WendyMcElroy.com

BREAKING. From Times: What the Passage of the Virginia Redistricting Plan Means for Control of Congress. [Ed: redistricting passed.]

Oh Canada! From Zero Hedge: Canada's Prime Minister Doubles Down On Militant Anti-US Rhetoric. Is globalist Mark Carney setting Canada up for economic disaster...or a war with the US? [Ed: Carney wants to cement his place on the global stage. Screw Canadians if they get in the way.]

From Pupvine: A Blind And Deaf Puppy In Alabama Got A Very Different Future Because One Vet Said No

Iran-U.S. Talks. From antiwar: Iran’s 10-point Plan Is Still a Workable Basis for Negotiations. From CNN: Iran demands immediate release of seized vessel as ceasefire deadline looms. [Ed: last minute preconditions for a talk are not a good sign.] From Son of the New American Revolution: Is Trump Going for Armageddon?

From the Volokh Conspiracy: Leaked Supreme Court Memos Reveal Why Court Stayed Clean Power Plan (Setting Important "Shadow Docket" Precedent in the Process). A New York Times scoop reveals that Chief Justice Roberts was concerned that the EPA would (again) get away with imposing unlawful burdens on utilities. [Ed: hints at Sotomayer being responsible.]

2016 RussiaGate. From Zero Hedge: DOJ Shakeup In Florida Signals Major Escalation In Russiagate Criminal Probe. "The Department of Justice appears to be gaining fresh momentum in its criminal investigation into the 2016 Trump-Russia collusion narrative, with a significant overhaul of the team handling the case in southern Florida."

2019 Attempted Coup. From Just the News: Five stories Democrats told during Trump’s 2019 Ukraine impeachment have fallen apart. Years of belated bombshells have eroded most of the narrative Democrats sold to America, from the credibility of the initial whistleblower to Joe Biden's claims. [Ed: 2019 was a de facto coup...attempted.]

NATO. From Anderw Korybko: The US Demanded That Europeans Accelerate Their Transition To 'NATO 3.0'. This might be the US’ final warning before it takes drastic action to punish those who continue to reject Trump’s demands... [Ed: I hope this is a prelude to the U.S. quitting NATO.] From Washington Times: Lavrov targets NATO as Europe readies for a reduced American role. [Ed: Trump has already talked about leaving NATO. Difficult to see how it could continue, if he did.]

Everyday Finances. From Kiplinger's Personal Finance: The Best Money Advice Of All Time. Good money habits - not shortcuts - are what build lasting wealth...

From People: Senior Living Employee Surprises Daughter, 7, with a Dog, Fulfilling Resident's Dying Wish That Pet Would Go to a Good Home

From Reuters: Kuwait Declares Force Majeure As US Seizure Of Iranian Ship Escalates Tensions. Kuwait has declared force majeure on shipments of crude oil and refined products after disruptions at the Strait of Hormuz prevented some vessels from entering the Persian Gulf... [Ed: this may well set a precedent for other oil producing nations.]

Food Insecurity. From Economic Collapse Blog: 70% Of US Farmers Say That They Won't Be Able To Buy All The Fertilizer They Need In 2026. ... prices have skyrocketed and farmers all over the planet are facing some incredibly tough choices... [Ed: stock up now. However, high food prices are, they're going higher.] From Ag Clips: US Set to Use Tariff Funds to Address High Fertilizer Prices Morning.

Undermining Elections. From the Post Millennial: Hundreds of unopened ballots found near dumpster sparking concerns over Washington's mail-in voting system [Ed: the only thing remarkable here is that they were found.] From NBC Washington: Virginia voters deciding on redistricting plan that could boost Democrats' seats in Congress. If enacted, Virginia's redistricting measure could lead to Democrats picking up four more seats in Congress. [Ed: blatant gerrymandering.]

From Behind the Narrative: Everyone Is Lying to You About the Palestinians. Seems like a useful and interesting history of the Palestinian conflicts, but I wish I knew was accurate and how much a competing narrative. As the author says, "Everyone Is Lying to You About the Palestinians."

From Zero Hedge: Data Analytics Company Palantir Publishes An Ideological Manifesto. CEO Alex Karp rails against the failings of the progressive order, but seems to place far too much faith in the power of AI and Silicon Valley to fix things... [Ed: a politically powerful company.]

