02 U.S. Politics

A new, telling sign emerges about GOP’s midterm fears– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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It’s been about a week since now-former Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned from Congress after the Texas Republican admitted to having an unethical sexual relationship with at least one former aide, who later died by suicide.

Yet the state’s Republican governor, Greg Abbott, has yet to set a special election to fill Gonzales’ seat—and that silence is telling.

President Donald Trump carried Gonzales’ seat by just over 15 percentage points in 2024, according to data from The Downballot. In a normal year, that would make this seat a GOP lock.

However, this election cycle has been anything but normal.

Last year, Trump pulled New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to serve as ambassador to the United Nations because he worried her seat would be competitive in a special election. And Trump carried Stefanik’s seat by nearly 21 points—making her Upstate New York district even stronger Republican territory.

Supreme Court will hear from religious preschools challenging exclusion from taxpayer-funded program– abcnews.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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The Supreme Court will hear from Catholic preschools that say Colorado violated their religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded program over their admission policies.

The court agreed on Monday to take up the appeal from St. Mary Catholic Parish, which is supported by the Republican Trump administration.

Joined by the Archdiocese of Denver, the facilities argue it’s unconstitutional to bar them from a taxpayer-funded universal preschool program because of their faith-based restrictions on admission of LGBTQ+ families and kids.

The state said that religious schools are welcome to participate but are required to follow nondiscrimination laws. The program was created by a 2020 ballot measure and provides public funding for free preschool at centers selected by parents.

Cognitively Declining Trump Wants Praise For Being Able To Sign His Name– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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The White House should not be used as the world’s most expensive assisted living facility, but that appears to be what is happening during the second Donald Trump administration.

The president was showing signs of decline when he ran to return to the White House in 2024. Trump consistently got facts wrong, forgot names, and jumbled up basic history to the point where he once blamed Joe Biden for World War II.

If the American people had been paying attention, and Democrats deserve some blame for being afraid to call out explicitly and repeatedly Trump’s decline to voters, they would have seen that Trump was cognitively fit to serve as president.

Trump has made decision after decision, starting with his obsession with tariffs and willful blindness to the advice of experts, that he would cause severe economic damage, and going through believing Netanyahu and going to war with Iran, which has demonstrated a severe lack of mental competency coming from the White House.

Pope Leo XIV lands in Angola, says it is ‘not in my interest at all’ to debate Trump– www.euronews.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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After visiting Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV landed in Luanda, Angola on Saturday, where he was welcomed by faithful. The Holy Father is about to become the third pontiff to visit Angola, after John Paul II (1992) and Benedict XVI (2009).

Meanwhile, during Pope Leo XIV’s plane journey on Saturday he said that it was “not in my interest at all” to debate President Donald Trump about the US-Israeli war in Iran.

But the American pope also took the opportunity to set the record straight, insisting that not everything he says was directed at Trump, but reflects the broader Gospel message of peace.

As soon as Pope Leo XIV landed in Luanda he was scheduled to meet with Angola’s president, João Lourenço, and deliver a speech, the latest on a trip during which he has been stepping up his rhetoric, after becoming the target of criticism from Donald Trump.

Venezuela’s Machado Says “No Regrets” Over Gifting Trump Nobel Peace Prize– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Saturday she had “no regrets” about symbolically handing over her Nobel Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump in January.

“There is a leader in the world, a head of state in the world who risked the lives of his country’s citizens for Venezuela’s freedom,” she told a news conference in Madrid.

Machado presented her Nobel prize to Trump when she met him in the White House just two weeks after he ordered US forces to attack Caracas and snatch Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Trump, who has long coveted the award, is currently embroiled in the Middle East war he started with his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with airstrikes on Iran at the end of February.

RFK Jr. Shuts Down Dem Rep Over Healthcare Cuts: “They’re Almost All Illegal Immigrants”– www.louderwithcrowder.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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While the left would like it if you believed millions of Americans are suffering as a result of losing their health insurance, that is not reality, according to RFK Jr.

Democrat Rep. Greg Casar asked if RFK has sat down and spoken with any of the people who have lost health coverage this year. According to RFK, however, “they are almost all illegal immigrants.” And if you are surprised by this, you are not paying attention.

It is also comical how Casar had no response to this claim, as the best excuse he got was that one person in his district lost health coverage.

According to the Budget Committee:

1.4 million of those estimated to be without health insurance in 2034 are illegal immigrants.

1.3 million of those estimated to be without health insurance in 2034 are already ineligible for the Medicaid program. The OBBBA ends Biden-era regulations that kept ineligible individuals enrolled—restoring integrity to the program.

CBO projects Medicaid enrollment in 2034 to be 79.5 million people under the OBBBA—higher than the total number of people enrolled in Medicaid as of January 2025.

