense of real health-care services.
Gun Rights
Second Amendment Roundup: U.S. Supports Rehearing in D.C. Magazine Ban Case
The issue is whether the invalid magazine ban infects the registration-licensing convictions.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
A River ‘Co-Authors’ Science Papers
The science establishment is continuing its drift into mysticism regarding environmental issues. Our latest example comes from Nature — the most prestigious science journal in the world — extolling an Australian environmental scientist who lists a river as her co-author on science papers.
The Genesis Revitalizing U.S. Scientific Research
One day after the launch of the Artemis 2 mission to the moon – the first in over half a century – the Department of Energy announced the launch of the Genesis Mission – a bold initiative to transform how the U.S. conducts scientific research and engineering. By democratizing access to advanced computing capabilities, the initiative could unlock new levels of scientific discovery and innovation that benefit the entire country.
Ninth Circuit Dismisses Kids Climate Case Against Discounting in Cost-Benefit Analysis
The kids climate cases continue to have standing problems in federal court.
Socialized Medicine
Government in Healthcare
Canada told mentally ill must be euthanized lest they kill themselves
The argument has been at the core of Canadian euthanasia policy since the beginning
War & Terror
Defense Tech and Drones: A Ukrainian Lesson
Attention is being paid. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been in the Middle East promoting his country’s remarkable advance in anti-drone and drone warfare. According to the New York Times, Zelensky said that he has “negotiated air defense agreements with Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.” It’s easy enough to see that the diplomatic and strategic implications of these agreements could go beyond the battlefield.
America Must Seek Nuclear Supremacy
While the wars in Iran and Ukraine and other global crises command attention, many have overlooked the daunting challenge facing President Trump in the nuclear realm: for the first time ever, America faces not one but two peer adversaries that each represent an existential threat to our way of life.
How Vulnerable Is America to an ‘Operation Spiderweb’ at Home? Very
In an event not acknowledged until last week, Barksdale Air Force Base was targeted by ‘multiple waves’ of unmanned aerial vehicles in March.
Iran Shoots Down F-15; Iran Offering Reward for Pilots; One Rescued?
Well, this isn’t good. It appears that Iran got a lucky shot in and took down what appears to be an F-15.
Pentagon’s New $65.8B Shipbuilding Request is Highest Since 1962
The Pentagon’s request for new shipbuilding funds is among the highest-ever since the Korean War, rivaling the Reagan-era 600-ship spending plan and the nuclear submarine buildup in the 1960s, according to budget documents.
The Road Ahead in Iran
We don’t know how or when the U.S.-Israeli war against the Iranian regime will end. But if the mullahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps remain in power when the shooting stops, they will not only let out a deep sigh of relief, they will have good reasons to believe that the U.S. will never attempt a comparable operation against them again. (Israel is another story, but Israel alone is a much lesser threat to the Iranian regime than Israel working alongside the U.S. military.)
Second airman in F-15E that was shot down over Iran rescued safely, U.S. officials say
The search was on for the backseater since Friday’s incident, when the pilot was rescued shortly after the strike.
The Tactical Strategy of International Law War Crimes Causing Iran to Win Vietnam and Profit
First, I have told you guys we were arming the Iranian people. I heard this from very high-level Israeli and American officials. Yesterday, the President announced the arms never made it to the Iranians because the Kurds kept them. He did not name the Kurds. But he meant the Kurds. And he is promising hell on the Kurds if they do not keep their end of the deal.
Iran Prepares to Dupe the West Again
The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran reaches a proposed two-week cease-fire . . . at least on paper; the cease-fire has not stopped Iran from firing missiles and drones at Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The list of demands from Iran is an ayatollah’s wish list, but President Trump seems bizarrely enthusiastic about a proposal for the U.S. and Iran to jointly charge a toll fee for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Legal and Operational Issues in the Strait of Hormuz: Transit Passage Under Fire
Iran’s attacks on neutral shipping and potential mining of the Strait of Hormuz violate both the law of the sea and the law of armed conflict—and reveal how difficult those rules are to enforce in practice.
Mystery surrounds death of NINTH scientist tied to US secrets as disturbing pattern grows
Another scientist with ties to America’s space program has now joined the growing list of deaths and disappearances around the US.
