Fifteen minutes before the President announced he was pausing strikes on Iran, somebody moved $500 million in oil futures. Somebody knew. Somebody told them. Or somebody is them.
New piece ↓
open.substack.com/pub/adamkinz...
VOTE YES, VIRGINIA✊🏼
Not enough people are talking about this.
Hungary’s incoming PM has said that Viktor Orbán used Hungarian government funds to help finance CPAC, the flagship networking event for GOP candidates, members of Congress, and conservative media in this country.
BREAKING: Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has RESIGNED.
Her exit follows a tenure rocked by multiple scandals—including an investigation into an alleged affair with a security staffer and accusations of drinking on the job.
Keith Sonderling will serve as Acting Labor Secretary.
"However--may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government."
-George Washington
Whatever happens with the ceasefire, it's worth remembering that even if the war ends, the damage remains. The broader economic consequences are large, and persistent, and affect all of us.
Alt text: Screenshot of a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Abdulkhaleq Abdulla (@Abdulkhaleq_UAE), with a verified badge. The post reads: “This is what I told Reuters today: The UAE no longer needs America to defend it, as it has proven during the Iranian aggression that it is capable of defending itself with distinction. What the UAE needs is to acquire only the best and latest weapons that America has. Therefore, it is time to think about closing the American bases, as they are a burden and not a strategic asset.” The post is labeled “Translated from Arabic by Grok” and shows a timestamp of 10:21 AM · 4/19/26 with 139K views.
NEW: UAE scholar Abdulkhaleq Abdulla says the UAE no longer needs U.S. protection, calling American bases a “burden, not a strategic asset” and suggesting they should be closed. The United States’ standing in the region has been obliterated.
Another Iranian source called the claim “another lie,” adding that “no major progress has been made” in talks.
Iran says any negotiations will depend on “compliance with all of Iran’s conditions.” 2/2
Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal:
Bluesky under attack. (Maybe you noticed that Thursday.)
"Bluesky’s website and app are still struggling on Friday after experiencing service interruptions that chief operating officer Rose Wang attributed to an ongoing cyberattack." techcrunch.com/2026/04/17/i...
DOJ demanded voter files from all 50 states.
DOJ sued 31 states for refusing their demand.
My law firm intervened to protect voters in those cases.
DOJ is now 0-5.
My firm is 5-0.
Lesson: When we fight we win.
Trump: "Millions of American small businesses, including corner stores. What is a corner store? I've never heard that term. I know what a corner store is but I've never heard it described-- a corner store. Who the hell wrote that?"
🚨BREAKING: DOJ lost again Friday, as a federal judge dismissed its lawsuit to force Rhode Island to provide unfettered access to its voter registration rolls, bringing the agency’s record among active cases to 5 defeats, 0 wins and 25 cases still pending. www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty: "Are we concerned as to whether there would be federal blowback? Not a concern of ours. Our role is to hold people accountable if they violate the laws of Minnesota. We feel strongly that this ICE agent committed 2nd degree assault."
"The masters of war pretend not to know that it takes only a moment to destroy, yet a lifetime is often not enough to rebuild. They turn a blind eye to the fact that billions of dollars are spent on killing and devastation, yet the resources needed for healing, education and restoration are nowhere to be found." -Pope Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV: Jesus told us, blessed are the peacemakers. But woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, or political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth.
For Netanyahu, the war in Gaza was not enough. Iran was not enough. He is now waging a full-blown war of expansion in Lebanon.
The time is long overdue for Congress to listen to the American people and end U.S. military aid to the extremist Israeli government.
A truly great President. We miss you Joe.
🚨Nicole Wallace just reported Rep. Eric Swalwell is resigning from Congress..Will have report on soon..
www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...
This week is Black Maternal Health Week — and Black women are still being ignored, dismissed, and disrespected, especially during pregnancy and childbirth.
Over 80% of these deaths didn’t have to happen. This is your reminder to listen to Black women.
Whew!
Hillary Clinton this morning on the US-Iran talks that fell apart:
“This is hard, disciplined effort that has to go into diplomacy to reach any results. And I don’t see this administration either wanting to do it or, frankly, being capable of doing it…”
Leo: "The message of the church, the message of the gospel -- blessed are the peacemakers. I do not look at my role as being political. I don't want to get into a debate with him. I don't think the message of the gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing."
😬
BREAKING: Hungary just saw a stunning political shakeup. Opposition leader Péter Magyar says Prime Minister Viktor Orbán personally called to congratulate him on his victory, marking the imminent end to Orbán’s long grip on power.
The end of Viktor Orbán’s autocratic regime is a victory not just for Hungary, but for people who value democracy around the world. Congratulations to Tisza, to incoming leader Péter Magyar, and to Hungarians everywhere.
BREAKING: Kamala Harris just gave the clearest signal yet she’ll run for president again in 2028.
“Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it,” Harris told the Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network convention.
🌑🌑🌑
🚨BREAKING: A federal judge dismissed the DOJ’s lawsuit demanding Massachusetts’ unredacted voter rolls.
The ruling marks its fourth consecutive loss of 30 active cases seeking access to sensitive voter data from states. https://bit.ly/4mhdfeq
