Precariously Balanced
Taking A Deep Breath,
There are so many weak points in the politics of all parties to the wars in the world now, that each party must guard, constraining room for maneuver and attack. Additionally, too much of an attack upon another party might trigger a desperate response. An attempt tocut off the ability to respond may trigger the feared response.
Frenemy alliances are apparent, as may be the case between Trump and Netanyahu (if he still lives), and is clearly the case between Trump and Macron, Starmer & Merz.
All of this occurs in the context of declining total global real economy, which economy is built upon oil, gas and coal, with other mined minerals. It is fed by mechanized agriculture, with 2/3 of the grain output derived from fertilizers, which are derived from oil and natural gas.
Many people barely survive on the food supplied through these expedients, and they are threatened with death by starvation. Other people continue to be under direct, genocidal military attack.
These threats of starvation and genocides-in-progress are increasingly disturbing to the gentle citizens of western liberal democratic nations. This disturbance to the bodies-politic is still increasing. People see the deaths of the innocent and helpless, and see themselves and their own families, as threatened.
In the present wars, Russian forces are grinding forward slowly in Ukraine, not making sudden moves, not spooking European leaders or banks into any sudden moves.
Israel as a political state is riven with discord. Israeli families and businesses are extremely fatigued of the war. Israelis see their own mobilized-reservist family members pressed into extended duty on the new Lebanese battlefields, where they are taking significant losses. More are being called up. Ultra-Orthodox Israelis are not yet pressed into this involuntary service.
Benjamin Netanyahu, might have been killed in early March, as might have been Itamar Ben-Gvir. They now present as questionable video apparitions.
What could possibly be a workable political reset within Israel? It would have to be arranged quietly first, before revealing these leaders to be deceased. It would have to give something to the far-right and religious factions they represent, but not the continuance of war. They would have to accept it as a “win”. The negotiators for those parties would need to know their weakened position during negotiations, but keep the secret until later.
Could such a secret be kept? How might Netanyahu’s trial figure into that? The procedings can be closed for security reasons... the clock is ticking.
Iran is in a chronically bad political state, from decades of US economic sanctions and covert military attacks. The government is widely unpopular because it has treated the people repressively, as if a hot war was ongoing for these decades. High inflation, unemployment, and scarce food and fuel have been ubiquitous.
Under current US and Israeli attacks, the IRGC seems to be in a stable, arrangement for prolonged attritional-war, receiving supplies and targeting information from China and Russia via secure overland routes. Iran needs to outlast Israel, and outlast the American news cycle, which is increasingly hard upon Trump and incumbant Republicans.
This is a midterm election year, and gas prices keep rising. The worse economic consequences have yet to hit. Can they be delayed until mid November?
European globalist leaders are finished following American leaders, but they have been left in a ditch with no winch to pull them out. They accepted being cut off from Russian oil and gas, and now they have nothing, not even their pride, as Trump insults them unchivalrously in public They cringe as Trump demands extorniate rates for inadequate supplies of these critical resources for their collapsing industrial economies. They can’t yet admit that they need Russia.
European nationalist leaders are under direct attack from EU globalists, and they have to live through it. Hungary’s Orban faces his most difficult election Sunday, which has had heavy EU social media influencing against him, and polling results (artificially?) showing him behind, which is to be used against him should he win in the ballot counts.
This weekend should entail a holding pattern for war fronts, with Orthodox Easter ceasefire in Ukraine, Hungarian elections, and peace talks between the US, Israel and Iran in Pakistan, while Israel is holding its fire in Lebanon to allow the talks with Iran to proceed. Israelis need the breather from Iranian missiles and drones, since they and the US are essentially defenseless against Iranian heavy missile attacks now.
Israel will have direct negotiations with the Lebanese government in Washington this coming week, a rare thing. They have been at war since 1948 and lack formal diplomatic relations. Israel has never respected any ceasefire agreements with Lebanon to date, and is intent upon carving out a “buffer zone” from southern Lebanon, at the expense of all of the people who have homes there.
The government of Lebanon is not able to negotiate for the real Lebanese army, which is Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a party in the Lebanese Parliament, but the Lebanese government is a weak and factionalized construct, left to them by their former colonial masters in France.
Israel has always refused to negotiate with Hezbollah, and has impossibly demanded that Lebanon disarm Hezbollah, a poson-pill to any agreement.
