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Bellwether Digest – April 29, 2026

pgnewser April 29, 2026 0

By STAFF

This digest covers political, world, cultural, market, and sci-tech news from April 1-16, 2026.

This digest contains the Global Outlook, Headlines Missed, and People Advance Report.

TOP NEWS TAGS

  1. Trump Dinner Shooter
  2. Iran War
  3. 2026 Elections
  4. Trump Deportations
  5. Trump King Charles Visit

GLOBAL OUTLOOK

  1. COMEY’S 86 47 GETS INDICTED – The Department of Justice has garnered two new indictments targeting former FBI Director James Comey. The indictments are connected to a social media post by Comey that showed seashells on the beach laid out to signal “86 47.” One charge is “knowingly and willfully making a threat to take the life of — and to inflict bodily harm on — the president.” The second charge is “knowingly and willfully transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to kill the president.”
  2. CHARLES STEALTH BOMBS TRUMP IN CONGRESS – Using extremely veiled language, Charles III, King of Britian, appeared to tell the U.S. congress Trump should end the war in Iran and stop deportations. Progressives tend to agree with this assessment, claiming Charles “owned” Trump in front of congress.

This is our interpretation after reading between the two clear focal points of his speech, diversity and religious tolerance, both target Trump deportations of immigrants and his war on Islamist Iran.

HEADLINES MISSED

  1. MALI BUCKLES, RUSSIA WITHDRAWS – After Islamists led a successful offensive across Mali, Russian forces withdrew, while junta forces failed to stop the assaults. Not only did the Islamists successfully disrupt multiple cities, but they also killed the country’s defense minister and gained territory in northern areas. The assault puts the junta’s power in jeopardy, especially given Russia’s disengagement.
  2. CHINA’S MANTUS CUT OFF FROM U.S. PURCHASE – China has made a decisive move in the emerging AI race and war with the U.S., halting the purchase of a Chinese-created AI-agent company called Manus. The purchaser was the U.S.’s Meta. China did not offer an explanation, though it reflect AI nationalization trends both in China and in general.

PEOPLE ADVANCE

  1. TWO BIGS GERRYMANDER WINS FOR GOP – The Virginia Supreme Court continues to refuse to certify the special election that saw the Progressives win the “right” to use gerrymandering to eliminate 4 GOP U.S. House Seats. SCOTUS has confirmed the Texas gerrymander map that switches 5 Democrat-held seats to 5 likely GOP seats. In Florida, a gerrymander plan is advancing in the legislature that would net the GOP 4 more seats in the U.S. House.
  2. AI CREATES 1K JOBS AT SALESFORCE – Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced online plans to hire 1000 new college graduates to drive the “exponential” potential of AI. He said in his X post, “… they said AI would kill entry-level jobs. Meanwhile these grads & interns are building it.”

Top Tracking

 

On Our Radar

Comey’s 86 47 gets Indicted

pgnewser April 29, 2026 1

The Department of Justice has garnered two new indictments targeting former FBI Director James Comey. The indictments are connected to a social media post by Comey that showed seashells on the beach laid out to signal “86 47.” One charge is “knowingly and willfully making a threat to take the life of — and to inflict bodily harm on — the president.” The second charge is “knowingly and willfully transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to kill the president.”

Comey indicted again on charges stemming from Instagram post– www.cbsnews.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

Washington — A federal grand jury indicted former FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday for allegedly making threats against the president, marking the second time he will be prosecuted by President Trump’s Justice Department.

The indictment charges Comey with two counts: knowingly and willfully making a threat to take the life of — and to inflict bodily harm on — the president, and second, knowingly and willfully transmitting in interstate commerce a threat to kill the president. CBS News reported that Comey was facing charges again hours before the indictment was issued.

Charles Stealth Bombs Trump in Congress

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Using extremely veiled language, Charles III, King of Britian, appeared to tell the U.S. congress Trump should end the war in Iran and stop deportations. Progressives tend to agree with this assessment, claiming Charles “owned” Trump in front of congress.

This is our interpretation after reading between the two clear focal points of his speech, diversity and religious tolerance, both target Trump deportations of immigrants and his war on Islamist Iran.

