Blog Betty (Thomas Friedman is a Great Man was an online novel)

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Con artist Chump works to destroy the entire planet

We are in energy crisis made worse by Chump's war on Iran. And Chump? He's making it worse by continuing the Iran War and by going after alternative energy. Maxine Joselow and Brad Plumer (NEW YORK TIMES) notes:

The Trump administration will pay energy companies hundreds of millions of dollars to abandon their plans to build two wind farms off the U.S. coast, the Interior Department said Monday, in a repeat of a tactic the government used to cancel other offshore wind leases last month.

The firms will forfeit their leases in federal waters for the two wind farms, one of which would have been built off New York and New Jersey and the other off California. The government will reimburse the companies a combined $885 million, the amount they paid for the leases under the Biden administration.

In exchange, the companies have pledged to invest that money in oil and gas projects, including liquefied natural gas facilities along the Gulf Coast.

The deals are modeled after a similar agreement last month with the French energy giant TotalEnergies. TotalEnergies forfeited its leases for two wind projects planned off the coasts of New York and North Carolina, while committing to a range of fossil-fuel investments.

He's destroying the planet. Gabrielle Canon (GUARDIAN) notes:

Donald Trump’s war in Iran has caused a fuel crisis and spiked global prices, while the increasing energy appetite of new AI datacenters has put more pressure on power supplies. As energy costs and consumption continue to rise, wind and other renewable sources have been cited as essential upgrades to secure strained power grids that also help the US secure a more sustainable future.

[. . .]

In 2012, before he became president, Trump tried to stop 11 turbines from being constructed near his golf course in Scotland because he believed they would ruin the view. Despite his attempts, which included warning the Scottish parliament that they would affect tourism, those turbines now produce enough energy to supply up to 80,000 homes, according to the BBC.

The projects bought out by the administration had even more potential. Up to 2 gigawatts of offshore wind energy – an amount that could power roughly 1.1m homes – was projected from the California project. The other project, which would have been constructed off the coast of New Jersey and New York, would generate 2.4 gigawatts.

The other project, which the administration promised $1bn for last month, would have produced enough electricity to power 1.2m homes, according to a letter written to Burgum and the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche, from the Democratic US representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin earlier this month.

“We demand answers about the legal basis for this closed-door deal to pay energy companies not to provide affordable, clean, renewable energy to American families,” they wrote in the letter, calling the agreement outrageous and claiming that it is unlawful. “President Trump has been relentless in his attacks on affordable, clean energy. This backdoor deal to cancel these projects will undeniably have negative economic, environmental, and national security impacts for which this administration must answer.”

Chump is a liar and a con artist who will destroy the planet.

"The Snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS)

Tuesday, April 28, 2026. Chump's war on Iran drags on, Senators Warren, Kelly, Blumenthal and Gillibran have questions about the Kuwait strike, the US government is accused of minimizing the damage of US posts in the Gulf, Katie Phang sues the Justice Dept over The Epstein Files, and much more.

Chump's war of choice with Iran continues. The world watches with disgust Tom Latchem (DAILY BEAST) reports:

Germany’s chancellor has branded Donald Trump’s Iran war a strategy-free debacle that has “humiliated” the United States.
The withering verdict from Friedrich Merz—the most pointed European criticism yet against the president’s flailing Middle East campaign—comes after other NATO allies, including the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy, all rebuffed Washington’s pleas for military backing in the conflict.

Speaking to students in the town of Marsberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia, on Monday, the chancellor, 70, said Washington “quite obviously went into this war without any strategy,” while warning that Iran’s leaders were “negotiating very skillfully,” The Telegraph reported.

“The Iranians are clearly stronger than expected, and the Americans clearly have no truly convincing strategy in the negotiations either,” Merz told the audience.

He added that “a whole nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards.”

Tyler Pager and Julian E. Barnes (NEW YORK TIMES) report this morning:

President Trump has told advisers he is not satisfied with Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, according to multiple people briefed on discussions in the White House Situation Room on Monday.

The proposal also called on the United States to end its naval blockade but would have set aside questions about what to do with Iran’s nuclear program, according to U.S. and Iranian officials familiar with details of the negotiations.

Iran has repeatedly rejected American proposals to suspend its nuclear program and hand over its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

It is not clear precisely why Mr. Trump is not satisfied with the proposal, but he has repeatedly insisted that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. A U.S. official also said that accepting it could appear to deny Mr. Trump a victory.

It's not a victory. It's way too late for Chump to claim a victory. It was supposed to last a few weeks. But March 28th was one month. April 28th, today, is two months. And there's no end in sight.

Two months.

And counting.

This morning, THE NEW YORK TIMES notes:

Oil prices continued to climb on Tuesday, as peace talks between the United States and Iran appeared at an impasse, with negotiators deadlocked over proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to tanker traffic and restrict Iran’s nuclear program.