Kash Patel’s ‘erratic’ habits raise concerns as FBI director’s late-night drinking delays meetings: Report– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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Concerns are growing inside the FBI over Director Kash Patel’s conduct, with colleagues alleging that the Indian-origin agency head has engaged in heavy drinking and unexplained absences that they say have affected his leadership.According to multiple current and former officials in FBI, Patel’s behaviour has raised alarm within the bureau and across parts of the US government. Some have described his tenure as erratic, pointing to incidents where his actions caused confusion and disrupted normal operations.

One such episode took place on April 10, when Patel struggled to log into an internal system and believed he had been locked out. He thought he was fired and contacted aides in a “freak-out”. The situation caused concern within the FBI and prompted calls to the White House and members of Congress about who was leading the agency. The issue was later found to be a technical error.More than two dozen people, including FBI staff and others familiar with his work, told reporters that Patel has been “erratic, suspicious of others, and prone to jumping to conclusions before he has necessary evidence,” according to a report cited by the Atlantic.

Iran’s Supreme Leader sends chilling threat as he mocks US ‘arrogance and weakness’ | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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Iran’s Supreme Leader has issied a chilling threat in a new bombshell message, while also taking a brutal swipe at Donald Trump and US troops.

Mojtaba Khamenei commended his forces for resisting what he called American and Israeli “arrogance”, before threatening to bring about “new defeats”. The Supreme Leader also said his opponents’ “weakness and humiliation” had been exposed for all to see. Khamenei has not been seen since the war began. He replaced his father Ali Khamenei, who was killed in Israeli-US strikes at the start of the conflict.

In a statement issued through an Iranian state news agency, Khamenei said his forces had “stood firm against America’s sinister schemes.”

He continued: “With its strong divine and popular support and in dense, fortified ranks, it (the army) stands shoulder to shoulder with other mujahideen of the armed forces against the two armies at the forefront of the front of kufr (disbelief) and arrogance, clashing with them hand-to-hand and exposing their weakness and humiliation to the eyes of the world.

PBS Attacks Trump Admin’s Pope Criticisms– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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Ever since Pope Leo assumed the papacy, PBS News Hour Friday contributors MS NOW host Jonathan Capehart and The Atlantic staff writer David Brooks have tried to claim him as one of their own in their fight against the Trump administration. That continued this Friday as the duo essentially told Vice President JD Vance to shut up when it comes to criticizing Leo’s remarks about the Iran War, with Capehart claiming they are among “the most insulting things” a VP could say and Brooks arguing the Iran War is permissible under just war theory, but also isn’t because Trump.

Host Amna Nawaz began with Capehart and wondered, “Pope Leo issued a pretty strong statement rebuking the war in Iran. Trump then unloaded on him online. Vice President Vance jumped in to criticize him as well, telling him to be careful on matters of theology. Is it smart for the president to be getting into it with the pope? What does he stand to gain from that?”

Jonathan Capehart tells PBS that JD Vance’s pope criticisms are “one of the most insulting things I think I could possibly ever hear being said, one, to the pontiff, but, two, from the vice president of the United States. All of this is maddening and surreal.” (1/2) pic.twitter.com/UFV2kYbz1e

— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) April 18, 2026

Using logic he would never apply to abortion, Capehart replied:

No, it’s not smart at all to be getting into it with the pope, to be fighting with the pope, even though the president says, ‘I’m not fighting with the pope.’ Yes, you are, and over something where it’s like the president is taking the words from the pope very, very seriously, when any pope, Pope Leo, Pope Francis, Pope John Paul, would have been saying the same thing, because this is about life and death. This is about right and wrong. And it’s something big that’s happening in the world that has commanded the pope’s attention.

Homeland Security’s New Task Force Website Sanitizes Trump’s Deportation Agenda – Mother Jones– www.motherjones.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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The Department of Homeland Security just rolled out a new website for its city-occupying task forces that looks, more than anything, like a vibe-coded pitch deck. Launched on Friday, HSTF.gov was first announced on the FBI’s X account.

We don’t negotiate. We dismantle. The site’s slogan is displayed in the same sans-serif font stylings as direct-to-consumer deodorant companies and AI-powered lease abstraction platforms. The main page is largely consumed by a macho image, presumably AI-generated, of gas-masked officers with AR-15 style weapons advancing in formation through a cloud of tear gas.

Democrat Senator Announces The Death Of His 36-Year-Old Daughter– wltreport.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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One of the most painful experiences any parent can have is outliving their child.

On Monday, U.S. Senator Mark Warner announced his 36-year-old daughter had died.

Warner made the announcement on X and shared that his daughter, Madison, died after suffering a decades-long health battle.

The Hill reported on the cause of the death:

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) on Monday announced the death of his 36-year-old daughter, who had suffered from juvenile diabetes.

“We are heartbroken beyond words by the passing of our beloved daughter, Madison, 36, after a decades-long battle with juvenile diabetes and other health issues. She filled our lives with love and laughter, and her absence leaves an immeasurable void,” Warner and his wife, Lisa Collins, posted in a statement on X.

