WendyMcElroy.com

It was a bonehead move by Trump, but no one was outraged when Obama similarly postered himself as Jesus.

From Daniel LaCalle: Mises, Rothbard, & Libertarian 'Just War' Theory In The 2026 Iran War

From Buzzfeed: This Man Was Willing To Sleep Outside In Freezing Temperatures To Avoid Being Separated From His Dog. But thanks to the kindness of local organizations in Indianapolis, Bernard Holland is getting back on his feet.

Housing. From The Mortgage Notes: Homes Today Vs. 1956 – What’s The Difference? [Ed: fascinating.] From National Review: Are Foreigners and Outsiders Stealing Our Housing? [Ed: answer is a good debunking of this myth.]

From antiwar: House Narrowly Defeats Iran War Powers Resolution as Thousands More US Troops Head to Middle East. The bill failed in a vote of 213-214, with just one Democrat voting against it and one Republican supporting it

Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire. From antiwar: [link=https://original.antiwar.com/ramzy-baroud/2026/04/16/the-collapse-is-real-lebanon-ceasefire-marks-a-historic-strategic-defeat/]The Collapse is Real[/link] – Lebanon Ceasefire Marks a Historic Strategic Defeat. [Ed: more a surrender than a ceasefire.] From Son of the New American Revolution:[/link] War On Iran: – Ceasefire In Lebanon, – Hormuz Re-opened, – Talks To Continue,

Trump as Jesus Flap. From the BBC: Trump’s rift with Pope is playing out in public – it’s costing him valuable support. [Ed: it surprises me that Vance is entering this fray. It is a losing move for both of them.] From FOX News: From Iran to the fake Jesus image, Trump is facing a growing backlash for his inflammatory rhetoric.

From Waggington Post: Shelter Dog Moves Into New Home And Adorably Freaks Out When She Notices What’s In The Backyard

Gallego. From CBS News: GOP Rep. Luna accuses Sen. Ruben Gallego of misconduct; Gallego calls allegations "conspiracy theories" [Ed: who else are the Dems protecting?] AND Senator Ruben Gallego reacts to misconduct allegations. From Daily Mail: Bombshell records reveal Eric Swalwell and Ruben Gallego splurged campaign cash in Puerto Rico during island wedding

From the Cradle: Syria declares 'end of US mission' as last troops leave country. Forces loyal to self-appointed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa took over the the US's Qasrak Base in Hasakah Governorate on Thursday.

Upcoming Elections/Votes. From Jonathan Turley: “F**k It…Just Do It”: Carville Lays Out Democratic Plan to Add States and Pack the Court To Retain Power. Various AND Virginia is for Democrats: Spanberger Pushes Gerrymandered Map to Wipe Out Republican Districts. [Ed: by admitting she lied about everything she stood for before she was election, there is a real shadow over every Dem candidate who comes next.

From the DoDo: Abandoned Baby Sprints Toward Study Abroad Student, Asking For Help. “She just ran out towards us like, ‘Hey! Could you help me?’”

U.S.-Iran. From Son of the New American Revolution: Donald Trump and Scott Bessent Destroy Any Chance to Negotiate an End to the War with Iran. [Ed: I have thought the same of some of the U.S. war rhetoric and calling Iranians "animals."] From Al Jazeera: [link=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/17/can-pakistan-secure-iran-us-nuclear-compromise-as-trump-says-deal]Can Pakistan secure Iran-US nuclear compromise, as Trump says deal ‘close’?[/link] From Axios: Scoop: U.S. considers $20 billion cash-for-uranium deal with Iran

From Sunny Skyz: Woman With Dementia Thinks She’s Getting Married, So Her Daughter Throws Her A Bridal Shower.

From antiwar: US Dramatically Ramps Up Bombing Campaign Against Small Boats in the Waters of Latin America

AI. From Real Clear Politics: What AI Doesn't Know - And Why It Matters. Properly understood, AI supplements and does not replace human intelligence, knowledge, or understanding... [Ed: a sober assessment.] From Futurism: Usually, Young People Embrace New Technology. Gen Z’s Attitude Toward AI Should Worry the Entire Tech Industry. The AI industry has a major problem with young people. From Mish Talk: Which AI Models Have Any Sense of Humor and Sarcasm [Ed: recommended.]

From Hot Air: The Electric Bus Bust Mayhem Continues. [Ed: the official transportation in Kamalot.]

From Reason: 'The Rich Don't Pay Their Fair Share' and 4 Other Tax Myths That Won't Die. The United States has the most progressive income-tax system in the developed world.

