News of the Week for April 26th, 2026
- 2026 Election
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Socialized Medicine
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
2026 Election
Virginia Voters Approve Democrats’ Aggressive Mid-Decade Redistricting Proposal
On Tuesday, Virginia voters approved a measure that will allow lawmakers to redraw the state’s congressional lines to make ten of the state’s eleven districts more favorable for Democrats.
Virginia’s Gerrymandering War Moves to the Courts
Virginia voters have narrowly ratified a preposterous gerrymander designed by the state’s Democratic legislature.
Virginia House Democrats Deny Spanberger’s Gun Ban Amendment
The Democrat-controlled Virginia legislature was set to approve Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s changes to a gun and magazine ban bill that would turn any semi-automatic firearm with a magazine capable of holding more than 15 rounds into an “assault firearm.” The Senate sponsor of the bill had given his thumbs up to the change, and given that a simple majority vote is all that’s needed to approve her amendments, I figured the House would have more than enough votes given the Democrat supermajority in the lower chamber. As it turns out, though, the House leadership delivered a curveball when the bill came up during today’s one-day session.
Virginia Judge Blocks Redistricting After Referendum Passes, Immediate Appeal Expected
“And now a rogue Republican judge is trying to override the will of the people because they didn’t like the outcome. That’s not democracy. That’s desperation.”
Every Black Republican Is Leaving the House, Erasing Diversity Gains
All four Black House Republicans are retiring after this year, a reflection of the striking and persistent lack of diversity in the G.O.P. ranks of Congress.
Abortion
Court Cases & Legislation
Casper Judge Blocks Wyoming’s ‘Heartbeat’ Abortion Ban
A Casper-based judge on Friday blocked Wyoming’s newest abortion ban, the fourth near-total abortion ban Wyoming judges have blocked in four years. The judge said the pro-choice advocates could have faced “irreparable harm” from the ban.
Kenyan appeal court overturns ruling that affirmed the right to abortion
A court of appeal in Kenya Friday overturned a ruling that affirmed the right to access abortion, setting up a legal clash that is likely to be appealed again to the Kenyan Supreme Court.
Gun Rights
Inside the Nasty Fight Between Two of the World’s Most Storied Gun Makers
A string of perceived snubs, missed connections and canceled meetings have rocked the relationship between Beretta and Sturm Ruger
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
The Urban Heat Island and Urban Cool Island: A Few Examples for U.S. Major Metropolitan Areas
I’ve been spending recent months applying our novel methodology of quantifying the urban heat island (UHI) effect on surface air temperature, now using Landsat-based Impervious Surface (IS) cover fraction as a proxy for urbanization. This is an adaptation of our published research using population density (PD) as a proxy for urbanization, in which we showed that about 60% of the U.S. warming trend since the late 1800s in urban and suburban areas could be attributed to increases in population density. We used non-homogenized (raw) GHCN temperature data in that study; it remains unknown to what extent homogenization procedures implemented by NOAA, Berkeley BEST, et al. have removed this spurious warming effect.
Socialized Medicine
Government in Healthcare
Activists Want Fewer Animal — but More Human — Deaths by Euthanasia
After a bear was euthanized in California because she paw-swiped a human who owned a house under which the bruin and her cubs were living, there was a popular outcry. Now, a bill has been put in the hopper in the California State Senate promoting “coexistence” between people and wild animals.
Suicide Clinic Helping Grieving Mother Die Promotes Death-on-Demand Culture
A grieving mother who is in good health has been accepted for termination by a Swiss suicide clinic.
War & Terror
Fear of reprisals, isolation, anxiety: Report documents mental health concerns at CSIS
1st-of-its-kind report heard that mental health stigma prominent at Canada’s spy agency
Search for 11 missing nuclear scientists escalates as top lawmakers reveal NEW national security’ fears
Introducing DC Insider – your guide to what’s rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on Capitol Hill. Sign up HERE.
The changing economics of war
On 15 September 1916, at Flers-Courcelette, 49 Mark I tanks rolled into no-man’s land. Most broke down. The ones that kept going shocked the German line and took three villages by lunchtime. Douglas Haig wired London for a thousand more. Building armoured vehicles in volume shaped the next century of wars.
