https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blUFjWsK6vY
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Trump threatens ‘completely obliterating’ Iranian infrastructure as possible escalation looms - POLITICO
The president threatened strikes against Iran's "Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island" on Monday, even as he suggests "great progress" has been made on negotiations...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/30/trump-iran-strikes-escalation-00850005
College Republicans director made racist and sexist remarks on live streams
Schwemmer said he would accept a world in which slavery was legal if abortion was criminalised, describes himself as "very much an anti universal suffrage guy" and accepts a supporter's description of him as "our Mormon Nick Fuentes" – referring to the white nationalist influencer whose platform he streamed on for years.
"But frankly, I just call myself a conservative."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/30/kai-schwemmer-college-republicans-livestream
A month into Iran, the GOP’s political reality sinks in - POLITICO
"We're even going around canvassing neighborhoods and registered Republicans are yelling out the door, 'go away, or I'm calling the police,'" Berland said. "I find that very discouraging."…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/29/iran-war-trump-gop-midterms-prices-00849116
Trump administration sues Minnesota over transgender athlete participation in girls' sports - POLITICO
The Trump administration is urging the Minnesota District Court to rule that the state's education department and the Minnesota State High School League violated Title IX, the federal education law that bars sex-based discrimination, because they allow transgender girls to play on sports teams and use locker rooms that align with their gender identity...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/30/doj-lawsuit-minnesota-trans-athletes-00850738
Members of Jan. 6 mob sue police who fended off Capitol attack - POLITICO
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking last week at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, pointed to Trump's blanket pardon as evidence of the president's commitment to his base. The audience included a slew of beneficiaries of that pardon, including Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who was freed by Trump from a 22-year sentence for seditious conspiracy related to his role in the riot. Tarrio is separately suing the Justice Department, claiming his prosecution was tainted by government misconduct. The Trump administration has opposed his lawsuit and defendant personnel involved in the investigation and prosecution…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/30/jan-6-lawsuit-capitol-police-00850890
Joseph Schwartz, Nursing Home Owner Pardoned by Trump, Owes Patient Families Millions — ProPublica
The families of some patients in Schwartz's nursing homes have been awarded millions of dollars from lawsuits. But they haven't been able to collect from him…
https://www.propublica.org/article/joseph-schwartz-trump-pardon-skyline-nursing-home-patients
AI problems - Viaticals - Where to invest $1k - Iran War (The Phil Ferguson Show podcast)
- how to invest with just $1k
- US Market concentration
- Rant on scams, emails, texts etc
- Viaticals
- War with Iran & oil prices
Interview:
Monday, March 30, 2026
Iran accuses US of plotting ground assault while publicly seeking talks
Iran has warned the US that it is prepared to confront any ground assault, accusing Washington of secretly planning a land attack while publicly seeking talks, as the war that has killed thousands of people and caused the biggest ever disruption to global energy supplies entered its second month...
Pope seems to rebuke Trump in remarks about leaders with ‘hands full of blood’
Pope Leo has said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have "hands full of blood", in an apparent rebuke to the Trump administration.
The pontiff made the comments on Sunday as thousands of US troops arrived in the Middle East and days after the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed for violence against enemies who deserved "no mercy"…
"This is our God: Jesus, king of peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war," he told tens of thousands of worshippers. "He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them."…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/29/pope-rebuke-trump-leaders-with-hands-full-of-blood
Rep. Madeleine Dean on POTUS Pardon Corruption (Norm Ornstein guest host) (Al Franken podcast on YouTube)
Guest Host Norm Ornstein welcomes Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) to discuss legislation they're working on to curb the President's pardon power after the onslaught of blatantly corrupt pardons from the Trump administration. Rep. Dean was the former impeachment manager for Trump's second impeachment, so she also addresses how the blanket pardon of January 6th insurrectionists is especially grotesque.
We also discuss the latest on the "stolen documents" case and what Trump might have intended for them. Plus, people are making LOTS of money on insider trading around the Iran War.
Rep. Dean shares her thoughts on the ICE brutality her constituents in Pennsylvania and around the country are facing. And she shares her first hand account of the Dilley detention center, where ICE is mistreating detainees and neglecting children.
LEARN more about Rep. Madeleine Dean: https://dean.house.gov/biography
LISTEN to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970
Interview:
We also discuss the latest on the "stolen documents" case and what Trump might have intended for them. Plus, people are making LOTS of money on insider trading around the Iran War.
