April 20, 2026

06 Market

Gavin Newsom’s Minimum Wage Boondoggle Comes With a Big Side of Fail As Automation, Job Cuts Skyrocket – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser April 7, 2026 0

Blurb:

Who could have predicted that California’s massive minimum wage hike would have “negative consequences?” Well, RedState certainly did, along with everyone else who wasn’t a hard-left progressive.

The law, which mandated a $20 per hour minimum wage for fast food workers at franchises that have more than 60 locations in the Golden State, went into effect in April 2024. But wait, there’s more! The law created the Fast Food Council — and gave it the green light to impose further wage increases yearly until 2029, when the council’s authority runs out.

What are the effects of the law, AB 1228? UC Santa Cruz Economics Lecturer Stephen Owen decided to find out, and surprise, surprise:

“Based on what we’ve found, I think this legislation is a classic case of ‘no good deed goes unpunished,’” Owen said. “There are unintended consequences and knock-on effects, and overall, I think the results have definitely not been as positive as policymakers had been expecting.”

Bill Gates Given Green Light to Build Nuclear Reactor– slaynews.com

pgnewser April 7, 2026 0

Blurb:

The U.S. federal government has just given Bill Gates’s new company the green light to begin construction of a nuclear reactor, marking a major shift in America’s energy landscape.

Gates’s new nuclear reactor project is the first to win government approval in nearly a decade.

The move is raising fresh questions about the growing alliance between Big Tech, government regulators, and the future of America’s energy grid.

Ships Making It Through Strait Raise Another Big Question on France, May Expose Cracks in Iran Effort – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser April 7, 2026 0

Blurb:

We reported on Thursday about a United Nations Security Council resolution, designed to try to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The resolution from Bahrain:

“[A]uthorizes member States, acting nationally or through voluntary multinational naval partnerships, with advance notifications to the Security Council,” to use all necessary means “to secure transit passage and to deter attempts to close, obstruct or otherwise interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Tools of Engagement – March 2026 – Medical Preparation, Emergency Travel, and Alternative Food Resources

pgnewser April 2, 2026 0

Originally published March 27, 2026 for our weekly Issue of Mindful Intelligence Advisor.  Subscribe to get weekly issues.

A. SCOTUS TARIFF RULING

In our March 6, 2026, MIA Weekly, Paul Gordon Collier did a bellwether deepdive on the Supreme Court decision affecting Trump’s tariffs issued under the IEEA Act.

In that analysis, Collier concluded, “At the SCOTUS level, I expect this court to side with the resistance, and wherever sophistry can remotely be applied to justify the denial of Trump’s policies (to defeat Hitler, in their minds), they will do so. However, there are limitations, even for this rogue court. Some degree of a semblance of Americanism must still be maintained, at least for now.

“For that reason, I expect SCOTUS to not fully shut down Trump’s tariff powers, but from here until the first District Court injunction, he has a limited time to act decisively using tariffs to target our enemies for economic warfare.

“What many do not realize is this, American pax is over and everyone knows it. There is a new real scramble for power that will leave the losers in destitute circumstances. The race to build the one AI machine to rule them all is on, and Trump recognizes this; THAT is why he chose to use tariffs in this unprecedented, but legal (unprecedented doesn’t equal illegal, Mr. Roberts) way, for he understood the stakes are high.

The world is resetting its power structure, and competition is fierce to not become a subservient to the greater power, and it’s a competition America can lose, especially with Progmerica still fighting to take over from within, aided as they are by quislings in our courts.”

With a divided house, life is uncertain. Building reserves to get you through potential upheavals in supply are as essential as they’ve been since the first Covid lockdowns were ordered. That fragile state has only continued, and we act on the assumption it is only going to get worse before it gets better (and we DO believe it will get better).

We believe most of you (hopefully us too) will not be touched at a catastrophic level, where you might be without resources for a period of time (perhaps two months), but some of you (and us) MIGHT be. We are already preparing for the potential interruption that might happen, fully expecting the lights to come back on in the end.

To make it through the dark valley, consider:

  1. ESSENTIAL NEEDS – What are your essential needs that, if you go without them for more than 2 months, could kill you? Medicines might be top on that list. Food might be easier to find than medicine. One of our spouses has medicine that is consistently not available right away due to the strain on the medical supply lines already.

Here is a list of vulnerable medicines. If your medicines are on the list, consider alternatives, or, where possible, stock up for two months in advance.

USP Vulnerable Medicines List

  1. TRANSPORTATION – Consider having electric bikes on hand for emergency travel. To go along with those e-bikes, consider portable solar panels to recharge the e-bikes if you lose power for any period of time.

POWOXI 12V Solar Car Battery Charger: 15W Solar Trickle Charger Maintainer with MPPT Controller for Car – RV Boat Marine Motorcycle – $50

SOLPERK Solar Panel Kit 20W 12V, Waterproof Solar Battery Trickle Charger Maintainer + Smart MPPT Controller + Adjustable Mount Bracket – $30

URLIFE 20″*3.0 Fat Tire Electric Bike for Adults, 28MPH 48V, 80-Mile, 7-Speed & Suspension, Adjustable Seat for Adults and Teens, UL 2849 – $380

Electric Bike for Adults,1500W Peak Motor Retro E Bike,30MPH Max Speed,60/110 Miles Range,Removable 48V 15Ah Battery,20″x4.0″Fat – $630

B. APOCALPYPSE IRAN: IRAN’S NEW ORDER AND THE PRICE THE WORLD IS ALREADY PAYING

In our March 13, 2026, issue, our military affairs correspondent, Michael Cessna, presented an analysis of the Iran War that focused on the looming secondary global threats emerging from this war. One of the most pressing challenges comes through the Strait of Hormuz. So long as Iran can continue to shut down, or even slow down, commercial trade through the strait, global economies and even food supplies face existential threats.