The price of crude oil has risen steadily over the past week, as talks have stalled during an uneasy cease-fire. Brent crude, the international benchmark, has posted gains in six of the past seven trading sessions: It remains more than 40 percent higher than it was before the first U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February.

And not everyone is standing with Chump in the administration. Vic Verbalaitis (DAILY BEAST) notes:

Vice President JD Vance is privately freaking out over how Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has handled President Donald Trump’s war on Iran.

Two senior administration officials told The Atlantic that Vance, 41, has been skeptical of the Pentagon’s information about the war. The vice president has also shared concerns with Trump, 79, about the stockpiles of certain missile systems, sources familiar with the matter told the magazine.

The vice president “asks a lot of probing questions about our strategic planning,” a White House official told the outlet.

Vance’s concerns are his own and are not an accusation of Hegseth or General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, misinforming the president, his advisers told the magazine, adding that he is not trying to create divisions among the president’s war Cabinet.

Vance isn't the only one questioning Pete Hegseth. Tom Boggioni (RAW STORY) notes:

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth might not be feeling comfortable about his future after a Republican senator publicly broke ranks and said that there is growing discomfort in Congress with Hegseth's job performance.

In an interview with The Hill, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), whose threat to halt the confirmation of Donald Trump’s pick, Kevin Warsh, to head the Federal Reserve was a contributing factor leading to the DOJ to drop an investigation of current chair Jerome Powell, now seems to be turning his focus to Hegseth, a former Fox News personality.

As The Hill’s Alexander Bolton wrote, “Senate Republicans who spoke to The Hill on the condition of anonymity say Hegseth wouldn’t be confirmed to head the Pentagon if he were renominated by Trump today, and they say senior staff turmoil at the Defense Department under Hegseth’s leadership is a major concern.”

According to Tillis, he sees a lot of ousted DHS head Kristi Noem in Hegseth.

“I think he’s missing the mark on personnel. He has separated some of the most extraordinary generals that we’ve had in play. I don’t quite know what’s going on there,” he explained while noting that during Hegseth’s active military career he only saw “30 or 40 people” under his command.

“Now he’s got an organization that’s much larger, much more complex than anything he’s done. I think he’s making some less-than-ideal personnel decisions,” he continued before adding that when it comes to management and technical skills, “there’s no question he’s got a failing grade.”

Hegseth is being asked about more than that by US senators. We'll note this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:

Troops injured in strike on Kuwait post reportedly received no warning to evacuate, denied requests for additional protections

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) launched a new investigation into reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth failed to take basic steps to protect troops during Operation Epic Fury, including during a strike that killed six service members and injured twenty in Kuwait.

“Secretary Hegseth sent our troops to fight in Iran, refused to take basic steps to protect them, and then tried to cover up his failures when service members died. Hegseth’s leadership has been one betrayal after another — he must be held accountable,” said Senator Warren.

On March 1, days into President Trump’s war on Iran, an Iranian drone hit a U.S. military post in Kuwait, killing six American service members and injuring at least 20. The attack reportedly came with “no warning or sirens to alert troops to evacuate or get into a bunker.” After the attack, service members reported triaging their injuries themselves and having to “commandeer() civilian vehicles to drive the wounded to two local Kuwaiti hospitals.”

Secretary Hegseth described the attack as a “powerful” Iranian drone hit that was able to get through “fortified” U.S. defenses. But survivors of the attack described his account as a “falsehood,” saying that the unit “was unprepared to provide any defense for itself” despite making requests “for more capabilities to defeat incoming drones.”

Accounts from survivors and other officials indicate that the risks to service members in the region were known, but leadership at the Pentagon failed to take steps to prevent harm that could come from Iran’s retaliation. One service member recounted seeing intelligence revealing that “the post [they were relocated to] was on a list of potential Iranian targets.” Three other officials raised concerns that troop positions “concentrated too many U.S. troops in a location that wasn’t defendable.”

Survivors of the Kuwait attack have made clear that basic steps were not taken to keep U.S. troops safe, despite previous requests for more defenses against drones. In another case, the Pentagon failed to warn American ships of imminent attacks from Iran, a break from precedent that left the ships no way to evacuate service members and left them stranded for a month.

“We are concerned that this is part of a larger pattern in which this administration has failed to protect Americans in the region from Iranian retaliation,” wrote the senators.

In another instance, the Pentagon also reportedly failed to warn troops of imminent attacks from Iran, a break from precedent that left the ships no way to evacuate service members and left them stranded for a month. One source said of Pentagon leadership that, “(t)hey literally do not think about the second-, third- or fourth-order implications” of these major operations.

“The safety and well-being of our service members should be a top priority for DoD leadership. That requires careful consideration of major operations like Epic Fury and plans to prevent possible harm from foreseeable attacks, like retaliation with drone strikes,” said the senators.