Rep. Dean shares her thoughts on the ICE brutality her constituents in Pennsylvania and around the country are facing. And she shares her first hand account of the Dilley detention center, where ICE is mistreating detainees and neglecting children.
LEARN more about Rep. Madeleine Dean: https://dean.house.gov/biography
LISTEN to Norm's podcast "Words Matter" with fellow friend of the show David Rothkopf: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dsrs-words-matter/id1420216970
Interview:
Brief Hallucinations (Andrew McCabe and Allison Gill; Unjustified podcast)
- Hackers linked to Iran have breached FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal emails.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a Jack Smith progress memo to Congress outlining Trump's motive for illegally retaining classified documents.
- A top deputy to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro acknowledged in a closed-door hearing this month that the Justice Department did not have evidence of wrongdoing in its criminal investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
- Legal experts are stunned after a federal judge catches DOJ lawyers using artificial intelligence to write briefs.
- Plus listener questions.
Interview:
Trump Officials Accidentally Revealed The Truth About Immigration (Justin Wolfers on YouTube)
If job growth slows when immigration slows, what does that say about the story politicians have been telling for years? Justin Wolfers uses plain-English economics to answer that question—and to show why the immigration debate affects far more than border politics.
At the center of this discussion is a basic but often ignored fact: people are more than workers. They are also consumers, neighbors, entrepreneurs, and sources of new ideas. When immigrants arrive, they do not just increase labor supply. They also increase demand for homes, food, transportation, healthcare, education, and countless local services. That helps support jobs throughout the economy.
Justin Wolfers argues that the familiar “they’re taking your job” message depends on a false assumption that there is a fixed number of jobs to go around. Economists call this the lump of labor fallacy. It sounds intuitive, but it misses how growth actually happens. More people can mean more production, more spending, more innovation, and more employment.
The video then turns to an important political reversal. Trump administration figures defending weaker payroll numbers have said the economy no longer needs as many new jobs because immigration has fallen. That claim is revealing. It concedes that immigrants were helping generate jobs all along.
Using research on the sharp drop in net migration and a simple back-of-the-envelope calculation, Justin Wolfers shows how the decline in working-age immigration roughly matches the decline in monthly job growth. The implication is that restricting immigration may shrink the economy’s capacity to create work.
That matters to you because a slower-growing economy usually means fewer openings, weaker local business activity, and less opportunity for workers and families trying to get ahead.
Topics covered:
💡 Key takeaway: Immigration is part of what makes economies more dynamic, and cutting it can reduce job creation rather than protect it.
Subscribe for more from Justin Wolfers—where the analysis is evidence-based, the jargon is optional, and the arithmetic mostly behaves. 📚
The video then turns to an important political reversal. Trump administration figures defending weaker payroll numbers have said the economy no longer needs as many new jobs because immigration has fallen. That claim is revealing. It concedes that immigrants were helping generate jobs all along.
Using research on the sharp drop in net migration and a simple back-of-the-envelope calculation, Justin Wolfers shows how the decline in working-age immigration roughly matches the decline in monthly job growth. The implication is that restricting immigration may shrink the economy’s capacity to create work.
That matters to you because a slower-growing economy usually means fewer openings, weaker local business activity, and less opportunity for workers and families trying to get ahead.
Topics covered:
- Why the immigration debate is really about how economies grow
- How the lump of labor fallacy distorts public policy
- Why immigrants are both workers and consumers
- How immigrants can complement native-born workers
- Why business formation is part of the immigration story
- What Trump advisors said about weaker job growth
- How falling net migration affects labor force growth
- Why fewer immigrants can mean fewer jobs overall
- 00:00 The Question That Changes The Debate
- 01:09 The Claim That Immigrants Take Jobs
- 02:28 Why That Story Misses Half The Economy
- 03:22 The Lump Of Labor Fallacy In Plain English
- 04:29 Why Newcomers Expand The Pie
- 05:42 The White House’s Accidental Admission
- 06:56 The Economics Of Workers Plus Customers
- 08:09 What The Migration Data Shows
- 09:29 Simple Arithmetic, Big Implications
- 10:21 Why This Matters For Your Paycheck
💡 Key takeaway: Immigration is part of what makes economies more dynamic, and cutting it can reduce job creation rather than protect it.