Cessna explained, “The financial consequences were immediate and severe. Kuwait announced oil production cuts, and Iraq cut 1.5 million barrels per day as onshore storage filled. Brent crude logged its largest weekly gain in the history of the futures contract, surging by 28%.  By March 8, Brent had crossed $103 per barrel — the first time it had exceeded $100 in four years. U.S. retail gasoline prices jumped to a national average of $3.45 per gallon by March 9, up more than 51 cents in a single week.

“J.P. Morgan’s commodities research team warned that production cuts could exceed 4 million barrels per day by the end of the following week if the strait remained closed, and that prices could exceed $150 per barrel if Gulf infrastructure continued to be targeted — an outcome that Qatar’s Energy Minister described as capable of triggering “the collapse of world economies.”

While seeming hyperbolic on the surface, the IEA convened an emergency meeting of its 30+ member states, which collectively hold 1.2 billion barrels in strategic reserve, to discuss a coordinated release.”

  1. EMERGENCY FOOD SUPPLY – If you haven’t started growing your own food already, starting now won’t help you deal with this immediate potential crisis. Stocking up on food is advised, and if you haven’t you definitely should.

The Best Emergency Food Supplies, With Insights From Disaster Relief Experts – Lee Cutlip

  1. FOOD BUYING CO-OPS – You still have time to join a local food buying co-op in your area, or maybe even start one yourself. Here are some resources to get you started:

Local Harvest Food Coops (mostly Northeast U.S.)

Neighborhood Buying Club: How to Start and Run One Safely – JoinSpark

Feeding America – Find Free Groceries

C. TRANSITIONS: PT. 2 – FROM JUDGES TO KINGS, HOW ISRAEL BECAME A KINGDOM OF MEN

In our March 20, 2026, issue of MIA, Paul Gordon Collier analyzed Israel’s transition from a nation of Judges to a nation of Kings. What he noted was this:

“The Kingdom still ostensibly claimed God as King, but their King would, more often than not, gain more praise from the people than God would. While God ordained it and allowed it to happen, it was not his desire. He knew the hearts of men. He knew one day his own people would call for a King even after they had one supernaturally deliver them from slavery.

“‘I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him away in my wrath.’- Hosea 13:11

“While they held on to the foundation of the Judges nation, what they built on top of it, kingship, would ultimately undermine the foundation that gave them legitimacy, which ultimately led to the death of the Kings nation and the eventual rise of the 2nd Temple province of many Empires (save for the era of the Maccabees).

“The differences between the two are, to me, radical enough to identify them as two civilizations (but one people). The second civilization sought to compromise with the civilizations around it. The kingdom sought the approval of neighboring Kings, not that of the King of Kings they once declared their sovereign.”

What the Kingdom drifted away from was a foundation in the Word of God. Our challenge this month to our readers is to read Psalm 119 every day for 30 days. In that reading, pray that the Holy Spirit moves in you to imprint the Hebrew alphabet in you.

Psalm 119 outlines the purpose of meditating on the Word daily, how to meditate on that Word, and what the fruit of meditating on the Word of God daily produces. Psalm 119 spells out why the Word of God should be the first and last plumbline of your actions, not the pleased voices of men, or the fear of their rejection.

For help in that meditation, here are three possibilities:

  1. Psalm 119 – Charles Bridges
  2. Faith in Exile: Psalm 119 and the Christian Life – David VanDrunen
  3. A Lamp Unto My Feet: A 12-Week Study through Psalm 117 – Stave Gallagher

For those of you affiliated with a church community, seek guidance from your leaders about study guides for Psalm 119.

D. JUDGEFARE VERSUS AMERICA

In this week’s issue, our monthly review for March 2026, our bellwether deepdive for the month was about the growing threat of Judgefare in America. In that deepdive, our staff wrote, “Recent rulings by what we would classify as progressive activist judges have only widened the divide between the conservative executive and the progressive judiciary.

“We believe the judiciary is mostly controlled by progressives, directly through progressive activist judges and indirectly through bar associations, law schools, and other judicial enforcement institutions.

“Their values are unique to their people, and alien to Americans, for they rest on the assumption that the social usurps the individual and social status usurps American rule of law…

“We call this part of the progressive revolutionary war machine, Judgefare, the use of judges and the judiciary to stifle dissent and complete the transition from “Progmerica” to the Progressive U.S., now free to openly practice progressive values and bury Americanist values once and for all.”

To protect yourself from potential lawfare and Judgefare, consider first whether your actions present challenges to progressive power. Do you own a business that has a lot of social signal power? If so, you might be at risk of future targeting should you not comply to a future offer too good to be true (usually offered by a “special interest” group like GLAAD).

If the course of your life does not in some way either invite power for progressives or challenge it, you need not worry too much about the threat of Judgefare or lawfare in your life. If the course of your life falls into either of those two categories, then consider our recommendations.

  1. LEGAL INSURANCE – One way to protect yourself against lawfare is to purchase legal insurance. There are a variety of options out there, so we suggest you start first by learning exactly what legal insurance is and whether it is right for you, and second, which legal insurance provider is the best one for you.

What is Legal Insurance – and Do You Need It? – The Penny Hoarder

5 Best Legal Insurance Options in 2026 – Benzinga

  1. LEARN LEGAL BASICS – We don’t recommend anyone ever represent themselves in a legal matter, but we do recommend people becoming as familiar with the law as resources will allow. The more familiar you are with at least the underlying principles of constitutional law, the better prepared you will be to be an advocate for your rights not just with the authorities but even with your own lawyer (especially if you have a court-appointed one).