Israel does not have an economic plan for the future after expansionist-wars, except IMEC (India Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor), whereby flows of oil, gas, data, trade and banking from India and the Mideast, to Europe, are controlled through Haifa, Israel. All other alternate trade routes need to be suppressed to make this one work for Israel (Looking at You, Iran).
Overall, the US-Israel are stocking up on air-defense systems and bombs, while aircraft carriersapproach theeater of operations presaging more attacks and a ground operation in the near future. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE have recently attacked Iran, “standing shoulder to shoulder” with the US & Israel.
[I must wonder if Trump might decide to step down and let JD Vance take over the presidency in October, fall upon his sword to save the Republicans in midterm elections, but it is just a thought. Trump has never shown any inclination towards anything like that.]
‘Nightmare for Civilians’: Israel Inflicts 1,400+ Casualties on Lebanon War’s Deadliest Day
“Civilians in Lebanon are already paying an unbearable price with children, health workers, and journalists amongst those killed—the latest attacks will only escalate this devastating human toll,” said one campaigner. https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-lebanon-civilian-slaughter
Iran rejects Islamabad talks amid ongoing war on Lebanon
Iranian sources told Al Mayadeen that reports of a negotiating delegation arriving in Islamabad are false, adding that no talks will take place while the war on Lebanon continues. https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iran-denies-islamabad-talks-amid-ongoing-war-on-lebanon--exc
Trump ‘Preparing’ US Military If Talks Fail, Proclaims Iran Has ‘No Cards’ - As Tehran Demands End To IDF Attacks On Lebanon Iran makes clear Lebanon fighting must end or else Pakistan talks “meaningless” - as its delegation arrives in ‘locked down’ Pakistan. Speculation abounds related to ongoing Pentagon transport flights into Mideast region.
Trump threatens more military action if Iran doesn’t ‘comply’, says Iran has ‘no cards’ - also as Israel-Lebanon talks scheduled in Washington next week. US delegation headed by Vance en route to Islamabad. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/pakistan-streets-lockdown-iran-delegation-arrives-us-talks-fighting-hasnt-ceased
Iran’s Press TV: Qalibaf: ‘Time running out’ for US-Israel to honor ceasefire, stop attacks on Lebanon https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/04/09/766558/Iran%E2%80%99s-Parliament-speaker-warns--%E2%80%98Time-running-out%E2%80%99-for-US-Israel-to-honor-ceasefire
Lebanon says ceasefire must be in place before Israel talks A senior official in the Lebanese president’s office has told the BBC that Lebanon will participate in direct negotiations with Israel next week only if there is a ceasefire in place beforehand... ..In a statement addressed to residents of northern Israel on Thursday night, Benjamin Netanyahu said there was “no ceasefire in Lebanon”.
He added that “after repeated requests from the Lebanese government to open peace negotiations with us, I instructed the cabinet last night to open direct negotiations with Lebanon in order to achieve two goals: One - disarming Hezbollah. And the second - a historic and sustainable peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon”.
Direct talks between Lebanon and Israel would be highly unusual, with the two countries historically communicating through intermediaries. Efforts to establish negotiations have been ongoing since a ceasefire agreement in November 2024, with US envoys previously mediating indirect talks between the two sides. In Beirut, rescue teams are continuing to recover bodies after the heaviest Israeli air strikes since the start of the latest fighting.
More than 300 people were killed and over 1,000 wounded, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, when Israeli jets carried out a 10-minute blitz across Lebanon on Wednesday. The IDF said it had targeted “100+ Hezbollah headquarters, military arrays, & command-and-control centres”. [AKA: “apartments buildings”] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93en5q2zl3o
“We’ll talk while bombing your children.”Netanyahu orders ‘direct negotiations with Lebanon under fire’
Israel is refusing to pause its bombardment of Lebanon during any direct negotiations, with one Israeli official saying talks will take place “under fire” https://www.newarab.com/news/netanyahu-orders-direct-negotiations-lebanon-under-fire
Friday 4/10/26: At least 14 killed in Israeli air strikes across southern Lebanon World Food Programme says situation in Lebanon is ‘rapidly becoming a food security crisis’ amid Israeli attacks. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/10/israel-strikes-residential-areas-destroys-homes-in-southern-lebanon
Iran War: Ceasefire Negotiations a Ruse to Buy Time for Ground Attack as Hormuz Stays Closed The apparent slowdown in Iran war developments due to pending negotiations over an already-broken two week ceasefire is illusory. The damage to the real economy compounds with every day the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, and now at a faster rate since tankers and bulk carrier carrying pre-war cargoes from the Persian Gulf have now all made their deliveries. As we’ll soon explain, conditions on the energy front have gotten even worse due to fresh Iran strikes against Saudi facilities reducing output.
