Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Taking Tylenol during pregnancy has no link to autism, new study finds
Israeli forces fire teargas at schoolchildren holding West Bank sit-in
Judges fired after blocking deportation of pro-Palestinian students
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/immigration-judges-fired-trump-administration
Trump media company drops lawsuit against the Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/trump-media-guardian-lawsuit
Péter Magyar vows to pursue those who ‘plundered’ Hungary after election win
Republican Tony Gonzales to step down from Congress amid expulsion threat
Gonzales, who admitted affair with aide who later died by suicide, says he will file retirement from office on Tuesday…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/republican-tony-gonzales-congress
Democrat Eric Swalwell to resign from Congress over sexual assault allegations
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/13/house-ethics-committee-eric-swalwell-investigation
‘It’s all we have to run on’: GOP looks to tout tax cuts as war overtakes Hill agenda - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/13/congress-tax-day-iran-war-00868002
Monday, April 13, 2026
Ex-CIA director calls for ousting Trump: ‘25th amendment was written with him in mind’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/ex-cia-director-oust-trump-25th-amendment
One dead and six wounded after mass shooting at Chick-fil-A in New Jersey
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/mass-shooting-chick-fil-a-new-jersey
DHS investigating claim about Swalwell nanny filed by conspiracy theorist
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/dhs-investigates-eric-swalwell-brazilian-nanny
Hungarian opposition ousts Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power
Trump says US will blockade strait of Hormuz after Iran peace talks fail
JD Vance says talks failed due to Iran’s refusal to give up nuclear programme
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/12/jd-vance-says-no-deal-us-iran-pakistan-talks-islamabad
Pontiff says ‘enough of war’ and decries ‘delusion of omnipotence’ at peace vigil
Addressing world leaders who decide to go to war, Leo said: “To them we cry out: stop! It is time for peace! Sit at the table of dialogue and mediation – not at the table where rearmament is planned and deadly actions are decided.”
“Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life,” he added…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/11/pope-leo-us-israel-iran-war
Israel destroys entire villages in Lebanon
Jubilant return of Artemis II shadowed by ‘extinction-level’ cuts to Nasa: ‘It’s discordant’
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/11/artemis-ii-nasa-budget-cuts
College graduates can’t find entry-level roles in shrinking market amid rise of AI
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/college-graduates-job-market-ai
Heather McGhee and Adam Serwer on the Power of Protest (Al Franken podcast on YouTube)
Heather and Adam also examine the recent SCOTUS arguments on birthright citizenship and how this could create a whole new class of undocumented immigrants in this country, particularly Chinese immigrants.
They also examine Adam's recent writing following the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson about what Rev. Jackson’s message meant to the movement. They dissect his 1980's vision of cross-racial, cross-class solidarity and explain why his "Patchwork Quilt" philosophy is more relevant today than ever.
LEARN more about Heather McGhee: https://heathermcghee.com
READ Adam Serwer's writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/adam-serwer/
President signals more mass pardons in pipeline; Vance leaves Pakistan after Iran peace talks break down
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/trump-news-at-a-glance-latest-updates-today
Trump ignores dying Americans and gives away record sums to the US military
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/trump-budget-healthcare-military
Deck Chairs on the Titanic (feat. Kel McClanahan) (Andrew McCabe and Allison Gill; Unjustified podcast)
Stanley Woodward could be leaving the Department of Justice to be replaced by current Civil Rights Division Chief Harmeet Dhillon.
The Department of Justice presses for its own search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s phone.
The Civil Rights Division is investigating Cassidy Hutchinson for lying to Congress.
Plus listener questions.
Interview:
Sunday, April 12, 2026
Weekly Roundup: MAGA's Nuclear Brinksmanship: Is the Coalition Cracking? (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)
"It's Important Work—As Long As Someone Else Does It" (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's in the Code ep 187
Happy Easter Here’s a War Crime (Andrew Seidel; One Nation, Indivisible podcast Episode #057)
NBA Player Waived After Anti-LGBTQ Rant (Hemant Mehta and Jessica Bluemke, The Friendly Atheist podast #630 on YouTube)
https://friendlyatheistpodcast.com/2026/04/08/nba-player-waived-after-anti-lgbtq-rant/
Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast
0:00 Intro
0:54 Florida attorney general says state can ignore its own constitution to fund religion.