These resources are geared towards both non-lawyers and lawyers, but even the resources for lawyers listed here can be very useful to anyone wanting to get a basic familiarity with U.S. constitutional law.

How to Learn law Without Going to Law School – Halt.org

Self-Study Map for Law (Complete Guide) – TME.NET

The Ultimate Guide to Free Law Study Materials for Students on a Budget – Lawyers Inventory

Trump Rips Into Federal Judges, Supreme Court Over Fraud Ruling– townhall.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed the Supreme Court and federal court judges after they ruled against his effort to freeze $10 billion in funding to blue states.

The president in December announced that his administration was freezing funding to Minnesota after widespread welfare fraud was exposed in the state. In early January, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent letters to five blue states announcing a temporary freeze on funding for child care and social service funding.

During a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump told reporters about how people discovered the rampant waste and fraud occurring in Minnesota.  “I just saw something that the nursing home business and the daycare centers in particular, they went out and inspected them in Minnesota, and they didn’t exist,” he said. “They’re knocking on door, happens to be a young man, Nick [Shirley], nice young man. He’s done a very good job. They’re knocking on doors. It’s like homes. And they’re getting hundreds of thousands…they didn’t exist.”

And in California, it’s worse. It’s even worse. And I spoke with Russell Vought. I said, ‘Russell, don’t send him any money.’ He said, ‘but we have a court order that we have.’ Can you believe it? A judge. The judges are really hurting this country. Our judges. Justice Roberts doesn’t like when I say it, but the judges are really hurting this country. And frankly, the justices, the Supreme Court has really hurt our country, too.

 

Oil-thirsty Asian nations seek Russian crude as Iran war strains supplies– abcnews.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

BANGKOK — Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts amid the month-old war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which has choked off roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Much of the oil from the mostly shut Strait of Hormuz was headed for Asia, hit hardest by recent energy shocks. Over the weekend, Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the conflict, further threatening shipping.

AI Job Panic Still Outruns the Evidence | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser March 31, 2026 1

Blurb:

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both Democrats, have proposed pausing new data center construction until federal safeguards for workers, consumers, and the environment are in place. Given how far Congress is from passing comprehensive AI legislation, the proposal could stall new projects for years. It reflects deep concern about AI’s economic and social impact—but rests on an ASAP sense of urgency that outpaces the best current evidence on how quickly those effects are materializing.

What do we know right now about the job impacts of the emerging AI revolution, given the rising level of concern in Washington? Some recent analysis for consideration on Capitol Hill:

  • Challenger, Gray & Christmas tracked more than 1.2 million layoffs in 2025. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing Forrester, fewer than 100,000 were primarily attributable to AI-driven efficiency gains. Even that likely overstates the impact. Companies have an incentive to blame AI for cuts because it signals technological sophistication and can lift their stock prices. From the piece: “The most likely reasons for head-count reductions remain the same as ever: slower sales, shifting priorities and previous overhiring.”

Global Outlook – March 2026 – Iran Pause – Dem Surge – Trump Economy

pgnewser March 30, 2026 0

Originally published March 27, 2026 for our weekly Issue of Mindful Intelligence Advisor.  Subscribe to get weekly issues.

Recapping Trending, World, U.S., Political, Market, Culture, Sci-Tech News from March 1-26, 2026

Here are the TOP 10 NEWS TAGS for this Time Period:

  1. Iran War
  2. 2026 Election
  3. Wokeness
  4. Judgefare
  5. Progressive Media
  6. Abortion Watch
  7. AI Watch
  8. Trump Deportations
  9. Voter ID
  10. Mamdani Terror Attack

For regular news updates throughout the week, go to mindfulintelligence.news, our news research hub, curated news aggregate center, and MIA report archive site.

A. TRENDING

  1. TRUMP PUSHES FOR END TO IRAN WAR AS MARKETS FEEL BURDEN OF BLOCKED STRAIT – President Donald Trump has put together a 15-point peace proposal to what’s left of the Iran regime. Alleged representatives of the regime are telling corporate news media they have already rejected the deal. The President has fired back, threatening he will “unleash hell” if Iran “fails to understand that they have been defeated.”

President Trump announced, “As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well.”

 Read more about the Iran War in our Situation Report on pg. xx.

GO DEEPER ON IRAN WAR

  1. DOJ CLOSES BIDEN AUTOPEN INVESTIGATION, SOURCE CLAIMS – After another round of much sound and fury signaling nothing, the GOP’s Department of Justice has allegedly quietly shut down its Biden autopen investigation in much the same way it has tried to bury the Epstein Files investigation. The claim comes from the Washington Examiner, which cites an anonymous source. The Department of Justice has refused to comment when asked by the press about the claim.

GO DEEPER ON BIDEN AUTOPEN

  1. FBI ADMITS MORE THAN 100 TERABYTES OF EPSTEIN EVIDENCE WERE DELETED – Whatever the DOJ has on hand that it is calling the “Epstein Files,” it is hardly as much as what it could have been. According to a just-now discovered testimony in 2024 by FBI Agent Aaron Spivack, a hack into their NY Field Office during the 2023 Superbowl led to the FBI losing access to more than 500 terabytes of data. 100 Terabytes would turn out to be lost for good.

GO DEEPER ON EPSTEIN FILES

  1. EPSTEIN WAS A FINANCIAL BOUNTY HUNTER FOR THE U.S.? – Jeffrey Epstein was officially a U.S. government agent according to a memo released among the Epstein Files. The claim comes from an unsigned memo that states, “At some point in time, Jeffrey Epstein worked for the United States government as a financial bounty hunter. He has retained significant political connections with both Israel and the United States.”