Strait of Hormuz. From the North Shore News: Canadian and U.S. stocks soar, oil drops as Iran says Strait of Hormuz open. [Ed: would not have happened without the Lebanon ceasefire.]From the International Man: Hormuz Blockade, Fertilizer Shock, Food Crisis — What Most People Don’t See Coming AND Doug Casey on the Strait of Hormuz, the Dollar, and the Coming Energy Crisis

From Fortune: The Iran war’s fertilizer shock is hammering American farmers, and 70% can’t afford what they need for this year’s growing season.

From Wamiz: Shelter dog rushes to 16 YO when he realises something is wrong

Ukraine-Russia. From Simplicius. Serious Escalation: Russian MOD Implies Threatening Consequences Against Europe for Being Party to Conflict. It has slowly become increasingly apparent that Ukraine may be utilizing the airspace of NATO countries for its recent spate of strikes against Russia.

BREAKING. From FOX News: Israel, Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire, Trump announces. [Ed: already some reports of violations.] From the AP: Ceasefire Takes Effect After Flurry of Strikes. Displaced families begin moving back to southern Lebanon [Ed: God, I wish safety for them.] From the National: What are the terms of the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire? Ceasefire begins at midnight, local time, on Friday and will last 10 days

Immigration. From Hot Air: Spain Just Opened Every Country in Europe to Islamist Migrants. [Ed: opened its borders and, as part of the European Schengen Zone, its borders with other countries are also open.] From the Post Millennial: California county refused to honor 529 ICE detainers in 2025. California's sanctuary laws prohibit local and state law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal authorities on immigration. [Ed: Santa Clara County.] From Center for Immigration Studies: The DIGNIDAD Act: Sweeping Amnesty and Expanded Legal Immigration

From Yahoo Life: Half-Blind Senior Dog Saves Family and Chickens From Bear, Earning Nickname the ‘Bear Slayer’

From Zero Hedge: China's Unitree Unveils Robot With "Human-Like Physique" That Can Outrun Most People. [Ed: saw a very impressive video of one such robot.]

Swalwell. From Bored Trash Panda: Everyone Knew Swalwell Had a ‘Women and Whiskey’ Problem: The View’s Alyssa Farah Griffin [WATCH]. [Ed: Pelosi et al are not going to get away with the "I knew nothing" routine.] From Slate: Consider the Dick Pic. Why can’t the nation’s most politically ambitious men stop sending unsolicited photos of their junk?

From the New York Post: Islanders fans rally behind jailed ‘cooler cop’ Erik Duran after launch of defense legal fund. [Ed: this case will have repercussions in NYC and, perhaps, across the U.S.]

Taxation. From Mises Institute: Tax Freedom Day Underestimates How Long You Work For The Government. "Americans don’t truly start working for themselves until June 5, over seven weeks later..." From the Daily Economy: Bootleggers, Baptists, and Others Who Benefit From Tax Complexity. Moral advocates and special interests engineer the tax code to reward those best equipped to navigate complex rules. [Ed: a must read.] From Reason: Trump's Illegal War in Iran Is Financed by Your Taxes. That's a Good Reason To Stop Paying Them. If Congress will not deploy the power of the purse to restrain a lawless administration and an illegal war, then it falls to the public to do so.

From the DoDo: Trader Joe's Employees Find Lost Dog — And Drop Everything To Help Her

Upcoming Elections. From KTLA5: Tom Steyer announces plan to jail ICE agents, calls agency a ‘violent extremist group’ [Ed: and he is the forerunner on the Dem side.]

From the Babylon Bee: Mamdani Says City-Run Supermarket Will Be Ready In 3 Years But Recommends Getting In Line For Bread Now. [Ed: I have to point out this is satire because reality and satire are blending these days.]

Trump's 2019 Impeachment. From CNN: DNI Tulsi Gabbard sends criminal referral over Trump’s 2019 impeachment to Justice Department. [Ed: referrals for undisclosed whistleblower and Inspector General involved. I suspect the whistleblower is former CIA analyst Eric Ciaramella who was named in the media as such.] From Forbes: Trump Floats Idea Of Reversing 2019 Impeachment—Again. [Ed: expunging an impeachment has never occurred and I don't know how it would occur.]