Subscribe for more from Justin Wolfers—where the analysis is evidence-based, the jargon is optional, and the arithmetic mostly behaves. 📚
Interview:
This Is All Because the Religious Right Is Losing (Drew McCoy/Genetically Modified Skeptic on YouTube)
Their plan is failing. They're scrambling. Is right wing media misleading its donors now that they've failed to convert Gen Z?
Use code “GMS” to join me at FFRF 2026 for just $25:
Find a Humanist community in your area: https://americanhumanist.org/get-involved/find-or-start-a-chapter/
Interview:
Nick Fuentes’s Strategy is Working (The Atlantic)
Viral clips of the far-right white supremacist are growing his audience.
“Trump is better than the Democrats for Israel. For the oil and gas industry. For Silicon Valley. For Wall Street. Is he really better for us? I don’t think so,” Fuentes declared while gazing at the camera in one of these fan-uploaded clips. “Biden made it so that medical debt doesn’t go on your credit report—that was good for me. Biden tried to forgive the student loans—that was good for me.” Retouched in a tasteful black and white, the video featured an orchestral soundtrack that crescendoed as the fast-talking, besuited polemicist delivered his final punch: “The free market says that Republicans have enough money to bomb Iran but not enough money to pay for my student loans. And I’m going to vote for that ’cause I’m an idiot.”
'Trump was warned': Reports contradict Trump's claims of surprise by challenges in Iran
Despite Donald Trump expressing shock and surprise at how Iran has responded to being attacked by the United States and Israel, Jen Psaki shares reporting that Trump was warned about everything from attacks on regional U.S. allies to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, and Trump's struggle with these challenges is due to a lack of preparation, not a lack of prediction.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nSkr_gDVBU
They Said What? (Freethought Today, April 2026) 4
"I wouldn’t label the evangelical community as extreme because I believe they are following the scripture and what the scripture says about Israel: “Those who bless Israel will be blessed.” They take it literal and I’m one of those people. . . I believe Jesus will come back and I’m going to be on his side."
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, when asked about his religion’s influence on support for Israel.
Young Turks, 3-4-26
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/free/they-said-what-april-2026/
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, when asked about his religion’s influence on support for Israel.
Young Turks, 3-4-26
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/free/they-said-what-april-2026/
Sunday, March 29, 2026
Weekly Roundup: Pete Hegseth's Military Vision, Violent Prayer & GOP Tax Dogma (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)
Brad Onishi and Dan Miller unpack a series of troubling developments surrounding Pete Hegseth's vision for the military chaplaincy, where chaplains may soon wear only religious insignia instead of rank and operate within a drastically reduced set of approved faith codes.
The hosts explore how Hegseth's language—framing the role as a mission to "preach the truth," "shepherd the flock," and fulfill a "sacred calling"—signals a distinctly Christian nationalist framing of military service, reinforced by his claim that the armed forces have been "infected by political correctness and secular humanism." They place this in historical context, noting how Japanese American Buddhist soldiers in World War II were denied adequate chaplain support despite serving in one of the most decorated units in U.S. history.
The conversation also touches on reporting about Hegseth's crusader imagery, including tattoos and a Bible stamped with "Deus Vult" and the Jerusalem Cross, raising deeper concerns about the ideological direction of military leadership.
The episode then shifts to a controversial Pentagon prayer calling for "overwhelming violence" and the damnation of "wicked souls," which the hosts connect to a broader pattern of rhetoric that glorifies brutality and frames military action in theological terms. From there, Brad and Dan examine the near-religious devotion to tax cuts within the GOP, highlighting reporting that red states are facing massive budget shortfalls as a result of Trump-backed policies—yet lawmakers continue to support them as a matter of ideological commitment rather than evidence. They close by discussing Trump's absence from CPAC, the unease among attendees regarding Iran, and the irony of Trump mailing in his ballot despite his long-standing opposition to mail-in voting, underscoring what they describe as a deeply transactional and contradictory approach to politics.
Interview:
"Who Are the Elites?" (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's in the Code ep 185
Josh Hawley says that the crisis of masculinity in America is due to the fact that men won't work.
And the reason they won't work, he assures us, is because liberal elites have convinced them not to.
But what does Hawley overlook to tell this story? How does he ignore his own status as a cultural elite, and his political party's support of economic policies that favor the elites?
What is Hawley hiding behind his appeals to masculinity?