The memo’s credibility comes from another part of the note recommending further information about Epstein from other federal agencies. It also accuses Epstein of violating child exploitation and sex offender traveling laws, The memo gives more credence, though not a smoking gun, to the claim Epstein was a government agent.

B. DOMESTIC TERROR

  1. ISLAMIST SHOOTER KILLS 3, INJURES 17 IN TERROR ATTACK ON AUSTIN, TX BAR – 53-year-old Islamist Ndiaga Diagne opened fire on an Austin, Texas bar, killing 3 and injuring 17 others before being killed himself by the police. He was wearing a “Property of Allah” shirt and has connections to a local Islamist community with suspicious ties to Islamist terrorist organizations. The attack came just after the Ayatollah Khomeini was confirmed killed in aerial strikes, leading many to believe this was related to the war on Iran.

GO DEEPER ON AUSTIN IRAN SHOOTER

  1. MEDIA, MAMDANI PROTECT ISLAMIST IED ATTACKERS WHILE VILIFYING WHITES, CHRISTIANS – The media coverage of the IED attack by two Islamists on a Christian anti-Muslim rally not only accused the Christians of being white supremacists (which they appear to actually be, in this case), they also accused the Christians of throwing the IEDs themselves. Mayor Mamdani of New York focused his ire on the “white supremacists,” while only condemning the IEDs being tossed. He failed to mention the Islamists behind the attack.

The attack was caught on video, so the internet already knew the Islamists were behind the attack, The two suspects are Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, both of whom come from wealthy immigrant parents. They screamed “Allahu Akbar” when they threw the IEDs, which were all verified to be real. Had any one of them gone off (there were three total, two near the mayor’s mansion), it is highly likely there would have been multiple casualties. We covered this story in more detail in the Final Thought of our Friday, March 13 MIA Issue.

GO DEEPER ON MAMDANI TERROR ATTACK

  1. ISLAMISTS ATTACK AMERICAN SYNAGOGUE, UNIVERSITY ON SAME DAY – On Thursday, March 12, 2026, two separate Islamists attempted to murder Americans, with one succeeding and the other being stopped before he could do further harm. Islamist Lebanese “immigrant” Ayman Mohammad Ghazali attempted to murder Jews at a Michigan synagogue. He was killed by security after driving his car into the synagogue.

Islamist Mohamed Jalloh was successful in his attack on Old Dominion University. He killed one and injured another before ROTC members stopped him and killed him with their bare hands, according to reports. The Islamist killed one man, Lt. Colonel Brandon Shah.

GO DEEPER ON DNC ISLAM

C. U.S. ELECTIONS

  1. FBI SEIZES 2020, 2024 ELECTION RECORDS FROM NOTORIOUS MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ – Maricopa County, AZ is seen as the epicenter of 2020 election fraud suspicion, surpassing its closest rival, Fulton County, GA, in evidence that is difficult for skeptics to simply dismiss. Now that county is under an FBI microscope, with the announcement of election records being seized from Maricopa County from the bureau.

Republican State Senate President Warren Petersen confirmed the action by the FBI, posting on X, “Late last week I received and complied with a federal grand jury subpoena for records relating to the Arizona State Senate’s 2020 audit of Maricopa County. The FBI has the records. Any other report is fake news.”

GO DEEPER ON 2020 ELECTION FRAUD

  1. DEMS FLIP FLORIDA STATE HOUSE SEAT IN TRUMP’S MAR-A-LAGO DISTRICT – The Florida state house district President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate resides in will now have a Democrat representing it after a special election saw Democrat Emily Gregory narrowly beat Trump-endorsed Republican John Maples. Trump won in this same region by 11 points in 2024. The special election was needed to replace retired Republican Mike Caruso, who won his last election by 19 points in 2024.

GO DEEPER ON 2026 ELECTIONS

  1. TEXAS PRIMARY FINISHES CROCKET, KEEPS CORNYN ALIVE – The Texas Senate Primary races were the main feature of March 3, 2026’s midterm primaries, which were also held in Arkansas, North Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi. In Texas, DNC race hustler Jasmine Crocket lost to James Talarico, a far-left “Christian” who claims God is non-binary and ok with abortions.

In the GOP race, Senator John Cornyn failed to get a majority vote, so a run-off race between himself and his closest challenger, Attorney General Ken Paxton, will happen in May. Paxton had offered to drop out of the race if Cornyn commits to passing the SAVE Act, even if it means voting to change the filibuster rule to require it to be verbal, not merely procedural. That offer is now void because the deadline for Paxton to withdraw has passed.

D. U.S. POLITICS

  1. VA DEMS MOVE TO TAKE GUNS, CONTROL HISTORY NARRATIVES, AND CODIFY ANTI-WHITE RACISM – The Democrat Party of Virginia has moved aggressively to make the state in Progressive US’s image, passing numerous bills aimed at curbing American liberty. They passed one bill that freezes white men out of government contracts, another bill that takes “assault weapons” from Americans, and another one which mandates J6 be taught to children as only being an insurrection.

The three bills reflect Progressive US’s anti-white racist ideology, its disrespect for freedom of thought, and its fear of an armed citizenry it knows it is preparing to attack.

GO DEEPER ON VIRGINIA INSURRECTION

  1. JUDGES SET FIRE TO TRUMP AGENDA IN A SERIES OF BRUTAL RULINGS – Mostly Biden-appointed Judges have shut down numerous major Trump policies, including freezing federal funding, shutting down Voice of America, halting DEI investigations of progressive schools, stopping ICE detention facilities from opening, and more.

In the wake of a slate of questionable rulings, SCOTUS Chief Judge John Roberts has encouraged what we consider insurrectionist rulings (with some exceptions) by Democrat activist judges while shaming any critique of these same rulings. Read more about Judgefare in our Bellwether Deepdive on pg. 2.