The senators asked Secretary Hegseth to explain the decision to place troops in Kuwait, why requests for additional protections were denied, and how the Pentagon is ensuring the protection of U.S. troops during Operation Epic Fury by May 11, 2026.

Senator Warren has fought to hold the Trump administration accountable for failing to protect civilians and troops alike during its illegal war in Iran:

On April 22, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.), pressed General Randall Reed, Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), on the Trump administration’s failures in evacuating Americans from the Middle East at the start of President Trump’s illegal war in Iran.
On April 20, 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.) and Van Hollen (D-Md.) led nine senators in opening a new investigation into Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s role in weakening civilian harm prevention programs and the catastrophic civilian impacts of President Trump’s war in Iran.
On April 7, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) released a new video condemning President Trump’s threat to wipe out the “whole civilization” of Iran and called for Majority Leader Thune to bring the Senate back into session immediately to vote to stop Trump’s war.
On March 20, 2026, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) sounded the alarm about the Trump administration’s sidelining of the military’s Judge Advocate General Corps, who are responsible for providing independent legal advice to commanders. Senator Warren pressed the commanders of United States Northern Command and United States Southern Command about the impact the sidelining of JAGs has on civilian harm as the war against Iran continues.
On March 11, 2026, Senators Warren (D-Mass.), Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kaine (D-Va.), Schatz (D-Hawaii), Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and 41 colleagues pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for a full investigation on the airstrikes on a school in Minab, Iran, and other civilian casualties in the Trump administration’s war on Iran.
On March 5, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass) led the entire Massachusetts delegation in pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to explain the Trump administration’s “complete failure” to evacuate U.S. citizens — including Massachusetts residents — from the Middle East following the administration’s starting a reckless war in Iran.
On March 3, 2026, Senator Warren (D-Mass.) took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to call on Congress to end President Donald Trump’s reckless war in Iran and demand accountability.

###

In other Iran War news, Gordon Lubold, Courtney Kube, Mosheh Gains and Natasha Lebedeva (NBC NEWS) report:

American military bases and other equipment in the Persian Gulf region suffered extensive damage from Iranian strikes that is far worse than publicly acknowledged and is expected to cost billions of dollars to repair, according to three U.S. officials, two congressional aides and another person familiar with the damage.

The Iranian regime swiftly retaliated after the Trump administration attacked on Feb. 28, hitting dozens of targets across U.S. military bases in seven Middle East countries. Those attacks struck warehouses, command headquarters, aircraft hangars, satellite communications infrastructure, runways, high-end radar systems and dozens of aircraft, according to the U.S. officials and an assessment by the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.

In the initial days of the war, an Iranian F-5 fighter jet bombed the U.S. base Camp Buehring in Kuwait, despite the base having air defenses, a rare breach that marked the first time an enemy fixed-wing aircraft has struck an American military base in years, according to two of the U.S. officials.

The administration has already been accused of fudging the numbers for service members wounded in the Iran War. Now they stand accused also of lying to the American people about the amount of damage being done to US bases and US equipment in the Gulf.

Yesterday, England's King Charles and Queen Camilla arrived in the United States. Today, Charles is expected to address Congress and then dine with Chump. Sophie Brams (THE HILL) notes:

The controversies surrounding convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein threaten to cast a long shadow over King Charles III’s upcoming visit to the U.S., his first American state visit since becoming monarch.

The purpose of the king and Queen Camilla’s visit is primarily diplomatic, planned to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. But as the monarchy continues to grapple with the fallout of Epstein-related disclosures, the royals’ visit could be overshadowed by questions about former Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and former United Kingdom Ambassador Peter Mandelson’s past ties to the disgraced financier.

Chump is having his own Epstein problems. Most recently emerging one? Sarah Ewall-Wice (DAILY BEAST) reports:

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is being sued for failing to release the full Jeffrey Epstein files as required by law.

The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C, on Monday by lawyer and political commentator Katie Phang, who slammed Blanche and demanded that the Justice Department release all documents, along with an explanation for any redactions.

She is also calling for the courts to appoint an expert to ensure that Blanche complies with the law.

“This case is about Defendant Todd Blanche’s brazen, shocking, and ongoing violation of the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” the 15-page lawsuit reads.

Along with his island, Manhattan and Florida, Chump's buddy Jeffrey Epstein was also active in New Mexico. Erica Stapleton and Andrew Hay (REUTERS) report:

Authorities in New Mexico are trying to determine how many local women and girls were abused by the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein at his isolated Zorro Ranch compound.

Several individuals have said they were flown to the ranch and abused by Epstein and his associates. To date, only one - former Santa Fe massage therapist Rachel Benavidez - was known to be from New Mexico.

New Mexico Representative Marianna Anaya, who co-sponsored the state's Truth Commission probe into Epstein, told Reuters that the group had been in contact with a number of New Mexico residents who say they were abused at the ranch.

"I can confirm that we have been reached out to by local alleged victims," Anaya told Reuters in a text message.