As we and many others surmised, the direct talks between the US and Iran set for Saturday in Islamabad look more and more to be a trick. The US continues to increase force levels in the theater. And it is not credible that the US did not understand that that Iran required the ceasefire to include all fronts, and explicitly, Lebanon. Trump and Netanyahu agreed that Israel did not have to comply. Iranians and other supporters are angry that Iran solicited and got Hezbollah support, yet Iran has not intervened after the vicious and large-scale Israeli strikes into Lebanon. Today, Hezbollah has struck back hard but that does not answer questions about why Iran has chosen to hold its fire. https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/04/iran-war-ceasefire-negotiations-a-ruse-to-buy-time-for-ground-attack-as-hormuz-stays-closed-hezbollah-hits-israel-hard-after-savage-bombing-saudis-move-back-syria-against-israel.html
Speculation Surges That Pakistan Talks Are A Delay Tactic Ahead Of Expanded US Action On Iran Trump has vowed to keep troops positioned for a fight “until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.” As direct US-Iran talks are set for Islamabad Saturday morning, there’s been an avalanche of speculation that the ceasefire could be ‘cover’ for a greater Pentagon force build-up and bigger impending operation...
..With a two week timeline in place to reach a deal, is this interim period merely for rearming and regrouping of forces on each side?
Clearly, the US wasn’t prepared for the fierce, sustained Iranian counter-attack on American regional bases and Gulf allies.
Open-source data of military logistics flights between the US, Europe, and the Mideast region suggests there is indeed an ongoing build-up and posturing of forces happening on the eve of the Pakistan summit.
Still, it’s clear that Trump needs an offramp, or else face the kind of endless military quagmire which would likely inevitably lead to the GOP getting decimated in next fall’s midterm Congressional elections. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/speculation-surges-pakistan-talks-are-delay-tactic-ahead-expanded-us-action-iran
Netanyahu’s Likud takes hit in polls, which show most Israelis oppose Iran ceasefire
With dip in support for ruling party,TV surveys show Zionist factions opposed to PM closer to, but still short of, Knesset majority; 79% of respondents back continued fighting in Lebanon https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahus-likud-takes-hit-in-polls-which-show-most-israelis-oppose-iran-ceasefire/
U.S. Initiates Major Upgrade For Israeli F-35 Stealth Fighters Amid Ceasefire with Iran https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/us-initiates-major-upgrade-israeli-f35
Gold & Geopolitics, Daily Digest: 2026-04-10 Ceasefire collapsing: Iran conditions Lebanon inclusion or walks. Iran’s President Pezeshkian publicly stated continued Israeli aggression in Lebanon “will render negotiations meaningless”... CBS reports Bibi personally convinced Trump to exclude Lebanon from the deal after initially agreeing to include it. Strait of Hormuz still effectively closed for energy. Traffic running at less than 10% of normal... Iran limiting to 15 vessels/day max per TASS, roughly 10% of pre-war throughput. Iran’s parliament speaker: “We will take management of the Strait to a new phase”. Lebanon massacre: 254 killed, 1,200+ wounded in 10 minutes. Israel launched its heaviest single day of strikes since the war began. South Beirut saw mass exodus. Multiple countries - China, Russia, Pakistan, France, Spain, UK, Germany - all calling for Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire. Trump furious about Hormuz fees: “That is not the agreement we have!” IRGC deeply fractured on ceasefire per FT; many factions “strongly opposed”
Iran demands unfreezing of assets within two weeks per TASS
Iran denies launching any attacks during ceasefire; says any strikes were “without a doubt” Israeli or US Three US carrier groups converging on the Middle East timed to ceasefire expiration 13M bbl/d production losses, demand must fall by COVID-scale amounts; physical barrels trading $130-140+
Saudi production capacity lost 600K b/d from pipeline attacks
“Tehran Tollbooth” could generate Iran $500B over five years per Reuters analyst Europe has only 10 days of fuel supplies remaining per Corriere della Sera; air travel disruptions possible this summer
Russia’s oil revenue doubling to $9B in April per Reuters - sanctions now functioning as “anti-Europe sanctions”
Germany resuming talks with Iran after previously declaring “mullah regime finished”
Spain reopening embassy in Tehran Xi Jinping met Taiwan’s KMT chairwoman Cheng Li-wun in Beijing - first meeting in 9+ years
Xi: “Full confidence” Chinese and Taiwanese people will be united
Zhao DaShuai analysis: “newly found confidence in peaceful reunification” driven by US military weakness shown in Iran
China pushed Iran toward ceasefire to score diplomatic capital with Trump on Taiwan per WSJ
Israeli Missile Interceptors Have Dwindled to “Double Digits”: Trump Administration Official
The decreasing supply of interceptors has left Israel increasingly dependent on the missile defense capabilities of the U.S. Navy