GO DEEPER ON JUDGEFARE

  1. ANOTHER VICTIM OF FISA DECEPTION, THIS TIME BY THE MUELLER TEAM INVESTIGATING FISA DECEPTION – Walid Phares faced a 12-month period between 2017 and 2018 under a scrutinizing FBI microscope empowered by a deceived FISA court. The prosecutors withheld evidence that would have exonerated Phares and rendered the FBI’s search warrant requests invalid. The prosecutors were attorneys of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team investigating the Russian Collusion Hoax.

An investigation into why this evidence was withheld was never included in the team’s final report, even though it is directly tied to it. This deception mimics the very deception that triggered the Russian Collusion Hoax in the first place, manipulating and withholding evidence to FISA court judges to get the results the prosecutors wanted, the power to spy on domestic political opposition.

Newly released transcripts of a testimony from an unnamed FBI agent reveals his attempts to include the anomaly of the Phares case in the report was rejected by a senior member of Mueller’s team, Kevin Clinesmith. After the agent attempted to include not just the Phares FISA anomaly, but others, Clinesmith told him, “We can’t send this to DOJ.”

GO DEEPER ON RUSSIA COLLUSION HOAX

  1. MULLIN CONFIRMED HEAD OF DHS, HIS SENATE SEAT GIVEN TO ENERGY EXECUTIVE – The now former Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) has been confirmed by the Senate in a 54-45 vote to take over as the new head of the Department of Homeland Security. He takes over for Kristi Noem, who was reassigned to a South America project.

The Governor of Oklahoma, Republican Kevin Stitt, has chosen an energy executive, Alan Armstrong, to take the now-vacant seat. Stitt said of his selection, “He’s a strong business leader who understands the power of free markets and limited government. He’s spent his career fighting for Oklahoma’s energy industry and providing affordable, reliable energy to all of America.”

GO DEEPER ON DHS FUNDING

  1. FBI RAN ROUND RIVER CAMPAIGN TO DISCREDIT CLAIMS OF THE BIDENS’ UKRAINE CORRUPTION – Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) claimed in a press release that the FBI ran a disinformation campaign in 2020 to protect the Biden family from potential prosecution. This operation was called Round River. It was so secret not even the then FBI Director, Bill Barr, knew of its existence.

Grassley claimed, “in August 2020, FBI Supervisory Intelligence Analyst Brian Auten opened an assessment which was used by a FBI Headquarters (‘FBI HQ’) team to improperly discredit negative Hunter Biden information as disinformation and caused investigative activity to cease.”

GO DEEPER WITH BIDEN WATCH

E. WORLD

  1. VENEZUELA BECOMES A DE FACTO U.S. ALLY – The United States and Venezuela have officially restored diplomatic and consular relations that President Trump claims will lead to favorable oil and rare earth mineral deals for the U.S.. These deals freeze Russia and China out of the Venezuela equation.

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said of the agreement, “When we are working together it can only mean two things, which is prosperity for the people of Venezuela and for the citizens of the United States, and it also brings peace and stability for the world.”

GO DEEPER ON VENEZUELA WATCH

  1. AS RUSSIA RACES TO SAVE CUBA WITH OIL, CUBA NEGOTIATES WITH THE U.S. – Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canal has affirmed former President Raul Castro has been negotiating with the U.S. about making the changes the U.S. is requesting in order to lift the decades-long embargo on the island nation. As Cuba struggles to keep the lights on, Russia has sent oil tankers to rescue them, tankers expected to reach Cuba early next week.

GO DEEPER ON CUBA WATCH

  1. CUBA TOTTERS ON DISSOLUTION, BUT LEADER REMAINS DEFIANT AS RUSSIA, MEXICO RUSHES TO ITS RESCUE – Russia is sending oil tankers to Cuba to rescue it from its crippling energy crisis that has left the island in a blackout condition. As dissent grows from within, the Trump administration hints it could take Cuba whenever it wants to. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel responded that any act of aggression “will clash with an impregnable resistance.” Mexico has just announced plans to attempt to “come to Cuba’s aid,” sending a relief supply flotilla and promising to figure out how to get oil to the communist country.
  2. EU COURT COMPELS ALL MEMBER STATES TO “RECOGNIZE” TRANSGENDER IDENTITIES – The highest court in the EU, the Court of Justice of the European Union, has ruled that all 27 members states of the union must allow all citizens to have photo IDs that match their “lived gender.” The ruling is sure to bring the differences between progressive globalism and traditional Europeanism to a head.

GO DEEPER ON WOKENESS

  1. ENCRYPTED MESSAGES FROM IRAN MAY BE ACTIVATING SLEEPER TERROR CELLS IN U.S. – American intelligence agencies have intercepted encrypted messages from Iran that appear to be “operational trigger(s)” for “sleeper assets.” In the wake of the massive illegal alien invasion under the Biden administration, there is reason to believe this message could be reaching hundreds of teams. DHS Security advisor and Secret Service supervisor Charles Marino suggested the size of those teams could be as much as 20 people.

F. MARKET

  1. CONSEQUENCE OF SCOTUS RULING ALREADY HITTING COURTS AS TRUMP ADMIN PLEDGES IT WILL PAY INTEREST ON TARIFF REFUNDS – Should the Trump administration lose in the courts and be forced to refund “American” businesses, they are committed to pay interest on the refunds, they informed the courts.

Judges have already signaled a willingness to fast-track the process, as we predicted would happen in our Bellwether DeepDive from our March 6, 2026 MIA issue.  In addition to the refunds for U.S. companies, foreign companies are also lining up for their cut of the SCOTUS plunder. Revenues collected through these struck-down tariffs are estimated to be around $170 billion.