The Truth Commission is working with the New Mexico Department of Justice to help survivors who may have viable criminal cases bring charges against Epstein co-conspirators, Anaya added.

Sunday, Australia's 60 MINUTES did a report on Epstein's New Mexico ranch.

Alexander Willis (RAW STORY) adds:

In a nearly 3,000-word bombshell report, veteran journalist Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez recently uncovered the company that appears to have constructed Jeffrey Epstein's sprawling New Mexico property, the implications of which, Valdes-Rodriguez wrote, were “terrifying” and made “it hard to sleep.”

Valdes-Rodriguez has uncovered several revelations as it relates to Epstein, largely revolving around his activity in New Mexico, including that his New Mexico property known as Zorro Ranch may have been used to surveil two U.S. nuclear weapons labs, and that the former chief federal prosecutor for the state had previously undisclosed ties to the disgraced financier.

In her latest report, Valdes-Rodriguez told people "brace yourselves" before revealing she uncovered yet another revelation when scanning through the Justice Department’s trove of Epstein-related files: that Zorro Ranch was likely constructed by Bradbury Stamm, a major U.S. government-linked contractor that “does not build individual homes.”

“If you’re not from around here, you might not think twice about seeing ‘Bradbury Stamm’ tucked in there, between the car phones and greenhouses of Zorro Ranch,” Valdes-Rodriguez wrote in her report.

Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes

Epstein purchased Zorro Ranch from former Democratic Governor Bruce King in 1993. Then he hired Bradbury Stamm Construction, a company better known for building classified facilities at Los Alamos National Laboratory and Kirtland Air Force Base, to erect him a mansion on the 10,000-acre property. They also built him a sprawling courtyard, a private airstrip with a hangar and helipad, a ranch office, a firehouse, and a seven-bay heated garage.

Bradbury Stamm is the largest industrial commercial contractor in New Mexico, and is not known for constructing private homes, according to journalist and author Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez. Yet they did it anyway. The company’s telephone number was listed under a series of contacts pertaining to Zorro Ranch in Epstein’s personal phone book, according to unredacted pages released by the Justice Department.

Why the company would go out of its way to take on the Zorro Ranch project is not clear, though Valdes-Rodriguez speculates that it could have something to do with Ghislaine Maxwell’s father.

“Bradbury Stamm holds classified construction contracts at the New Mexico nuclear weapons labs that Ghislaine Maxwell’s father, Robert Maxwell, penetrated with backdoored spy software on behalf of Israeli military intelligence in the mid-1980s, per publicly available FBI files and the testimony of Rafael Eitan, the Mossad operations chief who ran Maxwell as an asset,” Valdes-Rodriguez wrote. “Bradbury Stamm brings in hundreds of millions each year in contracts.”

So many questions remain regarding Jeffrey Epstein. Yesterday, Adam Mockler reported on JD Vance and his connections to Peter Thiel.

Peter Thiel has long backed JD Vance. Jeffrey Epstein encouraged Thiel to back JD Vance.

And Cameron Adams (DAILY BEAST) reports on a remark in Chump's 60 MINUTES interview on Sunday:

President Donald Trump has admitted that some senior members of his administration are unnecessarily living in military housing.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller all live in Washington-area military housing for security reasons.

Rubio and Hegseth live on “General’s Row“ at Fort McNair, an Army enclave, while freshly fired Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem has yet to vacate the waterfront home on a D.C. military base she moved into after threats related to her job.

During his Sunday interview on 60 Minutes, one day after a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Trump was asked by correspondent Norah O’Donnell if he believed there was a link between the divisive political violence in the U.S. and his staff living on secure military bases because of potential threats against them due to their jobs.

“Well, they choose to,” Trump said of the living arrangements. “I’m not sure that... ah, they need to. They also have nice places, you know? Democrats did the same thing. Some of the housing on the military bases is very nice. I’m not sure they do it necessarily for violence, but probably... it’s not the worst thing in the world.”

Let's wind down with this from Senator Tammy Baldwin's office:

Tavern League of WI: “We wholeheartedly support this legislation”; WI Restaurant Association: “We are proud to support this effort to keep local sports accessible and affordable for Wisconsin’s businesses and fans alike”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New legislation led by U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to stop professional sports leagues from blacking out games for fans and end the complicated and costly web of streaming services has earned the strong support of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and Tavern League of Wisconsin. This comes in addition to recent polling showing that overwhelming majorities of Americans support Senator Tammy Baldwin’s For the Fans Act.

“Watching Packers, Brewers and Bucks games with friends and family is as Wisconsin as beer, cheese, and Old Fashioneds. Tavern League members take great pride in bringing the community together to support our home teams. Wisconsin residents and businesses shouldn’t be subject to arbitrary black out rules or forced to watch our conference and division rivals because of where we live. We thank Senator Baldwin for introducing the “For the Fans Act" and we wholeheartedly support this legislation,” said Keith Kern, Tavern League of Wisconsin President.