Japan lifts ban on lethal arms exports for first time since second world war
Major shift from pacifist stance will allow defence contractors to target international markets
Iran says 1st Strait of Hormuz toll revenues banked
Hamidreza Hajibabaei, the deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, claimed that Iran, not the United States, was now making demands after the first revenues for newly implemented tolls on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz were deposited into the state’s central bank.
Germany unveils strategy for becoming Europe’s strongest military by 2039
Germany revealed a package of foundational strategic documents for its armed forces on Wednesday, including the country’s first standalone military strategy, a new capability profile, a personnel growth plan and a redesigned reserve strategy — the most comprehensive overhaul of Bundeswehr planning in decades.
Hegseth’s Pentagon Reshuffle Makes Little Operational Difference — and That’s a Big Problem
Under the current system, it is irrelevant that the Navy secretary and professional head of the U.S. Army were sacked mid-war. This is not a tenable situation.
National
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving Trump’s Cabinet after abuse of power allegations
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is out of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, the White House said Monday, after multiple allegations of abusing her position’s power, including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job.
Dirty Deeds, Done Quite Lucratively
We can debate whether the hateful little toad Nick Fuentes is genuinely influential in American culture; perhaps his audience is really just seeking titillation and is watching out of morbid curiosity, as Michael Brendan Dougherty contended, rather than actual agreement with Fuentes abhorrent beliefs.
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman launches Democratic run for KY governor in 2027
Kentucky Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman, who has run and won alongside Gov. Andy Beshear twice, announced Monday that she will run for governor in 2027.
A New Age-Verification Bill Could Make You Show ID To Use a Computer or Smartphone
Plus: The war with Iran is raising condom prices, increased legal liability for chatbot advice could backfire, and more…
Trump reclassifies state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug in a historic shift
President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government.
Corruption in Washington
In this episode, Guy and Luther are joined by Abigail Anthony and Malia Marks, who have been investigating fraud and discriminatory policies in Washington State. Crack open a Rainier and tune in if you want to know whether Oxford or Cambridge is superior, or if you think fraud is bad.
DOJ Drops Criminal Probe Into Fed Chairman Jerome Powell
U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said she “will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation should the facts warrant doing so.”
Montana High Court Allows ‘Gender Identity’ Birth Certificates, Driver’s Licenses
Dissent: The Court has issued “a political decision dressed up in constitutional garb … saying what the law should be, rather than what the law is.”
U.S. Spies on the Vatican
Trump’s war on Pope Leo includes cloak and dagger
The Powell Investigation Was Everything Wrong with Trump’s Second Term
The Justice Department has dropped its investigation into Fed chairman Jerome Powell, just in time for the Senate to confirm Kevin Warsh as his replacement — which it has been resisting doing so long as the Powell probe was ongoing. Score this as a win for retiring North Carolina Republican Thom Tillis, who made that quid pro quo explicit and won the game of chicken with the Trump White House.
Trump DOJ Bows to Inevitability and Drops the Powell Probe
Today’s announcement that the Justice Department is dropping its investigation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell was inevitable: The investigation was baseless, and the cost-benefit analysis had turned decidedly negative for President Trump — his lawfare proclivities outweighed by his desire to influence monetary policy.
FCC: Router ban includes portable hotspots, but not phones with hotspot features
FCC defines consumer routers expansively, updates FAQ to include Wi-Fi hotspots.
US Wheat Crops Wither, Herds Thin as Spring Drought Deepens
Farmers across the Great Plains are confronting an intense drought that threatens winter wheat harvests and is pushing cattle producers toward costly feed purchases, prompting some to abandon plans to expand their herds.
Trump Says Authorities Have Apprehended White House Correspondents’ Dinner Shooter
The Secret Service on Saturday confirmed agents had apprehended a suspect in connection with a shooting incident near the main magnetometer screening area at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday evening.
WHCD Shooting Suspect Identified as Calif. Teacher, Appears to Have Targeted Trump and Admin Members: Officials
Last night’s shooting at the White House Correspondents Dinner appeared targeted at President Donald Trump and his administration, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told CNN Sunday morning.