GO DEEPER ON TRUMP TARIFFS

  1. SOCIAL MEDIA HIT HARD IN TWO LANDMARK U.S. CASES, BOTH ADDRESSING CHILD SAFETY – Meta and YouTube have each faced legal setbacks that could portend badly for the social media industry as a whole. The first case saw Meta lose a $381 million lawsuit over child exploitation and safety, the second saw YouTube and Google lose $3 million each for not preventing child addiction. Both cases are expected to set off copycat cases, including against other social media platforms.
  2. OPENAI ENDS BILLION DOLLAR DISNEY DEAL, SHUTS DOWN VIDEO AI APP SORA – OpenAI is facing existential pressure after having to cancel a $1 billion Disney deal that would have allowed the media company to use their video AI app Sora to develop content. The app was ended due to an inability to prevent it from creating dangerous deepfake videos, including pornographic ones.

Disney said of the severed deal, “We appreciate the constructive collaboration between our teams and what we learned from it, and we will continue to engage with AI platforms to find new ways to meet fans where they are while responsibly embracing new technologies that respect IP and the rights of creators.”

GO DEEPER ON AI WATCH

G. HEADLINES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

  1. NEW MIT STUDY GIVES CREDENCE TO 2020 ELECTION FRAUD CLAIMS – MIT Data reveals the Democrat Party saw a 23 million vote drop in mail-in ballot votes from 2020 to 2024. Meanwhile, its other voting data mostly held steady from 2020 to 2024. The spike in Democrat votes in 2020 has never been explained. This recent finding suggests the answer may be where many thought it was the whole time, in the post-election-day ballot “counting” behind windows covered with pizza boxes.

GO DEEPER ON 2020 ELECTION FRAUD

  1. CHINA’S NEW ETHNIC UNITY LAW READS LIKE NAZI LAW – China’s National People’s Congress approved a new law called the “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress.” The law aims to harmonize the country’s 55 state-recognized ethnic minorities with the Han majority. The law was passed on March 12 and was signed into law by Chairman Xi. The law takes effect on July 1st.

It is feared that the law will be used to further crack down on these minorities, leading to more genocidal pogroms such as were carried out against the Uyghurs (and are still going on). Some of the tactics of the past include forcing minority groups to have more abortions, taking children and raising them as Han, and banning the use of the minority group’s languages and artistic traditions.

GO DEEPER ON CHINA ETHNIC UNITY LAW

  1. UK MOVES CLOSER TO SHARIA AS IT MOVES CLOSER TO CRIMINALIZING DOGS – The United Kingdom has fallen to Sharia. The evidence becomes more and more clear as the tiny island nation may have surpassed China in arrests of people for saying bad things online. The top protected class in the UK is the Muslim, then the Islamist immigrant, then the Rainbow Coalition, with Trans and non-binary as the stars of that group.

Now, the UK wants to make dogs illegal for the sake of its growing Muslim nation within, a nation that despises dogs. To prepare the British for the loss of their dogs, Starmer’s cabinet is working on legislation that would ban 67 dog breeds in the name of safety and health.

GO DEEPER ON UK SHARIA

  1. KIDS ARE CHEMICALLY “TRANSITIONING” THANKS TO ONLINE PHARMACIES – The Daily Caller Foundation has released a report that exposes “online pharmacies” as being sources for children to get access to “transition” drugs. Kurt Miceli, chief medical officer at DNH, summarized the report, claiming it “reveals how online pharmacies may enable minors to obtain cross-sex hormones with alarming ease.

“From websites listing online vendors across the globe to marketplaces for ‘homebrewed’ hormones, we found a multitude of troubling pathways that appear to bypass basic safeguards and regulatory oversight. Gender-confused kids should not be able to purchase potent, experimental medications with just a few simple clicks. These hormones carry significant risks, including effects that can be irreversible.

We urge the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] and other federal agencies to investigate any potential unlawful sellers and, where appropriate, for states to do the same when their laws are being violated,” Miceli continued. “Protecting minors from unsafe and unregulated access to powerful cross-sex hormones must remain a priority.”

GO DEEPER ON TRANSGENDER IDEOLOGY

  1. CANADA APPROACHES 100K EUTHANIZED, WHILE THE POOR ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR MAID, AND CHILDREN MIGHT SOON BE – Amir Farsoud, 54, is being guided towards state-assisted suicide through Canada’s MAiD. While he suffers from chronic back pain, his reason for applying for MAiD was because he can no longer work, and Canada does not give him enough money to avoid becoming homeless. He’d rather die than become homeless, and now, in Canada, you can legally be killed for that fear alone.

So far, almost 100,000 Canadians have been murdered (aborted) by the state, legally, according to a report by the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying. That same group is now recommending “mature minors” be allowed to consent to suicide as well.

GO DEEPER ON EUTHANASIA WATCH

  1. RING’S SEARCH PARTY IS A POLICE STATE TROJAN HORSE – Amazon’s Ring Camera has added a Search Party feature critics say enables Amazon to build a pre-crime database that the state (or the corporation) could use to quickly tamp down dissent. An email from Ring Founder Jamie Simonoff is giving credence to those concerns.

He wrote, “I believe that the foundation we created with Search Party, first for finding dogs, will end up becoming one of the most important pieces of tech and innovation to truly unlock the impact of our mission. You can now see a future where we are able to zero out crime in neighborhoods. So many things to do to get there, but for the first time ever, we have the chance to fully complete what we started.”