Interview:
Why Christianity Hates Indigenous People (Drew McCoy/Genetically Modified Skeptic on YouTube)
No Piraha has ever been converted to Christianity, despite 242 years of missions.
Join FFRF to protect separation of church and state:
https://ffrf.org/misc-for-landing-pages/join-ffrf-today/
The indigenous critique of Christianity was one of the most influential factors in the development of the European Enlightenment.
Interview:
The Duggars Are At It Again (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #628)
— The Duggars are back in the news for crimes involving children. (0:45)
— Ché Ahn says God told him to run for governor. California says he can’t be on the ballot. (13:03)
— Christian Nationalist Mark Robinson finally admits those sex shop stories were true. (35:08)
— Catholic priests say charging them with sexual abuse violates their religious freedom. (48:30)
— Jehovah’s Witnesses issue “clarification” on blood transfusion ban after decades of suffering. (58:07)
— A strategic lawsuit in Oklahoma could block public money from funding religious schools. (1:09:15)
Audio Interview:
— Ché Ahn says God told him to run for governor. California says he can’t be on the ballot. (13:03)
— Christian Nationalist Mark Robinson finally admits those sex shop stories were true. (35:08)
— Catholic priests say charging them with sexual abuse violates their religious freedom. (48:30)
— Jehovah’s Witnesses issue “clarification” on blood transfusion ban after decades of suffering. (58:07)
— A strategic lawsuit in Oklahoma could block public money from funding religious schools. (1:09:15)
Audio Interview:
YouTube:
Hi, I'm an Atheist! (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)
After reporting on a deluge of Christian nationalist rhetoric from Congress, the White House and the Pentagon, we talk with David G. McAfee, author of the book Hi, I’m an Atheist! What That Means and How to Talk About It with Others.
Interview:
Fulton County Foolishness (Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Mark Warner; Making the Case podcast on YouTube)
March 27 | From both a prosecutorial and intelligence standpoint, the FBI’s raid of a Fulton County election office doesn’t pass the smell test.
In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse talks with Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, about the numerous red flags raised by the FBI’s search and seizure this past January. The two discuss DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s presence at the search, Trump’s Weaponization Working Group, the SAVE America Act, and more.
Sheldon Whitehouse represents Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate, where he champions policies to uphold American leadership in the world, protect our planet in a changing climate, and hold the powerful accountable.
Interview:
In this episode of Making the Case, Senator Whitehouse talks with Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, about the numerous red flags raised by the FBI’s search and seizure this past January. The two discuss DNI Tulsi Gabbard’s presence at the search, Trump’s Weaponization Working Group, the SAVE America Act, and more.
Sheldon Whitehouse represents Rhode Island in the U.S. Senate, where he champions policies to uphold American leadership in the world, protect our planet in a changing climate, and hold the powerful accountable.
Interview:
Septuagint: The First Bible Translation? (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)
If you've listened to this show for any amount of time, you know what the Septuagint is (if you haven't, don't worry- it's just the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible). But do you know where that name came from? Or the legend of its creation?
This episode, we're diving deep into the lore of this very important document, and yes- there is LORE! The most important of which is a very long letter from a man calling himself Aristeas, which tells a fascinating (and spurious) tale of the Septuagint's origin. What do we know about this letter? And how much credence should we give it?
00:41 The Letter of Aristeas
01:16 What Is the Septuagint?
02:20 Why 70 (or 72) Translators?
03:22 The Origin Story Explained
05:34 The Library of Alexandria
07:36 The Mission to Jerusalem
08:21 The 7-Day Banquet & Debates
10:15 What’s in the Letter?
11:58 The Translation “Miracle”
12:48 Divine Approval & Public Reading
14:00 Why This Story Matters
16:17 Later Influence (Philo & Josephus)
17:31 Why Was It Written?
19:14 Historical Context: Hellenism
21:04 Myth vs. History
22:02 How the Septuagint Really Developed
24:44 Influence on Later Bible Translations
27:38 Dead Sea Scrolls & Textual Evidence
29:27 Why It Still Matters
30:13 Outro
Interview:
This episode, we're diving deep into the lore of this very important document, and yes- there is LORE! The most important of which is a very long letter from a man calling himself Aristeas, which tells a fascinating (and spurious) tale of the Septuagint's origin. What do we know about this letter? And how much credence should we give it?
Index
00:00 Intro & Banter00:41 The Letter of Aristeas
01:16 What Is the Septuagint?