Eighth Circuit Upholds Ban on Trespassing for Surveillance Purposes
From PETA, Inc. v. Reynolds, decided Thursday by the Eighth Circuit (Judge Steven Grasz, joined by Judges James Loken and Raymond Gruender)
Short Circuit: An inexhaustive weekly compendium of rulings from the federal courts of appeal
Vigilantes, less-lethal munitions, and a bananas ID theft case.
Economy & Taxes
Nationwide Survey: Most Farmers Can’t Afford Fertilizer
An overwhelming majority of America’s farmers who responded to a nationwide survey say they cannot afford to purchase enough fertilizer to get them through the year. The percentage who pre-purchased fertilizer varies significantly by region.
Trump Clashes with Cabinet on Gas-Price Predictions
If you live in Virginia, today’s the day to go out and vote against the ludicrous gerrymandering proposal from the Democrats. But beyond my home state, the president is insisting that his secretary of energy is “totally wrong” in his assessment of gas prices in the coming year, while the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded, “Iran retains thousands of missiles and one-way attack UAVs that can threaten U.S. and partner forces throughout the region, despite degradations to its capabilities from both attrition and expenditure.” Thousands?
They Chose Careers in the Trades and Still Wound Up With Debt
As community colleges and union apprenticeships fill up, more students are turning to pricier training options for blue-collar careers
Lord Hannan Takes the Reins at IEA
When it comes to economic outcomes (and much else), Britain is in rough shape. The U.K. needs a stronger commitment to free markets, free people, and dynamism — and to the policies that will advance those commitments.
U.S. consumer sentiment falls to record low on inflation
Consumers’ perceptions of their expected financial situation was the weakest since May of last year
Meet the quiet winners of the Supreme Court tariff ruling: hedge funds creating a $100 billion market snapping up rights to importers’ tariff refunds
At the end of February, Rep. Jamie Raskin, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and his son Brandon Lutnick, who took over as chair of financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, replacing his father as top brass when Lutnick took a spot on President Donald Trump’s cabinet.
Trump’s Commerce Secretary Loves Tariffs. His Former Investment Bank Is Taking Bets Against Them
A subsidiary of Cantor Fitzgerald, which is run by the sons of US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, is letting clients essentially bet that President Donald Trump’s tariffs will be struck down in court.
Spirit Airlines and Government Intervention
A wise man once said that “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
The Hormuz billion-barrel oil shock is about to crash demand
The Strait of Hormuz oil shock has yet to crash demand as the rich world borrows from its stocks and pays up to secure supply. Traders are now sounding the alarm that a harsh adjustment is coming.
International
Smoking will be BANNED for anyone born after 2008 as landmark legislation clears Parliament
CHILDREN aged 17 or under will face a lifelong ban on buying cigarettes in a “landmark” bill which hopes to make a smoke-free generation.
EU Pushes Crackdown on Emojis that Hide ‘Illegal’ Speech
The European Union is pushing for a crackdown on emojis online, arguing that their use can cover up speech it considers illegal.
Opinion
The Last Time Everyone Watched the Same Thing
No one knew it at the time, but 2014 — more precisely, Ellen DeGeneres’ star-studded selfie moment — marked the peak of a monoculture that no longer exists. The numbers show a long decay ever since.
Trump steps up a campaign against teaching English to immigrant kids
The administration plans to dissolve the office that supports English instruction.
Mark Kelly’s 180 days of socialism
A bunch of government reports and a president-directed economy aren’t going to bring prices down.
Thought Experiment: It’s 2030, and the Newsom Justice Department Indicts a Conservative Group for Paying Antifa Leaders
I blogged Wednesday about the indictment of the Southern Poverty Law Center for, among other things, supposedly defrauding donors. The theory is that the SPLC raised money by telling donors that it was aiming to “dismantle” violent extremist groups—but spent over $3M paying hate group leaders for information and, in at least one instance, to actually put out hate messages at the SPLC’s direction. The indictment also alleges that, to hide the source of the funds, the SPLC caused false statements to be made to banks: It had its employees open accounts that it claimed were owned by them personally, on behalf of certain shell entities, but were really owned by the SPLC. I thought it might be helpful to think about this using a hypothetical, and seeing what we think about both the SPLC case and the hypothetical together.