A hacker has allegedly breached one of China’s supercomputers and is attempting to sell a trove of stolen data
A hacker has allegedly stolen a massive trove of sensitive data – including highly classified defense documents and missile schematics – from a state-run Chinese supercomputer in what could potentially constitute the largest known heist of data from China.
The Strait Hype
“A single regime has decided to exert control over a 21-mile passage, and as a result, we are living through the worst energy crisis the world has ever seen,” The Atlantic’s Amos Hochstein wrote in an essay published on Tuesday. Take that, OPEC! The shuttering of the Strait of Hormuz throttled the world’s access to the commodities that transit that waterway, but that may be the least of the world’s problems.
Surprise, Surprise: The Iranians Aren’t Keeping Their Promises
Yesterday, the president announced a cease-fire with Iran that would open the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has not ceased firing, and the Strait of Hormuz remains mostly closed, “with fewer vessels passing the Strait of Hormuz than during the fiercest days of fighting.” While the actual consequences of the cease-fire remain a contradictory mess, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth implausibly claims that a “new regime” is running Iran.
White House warns staff on insider trading amid Iran war bets
The White House sent an internal staff-wide email that warned employees against using confidential information to place trades on financial markets and fast-growing event betting platforms.
U.S. Intelligence Shows China Taking a More Active Role in Iran War
China may have shipped missiles to Iran, and Beijing is allowing some companies to sell Tehran supplies that can be used in military production, American officials said.
Kremlin hotline: Hungary colluded with Russia to delist sanctioned oligarchs, companies and banks
A hotline between Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave Moscow strategic information on critical EU issues, according to transcripts and audio recordings of calls reviewed by The Insider and its investigative partners. The materials indicate that Szijjártó acted on behalf of the Kremlin, including by pushing to remove sanctioned oligarchs from EU blacklists, including the sister of billionaire Alisher Usmanov. In another conversation, with Russia’s deputy energy minister, Szijjártó said he was doing his best to block an EU sanctions package and offered to try to save Russian entities from sanctions, adding that Slovakia’s government was also helping the coordinated Russian-Hungarian effort.
Trump: The U.S. to Blockade Hormuz Since Iran Controls Traffic, Charges Tolls
President Trump: The U.S. “Navy, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”
Missing nuclear official becomes TENTH person tied to dark pattern surrounding US secrets
Another person with links to America’s nuclear secrets has gone missing as the disturbing list of deaths and disappearances in recent years continues to grow. Steven Garcia, 48, vanished without a trace on August 28, 2025. He was last seen leaving his Albuquerque, New Mexico home on foot, carrying only a handgun.
National
Supreme Court Strikes Down Colorado’s Ban on ‘Conversion Therapy’ for LGBT Minors
The Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a Colorado law banning “conversion therapy” for minors, ruling in a 8–1 decision that the law violates the First Amendment free speech rights of licensed counselors.
Secret double life of Kristi Noem’s crossdressing husband Bryon: The pouting ‘busty bimbo’ photos and trove of explicit messages
Kristi Noem’s husband is today revealed as a secret crossdresser who dons gigantic fake breasts and pink hotpants to chat with online fetish models.
Las Vegas police arrested 6 at ‘No Kings’ rally
Las Vegas police arrested six people during a “No Kings” protest in downtown Las Vegas on Saturday, including a Henderson man accused of throwing rocks at officers.
Artemis II astronauts reach orbit on historic mission to the moon
is the first trip to the moon in 53 years. The 32-story Space Launch System rocket blasted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Artemis astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen will hurtle several thousand miles beyond the moon, hang a U-turn and then come straight back. No circling around the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk — just a quick out-and-back lasting less than 10 days. NASA promises more boot prints in the gray lunar dust, but not before a couple practice missions.
Pam Bondi, a Trump loyalist who oversaw DOJ upheaval, is out as AG
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Pam Bondi is out as his attorney general, ending the contentious tenure of a loyalist who upended the Justice Department’s culture of independence from the White House, oversaw large-scale firings of career employees and moved aggressively to investigate the Republican president’s perceived enemies.
Tillis Won’t Support Trump’s AG Pick if They Water Down January 6
It seems the nominee must consider the riot one of the worst days in American history.
FBI’s New Political Pre-Crime Center
Are your views on the list of ‘domestic terrorism’ indicators?
Justice Dept.’s Civil Rights Division Is Investigating Star Witness Against Trump
It was a highly unusual move by Justice Department leadership to direct a case that appears to involve accusations of lying to Congress to a division that normally focuses on civil rights abuses.