Here are the key passages that we believe reveal this:

“They carried with them and carried forward the great inheritance of the British Enlightenment, as well as the ideals which had an even deeper history in English common law and Magna Carta…

“Distinguished members of the 119th Congress, it is here in these very halls that this spirit of liberty and the promise of America’s founders is present in every session and every vote cast not by the will of one, but by the deliberation of many, representing the living mosaic of the United States in both of our countries.

It is the very fact of our vibrant, diverse and free societies that gives us our collective strength, including to support victims of some of the ills that so tragically exist in both our societies today.”

“And Mr. Speaker, for many here and for myself, the Christian faith is a firm anchor and daily inspiration that guides us not only personally, but together as members of our community. Having devoted a large part of my life to interfaith relationships and greater understanding, it is that faith in the triumph of light over darkness which I have found confirmed countless times.”

“I am mindful that we are still in the season of Easter, the season that most strengthens my hope. It is why I believe with all my heart that the essence of our two nations is a generosity of spirit and a duty to foster compassion, to promote peace, to deepen mutual understanding, and to value all people of all faiths and of none.”

Read the full transcript of King Charles III’s speech to U.S. Congress – National– globalnews.ca
News Source
EXCERPT:

King Charles III addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Tuesday, where he marked the 250th anniversary of American independence and reaffirmed the “special relationship” between the U.K. and U.S. amid bilateral and global tensions.

Charles, who was in the U.S. for a four-day state visit, is just the second British monarch to address Congress after his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, delivered a similar speech in 1991.

Here is a full transcript of the King’s speech:

Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of Congress, representatives of the American people across all states, territories, cities and communities.

I would like, if I may, to take this opportunity to express my particular gratitude to you all for the great honour of addressing this joint meeting of Congress, and on behalf of the Queen and myself, to thank the American people for welcoming us to the United States to mark this semi-quincentennial year of the Declaration of Independence.

Mali Buckles, Russia Withdraws

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After Islamists led a successful offensive across Mali, Russian forces withdrew, while junta forces failed to stop the assaults. Not only did the Islamists successfully disrupt multiple cities, but they also killed the country’s defense minister and gained territory in northern areas. The assault puts the junta’s power in jeopardy, especially given Russia’s disengagement.

What next for Mali’s military leaders after shock of rebel offensive? – BBC– news.google.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

It is hard to overstate the sense of shock reverberating across West Africa after attackers, in co-ordinated assaults, managed to enter Mali’s capital, Bamako, assassinate the defence minister and seize control of northern areas.

Residents in different cities across the country woke to gunfire and explosions on Saturday – attacks which an alliance of two groups – the separatist Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) and the al-Qaeda-linked JNIM group – said they were behind.

The scale of the offensive and the withdrawal of Malian and Russian forces from the northern city of Kidal, now under FLA control, have fuelled doubts about the strength of the military government led by Col Assimi Goïta, who came to power in a coup in August 2020.

It has taken Goïta several days to make an appearance since the offensive, prompting questions about the junta’s future, as well as the role of Russian forces deployed in Mali and neighbouring countries to tackle the security threat.

  1. What next for Mali’s military leaders after shock of rebel offensive?  BBC
  2. Mali military leader Goita emerges as Russia declares it halted coup  Al Jazeera
  3. Mali leader says situation under control in first speech since attacks  Reuters
  4. Mali Rebels Strike Major Blow Against Junta and Russia’s Africa Corps  The New York Times
  5. Major blow to Putin in Africa as Russian forces driven from Mali stronghold by separatists, jihadists  Fox News

 

China’s Mantus Cut off from U.S. Purchase

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China has made a decisive move in the emerging AI race and war with the U.S., halting the purchase of a Chinese-created AI-agent company called Manus. The purchaser was the U.S.’s Meta. China did not offer an explanation, though it reflect AI nationalization trends both in China and in general.

China blocks Meta’s $2 billion Manus AI acquisition after regulatory scrutiny – Firstpost
News Source

EXCERPT:

China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an agentic startup founded by Chinese engineers. The move by the NDRC is one of the most significant interventions in a cross-border deal, one that extends well beyond US-China tensions and into the broader AI industry.