Left out in office-trailers: Army survivors of deadly attack in Kuwait dispute Pentagon’s account, say unit “was unprepared” to defend itself https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-war-kuwait-drone-attack-survivors-us-army/
Israel bombed Gaza on 36 of the past 40 days while the war raged in Iran
In that short time,Israel killed at least 107 people, permitted only 8 percent of medical evacuations, and admitted just 20 percent of trucks. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/9/israel-bombed-gaza-on-36-of-the-past-40-days-while-the-war-raged-in-iran
Israeli Forces Kill Nine-Year-Old Girl in Gaza
The girl, Ritaj Rihan, was shot in the neck in front of other children while attending a class in a tent in northern Gaza https://news.antiwar.com/2026/04/09/israeli-forces-kill-nine-year-old-girl-in-gaza/
Hundreds of Gaza Amputees Stranded in Legal Limbo A recent Al‑Jazeera investigation sheds light on the growing crisis facing hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza who lost limbs during Israel’s assault and are now stranded in Egypt without legal status, stable housing, or access to long‑term medical care.
Many were evacuated for emergency surgeries, only to discover that life outside Gaza has placed them in what survivors describe as a “legal void” — unable to work, move freely, or obtain the prosthetic treatment they urgently need.
The report focuses on ‘Ola Jamal, a 36‑year‑old mother who lost her arm in November 2023 while breastfeeding her infant son inside Gaza’s Al‑Nasr Children’s Hospital... ..At the height of the bombardment, doctors were forced to perform amputations at a rate of up to ten children per day, often with minimal anesthesia and no specialized equipment. https://israelpalestinenews.org/hundreds-of-gaza-amputees-stranded-in-legal-limbo/
Only if an israeli court declares them to be “terrorists” first...The gallows law: Israel moves toward executing Palestinian children https://israelpalestinenews.org/the-gallows-law-israel-moves-toward-executing-palestinian-children/
Four Gazans, including girl, killed in Israeli attacks https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/04/09/360976/
Journalists martyred in Gaza rise to 262 as reporter killed byIsraeli strike https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/04/09/360979/
Israeli army wreaks havoc on olive groves in W. Bank town of Teqoa https://english.palinfo.com/news/2026/04/09/360986/
Israeli cabinet ‘secretly approves record number’ of new West Bank settlements
Report on i24NEWS reveals new settlements were approved during war on Iran but kept classified https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israeli-cabinet-secretly-approves-record-number-new-west-bank-settlements
Israel Carries Out Incursions in Syria’s Quneitra as UNDOF Monitors https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5260643-israel-carries-out-incursions-syria%E2%80%99s-quneitra-undof-monitors
Former head of US counterterrorism center: There will be a war between Israel and Turkey This was written on his social media page by Joe Kent, the former head of the US Counterterrorism Center, who resigned from his post in protest against the US war against Iran.
He also responded to US President Donald Trump’s statement regarding the country’s possible withdrawal from the North Atlantic Alliance:
”Leaving NATO will not rid us of external conflicts – we will leave NATO to side with Israel when Türkiye and Israel eventually clash in Syria.”
In his opinion, Trump’s desire to support Israeli allies could lead to the collapse of the alliance. Kent believes that the American president is even prepared to withdraw from NATO for the sake of Israel. https://en.topwar.ru/280741-jeks-glava-antiterroristicheskogo-centra-ssha-budet-vojna-mezhdu-izrailem-i-turciej.html
Can’t slow down and lose momentum... With Middle East in flames, Trump eyes ‘next conquest’
The president has lobbed threats against Cuba and Greenland repeatedly in recent months, threatening to seize both islands by force https://asiatimes.com/2026/04/with-middle-east-in-flames-trump-eyes-next-conquest/
Tucker Carlson: The Path to Peace requires ending ‘special alliance’ with Israel https://israelpalestinenews.org/tucker-carlson-the-path-to-peace-requires-ending-special-alliance-with-israel/
Trump Rebukes Carlson, Kelly, Owens, & Jones Over Iran Comments https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-rebukes-carlson-kelly-owens-and-jones-over-iran-comments
Looking at You, Pete Hegseth: The White House warned staff against improperly using confidential information to place bets in futures markets after suspicious oil trades ahead of President Donald Trump’s March 23 Iran announcement drew scrutiny, according to Reuters. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/white-house-warns-staff-iran-bets-add-growing-insider-trading-concerns
Media Claims ROGER STONE Persuaded Trump Not To FIRE Tulsi Gabbard - ’Advisors’ say President was all set to can Tulsi for not endorsing Iran war https://modernity.news/2026/04/10/media-claims-roger-stone-persuaded-trump-not-to-fire-tulsi-gabbard/
Automatic registration for US military draft to begin in December https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5822914-automatic-registration-military-draft/?