02:20 Why 70 (or 72) Translators?
03:22 The Origin Story Explained
05:34 The Library of Alexandria
07:36 The Mission to Jerusalem
08:21 The 7-Day Banquet & Debates
10:15 What’s in the Letter?
11:58 The Translation “Miracle”
12:48 Divine Approval & Public Reading
14:00 Why This Story Matters
16:17 Later Influence (Philo & Josephus)
17:31 Why Was It Written?
19:14 Historical Context: Hellenism
21:04 Myth vs. History
22:02 How the Septuagint Really Developed
24:44 Influence on Later Bible Translations
27:38 Dead Sea Scrolls & Textual Evidence
29:27 Why It Still Matters
30:13 Outro
Interview:
Gulf countries warn of rising threat from Iran-backed militias and proxies
Gulf countries have raised concerns over the prospect of attacks by Iran-backed militias and proxy armed groups in the region, which they fear could destabilise their regimes and escalate the war in the Middle East...
They Said What? (Freethought Today, April 2026) 3
"I want to create a future where the leftist parents are scared that their kids are going to be a teenager, because that is when their Club America chapter is going to tell them about Jesus. That’s when their Club America chapter is going to tell them about the founding of the country."
Josh Thifault, senior director at Turning Point USA, speaking at the Tennessee Capitol. Since Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated, its school chapters have more than doubled to over 3,000.
New York Times, 1-10-26
Josh Thifault, senior director at Turning Point USA, speaking at the Tennessee Capitol. Since Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated, its school chapters have more than doubled to over 3,000.
New York Times, 1-10-26
Overheard (Freethought Today, April 2026)
"We are called to love all of our neighbors, including our Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, agnostic, atheist neighbors. And forcing our religion down their throats is not love."
(Texas state Rep. James Talarico, in a censored interview with Steven Colbert. Talarico was named FFRF Action Fund’s “Secularist of the week” on Feb. 28.)
Saturday, March 28, 2026
The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2026-03-27
Domestic
The Pentagon is planning on putting boots back on the ground in the Middle East. Some 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborn Division have received orders to deploy to the region despite President Donald Trump signaling last week that he was interested in ending his war in Iran via diplomatic means.As Democrats and Republican continue to find themselves in a stand off over DHS funding, security lines at airports around the country continue to grow.
Tech giants Meta and YouTube were found negligent in a landmark case concerning the companies’ creation of addictive online platforms that harm users’ mental health and wellbeing.
Interview:
https://the1a.org/segments/meta-google-negligent/
Meanwhile, Tehran-backed Hezbollah leaders are rejecting any notion that they’re seeking an end to their conflict with Israel.
And the world’s attention swinging to Iran seems to have emboldened Russia, as Vladimir Putin’s forces gear up for a spring offensive in their campaign against Ukraine.
Interview:
International
Iranian officials confirmed this week they received a 15-point plan from the U.S. to end the war that’s killed thousands of Iranians and several American service members. Tehran, ohwever, is signaling its found the demands contained within “extremely maximalist and unreasonable.”Meanwhile, Tehran-backed Hezbollah leaders are rejecting any notion that they’re seeking an end to their conflict with Israel.
And the world’s attention swinging to Iran seems to have emboldened Russia, as Vladimir Putin’s forces gear up for a spring offensive in their campaign against Ukraine.
Interview:
Trump provides new aid for farmers and food suppliers amid Iran war
But Trump's second-term policies have tested that loyalty for many of those farmers. Many farmers reported millions in missing funds after the Trump administration pulled support for US Department of Agriculture programs created under former president Joe Biden. And others said that Trump's tariffs and immigration policies were hurting their ability to sustain their business...
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/mar/27/trump-farmer-food-supplier-aid-iran-war
Saudi Arabia urging US to ramp up Iran attacks, intelligence source confirms
The crown prince solidified his hold on power by cultivating a close relationship with Trump, but will now have to rethink Saudi reliance on the US for its security, observers have argued. "
MBS [Mohammed bin Salman] has lost the bet on all his investments over the last several years," Ellie Geranmayeh, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations said. "He financially invested in Trump and Trump's family and his corporation and his White House, but at the end of the day the views of the Saudis and of the whole Gulf have been sidelined by the wishes of Benjamin Netanyahu."
