Tuesday, April 7, 2026

April 7, 2026

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Trump deadline looms as Iran refuses Strait of Hormuz demand . . . U.S. negotiators warn Iran is unlikely to reopen the Strait of Hormuz before President Trump’s Tuesday deadline, raising the prospect of strikes on bridges and power plants. Trump, echoing past second-term tactics, has set deadlines and followed through with military action, though extensions are possible. Even as Vice President JD Vance and Middle Eastern intelligence chiefs push for a last-minute ceasefire, Iranian officials anticipate the familiar cycle of threat and escalation. Wall Street Journal

The deadline is 8 pm tonight, after which Trump vows he will wipe out Iran's infrastructure.

Iran’s supreme leader ‘unconscious and receiving treatment in Qom’ . . . Intelligence sources indicate Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is incapacitated and receiving treatment in Qom, raising questions about his ability to govern. A U.S. and Israeli-backed memo shared with Gulf allies says Khamenei, son of the late Ali Khamenei, is unconscious from a severe medical condition. The report also reveals his location for the first time, highlighting the city’s religious significance in Shia Islam. Times of London

Politics

Baptists oppose Trump’s nominee for surgeon general over abortion concerns . . . The Southern Baptist Convention’s policy arm is pushing back on Trump’s surgeon general nominee, Dr. Casey Means, warning senators her views clash with core pro-life convictions. In a formal letter, ERLC leaders cite her past support for abortion and evasive testimony on key issues like mifepristone access. While Trump has floated withdrawing her amid resistance, the White House insists he stands firmly behind Means and wants swift confirmation. Daily Signal

Democrats Plot Impeachment of Trump a Third Time

Mamdani’s racial equity plan sparks backlash and DOJ scrutiny . . . New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani rolled out his “Preliminary Citywide Racial Equity Plan,” spotlighting disparities in housing, education, and income. The plan introduces a “True Cost of Living Measure” to reveal who’s being left behind, but conservatives pounced online, and a Trump-era Justice Department official announced a review. Critics warn the framework could reshape policy through a lens of equity. Fox News

Swalwell faces looming claims from Hunt-backed accusers

California Rep. Eric Swalwell, already angling to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom, now faces a brewing storm as activist Cheyenne Hunt says multiple women are preparing sexual harassment allegations against him. Hunt, a lawyer and Gen-Z for Change leader, claims she’s coordinating with accusers behind the scenes. Details remain scarce, but the timing threatens to rattle an already crowded race and test party tolerance for scandal. Daily Caller

Furious Trump Threatens Jail For Reporters, Targets ‘Sick Leaker’ Who Risked Rescue . . . President Trump is vowing to hunt down whoever leaked details about a downed U.S. fighter jet in Iran, blasting the source as “sick” and warning reporters to reveal their leaker or face jail. He says the disclosure endangered a rescue mission, as an American airman hid for days while Iranian forces searched. The clash sets up a high-stakes fight between national security claims and press protections. Daily Wire

Jennifer Newsom’s ‘patriarchy’ defense of Noem, Bondi raises eyebrows . . . Jennifer Siebel Newsom, California’s self-styled “First Partner,” is drawing scrutiny after casting former Trump officials Kristi Noem and Pam Bondi as victims of “the patriarchy.” In a recent video, she framed their ousters as evidence of a broader war on women, an argument that blurs partisan lines and invites skepticism as critics question the logic behind defending high-profile figures from the opposing camp. Daily Wire

Culture

Education Dept. scraps Biden Title IX deals over gender identity rules . . . The Department of Education has axed Biden-era resolution agreements with schools, rejecting what it calls an ideologically driven expansion of Title IX into “gender identity.” Officials say prior enforcement twisted the law to police pronoun use and student gender questions without firm legal footing. The rollback signals a sharp policy turn, narrowing federal oversight back to sex-based protections. Breitbart

These are the kinds of piecemeal changes that Trump has instituted that have gradually shifted the cultural debate in favor of conservatives.