Slaughtered by A-10 Warthogs:“It Seems Like Blind American Ignorance”: The New U.S. War on Iraq In the shadow of its wars in Iran and Lebanon, the U.S. has conducted devastating attacks on the security forces of its Iraqi ally.
Negative views of Israel, Netanyahu continue to rise among Americans – especially young people 60% of U.S. adults have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% last year.
59% have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs – up from 52% last year.
In both political parties, majorities of adults under the age of 50 now rate Israel and Netanyahu negatively. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/04/07/negative-views-of-israel-netanyahu-continue-to-rise-among-americans-especially-young-people/
Emergency waivers move arms for Israel, UAE to speed lane - Trump admin is pushing deals for weapons that often haven’t been built yet Amid its war on Iran — now frozen by a tenuous ceasefire — the Trump administration has been exploiting emergency waivers to fast-track controversial foreign arms sales to Israel and Gulf states, tossing Congressional oversight to the wayside. https://responsiblestatecraft.org/waivers-arms-sales/
Meryl Nass MD sees the same unconvincing AI Netanyahu as I do: Devastation rains down on Lebanon, and some say 100 high rise apartments were bombed in central Beirut. Israel has warned residents to leave. Where is Netanyahu? Who really gives the orders? I have become convinced Netanyahu’s recent videos are AI generated. If so, who are the nameless faceless peoplemaking the decision to scuttle the ceasefire?
Will AI Netanyahu-Mask over a remote stand-in Sunday? How will this be managed? Netanyahu corruption trial to resume as Israel lifts war emergency The two-week ceasefire agreed between Iran and the US allows Israeli courts to resume the Prime Minister’s trial https://thecradle.co/articles/netanyahu-corruption-trial-to-resume-as-israel-lifts-war-emergency#google_vignette
Iran Ceasefire Allows For Netanyahu’s Corruption Trial To Finally Resume Hearings are scheduled to take place from Sunday through Wednesday. Of course, the fragile truce could collapse at any moment - after Netanyahu, along with Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, have pushed to extend Israel’s wars. But normalcy is returning to Israel, and sirens are no longer constantly blaring out. Even Ben Gurion international airport is fully reopened.
Netanyahu has long been accused, even within Israel, of seeking to prolong Israel’s ‘multi-front’ wars in order to permanently delay the corruption trial and ensure his time in power is extended.
The trial focuses on three corruption cases - including charges of fraud and breach of trust, as well as charges of bribery. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/iran-ceasefire-allows-netanyahus-corruption-trial-finally-resume
Only Iran “Friendly” Ships Allowed Transit Through Strait, As Tankers Pile Up Near Hormuz, Waiting To Cross https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/only-iran-friendly-ships-allowed-transit-through-strait-tankers-pile-near-hormuz
Food; they don’t mention rice-bowls: Iran ceasefire won’t easily ease emerging Asia’s pain
For India, Indonesia and Thailand, the Iran war isn’t just an oil shock — it’s a fiscal, currency and growth threat all wrapped into one https://asiatimes.com/2026/04/iran-ceasefire-wont-easily-ease-emerging-asias-pain/
Amid Shaky Ceasefire, War in Iran Is Starving Sudan https://www.justsecurity.org/135989/war-iran-starving-sudan/?
Helium Is Hard to Replace Qatar is responsible for roughly 1/3rd of the world’s supply of helium, which was formerly transported through the Strait of Hormuz in specialized containers.....What I find interesting about helium is that in many cases, it’s very hard to substitute for. Helium has a unique set of properties — in particular, it has a lower melting point and boiling point than any other element — and technologies and processes that rely on those properties can’t easily switch to some other material.