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/27/saudi-arabia-us-iran-attacks-mohammed-bin-salman
Trump signature to appear on US bills in first for sitting president
The move marks the first time a sitting US president's signature will appear on legal tender. To accommodate this change, the treasurer's signature will be removed for the first time since 1861…
Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement: "Under President Trump's leadership, we are on a path toward unprecedented economic growth, lasting dollar dominance, and fiscal strength and stability. There is no more powerful way to recognize the historic achievements of our great country and President Donald J Trump than US dollar bills bearing his name, and it is only appropriate that this historic currency be issued at the Semiquincentennial."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/26/trump-signature-us-bills-currency
'The planting season is now,' but war in Iran has sparked a global fertilizer shortage | PBS News
The fertilizer shortage is putting the livelihood of farmers in developing countries — already troubled by rising temperatures and erratic weather systems — further at risk, and could lead to people everywhere paying more for food...
Treasury plans to put Trump's signature on all new U.S. paper currency in break with tradition | PBS News
The move would be a first for a sitting president, since traditionally, U.S. paper currency carries the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the Treasurer, not the president...
Pro-Iranian group claims credit for hacking into FBI Director Patel's personal account | PBS News
The move would be a first for a sitting president, since traditionally, U.S. paper currency carries the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the Treasurer, not the president...
House Republicans reject Senate DHS bill, Trump signs TSA directive : NPR
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says House Republicans will not accept a Senate-passed bill to fund the majority of the Department of Homeland Security.
The Senate bill does not include additional funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol — and it does not include any of the demands Democrats made to limit the tactics of federal immigration officers. Republicans in the House met Friday after the legislation passed and rejected the plan…
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/27/g-s1-115366/senate-dhs-tsa-deal
WATCH: Johnson rejects Homeland Security funding bill passed by the Senate as a 'joke' | PBS News
"We're going to do something different," Johnson said, challenging the Senate to take up the House's continuing resolution on Monday — assuming it does pass the House, which is uncertain...
DOJ plans to share states' sensitive voter data with DHS : NPR
"DOJ's revelation in the Rhode Island hearing seem to confirm what CLC and others have argued in courts across the country – that the federal government's efforts to obtain voter rolls is part of a larger project to supplant the states' constitutional authority to administer elections and maintain voter rolls," Dan Lenz, senior legal counsel for strategic litigation at the Campaign Legal Center, a voting rights group, said in a statement...
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/27/nx-s1-5764266/voter-data-trump-doj-dhs
Hegseth stopped promotions of Black and female soldiers : NPR
According to a U.S. official not authorized to speak publicly, Hegseth made the highly unusual move of interfering in the regular promotion process, as first reported in the New York Times. A second U.S. official also not authorized to speak publicly confirmed that Hegseth has been weeding out senior officers who are deemed ideologically incompatible...
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/27/nx-s1-5763863/hegseth-soldiers-promotions
Pentagon reportedly considering whether to divert aid from Ukraine to Middle East
US military stockpiles are under strain as a result of Iran war, Washington Post reports; Volodymyr Zelenskyy meets Saudi crown prince in Jeddah. What we know on day 1,493…
Lawyers for ICE gave false information to justify detaining thousands, filings reveal
Revelation was included in lawsuit challenging practice of targeting people seeking to gain legal status as they leave immigration courts…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/26/ice-lawyers-justify-detaining-on-false-information
There's a Hole in my Heart (Viced Rhino on YouTube)
My heart is holey. Can you fill it, or do I need god?
Interview:
They Said What? (Freethought Today, April 2026) 2
"Gone is godless and divisive DEI, gone is gender-bending equity and quotas, gone is climate change worship to a false god. We are one military, one fighting force, one nation under God. We are not in woke we trust, we are in God we trust."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in a speech at the National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention in Nashville, Tenn. Hegseth was named FFRF Action Fund’s “Theocrat of the Week” on Feb. 26.
CNN, 2-20-26
https://www.freethoughttoday.com/free/they-said-what-april-2026/
Friday, March 27, 2026
Trump extends deadline for Iran to open strait of Hormuz by 10 days
President claims talks with Tehran regime are 'going very well' and says he is pausing 'Energy Plant destruction'…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/26/donald-trump-urges-iran-end-war-or-face-assassinations
Trump’s Minions Have Quietly Disappeared Most Federal Data on Gender Identity – Mother Jones
These change have affected "really critical programs like the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline or data collections about runaway and homeless youth," Klein says. These have been among the removals that, over the past year, have garnered widespread concern because trans people are known to experience higher rates of suicide and homelessness than others—crises that have grown worse as a result of the administration's anti-trans policies and rhetoric.