  1. 9TH CIRCUIT BLASTED BY OWN JUDGE FOR RULING THAT ALLOWS MEN IN RELIGIOUS WOMEN’S SPACES – After the U.S. 9th circuit court ruled religious groups cannot keep trans men out of women’s spaces, they received a fiery dissent. 9th Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke began his dissent with the phrase, “This is a case about swinging d#%ks.”

He then added, “The fact that the religious owners of a traditional Korean, women-only, nude spa are prohibited by law from preventing a naked adult male, who remains sexually attracted to women, from exposing himself to thirteen-year-old girls tragically illustrates the sick and twisted consequences of erasing sex as a coherent legal category

My distressed colleagues appear to have the fastidious sensibilities of a Victorian nun when it comes to mere unpleasant words in my opinion yet exhibit the scruples of our dearly departed colleague Judge Reinhardt when it comes to the government trampling on religious liberties and exposing women and girls to male genitalia. That kind of selective outrage speaks for itself.”

Read more about Judgefare in our Bellwether report on pg. 2.

  1. DNC MAYOR STAYS IN OFFICE AFTER FIANCÉ CONVICTED OF BEING CCP SPY – The Mayor of Arcadia, CA is a naturalized U.S. citizen from China, whose fiancé was recently convicted of being a CCP spy. The fiancé, a green card holder named Yaoning “Mike” Sun, was the fiancé of Mayor Eileen Wang, a Democrat and potentially STILL a member of the CCP. She emigrated from China more than 30 years ago.

So far, Wang has refused to resign. This type of CCP activity is only a small part of the rising evidence of widespread CCP influence across both political parties, but significantly more substantively among Democrats, their natural “allies.”

GO DEEPER ON DNC-CCP WATCH

  1. NASA WANTS A MOON BASE – NASA has announced plans to build a moon base that will cost the U.S. $20 billion, according to NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. A moon base could replace the need for space stations. The moon base will also be a research and testing facility preparing the technologies needed for an eventual Mars occupation. It will also serve as the eventual departure point for the first landing. The race to Mars appears to be on.
  2. NEA TRAINING ANTI-AMERICAN INSURRECTIONISTS, NOT TEACHERS – The National Education Association recently held a training session called “Advocacy and Free Speech Rights for K-12 Education” that seeks to establish the oughtness of woke ideology as the oughtness of human life.

This action is sectarian in nature, which is troubling given the nature of the organization. It is one of the largest teachers’ unions in America, with over 3 million teachers. The question is not if the organization crossed the line into political activism, but what, if anything will be done about it.

  1. MINNESOTA TEACHERS’ UNION SPENDS TIME, MONEY COORDINATING TERRORIST ATTACKS ON ICE AGENTS – According to an investigation by Defending Education, a teachers’ union called “Minneapolis Families for Public Schools (MFPS)” has been coordinating an initiative to effectively help teachers organize resistance to ICE arrests of illegal aliens.

The “initiate” is called “TakeAction Minnesota.” On the website, they claim “We will teach and demonstrate resistance tactics that can be replicated elsewhere, leaving no community undefended. We hope to force an end to ICE’s unprecedented siege of Minnesota — and further the movement to abolish ICE altogether while we do it,”

Rhyen Staley, research director at Defending Education, stated “The teachers unions continue to prove they are rotten apples that only care about far-left street activism, to the detriment of educating children. Teachers and community groups should be dedicating time to improving learning outcomes for students, not creating strategies and lists of people to attempt to thwart law enforcement.”

GO DEEPER ON ANTI-ICE TERROR ATTACKS

  1. PSYCHIATRY JOURNALS HAVE AN UNDISCLOSED PAYMENTS PROBLEM – A study published in BMJ Open claims 14.2% of industry payments made to published authors were undisclosed in two major psychiatric journals. The findings put further doubt on the psychiatric industry’s integrity assurance standards. This finding follows a 2020 study that revealed 55.7% of U.S. psychiatrists have accepted pharmaceutical industry funding.
  2. FEMALE GENDERCIDE IN CHINA – China is committing female gendercide according to its own statistics, which shows there are 133 boys born for every 100 girls born. This statistic does not happen naturally, it only happens through selective abortions, specifically of girls. The statistics come from the country’s own just-released 2024 birth report.

GO DEEPER ON CHINA WATCH

U.S. District Judge Doubles Down on Ordering Pentagon to continue to Use Anthropic

pgnewser March 27, 2026 2

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin has issued a ruling that prevents President Trump from ordering the Pentagon to sever ties with the AI company, Anthropic. The Trump administration has determined Anthropic’s governance standards are not aligned with America’s standards.

The Federal judge has essentially ruled she knows better than Trump if Anthropic is aligned or not aligned with American standards. She said in her ruling, “Defendants’ designation of Anthropic as a ‘supply chain risk’ is likely both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.”

Blurb:

Judge Lin Blocks Pentagon AI Decision and Extends Lawfare Pattern – PJ Media

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin has stepped in again, blocking President Donald Trump from forcing the Pentagon and federal agencies to cut ties with Anthropic.

The ruling halts a supply chain designation tied to national security concerns over AI in military use. The designation also said mean things about Anthropic, hurting Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s feelings, so he took the Trump administration to court.

Federal agencies must now continue working with a company the executive branch flagged as a potential risk.

A federal judge in California has blocked the Trump administration from designating Anthropic a supply chain risk to national security and cutting off all work with the AI company.

Anthropic sued the Defense Department and other federal agencies this month after the Pentagon labeled it a “supply-chain risk to national security.” President Donald Trump said he would also ban the use of Anthropic’s products across other federal agencies.

“Defendants’ designation of Anthropic as a ‘supply chain risk’ is likely both contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious,” Judge Rita Lin, a U.S. district judge in California, wrote in her order Thursday night. “The Department of War provides no legitimate basis to infer from Anthropic’s forthright insistence on usage restrictions that it might become a saboteur.”