9:25 Bulls cut Jaden Ivey after anti-Pride rant (but not because he’s Christian).
22:30 School district cuts ties with group that secretly targeted kids for conversion to Christianity.
33:45 UK-based Bible Society admits claim of "Quiet Revival" of faith was based on bad data.
53:25 Federal judge orders removal of Ten Commandments display outside Arkansas Capitol.
1:02:35 Trump-appointed FEMA leader says he teleported to Waffle House.
First Amendment hero (Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Freethought Radio podcast)
Exclusive: FBI’s New Political Pre-Crime Center
https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/fbis-new-political-pre-crime-center
The Most Important Health Stories You Missed This Week (Dr. Zachary Rubin, Bench to Bedside podcast)
In Episode 9 of From Bench to Bedside, Dr. Zachary Rubin and Dr. Melanie Matheu break down the health headlines that actually matter: alternative funding programs for medications, ACIP charter changes, the worsening measles outbreak, a polio travel advisory, cuts to rabies and poxvirus testing, and a couple of good-news stories to end on hope.
Let us know what story stood out most, and share this episode with someone who wants clear, grounded takes on science, medicine, and public health.
00:00 Intro + “it’s been a week”
02:00 Alternative Funding Programs (AFPs): cheaper meds, hidden risks
05:30 Why doctors may not even know patients are using AFPs
08:30 RFK Jr. & ACIP charter changes explained
13:00 Why expertise (actually) matters in vaccine policy
16:30 Measles outbreak update (U.S. data + trends)
20:30 Why teens & adults are driving cases now
23:00 Hospitalizations + who’s at highest risk
24:30 Polio travel advisory (what to know before summer trips)
26:30 Rabies & poxvirus testing cuts: why this matters
28:00 Good news: cancer death rates declining
29:00 Good news: wedding before heart transplant
29:45 Outro
Angels in Chains (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)
So who were these naughty angels? What did they do that was so bad that they deserved to be chained up? What kind of chains can even hold a divine being? And should we all be worried whenever the Euphrates river goes through a dry spell?
Chapters:
00:48 The Idea of Chained Angels
01:44 Biblical Mentions (Revelation & Jude)
03:44 The Book of Enoch Enters the Picture
04:26 The Watchers & Angel-Human Interactions
06:18 Archangels & Enoch’s Worldview
07:44 When Was Enoch Written?
09:07 Enoch & the Dead Sea Scrolls
09:56 Enoch’s Explanation for Evil
10:46 Judgment & Binding of the Angels
13:54 Jude, Sodom & Angelic Sin
14:30 Origins of Hell & Gehenna
16:13 Fire vs Darkness Punishment Debate
17:44 Expanding Traditions in Later Enoch
20:17 Archangels & Divine Judgment Tension
21:51 The Animal Apocalypse
24:01 Influence on Revelation & New Testament
25:25 2 Peter & Chains of Darkness
26:22 Where the Idea of Hell Comes From
27:23 Why Enoch Isn’t in the Bible
29:20 Final Thoughts & Outro
Saturday, April 11, 2026
The News Roundup – Domestic and International (The 1A) 2026-04-10
Domestic
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire after President Donald Trump threatened that “a whole civilization will die” in a social media post this week. Iranian officials are temporarily reopening the Strait of Hormuz as long as the truce remains unbroken.Trump also signed an executive order this week that restricts mail-in voting, a practice he’s long criticized due to his belief that it leads to fraud. There is no evidence for the president’s claim.
Meanwhile, the president’s former attorney general, Pam Bondi, has signaled she will not appear for a scheduled Congressional deposition over the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein.
Interview:
International
Despite the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, Israel is continuing its offensive in Lebanon meant to target the terrorist group Hezbollah.Now that the Strait of Hormuz has temporarily reopened, analysts are expecting that it will take weeks for global energy supplies to rebound.
JD Vance was in Europe this week for a visit to Hungary where he repeatedly praised its president, Victor Orban, and attacked the European Union.
Interview:
"Slap in the face": Republican gubernatorial frontrunner John James not committing to debate
Brian Szmytke is a senior advisor with the Oakland County Republican Party. He said James should show up to talk to party faithful, especially since part of his congressional district includes part of Oakland County.