From Responsible Statecraft: Is the US prepping for a military operation in Cuba? Trump told reporters this week that ‘we may stop by' the island 'after we’re finished with’ the Iran war

From the Future of Freedom Foundation: Libertarians and Social Security

Iran War. From Moon of Alabama: War On Iran: – Closing The Red Sea. From the Middle East Eye: War on Iran 'can be over very soon' Trump says, as backchannel diplomacy resumes. The US president says neither the Saudi Arabians nor the Chinese pushed back against his Strait of Hormuz blockade. [Ed: I think the ceasefire will be extended. Pakistan is making noise about renewed negotiations.] From Zero Hedge: Trump Says 'Probably, Maybe' Iran Talks To Resume This Weekend, 'Not Sure' About Ceasefire Extension. From Scheer Post: Everyone Knows Israel is Sabotaging The Iran Ceasefire—Even The Trump Administration

From Law and Liberty: Abundance Pragmatism Fails. Some policies simply won't ever be "smart." [Ed: recommended.]

California. From the Post Millennial: LA hotels slash jobs, staff hours as Karen Bass’ $30 minimum wage hike drives up costs. “Hotels are struggling to keep up with rising operating costs coupled with falling demand.”

From Pawbuzz: Dog Gets A New Puppy For His Birthday, Their First Meeting Has Been Watched Over 7 Million Times. [Ed: wonderful video!]

From CNBC: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is preparing banks to collect citizenship data. "The administration has been considering an executive order to require banks to request additional documents from customers and earlier this week Bessent indicated the EO is coming."

Ukraine-Russia. From Radio Free Europe: Russia Launches Hundreds Of Drones In Deadly Overnight Attack On Ukraine. [Ed: Ukraine's attack on russia are equally brutal. This is the nature of war, not of Russia.] From Kyiv Post: Vance Calls Ending US Funding for Ukraine War ‘Key Achievement’. [Ed: less $ for Zelensky and his cronies?] From Zero Hedge: Drone Attack On Russia's Tuapse Oil Refinery Unleashes Fire So Large It Can Be Seen From Space. Black Sea port town declares state of emergency...

From the DoDo: Tiny Dog Can't Stop Smiling At Everybody After Being Rescued

Mamdani's City Grocer Store. From Jonathan Turley: La Marxista: Mamdani Pledges to Open First City-Run Store with Projected $30 Million Initial Cost. "Mamdani demands a 10% property tax to fund his promises of free buses and other socialist programs." From the New York Post: Mamdani makes surprising admission about the cost of goods at NYC-owned grocery stores [Ed: he will only guarantee "lower prices" for a core set of everyday staples.

From Responsible Statecraft: Is this the grand bargain that could end the Iran war? [Ed: a must read.] AND Why Trump’s Hormuz blockade is headed for a bust.

The blockades are bad but consider them points of leverage for an actual negotiation. Here is what a positive outcome — for both sides — might look like.

From Cuteness: Rescue Dog Puts On Her New Prosthetic Leg And Overflows With Happiness. [Ed: Youtube version of video here.]

From Hot Air: Steyer: I'm Running On the Insurrection Party Ticket!

Guns. From National Today: New York Lawmakers Move to Restrict BB and Pellet Guns. Proposed legislation would redefine air guns as 'imitation weapons' and impose new regulations. [Ed: what next? Photos of guns as "depicted weapons"?] From the Register: California Ghost-Gun Bill Wants 3D Printers To Play Cop, EFF Says From the Epoch Times: Virginia Governor Pushes Amendments On Gun Legislation Amid DOJ Warning. [Ed: DOJ warns that the restrictions are probably unconstitutional.]

From American Thinker: German government moves to forbid ‘right-wingers’ (presumably AfD) from buying property. Meanwhile, foreign Islamists meeting “residency” requirements receive taxpayer assistance. [Ed: presumably, qualified foreigners are not a political threat to the status quo's power.]

Trump & Meloni. From FOX News: Trump blasts close ally Meloni, says she’s failing US on Iran. Meloni also confirmed Italy suspended its defense cooperation agreement with Israel amid Middle East tensions. [Ed: Meloni is the Italian PM.] From the National Post: Trump slams ally Meloni in war of words over the Pope: 'I thought she was brave'. 'I would not feel very comfortable in a society where religious leaders do what political ?leaders ?say,' Italian PM Giorgia Meloni said. [Ed: Orban and Meloni were Trump's staunchest allies in the EU.]

From Hot Air: Irish Government Survives to Ignore Its Citizens Another Day. [Ed: I think the gov. is dead tho' still walking. I just wonder how long it will take to fall.]