The commission issued no explanation and ordered both parties to unwind the deal completely. Reports suggest the decision could be a serious blow to Meta and its fast-moving AI agents strategy, since almost 100 Manus employees had already moved into Meta’s Singapore offices and taken on executive roles. The unwinding could therefore cause major disruption between the two companies.

SCOTUS Kills Race-Based Gerrymandering

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There were three big wins this month for the Republicans in the Gerrymandering Wars that culminated with a major SCOTUS ruling on race-based gerrymandering.

First, the Virginia Supreme Court continues to refuse to certify the special election that saw the Progressives win the “right” to use gerrymandering to eliminate 4 GOP U.S. House Seats.

Second, SCOTUS has confirmed the Texas gerrymander map that switches 5 Democrat-held seats to 5 likely GOP seats. In Florida, a gerrymander plan is advancing in the legislature that would net the GOP 4 more seats in the U.S. House.

Third, SCOTUS has struck down race-based gerrymandered districts in a move that is existentially threatening to the Democrat Party in its current iteration.

SCOTUS Protects Rule of Law By Gutting Racial Gerrymandering– thefederalist.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6-3 bombshell ruling gutting the discriminatory practice of racial gerrymandering in the redistricting process. The 6-3 majority opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, found unconstitutional the twisting of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by courts “to engage in the very race-based discrimination that the Constitution forbids.”

“It’s been a good week” for the rule of law, election law expert Hans von Spakovsky told The Federalist following the SCOTUS ruling in Louisiana v. Callais.

Supreme Court Gives Republicans a Much-Needed Redistricting Win with Texas Ruling– www.westernjournal.com
News Source
EXCERPT:

The Supreme Court reinstated Texas’s redrawn congressional map Monday, resulting in a huge win for Republicans, which could help them keep control of Congress.

The map was originally redrawn in August 2025 at the behest of President Donald Trump to add up to five additional House seats for the GOP as they head into a critical midterm election cycle this November.

It was instantly met with legal challenges, with a lower court issuing an injunction blocking the new map.

In December, the Supreme Court stepped in and issued a stay, keeping the map in place until a final ruling could be issued.

The justices initially faulted the lower court for committing “serious errors,” the main one being that it “failed to honor the presumption of legislative good faith by constructing ambiguous direct and circumstantial evidence against the legislature.”

Monday’s 6-3 vote reversing the lower court ruling fell along ideological lines, with the conservative justices ruling in the state’s favor, and the three liberal justices dissenting, according to Reuters.

 

VA Supreme Court Denies Emergency Appeal From AG Jay Jones To Certify Gerrymander Election – theroanokestar.com
News Source

EXCERPT:

On April 28, the State Supreme Court rejected an emergency appeal from Attorney General Jay Jones to certify the ballots from the April 21 yes/no gerrymandering election. This means, instead of the high court now greenlighting an acceptance of the results from the controversial election, they will continue to deliberate before issuing their opinion, thus keeping the final result unknown for now.

As reported here, on April 21, a preponderance of late-reporting “yes” votes from Fairfax County pushed the “yes” side to victory, with a margin somewhat over 80,000.

AI creates 1K Jobs at Salesforce

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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced online plans to hire 1000 new college graduates to drive the “exponential” potential of AI. He said in his X post, “… they said AI would kill entry-level jobs.  Meanwhile these grads & interns are building it.”

News Source

EXCERPT:

Marc Benioff has announced plans to hire 1,000 graduates and interns at Salesforce, positioning the move as a counterpoint to fears that artificial intelligence will erode entry-level job opportunities.

In a post on X, Benioff said the new hires would contribute to building AI-driven products within the company, including initiatives such as Agentforce and Headless360. He encouraged graduates to apply through the company’s recruitment channels, emphasising that young talent is actively participating in developing the very technologies expected to disrupt traditional roles.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gets 7 more years in prison from Seoul appeals court– www.foxnews.com

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News Source
EXCERPT:

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean appeals court on Wednesday sentenced ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol to seven years in prison for resisting arrest and bypassing a legitimate Cabinet meeting before his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024.