“Our neighborhood restaurants and sports bars are the cornerstones of Wisconsin communities, serving as the primary gathering places for fans to cheer on our home teams. For too long, however, small business owners have been forced to navigate an increasingly expensive and fragmented maze of subscriptions and frustrating blackouts just to air a local game,” said Kristine Hillmer, Wisconsin Restaurant Association President and CEO. “Senator Baldwin’s 'For the Fans Act' is a common-sense solution that provides much-needed relief to the hospitality industry. By eliminating technical barriers and reducing the need for costly, overlapping streaming services, this bill allows our members to lower their overhead and focus on what they do best: providing a great atmosphere for their guests. We are proud to support this effort to keep local sports accessible and affordable for Wisconsin’s businesses and fans alike.”

“Wisconsinites across the state are fed up with paying an arm and a leg to watch our home teams – and that includes our restaurants and bars that are neighborhood staples who are already being squeezed by high costs,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am so honored to earn their support for this bill to cut costs, put the fans first, and make sure everyone in Wisconsin can cheer on our Brewers, Bucks, and Packers.”

The For the Fans Act improves access for consumers of professional sports broadcasts by requiring free viewing access for local fans and ending blackouts on league-owned streaming services, like NBA League Pass or MLB.tv. The bill applies to professional baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer leagues. The bill makes an exception for minor league teams and leagues with fewer than eight teams.

Baldwin’s press release announcing the legislation is available here.

A one-pager on the bill is available here.

###

The following sites updated:

Monday, April 27, 2026

Science grab bag

Science post. Starting with UAE MOMENTS:

For everyday life, these changes are not noticeable in the short term. However, they highlight how dynamic Earth is. By studying rotation shifts, scientists gain valuable insights into the planet’s structure, climate, and long term evolution.

Modern technology depends on precise timing. Systems like GPS rely on exact measurements of time and Earth’s position. Even small changes in rotation must be accounted for to maintain accuracy in navigation and communication.

Melting ice and shifting ocean currents redistribute mass across the planet. When mass moves closer to or farther from the axis, it changes rotation speed. This is similar to how a spinning object speeds up or slows down depending on how its weight is arranged.

The movement of molten material inside Earth affects its rotation. Changes in the speed or direction of this flow can slightly alter how mass is distributed. This internal activity is one of the key reasons rotation is not perfectly stable.

Meanwhile, QATAR MOMENTS notes:

Advancements in technology may allow for more detailed scanning in the future. Scientists hope to gain clearer images of what lies beneath without causing damage. Continued research will determine whether the Sphinx is hiding something extraordinary or simply natural formations.

It is important to separate scientific findings from popular theories. While anomalies have been detected, no definitive evidence of hidden chambers has been confirmed. Researchers emphasize careful analysis before drawing conclusions.

The idea of secrets beneath the Sphinx continues to capture global attention. Documentaries, studies, and debates keep the topic alive. The combination of mystery and history makes it one of the most discussed archaeological subjects.

If hidden structures are confirmed, they could reshape understanding of ancient Egyptian engineering. Discoveries beneath the Sphinx may reveal new details about how the site was used. This could provide deeper insight into the civilization that built it.

Is anything under the Sphinx? We might know some day but Octavio Curiel (BLUSHER ME) reports on what's been discovered under a pyramid:

Beneath one of Mesoamerica’s most iconic ancient cities lies a discovery that continues to spark curiosity, debate, and speculation. Deep inside a hidden tunnel, researchers uncovered a strange substance that challenges conventional interpretations of ritual, technology, and symbolic architecture. What was once considered a purely ceremonial site now raises deeper questions about the knowledge and intentions of its builders.

Deep below the ancient city of Teotihuacan, archaeologists uncovered a sealed tunnel stretching more than 300 feet, leading to hidden chambers that had remained untouched for centuries. This underground passage revealed artifacts and materials that suggest deliberate design and symbolic intent, pointing to a space that may have held spiritual or political significance within the civilization.

Among the most surprising findings was the presence of large quantities of liquid mercury, a rare and highly toxic substance. Its shimmering, reflective surface immediately drew attention, not only because of its unusual appearance but also due to the effort required to produce and transport it in ancient times, making its presence both intentional and meaningful.

In Mesoamerican belief systems, reflective surfaces often symbolized gateways to other realms, including the underworld. The liquid mercury may have been used to create mirror-like pools, reinforcing the idea of a ritual space designed to connect the physical world with the spiritual dimension, possibly serving as a ceremonial path for rulers or priests.

The architecture and materials found in the tunnel suggest a carefully constructed environment rich in symbolism. Water and reflection were commonly associated with divination and communication with unseen forces, indicating that the chamber may have been designed not just for burial or storage, but for transformative rituals tied to belief and power.