From 307 Substack: The UK Is Carrying Out A Rigged Trial Of The ‘ Filton Six’ To Continue Palestine Action Crack Down. The Dissident

Swalwell. From the Sacramento Bee: Eric Swalwell’s finances show cash crunch, delayed taxes, large child care tab. [Ed: a different take on the creep that is Swalwell.] From Just the News: Newsom announces election to fill US Rep. Swalwell's seat set for Aug. 18.

From Garden & Gun: Keeping Up with the Pack. Why settle for one dog when you can have five?

Ukraine-Russia. From Moscow Times: Zelensky Says Kyiv Seized a Russian Position With Drones and Robots. Is This a Game Changer?

From FOX News: House Dems unveil bill to examine removing Trump using 25th Amendment. [Ed: bill would create a 17-member commission to assess whether the amendment could be used to boot Trump from the White House. Seems unconstitutional on the surface.] From CBS News: Senate rejects 4th attempt to curb Trump's war powers in Iran. [Ed: Rand Paul voted with the Dems. Fetterman voted with the Repubs.] From Newsweek: Pete Hegseth Faces Impeachment Threat: Full List of Sponsors

From the Future of Freedom Foundation: Civil Society Needs the High Trust that Only Individuals Can Provide. [Ed: by Wendy McElroy.]

From 404 Media: Google, Microsoft, Meta All Tracking You Even When You Opt Out, According to an Independent Audit. [Ed: I never thought anything else was going on.] From Gizmodo: Meta Thinks Its Smart Glasses Could Stalk People in a ‘Thoughtful’ Way.

From NPR: Why Congress is fighting over a central tool of American surveillance. [Ed: Sec. 702 of FISA.]

From National News Today: Anthropic's Powerful AI Model (Claude Mythos) Sparks Emergency Banking Meetings; US Treasury and Federal Reserve warn of systemic cybersecurity risks. [Ed: I'm watching news about Claude very closely.]

From DailyBBNews: From Abandoned Puppy to Therapy Dog: Hugo’s Inspiring Journey of Resilience and Joy

Big Picture Economics. From ITM Trading: Inflation Just TRIPLED as the Reset Accelerates. [Ed: I know this site is selling something but it is also providing info you don't hear elsewhere.] From Zero Hedge: Kering And Hermès Sink As War Batters Earnings; Goldman Warns Luxury Dip-Buying Is "Premature"

From antiwar: US Southern Command Kills Six in Latest Boat Strikes in Eastern Pacific Ocean. [Ed: it is good to remember that these 'drug' boat bombings are ongoing.]

From International Man: Doug Casey on the Strait of Hormuz, the Dollar, and the Coming Energy Crisis

The Impeachment Fraud of 2019. From Just the News: Ratcliffe’s CIA reacts: New Ukraine impeachment evidence exposes Democrats’ ‘bad faith’. Director Ratcliffe played key role in Congress defending Trump in 2019 impeachment. [Ed: I always thought it smelled to high heaven...but now there's evidence.] AND Ukraine whistleblower said he didn’t want his bias noted, and IC watchdog seemingly obliged. "Some indicia of an arguable political bias on the part of the Complainant in favor of a rival political candidate." He criticized GOP congressmen, recounted that he asked to hide his complaint from Republicans on the intelligence committee, pointed to his close links to Joe Biden’s efforts in Ukraine, and more.

From Tech Crunch: Thousands of Rare Concert Recordings Are Landing On the Internet Archive. [Ed: the library is here.]

From High Wire: The Quiet Kill: How Assisted Suicide Became a Growth Industry

From Sunny Skyz: 'She Wouldn’t Budge': After A Scare, This Loyal Farm Dog Stood Guard In The Snow All Night

Brad here. The title of this post is the concluding line of a story I read back in high school, decades ago. It sprang into my memory yesterday when I read the Charles Hugh Smith article "Automating our Dependence Will Cripple Us", that Wendy had included in the blog. From that article:


The long-ago short story was "The Macauley Circuit" (PDF). In those days I would read almost anything that was described as science fiction, but I was especially enamored of anything touching upon music synthesis, a driving fascination of mine. (I still have my vinyl copy of Switched-On Bach, by Walter Carlos, which dates me.) After several decades I could remember the title, the story outline, and many of the details of what now should be considered a cautionary tale:


I did not recall the author; at that time, his name meant nothing to me. I've now looked it up: Robert Silverberg. He says it was one of his earliest stories. Perhaps in the age of AI, there is still time to heed Silverberg's warning.

Otherwise, ladies and gentlemen, we will all become obsolete.