Trump’s voter roll order could have ‘drastic’ effect on Nevada, top election officer says
Your congressman might make your next martini; first ads in Reno mayoral race; fundraising totals trickling in.
Big-City Mayors Are Increasingly Community Organizers
Historians may someday trace the decline of America’s great cities in part to the mayors who were elected to run them.
Trump Promises Mass Pardons to Staff Before Leaving Office
In a recent meeting, the president said he would pardon those within 200 feet of the Oval Office, say people familiar with the remarks
Hunter Biden has quietly bolted from the US and claims he is $17 million in debt
Hunter Biden said his $17 million debt was connected to his legal fees and his attorney said he now lives abroad
NASA Says Artemis II Astronauts Are ‘Happy and Healthy’ After Splashdown
The crew of three Americans and one Canadian are to return to Houston on Saturday after concluding a journey that sent humans around the moon for the first time since 1972.
Trump Promises Mass Pardons to Staff Before Leaving Office
In a recent meeting, the president said he would pardon those within 200 feet of the Oval Office, say people familiar with the remarks
The Birthright Citizenship Question that Stumped the Solicitor General
It was surprising that the Solicitor General did not appear to have thought much about the extent of Congress’ legislative power under Section 5.
Did the Solicitor General Misrepresent Flournoy Article in Birthright Citizenship Oral Argument
It is often useful to consult the original source.
Short Circuit: An inexhaustive weekly compendium of rulings from the federal courts of appeal
Phony checks, a twinkling of an eye, and sparkling sports gambling.
Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Federal Law Banning Home Alcohol Distilleries
The ruling holds the law exceeds Congress’ authority under the tax power and the Necessary and Proper Clause. But it does not consider the Commerce Clause.
Heritage president toasted editor of controversial right-wing magazine
Heritage Foundation chief Kevin Roberts called Paul Gottfried, a “paleoconservative” who promotes writers accused of white supremacism, “one of the sages of our age.”
Economy & Taxes
Export Report: Soybeans missed the mark
Corn sales continued to lead the way in the week through March 12.
When Have Trump’s Tariffs Helped?
The Cato Institute has a great analysis today, on the anniversary of President Trump’s “liberation day” speech, of the effects of Trump’s tariff regimes after one year.
Seniors Are Devouring the Federal Budget
The excellent Penn Wharton Budget Model has a new report on how federal spending is distributed by age. It shows you where the government’s priorities lie: seniors front of the line, everyone else a distant second.
Economic growth downgraded to 0.5 percent in fourth quarter of 2025
U.S. economic growth slowed more than previously expected during the fourth quarter of last year, according to new government data.
The Secret History of the Dismal Science. Part I. Economics, Religion and Race in the 19th Century
Everyone knows that economics is the dismal science. And almost everyone knows that it was given this description by Thomas Carlyle, who was inspired to coin the phrase by T. R. Malthus’s gloomy prediction that population would always grow faster than food, dooming mankind to unending poverty and hardship.
Inflation Surges as Effects of the Iran War Show in Prices
The Consumer Price Index jumped 3.3 percent in the year through March, a two-year high, reflecting higher costs for energy and goods affected by disruptions in the Middle East.
Consumer sentiment hits record low, inflation fears rise amid Iran war
Consumer confidence plunged to a record low in April as fears mounted over rising energy prices and the broader impact of the Iran war, according to a University of Michigan survey. The drop in sentiment coincided with a sharp spike in inflation expectations, with respondents seeing prices up 4.8% in a year from now, a full percentage point rise from the March reading.
That Is . . . Not a Good Quarterly U.S. GDP Number
On any given week, the U.S. economy will generate numbers that look good in some ways (unemployment low by historical standards, inflation low by the standards of Biden’s presidency) and not so good in other ways (a tumultuous stock market, a recent spike in gas prices, widespread frustration with the cost of living, growing economic pessimism, gargantuan public debt, etc.). I’m on the more pessimistic side; I think a lot of generally smart economists have focused on the cheerier data and shrugged off the fact that, as the Wall Street Journal put it late last year, Americans have faced almost five years of persistent inflation. It feels like everything costs an arm and a leg these days, and for a lot of people it seems like, if America is prospering, someone else is enjoying all that prosperity.
