NEW: A horrific new bill introduced by Chip Roy would weaponize immigration law to target "socialism"—defined so loosely as to include even advocacy about economic equality—so that naturalized citizens could be stripped of their citizenship and deported.
www.thebulwark.com/p/chip-roy-d...
The Department of the Air Force called for a 38% boost in spending over last year to invest billions more in its fleet while also prioritizing personnel, flying hours, training and large-scale exercises.
And .. here come the Freedom of Information Act requests for Kash Patel records
DC watchdog group Democracy Forward has formally requested Patel's calendars & any messages from security detail that include words "drinking", "hungover", "inebriated"
democracyforward.org/wp-content/u...
Investors are far too complacent around economic risk due to the war it is pricing in a near term end.
Lufthansa cuts 20,000 flights to save fuel as prices soar via @FT #Econ #EconSky
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
A happy Taco Tuesday to all that celebrate.
Talks breakdown so Trump unilaterally extending ceasefire. However Hormuz remains closed to all traffic.
Which allows the market to price in an end to the war without it actually ending.
I strongly recommend the pollo asado con todo. #Econ
🌮 🌮 🌮 🌮
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has signed an executive order banning state employees from using insider info to bet on prediction market apps like Kalshi and Polymarket, warning the unregulated boom “opens the door to insider trading and abuse.”
Lets go Virginia!!! Vote Yes on Redistricting!!! Republicans have been quick to chastise Dems for this but were quiet as church mice when texas did this...
Donald started this, let's make him regret ever starting a fight and not expecting the people to fight back!
Seems like NYT should have mentioned that UAE's spymaster bought 49% of Trump's World Liberty Financial and used $2B of its USD1 stablecoin, directing hundreds of millions to Trump.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/b...
One day view of oil prices showing a sharp rise
One day view of S&P 500 showing a sharp decline
Oil prices rose and stock prices dropped as news emerged that neither the US nor Iran would participate in negotiations in Pakistan:
I worked for this woman at Passover programs from 97-2000, this is a gut punch.
LA people, please keep an eye out.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s trip Wednesday to Islamabad, Pakistan for negotiations with Iran has been postponed indefinitely, a U.S. source confirms to Barak Ravid of Axios, following the Iranian decision to withdraw from the negotiations as divisions remain in Tehran.
The United States Department of Justice April 21, 2026 Acting AG Todd Blanche, FBI Director Kash Patel to Hold Press Conference ****** MEDIA ADVISORY ****** FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY WASHINGTON -- This evening, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel will hold a press conference at Main Justice. WHEN: Tuesday, April 21 at 5:30 PM ET WHERE: U.S. Department of Justice 7th Floor Briefing Room 950 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, D.C. 20530 A livestream will be available at justice.gov/live
NEW: Blanche / Patel presser at 5:30p today.
Blanche // Our Indictment alleges Southern Poverty Law Center secretly funneled MORE THAN $3 MILLION IN FUNDS to white supremacist & extremist groaps including: $ 1M + National Alliance affillate $300K+ Aryan Nations affilate $270K + "ente the Right" member $140K+ Elia National Alliance Chairman $73K + Farmer KKK members $19K+ pressient Efelon
Blanche and Patel
BREAKING: DOJ announces charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center based on allegations of paid informants in an indictment in the Middle District of Alabama.
"This investigation is very much ongoing," FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Dismantling Voice of America was one of the most devastating things I’ve witnessed. VOA wasn’t propaganda, it was proof that free press could criticize its own leaders and still survive. And now we’re throwing away one of our greatest tools of freedom.
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...
In the newest episode of Older/Wiser, Linda Chavez is joined by former US Marine Issac Olvera, who left his life behind in 2022 to fight in Ukraine. He reflects on his journey and explains why America has fallen short. Listen to the full episode now:
“What I didn’t know was that measles can cause long-term complications. A child can seem fine while the virus slowly replicates in her brain… Because both Britain and the United States are confronting outbreaks, I am sharing my story. Parents should know just how dangerous this disease is.”
Nothing has killed more soldiers in the history of humanity than disease. While worst is a more complicated question Hegseth is absolutely the dumbest secretary of defense the United States has ever had. bsky.app/profile/ones...
In 2019, Hegseth proudly told his Fox News co-hosts that he had not washed his hands in 10 years because "germs are not a real thing. I can't see them, therefore they are not real."
If he can’t see the flu virus, why bother getting vaccinated?🙄
I heard some interesting tea yesterday that Hegseth asked the guys at RTB if they can just revoke every ranger tab issued since they supposedly lowered standards for women. Apparently he was shocked to learn this would affect thousands of soldiers including 75th boys.
um wat
Flu spreads efficiently especially in close quarters like military troop lodging facilities. If you are in the military you are required to get several vaccines because of how devastating outbreaks can be to troops and also because they are more likely be targeted by agents of biological warfare.
Senate is voting now to proceed to the budget resolution. It takes a simple majority to proceed. After that, there would be 50 hours of debate, followed by vote-o-rama, followed by final passage. If the House agrees, then would be the process of a reconciliation bill to pump $70 bn into ICE & CBP.
New: Kash Patel's FBI launched an unnecessary raid on the home of a former Capitol Police officer, based on Jan. 6 conspiracy theories from right-wing media outlet The Blaze.
This is a long think piece, but I argue that Trump's Iran catastrophe may disrupt his efforts to consolidate his authoritarianism, but even more, may provide cause to go after his Tech bro donors and data centers.
The Third Trajectory and Hopes for Rebuilding
emptywheel.net/2026/04/21/t...
For Taco Tuesday I wrote a long post which, buried w/in it, includes a description of 2 acute psychological dilemmas Trump is facing.
1) To win v Iran, Trump has to fight Putin
2) To make a deal, Trump has to admit Obama is smarter than him
Neither is tenable.
emptywheel.net/2026/04/21/t...
Something reports on DOJ's withdrawal of subpoenas are missing: John Solomon, before he announced DiGenova's hiring but at a time he likely knew about it, said that DOJ was going to push for access to ALL Senate materials on RU, seemingly including SSCI report.
www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/u...
Ford’s move into the Middle East comes after it set a record on Wednesday with 296 days on deployment. That broke the post-Vietnam War carrier deployment record of 295 days held by USS Abraham Lincoln. Ford departed its homeport in Norfolk, Va., in late June for a routine deployment to Europe. Since then, the carrier has operated in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Red seas. It likely will go into a record-breaking 11th month of operations, the Navy’s top official has said. This is at least the second time Ford has been on duty in the Middle East during its current deployment. In early March, Ford entered the Red Sea, continuing its role in Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran. On March 12, a fire broke out in the ship’s main laundry areas, causing damage to multiple compartments and displacing some 600 personnel. Three sailors suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Btw, the USS Ford set a record for longest post-Vietnam (which Trump could have won) deployment last week. I'm sure that has nothing to do with its toilet problem or laundry fire.
These sailors have been away from home since June.
www.stripes.com/branches/nav...
whY iS evERyONe aROunD TRUmP tiEd To EPstEiN?
Congress: Fool me once…Fool me 100 times…