From Remix News: Ukraine looks to import African migrants to fill labor shortage after hundreds of thousands dead or wounded at the front. Last autumn, a former FM said that Ukraine's only option would be to bring in foreign workers...

From Doog Lovers: Meet Yogi The Adorable Dog With A Human-Like Face Captivating The Internet And Sparking Curiosity

U.S. & Iraq. From the Cradle: Washington cuts flow of US dollars to Iraqi central bank until ‘acceptable’ government formed. "Washington opposes both Mohammad Shia al-Sudani and Nouri al-Maliki for the post of prime minister, which has not been filled for over five months since parliamentary elections." [Ed: yeah, and the U.S. howls about foreign interference in their elections.] From Iraqi News: US urges citizens in Iraq to leave.

AI. From Financial Times: America’s coming revolt is in the ‘wired belt’. Anger in the rust belt propelled Trump to victory — the rage of suburban knowledge workers will drive the AI backlash. [Ed: reader friendly.]

Government Fraud. From GAO: Fraud Risk Management: 2018-2022 Data Show Federal Government Loses an Estimated $233 Billion to $521 Billion Annually to Fraud, Based on Various Risk Environments. From AOL: Nick Shirley confronts California Democrats over 'Stop Nick Shirley Act,' pressing on First Amendment rights. [Ed: the Act has passed initial stages and is in the California Assembly Judiciary Committee.]

From NDTV: Hero Dog In Peru Saves Family After Dynamite Thrown Into Journalist's Home: "She Chewed It And..." From Sunny Skyz: Hero Dog Saves Family By Defusing Dynamite In Home Attack. {Ed: I have to check this story out to make sure it was true. Apparently, it is.]

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

From Ken Klippenstein: Exclusive: ICE Glasses. “Homeland Security is making “smart glasses” to collect intelligence on Americans.” ...specialized smart glasses that will allow federal agents on American streets to automatically identify “illegal aliens” [Ed: not sure what to think of this report.]

IRAN-U.S. CEASEFIRE EXPIRES TODAY.

BREAKING. From Hot Air: Islamabad II Back On (?) As Trump Issues Warning; UPDATE: Trump Won't Extend

Talks Between Iran and U.S. From the Middle East Eye: Iran rejects second round of talks, cites ‘excessive’ US demands. From Naked Capitalism: Iran War: Talks Kiboshed, U.S. Seizes Iranian Tanker, Leaks Confirm Mad King Claims UPDATE. From Anadolu Agency: Iran to attend 2nd round of talks with US despite Strait of Hormuz hostilities: Pakistani sources. Iranian delegation expected to arrive for much-publicized talks on Tuesday, according to Pakistani sources

From Unherd: [/i]Obama is anointing Mamdani as his Democratic successor. [Ed: that's what the much publicized meeting in NYC at a child care center is all about.]

Food Insecurity. From Lew Rockwell: Iran War: Sleepwalking Into Starvation.[Ed: N. America will not feel the brunt of food shortages but prices will rise significantly.] From the Guardian: Oats, sardines and crisps: emergency foods to stockpile – and why you should share them. In turbulent times, experts recommend building up a store of food if possible – focusing on long-life, no-cook items. [Ed: interesting thing is that a mainstream media paper is spreading this sort of advice.]

From Dogster: From Grief to Gratitude: How One “Potato” and a Road Trip Changed Everything

Kash Patel. From Just the News: FBI director says arrests are coming related to 2016 Russia probe: 'Never going to let this go'. Maria Bartiromo asked Patel if the FBI has evidence of election fraud in 2020. From CNBC: Kash Patel Sues the Atlantic for $250M. FBI director alleges critical article was published with known falsehoods. [Ed: it is official.]

From Of Two Minds Blog: Sell Now: Here's Why. [Ed: recommended.]

From the Express: Nigel Farage vows to deport 400,000 to end 'invasion of Britain'. [Ed: this pledge may win him the next election.]

AI. From Futurism: Millions of Americans Are Talking to AI Instead of Going to the Doctor, and It’s Giving Them Horrendously Flawed Medical Advice. [Ed: and, yet, many drs are using AI these days, so you don't know who/what is diagnosing you when you are in the drs office.] From Blood in the Machine: Why the AI backlash has turned violent. And why it's probably only going to get worse from here. From Start Up Fortune: Thousands of CEOs say AI has delivered almost nothing and economists are dusting off a 40-year-old paradox to explain why. [Ed: the Solow Paradox: you can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.] From BM Open: AI Chatbots Confidently Deliver Bad Cancer Advice. Study finds nearly half of medical answers from chatbots 'problematic'

From Pinterest: A Rescue Full of Love!