Helium is the second lightest element in the periodic table (after hydrogen), and the second most common element in the universe (also after hydrogen). But while helium is very common on a cosmic scale, here on earth it’s not so easy to get. Because helium is so light, it rises to the very top of the atmosphere, where it eventually escapes into space. So essentially all helium used by modern civilization comes from underground.
Helium is produced via the radioactive decay of elements like uranium and thorium, and it collects in underground pockets of natural gas.
The Honest Sorcerer, There Is No “Next Economy” - If we ruin this one, well, then that was it
The Middle East war depleted US weapons. Rebuilding will require China’s cooperation.
Beijing has a stranglehold on the critical minerals the U.S. needs to rebuild its weapons cache following five weeks of war. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/middle-east-war-weapons-china-00864622
Do you find yourself withas little sympathy for “Sir Kier” as I do? Keir Starmer: ‘I’m fed up’ with Trump and Putin affecting UK energy costs British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he is “fed up” seeing energy bills in the U.K. swing up and down because of actions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The comments came as oil prices — which have soared during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran — fluctuated amid a fragile two-week ceasefire.
Starmer also said Israel was “wrong” to order deadly strikes on Lebanon during the ceasefire. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/keir-starmer-fed-up-trump-putin-uk-energy-costs.html
Is Kier Starmer covering up Pakistani rape-gangs? Revealed: ALL Members Of Government’s ‘Anti-Muslim Hostility’ Group Have ISLAMIST Links - “There is deep cause for concern” https://modernity.news/2026/04/09/revealed-all-members-of-governments-anti-muslim-hostility-group-have-islamist-links/
After kicking Spain out of Gaza ceasefire center, Netanyahu promises that countries opposing Israel will pay ‘immediate price’ https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/after-kicking-spain-out-of-gaza-ceasefire-center-netanyahu-promises-that-countries-opposing-israel-will-pay-immediate-price/
“His Master’s Voice”: US Considers Withdrawing One of Its Military Bases in Spain As “Punishment” for Its Non-Cooperation in Iran War: WSJ https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2026/04/us-considers-withdrawing-one-of-its-military-bases-in-spain-as-punishment-for-non-cooperation-in-war-on-iran.html
Russia’s Putin announces Orthodox Easter ceasefire, Ukraine’s Zelensky agrees https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/russias-putin-announces-orthodox-easter-ceasefire-expects-ukraine-to-do-the-same
The Pentagon Threatened Pope Leo XIV’s Ambassador With the Avignon Papacy
The Free Press has documented aclosed-door Pentagon meeting in which a senior Trump official lectured Pope Leo XIV’s ambassador on American military supremacy. [Letters from Leo can now independently confirm The Free Press report that the meeting took place — and that some Vatican officials were so alarmed by the Pentagon’s tactics that they shelved plans for Pope Leo XIV to visit the United States later this year. Other officials in the Vatican saw the Pentagon’s reference to an Avignon papacy as a threat to use military force against the Holy See.]
In January, behind closed doors at the Pentagon, Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre — Pope Leo XIV’s then-ambassador to the United States — and delivered a lecture.
America, Colby and his colleagues told the cardinal, has the military power to do whatever it wants in the world. The Catholic Church had better take its side. As tempers rose, an unidentified U.S. official reached for a fourteenth-century weapon and invoked the Avignon Papacy, the period when the French Crown used military force to bend the bishop of Rome to its will.