Going from a pyramid in Mexico to the pyramids of Egypt, Melissa Ait Lounis (DAILY GALAXY) reports:

For centuries, the Great Pyramid of Giza has been shrouded in mystery, with its origins tracing back to the Fourth Dynasty of ancient Egypt. However, a growing body of controversial evidence is challenging the long-accepted timeline, raising new questions about the pyramid’s true origins. British author Graham Hancock has been at the forefront of this challenge, claiming that the Great Pyramid was not built by Pharaoh Khufu around 4,500 years ago, but instead by a lost civilization as far back as 12,500 years ago.

Hancock recently appeared on the American Alchemy podcast, where he discussed his theory in depth. According to him, both geological and astronomical clues suggest the monument predates the reign of Khufu, contradicting traditional views that place its construction firmly in the Old Kingdom period.

“There’s no doubt that parts of the Great Pyramid were completed and finished by the ancient Egyptians,” Hancock told podcast host Jesse Michels. “I don’t seek to take it away from them, but I think they were inheriting a very ancient tradition and completing a monument that already stood in basic form on the Giza Plateau.”

One of Hancock’s central arguments revolves around the erosion patterns of the nearby Great Sphinx. He asserts that only heavy rainfall over thousands of years could have caused the deep weathering visible on the monument today. “No such rains were on the Giza Plateau 4,500 years ago, but they certainly were at the end of the last Ice Age,” Hancock said. This theory has raised eyebrows in the archaeological community.

However, not everyone agrees with Hancock’s interpretation. Dr. Zahi Hawass, the renowned Egyptologist who has spent decades studying the Giza Plateau, vehemently disputes these claims. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Hawass rejected the idea of a lost civilization. He instead attributes the Sphinx’s weathering to natural wind erosion over millennia.

And let's wrap up in the US with Lena H. Sun (WASHINGTON POST) who reports:

The Trump administration’s decision to drop the long-standing recommendation that newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of birth will likely lead to hundreds of additional infections among children, along with more cases of liver cancer, deaths and millions in added health care costs, according to studies published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics.

Federal vaccine advisers to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. voted in December to replace the universal birth dose with a recommendation to delay the first shot until at least two months of age for infants born to mothers who test negative for the virus — a change later approved by the then-acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pediatricians and dozens of medical groups strongly opposed the move, saying it was not based on evidence, and warned it could harm children and their families. Although medications can control hepatitis B, there is no cure for chronic infection.

The JAMA studies are the first to model the policy’s potential impact. One estimated that delaying the first hepatitis B vaccine dose by two months for babies born in a single year to mothers who tested negative — about 80 percent of the 3.6 million U.S. births annually — would increase lifetime health-care costs by at least $16 million.

"The Snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):

Monday, April 27, 2026. The Iran War continues, Chump continues to wreck the US economy, Chump throws a tantrum on 60 MINUTES, the United Kingdom's King Charles is due to arrive in the US today, Senator Tammy Baldwin has introduced a For The Fans act regarding sports events, and much more.

The Iran War continues and you can thank Chump for that. He started it, he continues it. Josh Wingrove and Galit Altstein (BLOOMBERG NEWS) report:

President Donald Trump canceled a planned trip to Pakistan by his top envoys for negotiations over the Iran conflict, raising questions about the durability of the current ceasefire.
The president on Saturday told his son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff to skip the trip, adding in a social media post that there has been “Too much time wasted on traveling.”

So he called off the trip. David McAfee (RAW STORY) quotes Chump saying, "I just cancelled the trip of my representatives going is Islamabad, Pakistan, to meet with the Iranians. Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!" Annabella Rosciglione (THE DAILY BEAST) observes, "The canceled trip is the latest sign that the U.S. and Iran are far from reaching any sort of agreement." And Josh Marshall (TPM) observes, "Everything that’s happening today and for weeks has been focused on breaking Iran’s hold on the Strait of Hormuz, something it didn’t have before the war started. That’s the definition of failure: fighting a war and continuing a war to clean up the mess the war of choice actually created. By this measure, the best way to achieve what is now the central war aim -- opening the Strait -- would have been simply not to start the war in the first place."

This morning, Ben (MEIDASTOUCH NEWS) notes how Chump is trying to spin the Iran War.

The media's obsession with itself is always to be observed. They've taken a minor incident and are exploding and exploiting it. No one in the ballroom -- including Chump -- was at risk from Saturday's shooting. But they put themselves on air talking about what happened -- woah, woah, woah -- woah ways me!!!! Just do your damn jobs. Stop the sensationalism, stop the tabloid journalism. You weren't at risk and you make yourselves look laughable as you show up in front of cameras to discuss your 'traumas.'

The American people are dealing with real trauma. For example, this morning WEAR NEWS notes:

Americans are growing more pessimistic about the economy, according to a new Gallup poll.

Of the people polled, 47% say the current economic conditions are "poor." That's 7% higher than the results from Gallup's poll in March.