"Without the data, disparities don't just magically disappear, but they do become more difficult to document and address," says Caroline Medina, a senior advisor for data policy at the Movement Advancement Project (MAP)…
Democrats Vow to Investigate “Web of Corruption” at DHS – Mother Jones
Democrats have denounced what they call the unprecedented corruption unleashed by the president and his family, whose personal wealth has skyrocketed since Trump retook office. In previously unimaginable ways, the Trumps have accepted money from people hoping to influence federal policy, including secretive investments by foreign interests in Trump family companies.
The contracting scandals involving DHS, by contrast, involve allegations of fairly traditional graft that would have been understandable to "boss" William Tweed of Tammany Hall. NBC News' report last week included an allegation that an official at a firm seeking a subcontract under Salus Worldwide was pressured by someone at that company to hire "one of several consulting firms tied to Lewandowski."…
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/03/noem-lewandowski-dhs-homeland-security-737/
Brian Fitzpatrick delivers a warning on GOP reconciliation redo
Still, many of Fitzpatrick's colleagues are making plans for an expansive new GOP-only bill that would include more money for Homeland Security operations, Iran war funding and other cost-of-living priorities, while demanding it be fully offset with spending cuts — possibly from social programs targeted for "fraud prevention."
Michigan advocates call to end Iran war, defund ICE ahead of Saturday's No Kings protests
"Thousands of people in our state have family in Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, places where bombs are falling right now," Masson said. "These aren't headlines. These are parents, children, cousins, friends. People here are grieving. People here are terrified."
Linda Gruber, the founder of the Michigan Democratic Party Senior Caucus, criticized the expansion of ICE officials into communities across the country.
"ICE has murdered American citizens in broad daylight. There are...grotesque abuses happening away from the cameras," Gruber said. She added that the majority of individuals in detention have no criminal convictions…
The Trump administration is sending pregnant migrant girls to a Texas shelter lacking proper care : NPR
The decision was made over urgent objections from some of the administration's own health and child welfare officials, who say both the facility and the region lack the specialized care the girls need...
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/03/nx-s1-5712323/pregnant-migrant-girls-texas-shelter
FEMA complies with court order to resume major disaster preparedness grant program | PBS News
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday opened applications for a major resilience grant program that the agency canceled last year, less than three weeks after a federal judge ordered FEMA to make the funding available.
FEMA will make $1 billion available for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, which helps states, local governments, territories and tribes take on preparedness projects to harden against natural hazards like fires, floods, earthquakes and hurricanes...
Iran and the U.S. harden their positions as Tehran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz | PBS News
While the U.S.-Israeli campaign has hit Iran's military and government hard, killing top leaders and striking scores of targets, Iran continues to fire missiles and there is no sign of an uprising against the government.
For Iran's leadership, by contrast, merely outlasting the onslaught could be seen as victory. It may be hoping to get the U.S. to back down by roiling the world economy with its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz — raising prices at the pump for drivers, prices in the grocery store for families and costs for businesses the world over...
WATCH: Trump says in Cabinet meeting he doesn't 'know if we're willing' to make a deal with Iran | PBS News
Iranian officials have denied that they're negotiating with the U.S. as the war continues in its fourth week. Trump insisted they are...
Trump housing chief requests new criminal investigation into Letitia James
"Frustrated by repeated failures, where judges and grand juries have rejected their attempts to charge Attorney General James, Trump and his political enablers keep abusing their power to pursue a vendetta against her by trying to rename, refile, and repeat baseless allegations," Lowell said…
WATCH: Trump promises 'bigger majorities' for Republicans at House GOP dinner | PBS News
While Trump said the U.S. "is winning so big" in the war in Iran, it is keeping gas prices high, travelers are facing unprecedented airport security wait times and Americans remain concerned about steep costs of living…
WHO warns of health crisis ‘unfolding in real time’ across Middle East
Meanwhile, she said the crises in Gaza, Sudan and Yemen were being neglected as the world's attention turned to the US-Iran conflict. "It is very distressing because, behind that neglect, there's a lot of hardship and death and sickness and illness and displacement that is going unrecognised."…
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