Obama won’t order a hit on the Pope, but can he protect him? Is “snub” the right word? Pope Meets With Top Obama Adviser Following Pentagon Threat - Pope Leo continues to snub Donald Trump. https://newrepublic.com/post/208864/pope-obama-adviser-pentagon-threat
TOUCHE! John Helmer, GOD ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH – THE POPE AND THE US BISHOPS ARE THREATENING THE CATHOLIC VOTE FOR TRUMP AND HIS SUCCESSORS In new polling of late March, reported by Newsweek, “Trump’s approval [is] slipping into negative territory among both Catholics and Protestants. Among Catholic voters, 48 percent said they approve of Trump’s job performance, while 52 percent disapprove, a net negative of 4 points… Just weeks earlier, Catholics had leaned the other way. In the prior Fox News poll, conducted February 28 through March 2, 2026, Trump held a narrow edge with Catholics. In that survey, 52 percent approved and 48 percent disapproved, giving him a net positive rating of 4 points.” “Taken together, the two polls suggest a notable shift among Catholic voters over a period of several weeks, flipping Trump’s standing with that group from a net positive to a net negative. Attention around U.S.-Vatican relations intensified after Vance said he would look into reports that emerged on Monday about the January meeting between Pentagon and Vatican officials.” ... As the Catholic anti-war movement picks up momentum with sermon support from the diocesan pulpits and the Vatican, fear of midterm election defeat is growing for Trump. https://johnhelmer.net/god-isnt-good-enough-the-pope-and-the-us-bishops-are-threatening-the-catholic-vote-for-trump-and-his-successors/
Hungary election a US-EU ‘proxy war’ – ex-Austrian foreign minister
Brussels would rather “paralyze” the member state or stage a coup than allow Viktor Orban to stay in power, Karin Kneissl has told RT https://www.rt.com/news/637672-hungary-election-proxy-war/
JD Vance says Brussels’ attempt to sway Hungarian vote is ‘worst foreign election interference he has ever seen’
The U.S. vice president used a Budapest appearance with Viktor Orbán to denounce EU election meddling, praise the Hungarian leader’s record, and frame Hungary as a frontline state in the fight for peace https://rmx.news/article/jd-vance-accuses-says-brussels-attempts-to-sway-hungarian-vote-is-worst-foreign-election-interference-he-has-ever-seen/
Kuomintang is the party of Chiang Kai Shek, who the US supported against Mao. Chinese, Taiwanese will unite, Xi tells Taiwan opposition leader
Cheng Li-wun, the Kuomintang’s chairwoman, is the party’s first leader to visit China in a decade. While KMT party members regularly fly to China for exchanges with officials, its last leader to visit was Hung Hsiu-chu in 2016.
Cross-strait relations have worsened in particular since the election of Tsai’s successor, Lai Ching-te, who Beijing considers a separatist.
Lai said in a Facebook post on Friday that “China’s ... military threats in and around the Taiwan Strait and the island chain have severely undermined regional peace and stability”.
Cheng landed in Shanghai on Tuesday evening, saying shortly after her arrival that “the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are not doomed to war, as the international community has feared”.
The KMT leader also travelled to the eastern city of Nanjing where she visited the mausoleum of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen, one of the few Chinese historical figures revered in both Beijing and Taipei. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-xi-jinping-taiwan-kuomintang-leader-cheng-li-wun-first-visit-decade-6048356
Now they understand better than they did in Janary. Shell Moves to Expand Venezuela Natural Gas Operations
The energy giant is eyeing largely untapped Venezuelan offshore reserves and taking advantage of Trinidad and Tobago infrastructure. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/shell-moves-to-expand-venezuela-natural-gas-operations/
US is ‘using Mexico as a garbage sink’ leading to ‘toxic crisis’, UN expert says “Where standards are weak, what you get is legalized pollution,” he said, adding that imports of hazardous and plastic waste from the United States were worsening the situation.
“US overconsumption and economic activity are using Mexico as a garbage sink.”
The rapporteur said there were more than 1,000 contaminated locations officially recorded in Mexico’s National Inventory of Contaminated Sites, many of which he said had become “sacrifice zones”, where diseases such as cancer, and medical events such as miscarriages, were normalized.
In a preliminary report summarizing his visit, he cited factories spewing hazardous waste into the Atoyac River in Puebla, huge industrial pig farms contaminating drinking water on the Yucatan peninsula and a decade-old mining chemical spill that continued to affect health in communities around the Sonora River. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/07/mexico-us-toxic-waste-un-special-rapporteur?
I believe her. Is it more timely than we know? Melania Trump delivers statement at the White House denying knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes https://apnews.com/article/melania-trump-white-house-epstein-1df98e9902386609608886f7bd256980
He may have trouble finding work now. Erika Kirk Allegedly Acquires Huge New House; Arizona Plumber Faces Backlash for Filming the Property
Viral video of Erika Kirk’s alleged new home raises questions about privacy and ethics in the digital age. https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/privacy-breach-erika-kirk-mansion-1791041
Ask the Pope for counsel?DNC avoids taking a stance on Israel, AIPAC
The members’ latest vote reflects a party establishment still grappling with how to respond to an increasingly thorny political issue. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/09/democrats-punt-israel-aipac-resolutions-00865426
Get rid of Chuck Schumer? The ‘Opposition Party’ Has Done Nothing to Stop the Iran War and Much to Goad Trump Into Continuing It
When Democrats pretend to attack Trump, many clearly want more war with Iran.