National Security

Trump Celebrates Stunning Rescue of Downed US Pilot in Iran . . . After the officer’s fighter jet was shot down, the injured officer survived by climbing to higher ground, treating his own wounds, and contacting American forces to request rescue. “We immediately mobilized a massive operation to retrieve him from the mountain holdout, and he kept going higher and higher,” Trump said. “The mountain kept getting rougher and rougher and really, very, very hard to find.” Daily Signal

The massive, multi-day effort included more than 100 aircraft.

The ‘violent’ reality of ejecting from an F-15 faced by brave US pilots revealed: ‘Instantaneous 10 to 20 Gs of force’

International

Most-decorated Australian war hero charged over Afghanistan killings . . . Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living soldier, has been arrested in Sydney and will face court over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. The Victoria Cross recipient is accused of killing at least five unarmed Afghans between 2009 and 2012, charges he dismisses as malicious. The case marks a historic first, as Australia’s civil courts prepare to scrutinize battlefield conduct once shielded from public reckoning.

Money

Retirement target jumps $200K as Americans scramble to catch up . . . Americans now need $1.46 million to retire comfortably, up $200,000 from last year, according to Northwestern Mutual’s 2026 study. Only half say they’re prepared for the new “magic number,” which reflects soaring costs, longer lifespans, and shaky confidence in Social Security. Financial experts warn that even modest delays in saving could leave millions struggling to maintain their lifestyle in retirement. New York Post

Employee microchips spark privacy backlash in Washington . . . Some companies are implanting microchips in workers to grant instant access to buildings, accounts, and vending machines, but privacy advocates are sounding alarms. Washington state has moved first, banning employers from requiring or even asking staff to take the implants. Lawmakers warn the technology could allow invasive tracking on and off the clock, turning workplace convenience into a surveillance nightmare. Washington Times

You should also know

Michigan topples UConn for basketball rown . . . Michigan finally cashed in decades of buildup, grinding past UConn 69-63 at Lucas Oil Stadium to seize its first national title since 1989. The Wolverines outlasted a Huskies squad chasing a third championship in four runs, but cold shooting derails that bid late. In a tense, physical finish, Michigan controlled the moment, turning patience and defense into a breakthrough that resets the program’s ceiling. Fox News

Artemis II crew shatters Apollo 13 distance record . . . Four astronauts aboard Artemis II have pushed farther from Earth than any humans in history, surpassing Apollo 13’s 1970 record of 248,655 miles. Commander Reid Wiseman, alongside Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen, marked the milestone as part of NASA’s first crewed moon mission in over 50 years, signaling a bold return to deep space with ambitions that aim well beyond past limits. The Hill

CBS replaces Colbert with Allen shows in profit-driven pivot . . . CBS is pulling the plug on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and immediately flipping late night into a revenue play, handing 11:35 p.m. to Comics Unleashed and 12:35 a.m. to Funny You Should Ask starting May 22. Byron Allen isn’t just producing—he’s buying the airtime and selling the ads, turning the network’s late-night block into a likely profit center as traditional formats fade. Hollywood Reporter

Colbert says that while he will lose his job, he will maintain his self-righteousness, although he will be paid less for it.

Guilty Pleasures

New NASA video spurs hoax that Artemis II mission is staged: ‘Pure green screen bulls–t . . . Conspiracy theorists are seizing on a NASA video showing a plush toy floating in Artemis II’s capsule, insisting visual distortions and fleeting text prove the moon mission is a green-screen stunt. The crew’s live CNN interview, intended to showcase zero gravity, instead became fodder for skeptics combing cellphone clips for anomalies. NASA maintains the mission is real. New York Post

A surprising number of Gen-Zers believe all the moon missions were faked. I was just listening to a popular podcast where it was agreed the while missions night just have happened, we did the entire Apollo program in order to put a missile on the moon that could hit Russia. Which is a bit like saying we decided to travel from Philadelphia to New York by sailing to Cameroon.

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