21% say they think the economy is "excellent" or "good." 23% of respondents felt that way last month.

Gallup says 73% feel the economy is getting worse, as opposed to better. That number is also higher than it was in March.

Allie Rasmus (KTVU) notes:

The University of Michigan's Consumer Sentiment Index dropped to 49 points in April, down from 53 points in March.

The April reading is the lowest ever recorded by the index.

The disconnect between official economic data and how ordinary Americans feel about their finances has led experts to describe the current environment as a "K-shaped economy."

What they're saying:

"A K-shaped economy is when a majority of the population has reduced their spending as if feeling the effects of a recession, yet the wealthiest of the population have actually increased their discretionary spending," said Brie Mason, a financial advisor with Authentikos Advisory Group. "That keeps the economy moving forward."

And Friday, Mary Cunningham (CBS NEWS) noted:

In the eight weeks since the Iran war started, the conflict has driven gas prices above $4 a gallon, strained homebuyers and pushed inflation to its highest level in nearly two years. Even if the war ends soon, Americans are likely to feel the financial sting for months, economists say.

"I think the damage has already been done, in part because there's no going back on oil prices, at least not any time in the near future," Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics, told CBS News.

The war has disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil supply normally flows. Oil prices have jumped as a result, creating widespread consequences for Americans as they fuel their cars and book travel. As of midday Friday, Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading at $105 a barrel, up 44% since before the war started.

[. . .]

Economists told CBS News they expect inflation to come in hot in April and remain elevated throughout 2026. Last month, the Consumer Price Index reached 3.3% on an annual basis, the highest level since May 2024, driven by a jump in energy prices.

Another key inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures price Index, could hit 4% by the end of the year, double the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%, according to Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. The measure rose by 2.8% on an annual basis in February.

"Consumers, of course, want deflation, and we're definitely not getting that," he said. "We should expect things to remain higher than what people want."

At MS NOW, Julia Jester and David Rohde observe:

A race is on to see whose economy breaks first in the war with Iran.

President Donald Trump is using a U.S. naval blockade to slowly strangle Iran’s economy to force the country’s leaders to relent — a process that could take weeks or even months. Meanwhile, Iran is betting that its closure of the Strait of Hormuz will send oil prices soaring and inflict enough pain on the U.S. economy to force Trump to back down — a risk that oil analysts say could be just a few weeks away from playing out.

Who blinks first in the standoff could determine whether the eight-week war ends soon or escalates into something worse. It is a new stage of a conflict that points to prolonged pain for Iranians, Americans and a global economy that is being starved of critical energy supplies.

“The battlefield has moved from the military to the economy, for right now,” said Dan Pickering of Pickering Energy Partners, an energy-focused financial services platform. “We’ve stopped dropping bombs, and now we’re just trying to squeeze each other. And I think both sides are probably showing more resilience than you would have expected.”

This morning, THE NEW YORK TIMES explains:

Oil prices rose and stocks were mixed on Monday after President Trump called off a trip to Pakistan by two of his top negotiators for a new round of peace talks with Iran.

His latest change of heart leaves the countries locked in a stalemate, still under a cease-fire agreement but without a clear path to ending the war.

In the meantime, the United States and Iran are trying to inflict economic damage on each other by strangling shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping artery that connects the Persian Gulf to buyers around the world.

Today, the US is expected to get a visit from England's King Charles and Queen Camilla. Michael D. Shear (NYT) reports:

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will arrive in Washington on Monday afternoon during Week 8 of President Trump’s war with Iran. This time, Britain’s refusal to take part in what Prime Minister Keir Starmer has characterized as the United States’ latest war of choice has infuriated Mr. Trump, and deeply strained relations between the two governments.

Officially, the king’s four-day visit has nothing to do with that dispute. Government officials say the monarch is above day-to-day politics and does not have a role in policy or commenting on affairs of the state.

Charles is scheduled to meet with Chump on Tuesday. Tuesday, Charles is also scheduled to address the US Congress. Ashleigh Fields (THE HILL) reports:

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) on Sunday urged King Charles III to acknowledge the victims of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his address to Congress this week, when the monarch will make his first state visit to the U.S.

“I am hopeful that King Charles, when he speaks to the Congress, will acknowledge the Epstein survivors, will call for justice, will call for investigations and prosecutions,” Khanna said during a Sunday appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“It would be an enormous gesture if when he’s speaking at the Congress, he does that. And I’m hopeful that he will,” he added.

There are others who wish to meet with Charles while he is in the United States. Bradley Jolly (THE MIRROR) notes:

The family of Virginia Giuffre has made a desperate plea for King Charles to meet them during his US tour.

Sky Roberts, Ms Giuffre's brother, said the monarch would "show unity with survivors" if he were to see them, and survivors of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Charles and Queen Camilla are due to arrive in the US on Monday for a four-day visit during which they will meet President Donald Trump.