The conviction for obstruction of justice and other charges comes on top of a life sentence he has already received on rebellion charges stemming from his baffling authoritarian push, which triggered the most serious crisis for the country’s democracy in decades.

Judge Yoon Sung-sik of the Seoul High Court said the conservative former president sidestepped a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring martial law, falsified documents to conceal the lapse and deployed security officials “like a private army” to resist law enforcement efforts to arrest him in the weeks following his impeachment. Former President Yoon stood quietly as the verdict was delivered and made no comment.

Insurgent alliance strikes at heart of Mali’s junta, exposing limits of Russian protection– www.france24.com

pgnewser April 29, 2026 1

News Source
EXCERPT:

Mali has been plunged into its worse security crisis in more than a decade after Tuareg separatists and al Qaeda-linked jihadist fighters joined forces to launch sweeping attacks on Saturday, delivering a huge setback for its ruling military junta and its Russian allies.

Insurgents struck the main army base outside the capital Bamako and killed General Sadio Camara, the country’s defence minister, further undermining the junta’s claim that it is restoring order to impoverished West African nation that has long battled Islamist militants and separatist rebellions. The violence also saw rebel forces drive Russian mercenaries out of the key northern city of Kidal.

Lebanon’s PM slams Israel’s ‘war crimes’ as attack kills 3 rescue workers | Israel attacks Lebanon News– www.aljazeera.com

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News Source
EXCERPT:

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also says Israel is violating international law that protects civilians and humanitarian workers.

Lebanon’s prime minister has accused Israel of perpetrating a “heinous crime” in the targeting and killing of civil defence emergency workers, three of whom were among five people killed in a double Israeli strike in southern Lebanon.

Two successive ⁠Israeli strikes on a building in the town of Majdal Zoun on Tuesday killed five people, including three rescue workers who went to help those injured in ⁠the initial Israeli attack on the targeted building, Lebanon’s Ministry of Health said.

2 Jewish Men Stabbed In London, Attacker Arrested– www.ndtv.com

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News Source
EXCERPT:

Two Jewish Londoners were stabbed Wednesday in north London following a series of arson attacks targeting Jewish sites in the area, as the prime minister and mayor of London led condemnation of the “appalling” assaults.

A man was arrested after he was seen running with a knife “attempting to stab Jewish members of the public”, the Shomrim Jewish neighbourhood watch said on social media.

It added that two people were stabbed and were being treated by Hatzola, a Jewish volunteer ambulance service.

The incident in the British capital took place in Golders Green, home to a large Jewish community.

It comes in the wake of a spate of arson attacks on synagogues and community sites in north London in recent weeks.

Israel Plans ‘Biggest LGBTQ+ Festival Ever In The Middle East’ Near Site Of Sodom: ‘Can’t Make This Up’– wltreport.com

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News Source
EXCERPT:

For those familiar with the Old Testament narrative surrounding the ancient city of Sodom, a recent announcement from the Israeli government might sound like evidence that history is repeating itself.

Near the site many believe to be where that city was destroyed by God, largely due to the sexual immorality of its citizens, there will soon be a four-day LGBT “pride” event that the Israeli government noted would even include “children’s activities.”

TheBlaze provided this report:

The promotion of the event by the Israeli government — just one day after the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that one of its soldiers smashed a statue of the crucified Christ outside a church with a sledgehammer — prompted significant backlash among some conservative Christians.

American theologian and pastor Dale Partridge tweeted, “The devil couldn’t have written it better. ‘The lowest place on earth’ ‘The Dead Sea becomes pride land.’”

BlazeTV host Auron MacIntyre raised the matter of whether his tax dollars might be subsidizing the event, then asked, “Can anyone very carefully explain to me why American Christians owe anything to this?”

Conservative commentator Michael Knowles insinuated that the Israeli government’s announcement answered the question recently posed by the New York Times about the cause of the recent increase in meteor sightings overhead.

Knowles’ colleague, Matt Walsh, called the planned festival “absolutely evil and disgusting.”