“We are grateful for the loving support of friends and family during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we navigate this profound loss,” he added.

Madison is survived by two younger sisters. The three were introduced to the political spotlight in 2001 when Warner was elected governor of Virginia.

Here’s Warner’s post on X:

pic.twitter.com/sdRJngGXdY

— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) April 20, 2026

Trump Threatens War Crimes in Iran Again – Mother Jones– www.motherjones.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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President Donald Trump departs after speaking with reporters about the war in Iran during a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Monday, April 6, 2026.Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.

In a Truth Social tirade on Sunday morning, President Donald Trump claimed that Iran violated their ceasefire agreement with the US by firing shots at ships in the Strait of Hormuz and again threatened to commit war crimes by taking out the country’s energy infrastructure.

“Many of [the bullets] were aimed at a French Ship, and a Freighter from the United Kingdom,” Trump contended about Iran’s targeting of the ships, without evidence. “That wasn’t nice, was it?”

Trump, Iran cite progress in talks as uncertainty hangs over Strait of Hormuz– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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Trump defended the US blockade and threatened “to start dropping bombs again” unless the countries reached a long-term deal before the ceasefire expires on Wednesday.

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said Tehran’s control over the strait included demanding the payment of costs related to security, safety and environmental protection services, state media said.

Concern remained after at least two vessels reported being attacked on Saturday while trying to transit the waterway. India summoned the Iranian ambassador in New Delhi and expressed deep concern that two Indian-flagged ships had come under fire in the strait, the government said.

Trump reaffirms US-Israel support after Netanyahu ‘alarmed’ by Lebanon comments– www.mirror.co.uk

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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Donald Trump posted on social media to reaffirm the US’s support for Israel, calling it a ‘great ally’, just hours after sources told Axios that Benjamin Netanyahu had been left ‘personally stunned and alarmed’ by an earlier post in which Trump said Israel was ‘prohibited’ from bombing Lebanon

President Trump Meets With Visiting Israeli PM Netanyahu At The White House(Image: Getty)

Donald Trump reaffirmed his backing for Israel in a Truth Social message on Saturday evening, merely hours after reports suggested Benjamin Netanyahu had been unsettled by an earlier comment he made.

Writing around 9pm ET, the US president described Israel as a “great ally” of Washington while taking aim at European nations that refused to take part in the Iran conflict.

SETH ORANBURG: Local Municipalities Weaponize Bureaucracy Against Prayer– dailycaller.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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As Congress debates antisemitism legislation and the Religious Liberty Commission holds hearings on rising hate, a case pending before the Supreme Court reveals a more mundane threat: city officials who use zoning bureaucracy to shut down Jewish prayer in a private home.

Daniel Grand invited a handful of neighbors to his house on a Saturday morning to pray. The City of University Heights, Ohio, served him with a cease-and-desist order, calling his home an “illegal house of worship.” Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan then encouraged Grand’s neighbors to surveil his home and report any religious activity for punishment.

When a city criminalizes home worship, you’d figure the homeowner has recourse. On paper, yes. In practice, no. In reality, municipalities across the country destroy faith communities not through action but through something more sinister: selective inaction.

Kash Patel Announces Lawsuit Against ‘The Atlantic’ Over Latest Hit Piece– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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FBI Director Kash Patel announced Sunday that he intends to take legal action against The Atlantic over a recent attack piece that accused him of frequent drinking on the job and unexplained absences. The director has thoroughly denied the allegations, calling them “fake news.”

The article, titled “The FBI Director Is MIA,” claimed to be based on interviews with more than two dozen anonymous sources, including current and former FBI officials, staff from law-enforcement and intelligence agencies, hospitality workers, members of Congress, political operatives, lobbyists, and former advisers.

Among the claims were episodes of excessive drinking that allegedly affected his leadership. Sources reported that Patel had been observed drinking to the point of obvious intoxication at venues including the private club Ned’s in Washington, D.C., and the Poodle Room in Las Vegas. According to “six current and former officials,” meetings and briefings were sometimes rescheduled because of alcohol-fueled nights early in his tenure.

Pope Leo warns African youth against emigration, urges battle against ‘scourge of corruption’– www.lifesitenews.com

pgnewser April 20, 2026

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Pope Leo XIV called on young people in Africa to resist emigration and corruption, and to work for the good of their own countries.

On April 17, Pope Leo XIV addressed students and faculty at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaoundé and later celebrated Mass in Douala, urging African youth to remain in their homeland, combat corruption through moral integrity, and contribute to national development, during the midpoint of his pastoral journey to four African nations.

“Do not give in to distrust and discouragement,” the Pope said during the Mass in Douala. “Do not forget that your people are even richer than this land, for your treasure lies in your values: faith, family, hospitality, and work.”