Thoughts on Today’s Oral Argument in the Section 122 Tariff Cases
The outcome is unclear. But the judges seemed skeptical of the Trump Administration’s claims that Section 122 grants them sweeping tariff powers.
International
How Viktor Orbán’s Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free Markets
Many on the right see Viktor Orbán’s Hungary as a model. In fact, it is a cautionary tale of unrestrained executive power and crony capitalism.
Meet the MAGA Intellectual on Hungary’s Payroll
A political theorist who once prophesized a Queen Melania is Viktor Orbán’s envoy to the court of Trump.
The PRC’s Proud History of Reckless and Dangerous Experiments
While the world is justifiably focused on Iran, the world remains a dangerous place for the U.S. and its allies on many fronts. I find myself wanting to know more about China, and so on my Easter vacation, I picked up the “light reading” of Mao: The Unknown Story, by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday, published in 2005.
Blue Danube
Why J.D. Vance is rallying for Viktor Orbán.
Opinion
States Should Lead on Higher-Ed Reform
The “laboratories of democracy” must continue to chart a way forward for colleges.
Et Tu, Cesar? Chavez’s Sexual-Assault Allegations Were the Last Straw
Back in 2014, when I designated Cesar Chavez’s birthday as National Border Control Day, it was, of course, partly a troll. The left had turned Chavez into the Hispanic Gandhi, naming streets after him and turning his birthday into March’s answer to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Institutional Rot of the Right’s Youth Politics
Youth politics eventually become adult politics—and that’s a problem for conservatives.
Victories Need to Be Visible
War with Iran, to be worth it, needs to produce undeniable change that doesn’t require intelligence analysts to explain.
Welcome back, Christopher Columbus
Sometimes Humpty Dumpty can be put back together again.
Birthright Citizenship Case Comes to the Supreme Court
This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the much anticipated oral arguments in the birthright citizenship case, Trump v. Barbara. I confess that I am pretty much where I was when I wrote about it after President Trump’s executive order, at the start of his non-consecutive second term.
Birthright Citizenship: The Statutory Problem
My column looks at the constitutional birthright citizenship issue facing the Supreme Court in Trump v. Barbara. But even if the Trump administration has the better argument on the 14th Amendment, and even if it persuades the Supreme Court to work around or overturn its 1898 precedent in Wong Kim Ark, it must still overcome one more hurdle: the argument that Congress has effectively codified Wong Kim Ark in 1940 and 1952 statutes by repeating the language of the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause after half a century in which Wong Kim Ark was considered to have settled the issue.
Birthright Citizenship: The Constitutional Stakes and the Transient Problem
The constitutional case against birthright citizenship is strongest when dealing with the children of transients through the country.
No Big Surprises at the Birthright Citizenship Argument
I rounded up the arguments here and here this morning on the birthright citizenship case, Trump v. Barbara, that was argued this morning. It was expected to be hard sledding for Solicitor General D. John Sauer, and it was. While some of the justices, notably Samuel Alito, had tough questions for ACLU lawyer Cecillia Wang as well, there wasn’t anyone unambiguously taking Sauer’s side. And out of what we might think of as the Court’s “center” these days — Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh — it was hard to find much sympathy for Sauer, except maybe from Kavanaugh, who was cagey about his thinking. When Sauer noted the differences in travel and the legal regimes since 1868 and added, “It’s a new world,” he drew a pithy rejoinder from Roberts: “It’s a new world, but it’s the same Constitution.”
Birthright Citizenship: The Question of Intent
One of the most common arguments against the idea that the Constitution mandates birthright citizenship, even for the children of illegal immigrants, is that the relevant provision of the 14th Amendment was written to protect “the BABIES OF SLAVES” (to quote President Trump).
The Orban election test case for the limits of populism’s appeal
Hungary’s election on Sunday may have portents for the durability of the MAGA movement.
Defending Against the Demagogue
Although words are our main tools for thinking about the world, in public life they’re used most relentlessly to keep us from thinking at all. As we discussed last month, demagogues twist language until it no longer helps us track reality but only stirs our emotions. In the mid-20th century, an idiosyncratic thinker named Alfred Korzybski invented a discipline he called general semantics — an attempt at “mental hygiene,” a way to restore the link between words and the world to enable effective thinking. In a climate of weaponized slogans and endless “news,” its core insights feel astonishingly current.