Qatar Reportedly Vowed to ‘Look After’ Disgraced ICC Prosecutor if He Targeted Netanyahu– legalinsurrection.com

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News Source
EXCERPT:

Pressure mounts on the disgraced chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, who was forced to “step aside” from his position in May 2025 after serious sexual assault allegations. Newly revealed witness testimony states that Qatar promised to “look after” him if he continued the witch hunt against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday

Following a May 2024 request by Khan, the Hague-based ICC issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for the crime of overseeing a military operation to free 240 hostages from Hamas’ captivity in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre. By issuing the warrant, the ICC was requiring its 125 member states, including most of the European nations, to arrest the sitting Israeli prime minister and hand him over to the kangaroo court.

The latest testimony and supporting evidence also indicate that Republican Senator Lindsey Graham was a target of the operation. The Qatar-linked “intelligence operation also sought to target two Americans: Tom Lynch, the senior ICC official who first reported the assault allegation, and Sen. Lindsey Graham,” the business daily added.

UK Judge Dismisses Charges Against Pro-Life Grandma for Protesting Abortion– www.lifenews.com

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News Source
EXCERPT:

A Scottish judge has dismissed charges against 75-year-old pro-life grandmother Rose Docherty, who was arrested last September for peacefully protesting abortion outside an abortion center in Scotland.

Docherty was merely holding a sign and offering consensual conversation in a so-called buffer zone outside a Glasgow hospital that kills babies.

Sheriff Stuart Reid at Glasgow Sheriff Court ruled that prosecutors “failed to disclose an offence known to the law of Scotland” and dismissed the two charges of “influencing” within the zone pro loco et tempore.

Docherty, a Christian grandmother from Glasgow, had stood silently with a sign reading: “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.” She did not approach anyone, did not discuss abortion and offered conversation only to those who wanted it.

Canada Said Her Only Choice Was Assisted Suicide, Texas Helped Save Her Life– www.lifenews.com

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News Source
EXCERPT:

Kristin is a wife and a mother who was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer. What followed was not just a battle against disease, but a fight for her very dignity.

Living in Canada, Kristin says doctors told her that her only option was physician-assisted suicide. Instead of offering aggressive treatment or hope, she was allegedly told that her condition was terminal and that procedures like HIPEC surgery would not save her life.

Rather than honoring her life, the system presented her with a devastating alternative: end her life early instead of pursuing further care.

But Kristin and her husband, Donovan, refused to accept that answer.

High Court overturns conviction of pro-life campaigner who sent abortion images – Christian Concern– news.google.com

pgnewser April 29, 2026 1

News Source

EXCERPT:

A High Court judge has overturned the conviction of veteran pro‑life campaigner David Skinner, for sending an email with graphic images opposing abortion and censorship zones around clinics in Bournemouth.

On Friday 24 May Mr Justice Saini ruled that although the offence was technically made out under domestic law, maintaining a criminal conviction would amount to a disproportionate interference with freedom of expression and freedom of religion.

The judgment was handed down on Friday 24 May in Bournemouth, bringing to an end a criminal proceedings that have lasted nearly 3 years, as the court said the case raised fundamental constitutional issues under Articles 9 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

United States? New Poll Suggests Otherwise – RedState– redstate.com

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News Source
EXCERPT:

A new Issues & Insights (I&I)/TIPP poll is showing increasing disunity, especially among — you guessed it — the left.

Each month, the national online I&I/TIPP Poll asks Americans across the nation whether they would say the U.S. is “very united,” “somewhat united,” “somewhat divided,” “very divided,” or simply “not sure.”

From this, I&I/TIPP creates a national Unity Index, which allows for comparisons over time.

What is it saying? Well, for one, Americans over the past five years or so have never been unified, even though there have been times the Unity Index has trended up.

Indeed, the Unity Index has never breached the neutral 50 level in the past half-decade. In August of last year, not too long after Donald Trump took office, it briefly touched 40.8, its all-time high. But since then, it has dropped back to April’s current reading of 32.1.

While that might seem dramatic, it’s in fact in keeping with the long-trend range for the index, as the chart below shows.