Enable huge profits; wall-off legal liability. The Government Claims That Anthropic’s ‘Mythos’ Is a ‘Generational Leap’ Beyond Other AI Models OpenAI CEO Sam Altmanis doing something no Big Tech owner has ever done:“He’s publishing a detailed blueprint for how government should tax, regulate and redistribute the wealth from the very technology he’s racing to build and spread.”... ..The reason is a little unsettling: “superintelligence” is nearly upon us, and the effect will be “so mind-bending, so disruptive” on society that America needs a “new social contract” on the order of the Progressive Era of the turn of the 20th century or the New Deal... ..Anthropic has just given its “Mythos” AI model a limited release. Why limited? Both the industry and the government believe that Mythos is an AI capable of “not just identifying weaknesses in security systems, but exploiting them with autonomous, never-before-seen precision,” reports Axios.
The darn thing accidentally escaped the confines of its “sandbox” and strolled through several systems after building a “moderately sophisticated multi-step exploit” to give it the run of the internet.
The model demonstrated a “potentially dangerous capability for circumventing our safeguards,” Anthropic revealed. “The researcher found out about this success by receiving an unexpected email from the model while eating a sandwich in a park.” https://pjmedia.com/rick-moran/2026/04/08/the-government-claims-that-anthropics-mythos-is-a-generational-leap-beyond-other-ai-models-n4951588
It is somewhat more expensive if humans build it, which I prefer. Housing Is Cheap. Capital Makes It Expensive.
The real cost of building a home is measured in thousands—not hundreds of thousands. The rest is extraction.
Paul Marik MD lays out an approach to first avoiding harm in cancer treatment. Approach to the Use of Repurposed Drugs in Patients With Cancer Cancer treatment must always be individualized. Factors such as tumor type and stage, tumor biology, patient comorbidities, functional status, and personal preferences all play a role in determining the most appropriate plan of care. Repurposed drugs and metabolic therapy can be used in several ways: as adjuncts to conventional oncology treatments or, in select cases, as primary therapy.
There is no ideal regimen; however, this guide centers on the primary use of four agents with consistent evidence and broad activity: ivermectin, mebendazole, doxycycline, and curcumin. These form the foundation of treatment, with other drugs and nutraceuticals layered in as needed. Blocking multiple cancer stem cell (CSC) pathways is critical, as CSCs drive resistance, relapse, and disease progression. Limiting glucose intake and/or a ketogenic diet is a fundamental component of the metabolic approach to cancer care, i.e. starving cancer.
Don’t chase it too hard. Just be with it.Meditation changes brain activity quickly with a noticeable peak at 7 minutes, research reveals Meditation is widely recognized for its extensive range of mental and physical health benefits, from reducing stress and anxiety to boosting cognitive and emotional health. What was considered a fringe activity is now a mainstream practice embraced by millions of people around the world. But how long does it take to reap the benefits?
A new study published in the journal Mindfulness reports that the first brainwave changes start at about two to three minutes and peak at around seven minutes... ..Researchers led by a team from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bengaluru, India, recorded real-time neural activity in three groups of volunteerswho were performing Isha Yoga breath-watching meditation.
These werepeople with no experience of meditation, novices trained in the technique and highly experienced practitioners. Each person worea cap equipped with 128 sensors that recorded electrical activityin the brain while they meditated. Typically, the brain begins to shift its electrical patterns within just two to three minutes, from everyday distractions toward a state of relaxed alertness where alpha and theta waves (linked to calm and focus) and beta 1 waves (linked with alert, engaged focus) rise.
At the same time, delta waves (associated with drowsiness) and gamma 1 waves also decrease. Although for advanced practitioners, a distinct brainwave signature was already visible at 30 seconds, suggesting they were responding differently from the start of the meditation. Meanwhile, the strongest brainwave changes occurred at the seven to ten-minute mark.
One of the most interesting findings was that experienced meditators don’t necessarily reach this peak faster than beginners. However, when they do, the brainwaves are significantly stronger... ..The research suggests that even if you lead a busy, high-pressure life, you only need a few minutes to begin seeing measurable brain changes linked to meditation, no matter your experience level or location. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-meditation-brain-quickly-peak-minutes.html
Waiting For It (pictured in garden, between rain showers)
"punish" Spain by removing a military base.
were I Spain: thank you sir may I have another
US military spending in European countries has been significant in boosting local economies, especially for low-skill service industries. It is OK during the transition stage immediately after WW2, but actually a drag afterwards. The immediate problem is that national and local politicians don't know how to make up the lost income once the US forces depart.