Lin paused her own order for a week to allow the administration time to appeal.

Social Media Hit Hard in Two Landmark U.S. Cases, Both Addressing Child Safety

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Meta and YouTube have each faced legal setbacks that could portend badly for the social media industry as a whole. The first saw Meta lose $381 million lawsuit over child exploitation and safety, the second saw YouTube and Google lose $3 million each for not preventing child addiction. Both cases are expected to set off copycat cases, including against other social media platforms.

Blurb:

Meta, YouTube face thousands of cases on whether they harmed children after bellwether cases go against them  Fortune
from news.google.com

Two landmark jury verdicts against social media companies have arrived at the front of a wave of lawsuits alleging that the popular platforms endanger the mental health of children.

Financial penalties total $381 million in the two cases involving tech giant Meta in New Mexico and both Meta and YouTube in California. The verdicts highlight a growing shift in the public perception of social media companies and their responsibilities toward child safety.

But it may be too soon to tell whether litigation will change the way popular social media and messaging platforms function — or influence the complex algorithms that deliver content to billions of users worldwide.

Court Orders Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to Pay $375 Million in Damages for Failing to Protect Children– slaynews.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

A New Mexico jury has ordered Mark Zuckerberg’s company Meta to pay $375 million in civil damages after finding the tech giant violated state law by failing to protect children from predators on its platforms.

The verdict, delivered after a civil trial in Santa Fe, marks a significant legal setback for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Russian Energy Minister Confirms Oil Shipments to Cuba– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev confirmed Wednesday that Russia is sending “humanitarian” shipments of oil to Cuba after ship-tracking data earlier appeared to show that at least one tanker had unloaded Russian crude in Havana.

Cuba, which imports around 60% of its energy supply, previously relied on oil sold by Venezuela. Those shipments ended after then-President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. military raid.

USPS sets 8% fee on packages as Iran war raises energy prices– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

The U.S. Postal Service is seeking to temporarily place a fee on packages due to rising fuel prices as the war in Iran continues to rattle energy markets.

The 8% fuel surcharge on packages under Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select is expected to take effect on April 26 and remain in place until Jan. 17, 2027. The Postal Regulatory Commission must review and approve the fee before it is enacted. If approved, first-class stamps and other mail services would not be affected.

“Transportation costs have been increasing, and our competitors have reacted with a number of surcharges,” the service said in a statement on Wednesday. “We have steadfastly avoided surcharges, and this charge is less than one-third of what our competitors charge for fuel alone.”

The development comes as the war in Iran has triggered the largest disruption to the global energy supply in history, due largely to Iran’s sweeping blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have spiked roughly 40%, approaching a record $120 a barrel earlier this month before stabilizing slightly.

BlackRock CEO does U-turn on Iran war optimism — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Just weeks earlier, Larry Fink expressed hope for a “neutralized Iran,” framing the conflict as a good investment opportunity

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has warned of an impending global recession if the US-Israeli war on Iran drags on and oil prices remain above $100 a barrel. The stark prediction comes just weeks after Fink framed the conflict as a good long-term investment opportunity.

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC this week, Fink said oil prices could stay above $100 per barrel for years if Iran “remains a threat,” potentially hitting $150 and sparking “a probably stark and steep recession.”

Could U.S. attack Iran’s Kharg Island as it sends more troops?– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 1

Blurb:

The U.S. is preparing to send thousands more troops to the Middle East, prompting speculation about a ground attack on Iran amid conflicting accounts of peace talks.

The Pentagon is reportedly preparing to send about 3,000 troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, alongside two Marine Expeditionary Units, to assist military operations in Iran. CNBC has contacted the White House and is awaiting a response.

Military experts said that the number of additional troops being deployed to the region appears to be consistent with plans for discrete and time-limited operations — rather than a sustained ground campaign.

Fury in Russia as Putin to ban popular app from April | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

The Russian public is pushing back against the planned ban of a popular app created by two Russians, with even pro-Kremlin voices fearing it could backfire. In a rare public opposition to blocking Telegram, the country’s most popular messaging channel, Vladimir Putin has been warned that the proposed ban could have negative consequences at home and on the battlefield.

But authorities have increasingly portrayed Telegram as contributing to terrorism and criminal activity, restricting the app and targeting its founder. Similar grounds have already been used to restrict other messaging apps, including the February block on WhatsApp.

From April 1, Telegram should be blocked completely too. Instead, the Kremlin is steering users towards its new state-backed messaging app, MAX, which is feared to be used for surveillance. The “national messenger” is similar in functionality to Telegram, but it’s also integrated with Russia‘s government services portal and can serve as a digital ID.

US jury finds Meta, Alphabet liable in landmark social media addiction case | Social Media News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

A California jury found ⁠Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for $3m in damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit that accused the companies of being legally responsible for the addictive design of their platforms.

The decision was handed down by a Los Angeles-based jury on Wednesday after more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days, and more than a month after jurors heard opening statements in the trial.

Meta, Google risk Big Tobacco-like fallout after addiction trial verdict | Tech News– www.business-standard.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

A landmark jury verdict holding Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google liable for harming a young user with products designed to be addictive threatens to put the social networking companies in the same category as Big Tobacco and opioid makers — a potential crack in their shield from legal responsibility for what happens on their platforms.

 While the $6 million in damages a jury in Los Angeles awarded to the 20-year-old plaintiff — which the companies vowed to appeal — will barely register on their balance sheets, the impact of the verdict will likely be more damaging and harder to quantify. The loss, in the first of thousands of product-liability lawsuits against Meta, Google and other social networks, is the kind of black eye that often leads to an increase in government regulations.