“It's honestly a slap in the face to the volunteers that got him elected, because our people put in a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and their money to get him elected. Now he's abandoning that seat, and he's not even showing up to a debate to explain why,” Szmytke said in an interview Thursday...
The Bizarre Connection Between Iran Negotiations and Trump’s Crypto Firm – Mother Jones
The Trump family already has earned about $1 billion from their arrangement with World Liberty Financial. The addition of millions of new users from Pakistan would provide World Liberty with more activity on the platform and more stability—and the Trumps with more cash flow as tokens are bought and sold.
It’s not clear if the effort by World Liberty Financial and Saqib to bring Trump’s defi operation into a potentially hugely lucrative relationship with the Pakistani government is the reason for Pakistan’s newly emerged role as Washington’s closest friend in the region, or if it’s the result of the arrangement—or something else entirely. But whatever the case, Trump is mixing his personal financial interests and US national security interests by intertwining his family business with the Pakistani government, while collaborating with Pakistan in this diplomatic initiative...
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/04/parkistan-iran-trump-witkoff-world-liberty-financial/
AP report: Trump administration admits a glaring error in its New York health fraud accusations | PBS News
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration this week acknowledged it made a significant error in figures it used to help justify a fraud probe into New York's Medicaid program, a glaring mistake that undercuts a federal campaign to tackle waste, mostly in Democratic-led states.
The error, which the administration admitted first to The Associated Press, prompted health analysts to question how many of the Republican administration's sweeping anti-fraud efforts around the country were based on faulty findings. One of a few mischaracterizations it made about New York's Medicaid program, it also reflected a common criticism that's been made of Trump's second administration — that it tends to attack first and confirm the facts later…
FEMA is behind on billions in disaster payments to states : NPR
Months after the ICE shootings in Minnesota, a federal probe remains elusive : NPR
"I would go out on a limb and say we're pretty confident that they're not investigating these agents for any possible crimes," says Rachel Moran, a professor at the University of St. Thomas School of Law who studies police accountability.
Moran says a federal officer who kills a person would normally be subject to a joint investigation between state law enforcement and the federal government. What's happening instead, she says, is much more unusual.
"They appear to be actively preventing the state from investigating," Moran says…
There’s growing disquiet in the military. The Iran war made it worse : NPR
Military members are citing myriad reasons for wanting to leave, but the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has been a powerful motivator. In March alone, Galvin's center took on more than 80 new clients — almost twice as many as it takes on in an average year. The busiest single day saw 12 new clients join, with one person saying four other members of their platoon were also interested. …
While there is no hard contemporaneous data on the number of members seeking to exit, the people NPR spoke to for this story say they have seen undeniable cracks in the military's ability to retain troops, largely due to low morale or ethical concerns...
"Retention is the only thing holding the Army up, from a metrics standpoint. And it is crumbling fast," one career counselor with the Army, the largest branch of the military, told NPR. That person spoke on the condition of anonymity as they are not authorized to speak publicly. They said that the climate and cultural shifts within the military under this administration are the main reasons people are giving for leaving…
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/10/nx-s1-5771612/military-iran-war-trump-conscientious-objector
Pope Leo XIV condemns war, rejects claims of divine backing - POLITICO
Pope Leo XIV on Friday issued a sweeping condemnation of war, continuing to reject the idea that military action can bring about peace or freedom as the Trump administration and other leaders use religion to justify the U.S.-Israel war in Iran.
“God does not bless any conflict,” Leo wrote on X. “Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/10/pope-leo-condemns-war-divine-backing-00867250
L'Arc de Trump: Commission unveils plans for 250-foot arch - POLITICO
The law limits new commemorative works in the area to those with “preeminent historical and lasting significance to the United States.” New works require a recommendation from the Interior secretary or the General Services Administration, after consultation with the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission. But the final decision is up to Congress. The parameters are not quite as strict as the Reserve area, which includes the National Mall and nearby memorials dedicated to Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson and is considered a finished public project to maintain the balanced design and spatial harmony of the landscape.
A group of Vietnam veterans, represented by the progressive watchdog organization Public Citizen, sued to block the arch construction, arguing that the Trump administration failed to follow those steps. Members of Congress, including Maine independent Sen. Angus King, who caucuses with Democrats, and Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), filed a statement in the case arguing that construction of the arch without congressional permission would violate the law...
