Friday, April 17, 2026
Newly unsealed records reveal Amazon’s price-fixing tactics, California attorney general claims
Boundary waters vote on mining passes U.S. Senate | MPR News
The Senate vote is a big blow to conservation groups and others who argue the watershed of the Boundary Waters — a fragile and unique ecosystem and one of the most popular wilderness areas in the country — is the absolute wrong place for this kind of mining, which carries with it much more serious water pollution risks than iron ore mining.
“We can support the need for mining, but that doesn't mean that we mine on the edge of Chaco Canyon or on the rim of the Grand Canyon, and it does not mean that we think that a copper-sulfide mine on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters is a good idea,” Smith said in her remarks before the vote today…
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/04/16/boundary-waters-vote-on-mining-by-us-senate-thursday
Pope Leo speaks of 'handful of tyrants' spending billions on war : NPR
"The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet often a lifetime is not enough to rebuild," he stated.
"Blessed are the peacemakers!" he said. "But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth."…
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5787753/pope-leo-takes-trump-war-tyrants-iran-africa
Commission of Fine Arts moves ahead with Trump's proposed victory arch : NPR
It is still unclear when – or whether or not – the proposed arch's construction will go ahead. In February, a group of Vietnam War veterans filed suit to stop the construction, arguing that Congressional approval is needed.
The committee noted that of approximately 1,000 public comments submitted prior to the vote, nearly every one voiced opposition to the proposed arch and its size. The outlying individual submitted an alternate design…
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5787535/trump-victory-arch-dc3
NPR receives $113 million in charitable gifts : NPR
"I support NPR because an informed public is the bedrock of our society, and democracy requires strong, independent journalism," Ballmer, a former member of the NPR Foundation board, said in a statement. "My hope is that this commitment provides the stability and the spark NPR needs to innovate boldly and strengthen its national network."
Ballmer and her husband, former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, have given away more than $3 billion in recent years, according to a joint interview they gave last year to the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5787634/npr-113-million-charitable-gifts-connie-ballmer
What to know about naval blockades as U.S. patrols Strait of Hormuz : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2026/04/16/nx-s1-5783870/strait-of-hormuz-naval-blockade
Democrats relish big fundraising gains for Senate races favoring Republicans | PBS News
Democrats are boasting of eye-popping fundraising hauls in some of this year's top Senate contests, a potential sign of voter enthusiasm in what remains an uphill quest to win the Senate majority…
In races where Republicans had reported their fundraising by Tuesday evening, Democrats were far outpacing them….
GOP, Democrats blast Vought for holding back cash: ‘You don’t have the authority to impound’
https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/04/16/congress/vought-slammed-on-impoundment-00877112
Hochul backs law enforcement mask ban - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/16/hochul-backs-law-enforcement-mask-ban-00877336
Trump chooses establishment pick to head CDC - POLITICO
She is considered a more traditional pick for the role, and does not have clear connections to the Make America Healthy Again movement. “It’s gotten applause from both Republicans and Democrats,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said about Trump’s CDC pick at a House committee hearing on Thursday.
“This new team is really going to be able to revolutionize CDC and get it back on track.”…
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/16/trump-cdc-nomination-00877436
RFK Jr. will remake panel that determines which preventative services insurers must cover - Live Updates - POLITICO
But some public health advocates worry that Kennedy would remake the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to align it with his views, many of which go against mainstream science, the same way he overhauled the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, appointing members who shared his skepticism of vaccine safety.
A federal judge in Boston ruled in March that Kennedy’s appointments to the vaccine panel had been made inappropriately and were invalid...
Trump wants less spending. RFK Jr.’s ‘not happy’ about it. - Live Updates - POLITICO
House effort to end Trump's war with Iran fails by one vote
Chef José Andrés warns of multi-year world famine from Iran war
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/16/chef-jose-andres-iran-war-famine
Critical Atlantic current significantly more likely to collapse than thought
Democrats file articles of impeachment against Hegseth for ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/15/democrats-pete-hegseth-impeachment
Effect of ‘gamechanger’ Alzheimer’s drugs ‘trivial’, review concludes
President renews threats against federal reserve chair, pushes his replacement
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/15/trump-news-at-a-glance-latest-updates-today
Big oil reaping $30m-an-hour war windfall from consumers, analysis finds
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/big-oil-huge-war-windfall-consumers
Matthew 10:37 family values #familyvalues #worshipsongs #exvangelical
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