4/ Ukrainian long-range drone strikes continue to have significant impacts on Russian oil production.
Ukrainian forces recently advanced in the Kupyansk direction and the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
"These two bargainers have been working so hard to convince the other side they’re ready to walk that they may be forced to do just that — and continue the next round of war. But that would probably be a bargaining ploy, too."
"When I visited a carpet bazaar in Tehran 15 years ago, I was advised never to hint that I wanted to buy a carpet. The only way to get a good deal was to convince the merchant that I was ready to walk away. I’ve never been in a major real estate deal, but I assume it has a similar dynamic.
"Both are hurting economically, but they boast they’re willing to keep fighting indefinitely. Every time they near an exit ramp, they veer away.
"Trump and the Iranians both appear to enjoy this game of chicken. Both seem to want a deal but insist that they don’t need it — and that the other side wants it more.
"The American and Iranian sides aren’t just bargaining over the 'shape of the table, as happens in many negotiations, but whether there should be a table at all. Both sides act as if the only way to get to 'yes' is to keep saying 'no.'
Several people with signs like this at the Boston Marathon today
"None of these statements had the slightest bearing on reality."
“'It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and [Lebanon] will be my 10th, so let’s, GET IT DONE!' he posted.
"He was so confident the end was in sight that he was already throwing the conflict in Iran and the proxy fight in Lebanon on his fanciful list of eight wars he’s 'solved':
“'Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again,' Trump posted Friday morning. 'It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!'
"But other times it’s simply an alarming reminder of how fitfully and flightily the president is monitoring his own war.
"Sometimes this is a good thing: His genocidal threats that 'a whole civilization will die tonight' never materialized.
"His pronouncements—whether they be threats, triumphant announcements, or even just descriptions of what’s underway in the strait—resemble reality less with every passing day.
" ... But it isn’t just that Trump low on options: More and more, he barely seems to understand what’s going on in the conflict at even a basic layman’s level.
"His official schedule suggests he will have “Executive Time” all morning until 1:30 p.m., followed by a ninety-minute policy meeting and a closed-press session to sign executive orders. Heavy is the head."
"As the Iran crisis spirals back out of control, it’s a big day for the president of the United States:
"The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is becoming a global economic catastrophe, and it’s clear Trump is running out of options to compel Iran to stop throttling it.”
"A cancer patient who goes under the knife and wakes to discover they couldn’t remove the tumor isn’t likely to be comforted that at least the doctors stitched him up properly.
“In one sense, we’re right back where we were last month—the strait closed, Iran intransigent, Donald Trump threatening. But that undersells the damage." politicalwire.com/2026/04/20/r...
“To a degree I’ve never encountered as a reporter, the congressman turned out to be widely loathed, both in Washington and by former close associates.”
“That matters because non-MAGA Republicans are exactly the voters Trump needed to assemble his 2024 coalition, and he’s losing them on the issue they care about most.”
“A new YouGov poll shows MAGA and non-MAGA Republicans splitting on the Iran war, the economy, And especially inflation.” open.substack.com/pub/gelliott...
Archaeologists in the Holy Land just uncovered a 3,000-year-old Israelite tablet…
It reads: “Iran is only weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon.”
Pete Hegseth: God, I wish I was a hitman in Pulp Fiction.
Barack Obama and Zohran Mamdani: Boy, it would be fun to be Mr Rogers.
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) This 97cm (38in) species of Heron is found in Africa, Europe & Asia. In flight this bird retracts its neck and extends its legs beyond its tail. Mainly found around water courses, this Heron feeds on fish & amphibians. Beautiful photo taken by Jero Milan in Spain #heron
White Sox expanded ‘Pope Hat’ giveaway due to demand: ‘This is going a little bit too crazy’ www.nytimes.com/athletic/720...
Someone really ought to write a book about the significance of #SCOTUS doing so many major things through unsigned and unexplained rulings, and how so much of it really is a recent phenomenon.