Iran War. From Scott Ritter: The Consequences of Incompetence. The US lost the first round of the war with Iran decisively. If Trump decides to go a second round, the results will be disastrous for American and its allies. From Moon of Alabama: War On Iran: – All Signs Point To Escalation. [Ed: I fear this assessment is correct.] From Zero Hedge: 'Highly Unlikely' US Will Extend Iran Ceasefire, 'Lots Of Bombs Will Go Off' If No Deal: Trump. Ghalibaf: about to reveal new cards on the battlefield...

From IEEE Spectrum: How Engineers Kick-Started the Scientific Method. Francis Bacon was inspired by the inventors of his day. [Ed: for Brad.]

From Jonathan Turley: “Use the Momentum”: The EU Moves to Destroy the Last Vestiges of National Sovereignty. [Ed: Orban's defeat means the EU loses its most effective barrier to its policies.]

From Newsweek: Dog Skips Vet Appointment to Show Up at Daycare Unannounced: ‘Zero Remorse’.

Strait of Hormuz. FromInternational Man: The War Will Be Won or Lost at the Strait of Hormuz AND Hormuz Blockade, Fertilizer Shock, Food Crisis — What Most People Don’t See Coming. From Portfolio Armor: Schrödinger’s Strait. "Over the weekend, the Strait of Hormuz became Schrödinger’s Strait: open and closed at the same time, depending on which headline you were reading." From Zero Hedge: Hormuz Traffic At Standstill After US Ship Seizure. Confirming the Schrodinger nature of the notorious waterway, the Strait of Hormuz is now just closed even more than before Iran and the US said the vital oil channel had been reopened.

From Newser: Botched Launch Is a Big Setback for Blue Origin. FAA is investigating failure to place satellite in the right orbit

From Al Jazeera: What’s behind the US army’s decision to raise enlistment age to 42? Changes in the US Army's enlistment standards could be an effort to boost recruitment, as numbers have lagged in recent years. [Ed: recruitment is reportedly very good. Why do they need to swell the ranks? Precaution or is something coming?]

From USA Today: Police K-9 heroically tracks down missing autistic child in Florida.

Money. From Bitcoin Magazine: When Quantum Computers Come for Your Bitcoin: What Classical Property Law Says Happens Next. A look at the legal aspects and relevant laws regarding a hypothetical theft of bitcoin utilizing quantum computers. From Unherd: Cash makes a comeback as Europeans prepare for war. [Ed: withdrawals, credit cards, crypto...what do you do if the grid is down?] From AARP: 5 Financial Mistakes That Will Make Your Kids Hate You. Don’t let estate planning blunders, money secrets or other slipups create a rift

From Wag: How Do Dogs See?

BREAKING. From the Spokesman Review: Bulgaria's pro-Russian former president set for landslide election win, exit polls show [Ed: not what the EU wants to hear.]

BREAKING. From France 24: Strong 7.5 earthquake hits off Japan, tsunami warning issued AND More than 60 killed as central Philippines hit by powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake [Ed: at least in the Philippines, the death count is going to go up.]

Claude Mythos. From Entrepreneur: Anthropic warns its new AI could enable ‘weapons we can’t even envision.’ Skeptics aren’t buying it. [Ed: I fall into the skeptics camp.] From Reuters: White House and Anthropic CEO discuss working together amid rising fear about Mythos model

From People: Hero Dog Who Woke Up Owner During RV Fire Honored with a Medal and Firefighter Helmet

From PJ Media: Will This Atlantic Hit Piece Be the Final Straw? [Ed: this is about the recent hit piece of Kash Patel. I include it because the hit piece has been making the rounds, and I wondered about it.]

Immigration. From Zero Hedge: Spain Erupts: Patriots Attacked By Socialist Mob Over Mass Illegal Migrant Amnesty. Street violence flares just days after Spain’s socialist government fast-tracked residency for half a million migrants... [Ed: immigration has the potential to make all of the EU flare with violence.] From Remix News: Spain's Last Chance: Could Far-Left Govt's Mass Legalization Of Migrants Be Blocked By Supreme Court? As tens of thousands of migrants rush embassies across Spain to begin the regularization process, for the Spanish right, the clock is now ticking to save the country... From the Post Millennial: 'Anchor babies' account for nearly 10% of US births: report. Data released by Pew Research shows that 9 percent of all US births in 2023 were to those that were here in the US illegally, or in the country temporarily. [Ed: shockingly high number, if accurate.]

From the BBC: DR Congo accepts first set of deportees from the US. [Ed: offers a glimpse into how 3rd nation deportations are going.]

From The Fence Post: High-tech robotic dogs now on patrol guarding valuable corn crops.

From Reason: Pete Hegseth Wants the D.C. Circuit To Let Him Punish a Senator for Criticizing Him. The defense secretary's asserted authority to control the speech of retired military officers "would chill public participation by veterans," a brief supporting Mark Kelly warns. [Ed: one court has ruled against Hegseth, as it should have, and he is pursuing it to a higher court.]

From In Bitcoin We Trust: The Architecture Of Abundance: How Bitcoin Reveals The Truth Of Time And Technology. [Ed: a tad exaggerated re:prospects, perhaps, but you can't argue with his facts.]

From Inspire More: Salty Dog Is Mad At Mom & Refuses To Forgive Her

Lebanon & Israel Meeting in White House. From Al Monitor: Aoun says Lebanon seeks 'permanent agreements' with Israel after White House invite. Aoun says Lebanon is entering a “new stage” of negotiations with Israel focused on “permanent agreements” following a US-brokered ceasefire and a White House invitation extended to both him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. From the Jerusalem Post: Netanyahu shocked Trump 'prohibited' strikes on Lebanon, believes it inconsistent with ceasefire. Trump’s public remarks appeared to exceed the text of the US-backed truce, prompting Israeli officials to seek clarification while clashes on the ground continued. [Ed: what is going on in the White House?]

Leo v. Don and Vice Versa. From Politico: Pope Leo XIV says ‘not in my interest at all’ to debate Trump but will keep preaching peace. [Ed: I hope Trump has the sense God gave a rock and stays silent as well.] From FOX News: Pope Leo says remarks about world being 'ravaged by a ?handful of tyrants' were not aimed at Trump: report. Vice President Vance later thanked the pope for clearing the record. [Ed: interesting. I just assumed Leo was slamming Don.]

From the Daily Economy: Taxing, Borrowing, and Printing: Three Ways America Pays for Government. [Ed: with the Iran War, all three will go into high gear.] From David Henderson: Four Facts About Taxes.

From Sunny Skyz: Police Were Called To Check On A 91-Year-Old Woman… They Found Her Busy Trying To Beat Her Video Game High Score. [Ed: not from the Onion.]

AI. From the Post Millennial: Meta to fire 8,000 employees in May, more layoffs to come as company invests in AI. [Ed: investments in AI are likely to create a slew of jobs as well.] From ABC.net: Makers of As Deep as the Grave defend use of AI-generated Val Kilmer in movie. [Ed: I hope this breaks the stranglehold Hollywood has on much of culture.]

AI and the White House. From Politico: US Government Now Wants Anthropic's 'Mythos', Preparing for AI Cybersecurity Threats.

From News Orvis: Dog Sleeping Positions: What the Furry Formations Mean

Cuba. From GZERO: Can Cuba continue to hold off the US? From First Post: Spain, Mexico & Brazil call for dialogue over Cuba crisis as Latin American nation deals with US pressure.

From the Hill: Appeals court green lights Trump’s White House ballroom construction through June. [Ed: given that Trump is using private $, this obstruction is rather petty.]

Strait of Hormuz. From the New York Post: US Navy destroyer ‘blows a hole’ through Iranian cargo ship that tried to break Hormuz blockade, Trump says. [Ed: what would Trump do if Iran seized a U.S. ship off the coast of the U.S.? Tehran vows retaliation.] From the Globe and Mail: Fate of Strait of Hormuz shipping uncertain after Iran rejects new peace talks. [Ed: every day is important for farmers needing to start the season.]

From Jonathan Turley: Protecting the Plate: Chief Justice Roberts Faces Two Strikes After New Leak Rocks the Court. [Ed: the first leak was re: the Dobbs abortion decision.]

From Lovely Animal World: Puppy Was About To Be Devoured By Coyote, But Got Rescued By A Furry Hero

Tariff Refunds. From NPR: This tariff-refund portal is about to be America's hottest website. [Ed: the tariff refund process begins today.] From USA Today: Importers rush to file as US launches tariff refund claims portal