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/10/trump-triumphal-arch-commission-plan-00867401
Wisconsin Republicans push GOP chair to resign after loss - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/10/wisconsin-republicans-gop-chair-supreme-court-loss-00866880
Harris gives her clearest signal she is mounting a 2028 presidential bid - POLITICO
Later, the cheers for Harris grew to such a tenor, Sharpton jokingly admonished the crowd: “This is a convention, not a revival.”
Harris repeatedly attacked President Donald Trump — on Iran, foreign policy and voting rights, among other topics — throughout her conversation with Sharpton. But she also nodded to the influence Trump and the GOP had on certain voters of color in 2024, when a significant number of Black and Latino men decided to move away from the Democratic Party. Democrats, she said, shouldn’t expect support because of longstanding relationships…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/10/kamala-harris-signals-2028-bid-00867069
Israel’s new strategy: Lean on Trump, pressure Iran, keep the military option - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/10/israel-iran-trump-war-00867266
Swalwell campaign imploding after new sexual assault allegation - POLITICO
US conservatives sue to dismantle Native Hawaiian healthcare scholarships
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/09/native-hawaiian-healthcare-scholarships
California man shot by ICE says officials falsely labeled him a gang member
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/09/california-ice-shooting-man-accusation
Alarm as acting CDC director delays report showing Covid vaccine benefits
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/10/cdc-chief-covid-vaccine
Friday, April 10, 2026
As RFK Jr allies hailed Mississippi’s rollback of strict school vaccine rules, whooping cough surged and a baby died
A Guardian investigation has found the relationships among the three involve hundreds of thousands of dollars and benefits to Kennedy, Bigtree and Siri. As Mississippi doctors, health officials and families deal with the consequences of weaker vaccine policies, the Guardian found, Ican has used its Mississippi victory – what Bigtree called “arguably the biggest win for health freedom in history” – to raise money to expand its push to weaken vaccine laws around the country...
“If we as a nation introduce the idea that there should be broad and widespread religious exemptions, what it will mean is that the basic framework of vaccine protection will unravel,” he said.
In Mississippi, Edney, the state health officer, said after the ruling that it was “galling” that out-of-state interests and a federal judge had interfered in the state, weakening what he called a wonderful law that had brought 40 years of success…
Netanyahu says there is no ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel launches fresh strikes
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/09/israel-bombing-lebanon-us-iran-ceasefire-condemnation
Italy’s Meloni pivots away from Trump as she looks to reset her premiership – POLITICO
"As is normal among allies, we must clearly say even when we do not agree," Meloni told parliament. She went on to list episodes where she claimed her government stood up to the White House, from tariffs "which we have many times defined as a wrong choice," to defending "the honor of our soldiers in Afghanistan, who had been defined as useless," and protecting Greenland's territorial integrity alongside European allies.
The Italian leader also described the war in Iran as "a military operation that Italy did not agree with and did not participate in ... a fact that emerged in all its concreteness with the Sigonella affair," she continued. She was referring — for the first time in a public statement — to Italy's recent decision to refuse permission for a U.S. military aircraft to land at the Sigonella air base in Sicily before flying to the Middle East…
https://www.politico.eu/article/italys-giorgia-meloni-pivots-donald-trump-reset-premiership/
EU’s Kallas urges ‘heavy-handed’ Israel to end strikes in Lebanon – POLITICO
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-kallas-urges-israel-end-strikes-lebanon/
'We got our butts kicked.' Republicans rattled by Democratic momentum ahead of midterms | PBS News
"In rural, urban, red, blue, Democrats have overperformed everywhere," said Jared Leopold, a Democratic consultant whose clients include Keisha Lance Bottoms, a candidate for Georgia governor. "That is a significant canary in the coal mine about what November of '26 is going to look like."…
Pro-Iran groups deploy AI to troll Trump, influence the war narrative | PBS News
"They're using popular culture against the No. 1 pop culture country, the United States," said Nancy Snow, a scholar who has written more than a dozen books on propaganda.
The pro-Iran images circulating online include a series that uses the style of the "Lego" animated movies. In one, an Iranian military commander raps, "You thought you ran the globe, sitting on your throne. Now we turning every base into a bed of stone," as Trump falls into a bullseye built of "Epstein files," the U.S. government's investigative records on disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein…
Injured and abandoned: hundreds of Gaza amputees left stranded in Egypt
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