And Mr Roberts and his family see this as an ideal opportunity for Charles to spend just 10 minutes with them for the relations "to show him that we're real people, with real feelings".

And Luke Alsford (METRO) notes:

Epstein survivors will hold high-profile meetings and protests in Washington DC to mark King Charles’ state visit, Metro has learned.

Virginia Giuffre’s family will join a meeting with survivors and a top US lawmaker hours before the King addresses Congress on Tuesday.

Separately, Epstein survivor Rina Oh and other advocates will hold a ‘live art protest’ in front of the White House as the Monarch meets Donald Trump inside.

The events could pile more pressure on the Monarch over his brother Andrew’s links to the paedophile financier and the Royal Family’s response to the scandal.

Jeffrey Epstein, Chump's friend of so many years. His name remains tied to Chump's nearly seven years after his death. Last night, Chump appeared on CBS' 60 MINUES. Ryan Coleman (ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY) notes:

Donald Trump was not happy with Norah O'Donnell during a segment of her 60 Minutes interview regarding Saturday's shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

[. . .]

Less than 24 hours into the aftermath, Trump sat down for his first interview about the third attempt on his life since the 2024 presidential campaign. 60 Minutes correspondent Norah O'Donnell, who has interviewed Trump on several occasions, spoke to the president on a wide range of topics regarding the shooting, from accusations of poor security to Melania's reaction, and — to his fiercest resistance — the alleged shooter's intentions in his own words.

NBC News quoted the alleged manifesto on Saturday, which an unnamed senior administration official told the outlet Allen had sent to family members within minutes of the shooting. On Sunday, the New York Post published the alleged manifesto in full.

O'Donnell pointed the president to one particular section, which follows Allen's alleged apologies to family and friends, in which he notes, "I am no longer willing to permit a pedophile, rapist, and traitor to coat my hands with his crimes."

"I was waiting for you to read that because I knew you would, because you're horrible people. He did write that. I'm not a rapist, I didn't rape anybody," Trump responded. O'Donnell noted that Allen doesn't refer to Trump by name in that section, but the president cut in: "Excuse me. I'm not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person. I get associated with stuff that has nothing to do with me. I was totally exonerated."

Robert Davis (RAW STORY) notes online reaction to Chump's lies:

Observers offered the president a swift fact-check on social media.

"A jury and a judge adjudicated him as a rapist," Norman Ornstein, a contributing editor at The Atlantic, posted on X. "A woman credibly accused him of rape when she was 13. He bragged about walking into a dressing room with naked teenagers. He bragged about grabbing women by the p----."

"Trump is a clinical-grade psychopath," journalist Nancy Levine Sterns posted on X.

"Trump is literally a court adjudicated rapist," novelist Patrick S. Tomlinson posted on X.

"Wow. This interview was epic. Trump’s nastiness and consciousness of guilt were off the f------ charts," podcaster Andy Ostroy posted on X.

In 2023, a jury found Trump liable in a civil sexual abuse and defamation case filed by E. Jean Carroll. A judge later clarified that the jury's guilty verdict meant Trump had been found liable for rape, the Washington Post reported at the time.

And his "exonerated" remark? He's been saying that since the January releases by the Justice Dept of some of The Epstein Files. He maintained that they proved he was innocent. He has not addressed the later release prompted by NPR's reporting -- the woman who gave four interviews to the FBI in 2019 ad stated in three of them that Chump had assaulted her when she was underage. He's never been asked about that -- not why did the Justice Dept not release those, not for his response to the accusations.

Baldwin’s bill slashes pricey streaming costs and stops sports from being blacked out for fans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, new polling from Data for Progress shows that overwhelming majorities of Americans support Senator Tammy Baldwin’s For the Fans Act to stop professional sports leagues from blacking out games for fans, end the complicated web of streaming services, and cut costs for viewers across the country.

The first Provision in Baldwin’s bill requires that leagues provide local fans with a single, free option to watch their team’s games — on television or online. 72% of voters say they support requiring all American professional sports leagues to provide a single, free service where fans can watch all sports games played by a team in their state. This idea cuts across partisan lines — with 72% of Republican voters supporting it, a net +59-point margin on the issue. Support is especially strong among groups where Democrats have lost ground in recent elections, including 76% of voters under 45 and 73% of non-college-educated voters.

The second provision in Baldwin’s For the Fans Act would ensure sports fanatics who pay for subscriptions to platforms like NBA League Pass or MLB.TV don’t face blackouts. This provision is also wildly popular: more than 6 in 10 voters support it by a net +44-point margin. Support cuts across education, race, and ideology, with majorities of college-educated and non-college-educated voters, as well as Black, Asian, white, and Latino voters, men and women, and Democrats and Republicans all supporting the idea. Key groups, including voters under 45 (net +57) and Independents (net +45), also support the proposal.

A one-pager on the For the Fans Act is available here. More information on this poll is available here.

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The following sites updated: