Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
@SecWar
The War Department is once again restoring freedom to our Joint Force.
We are discarding the mandatory flu vaccine requirement, effective immediately.
9:21 AM · Apr 21, 2026
1.5M
https://x.com/SecWar/status/2046579973494800754?s=20
Man at City Council Meeting Makes Devastating Case Against Proposed Local Data Center
"We are being asked to drain our reservoirs so a chatbot can write a poem."1/2
By Victor Tangermann Published Apr 17, 2026 5:03 PM EDT Add Futurism
The growing anger over the AI industry’s obsessionwith building massive and resource-intensive data centers across the country is as palpable than ever.
A recent survey by the Pew Research Centerhighlighted widespread public concernover the facilities’environmental harms, effects onhome energy costs, and the quality of life of nearby residents.
These concerns do seem justified. Experts have foundthat data centers can spike local electricity prices, generate copious amounts of greenhouse gases, and place a major strain on freshwater resources.
Now, a self-described content creator and digital artist named Will Hollingsworth who spoke up during a city council meeting in Ravenna, Ohio — a small town of 11,000 residents — is turning heads with his passionate argument against data centers.The council’s chambers became overwhelmedwith a crowd of almost 100 people during the April 10 meeting, which hosted a debate over aproposed 12-month moratorium on data centerconstruction in the area inspired by a nearby community’s own moratorium.
Hollingsworth’sfour-minute speech perfectly summarizes why the backlashis starting to reach a tipping point, as more politicians are calling for a moratorium on new construction.
“Thesefacilities can use millions of gallons of water per day,” he said, as seen in a video that went viral over the weekend. “We are being asked to drain our reservoirs so a chatbot can write a poemor so our sheriff can generate a picture of himself standing next to Bigfoot,” he added, picking up laughter in the room.
Hollingsworth said thathe used to rely on AI at his job overseeing videocontent production at a mattress company, making his point of view particularly noteworthy.He explained that he used to feed AI image generating app Midjourney “promptsto create the perfect commercial,training the very machine that would eventually replace me as three months laterthey would lay me off.”
https://futurism.com/future-society/city-council-meeting-case-against-data-center
2/2
Now he’s become a foe of the tech, he said.
“They want us to trust a trillion dollar industry that tells us with a straight facethat they.can suck five million gallons of water out of our ground a day,” Hollingsworth argued, to“use it as a liquid heat sink, andreturn it to our rivers without a single consequence.”
Yetthe water “does not stay in the loop,” he explained,but “evaporates into the sky by millions of gallons,” while AI companiesdownplaythe amount of “forever chemical runoff” which is used to “bleed the lines to remove toxic sludge.”
“They say the water is filled once and recycled forever,” Hollingsworth said. “In a laboratory, that might be true.But we aren’t living in a laboratory. We’re living in Ohio.”
The content creator also pointed outhow few jobs these data centerscould offer, despite being a massive strain on resources.
“A big employer who uses the water of 50,000 people… which only hires about ten peopleis not an employer,” Hollingsworth said. “They are an extraction.”
“I am not a cynic when it comes to technology,” he concluded.“I am a believer in community. I believe that a drop of clean water for a Ravenna child is worth more than a billion AI generated images. Let us choose the child.”
His powerful speech clearly struck a chord. Beyond the assembled committee voting for a one-year moratorium on all new data centers in the area, other netizens lauded him for speaking up.
“There it is right there,” one Reddit user wrote. “Lies, lies and more lies from megacorps investedup to their eyeballs in havingjust a few people in government believe them.”
“God damn that was good,” another user wrote. “Seriously this should be used as a script in every county these corporations are hustling.”
The fight is far from over. Ravenna is only one of several locations across the state being eyed for data center expansion projects. And plenty of other battles are being fought in other parts of the country as well, as the anger continues to grow.
Just earlier this week, voters in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri,were furious after city council approved a $6 billion data center. As Politico reports, local residents showed up in droves, successfully unseating four incumbents mere days later.
“I do hope other towns stand up and speak out like I did,” Hollingsworth later argued in a comment on Reddit. “I know I’m not the only good orator here in the country, maybe this will inspire a wave of political action!”
https://futurism.com/future-society/city-council-meeting-case-against-data-center
=Alan Dershowitz: Why I’m Becoming a Republican==
I first registered as a Democrat in 1959. The party’s hostility to Israel is too much.
I am a lifelong Democrat. I started campaigning for the party’s local candidates as a teenager in Brooklyn, N.Y.,have been a registered Democrat for 67 years, made speeches for John F. Kennedy as a college student, and can count on one hand the number of Republicans I’ve ever supported for any office.
I still disagree strongly with the GOP on abortion, the separation of church and state, immigration, healthcare and taxes, among other things. Yet I’ve decided to bite the bullet and register as a Republican.
The Democratic Party has become the most anti-Israel party in U.S. history. Last weekall but seven Senate Democrats voted for an arms embargo against the Jewish state, and an avowed enemy of Israel, Abdul El-Sayed, is gaining ground in the Democratic campaign for U.S. senator from Michigan.
There is no denying that the hard left, anti-Israel wing of the Democratic Party has moved from the fringe to the mainstream. Until recently there was an age gap, with younger voters more strongly opposing Israel, but recent polls suggest that the trend now includes Democrats of all ages. Republicans have their own antisemitic fringe, but for now it remains a fringe.
I believe that the Democratic Party’s hostility to Israel represents a deeper and more dangerous shift away from the center and toward a radical approach that is bad for America and the free world. So I intend to work hard to prevent the Democrats from gaining control of the House and Senate, and I urge those who share my concerns about the increasing influence of radicalism in the Democratic Party to vote, campaign and contribute for continued Republican control of Congress.I will contribute money to Republican candidates, campaign for them, make speeches at Republican events, and urge pro-Israel Americans to change party affiliation or at least vote against Democrats. Until something changes, I will vote Republican for representative, senator and president.
I wish I could designate myself as a “foreign-policy Republican,” but there’s no such option, so I have to go whole hog. By registering as a Republican rather than an independent, maybe I can have some influence on moving some Republican policies toward the center. I have given up on trying to change the Democratic Party. My main goal is to send a message that many traditional Democratic voters can’t accept what it is becoming—a replica of left-wing European parties that are hurting their countries.
Americans generally tend toward political moderation, but both parties have become more extreme, in part due to low-turnout primaries that attract passionate ideologues. Younger voters, who tend to be more extreme, are playing a more active role in politics. They may moderate as they get older, butthe trend among Democrats is unmistakable: a hard left turn that is most evident in changing attitudes toward Israel.If the Democrats pay a heavy electoral price, perhaps they’ll wise up and move back to the center, where I (and others) could rejoin it. I don’t know if that is a realistic possibility, but it’s worth a try.
https://archive.is/1QKKK
INSIGHT
Iran diplomacy wobbles as factions compete to avoid looking soft on US15 hours ago
Apparent divisions over negotiations with the United States may have strengthened the most confrontational elementswithin Iran’s political landscape and facilitated the rise of new hardline actors.
Backed by the more uncompromising faction within the senior ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps(IRGC), these emerging hardliners have been testing their ability to disrupt talks that already face significant obstacles.
Within the IRGC itself, commanders appear to be split into at least two camps. One faction, associated with IRGC Commander Ahmad Vahidi and Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, is widely described by Iranian observers as favoring continuation of the conflict.
The opposing faction aligns more closely with former IRGC Air Force commander and current Majles Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He is believed to retain influence within the IRGC’s aerospace branch and to maintain ties to the household of Iran’s slain leader Ali Khamenei, including his son Mojtaba.
Despite their rivalry, both factions share a core objective: ensuring the survival of the Islamic Republic. Their disagreement lies in the methods and strategic direction needed to achieve that goal.
Similar infighting existed before the latest war and under Ali Khamenei, but the absence of a figure with comparable authority appears to have widened the field to rival forces.
Among civilian political actors, many have attempted to distance themselves from the ultraconservative Paydari Party, which hasbeen the loudest anti-American voicein Tehran for some time. Yet their ideological and personal links to Paydari figures remain evident.
Even Ghalibaf, now seen by many as the de facto leader of Iran’s “pragmatic” camp, has referred to these actors as a radical militia. He has also hinted at their connections to Paydari-aligned figures such as former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and hardline lawmaker Amir Hossein Sabeti, both of whom journalists in Tehranaccuse of enticing anti-talks rallies.
Over the weekend, an X account identifying itself as “Fans of Saeed Jalili” sharply criticized Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, accusing them of falsely suggesting that their more moderate positions toward Washington had been endorsed by Mojtaba Khamenei.
The account demanded that Mojtaba appear publicly—or at least release an audio or video message—to clarify his political intentions. The post was deleted within an hour, and Jalili later distanced himself from its content, though he did not deny links to the account.
Ghalibaf has also criticized calls to continue the war, referring to the large crowds of mostly young Iranianswho have taken to the streets nightly to demand renewed attacks on the United States and Israel.
In an unprecedented televised address on Sunday,he told the nation that Iran “controls the battlefield,” but acknowledged that “the US and Israeli militaries are far strongerand more experienced than Iran’s.”
Meanwhile, several members of parliament—including Ali Khezrian, Hamid Rasai and Morteza Mahmoudi—have beenreported to be encouraging efforts to unseat Ghalibaf as speakerand to push for the impeachment of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
Whether these pro-war factions are strong enough to derail the Islamabad talks remains uncertain. The deeper issue is that while Ali Khamenei often managed factional rivalries to maintain control, the emerging leadership—what President Trump has referred to as the “new regime in Iran”—has yet to demonstrate the same ability to balance competing force.
Under Khamenei, domestic politics remained a relatively contained arena in which rival factions competed but ultimately operated within boundaries he enforced.
The new leadership now faces a far more volatile environment: major military powers are directly engaged in the region, and the Middle East remains perched on a geopolitical powder keg.
(https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604207385
They should divide the country and give a piece to their own beliefs and then put walls between all of them. Its good to they don’t even like each other. Taking out Khamenei showed what a mess the country is and has been for decades.
BREAKING NEWS
53 minutes ago
Vance's Pakistan departure unclear as White House holds more meetings - CNN
It was unclear on Tuesday when Vice President JD Vance would leave Washington for Pakistan as theWhite House planned further meetings in Washington to discuss the way forward on Iran talks, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions.
“Additional policy meetings are taking place at the White House in which the Vice President will participate,” CNN quoted a White House official saying.
CNN said Vance had been expected to depart for Islamabad on Tuesday morning.
A key question remained whether an Iranian delegation would also attend, the report added.
59 minutes ago
Pentagon seeks $30 billion for missile interceptors after Iran war - AP
The Pentagon wants to spend more than $30 billion tobuy critical munitions, including missile interceptors, after stockpiles were depleted during the Iran war, the Associated Press reported on Tuesday, citing US military officials.
The supplies under the most strainare Patriot air defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, interceptors, the report said.
The $30 billion budget item would also fund long-range Precision Strike Missiles and Mid-Range Capability missile systems used by the US Army, the report added.
1 hour ago
EU to widen Iran sanctions over freedom of navigation breaches, Kallas says
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday that EU ministers had reached agreement towiden sanctions on Iran to include breaches of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Kallas added that she had asked foreign affairs ministers at their meeting in Luxembourg to bolster the EU's naval mission in the Middle East, which is currently protecting ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.
1 hour ago
US forces turned back 28 vessels since Iran port blockade began, CENTCOM says
US forces have directed 28 vessels to turn around or return to port since the start of the US blockade against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, US Central Command said in a post on X.
1 hour ago
Pakistan says Iran has until early Wednesday to respond before truce expires
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said on Tuesdaythat the Iran-US ceasefire will end at 4:50 a.m. PST on April 22, adding that Iran’s decision on whether to attend talks in Islamabad before then is critical. (Does Iran think the U.S. will be trapped with this rude demonstration?)
“Pakistan has made sincere efforts to convince the Iranian leadership to participate in the second round of talks and these efforts continue,” Tarar added in a post on X.
2 hours ago
BREAKING NEWS
Pakistan says still awaiting Iran confirmation for Islamabad peace talks
Pakistan’s information minister said on Tuesday that Pakistan is still awaiting formal confirmation from Iran on whether it will send a delegation to peace talks with the United States in Islamabad.
The minister added that Pakistan, as mediator,is in constant touch with the Iranians and is pursuing the path of diplomacy and dialogue.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202604194357
No Iran delegation sent to US talks yet as truce expiry nears
AFP21 Apr 2026
Iran said Tuesday it has not yet sent a delegation for new peace talks with the United States,as the temporary ceasefire which paused the Middle East war was set to expire.
Iran and the US have accused each other of breaching the two-week truce that is set to end by Wednesday, as uncertainty grows over a push to stop the war from resuming.
During initial talks in Pakistan earlier this month,the highest-level discussions between the foes since the founding of the Islamic republic in 1979, analysts pointed to the seniority of the delegations as an indicator of a willingness to strike a deal.
But those talks collapsed without an agreement, with Iran since closing the Strait of Hormuz again and US President Donald Trump announcing a blockade of Iranian ports.
“So far, no delegation from Iran has departed for Islamabad, Pakistan; whether it is the main or subsidiary delegation; primary or secondary,” Iranian state TV said, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise.
Trump has accused Iran of firing on ships in the crucial trade route it has choked, while Tehran says the US blockade and seizure of a ship violated the ceasefire deal.
Iranian officials say they feel the Trump administration has not acted in good faith in negotiationsand refused to back down from what it called excessive demands.
Its parliament speaker said thecountry would not accept talks “under the shadow of threats” from the US leader and would “show new cards on the battlefield” if conflict resumed.
Butresidents in the Iraniancapital who spoke to Paris-based AFP journalistssay life has only got worse, squeezed by the government and the war’s impact.
“This cursed ceasefire has broken us. There is no light at the end of the tunnel,” said Saghar, 39.
“The situation is terrible. I don’t know anyone around me who is doing well.”
‘Bombs start’
The truce theoretically ends overnight Tuesday, though in comments to Bloomberg, Trump said the end was a day later,on Wednesday evening Washington time and it would be “highly unlikely” he would extend the truce.
Trump told PBS Newsthat Iran was “supposed to be there” at the talks in Pakistan.
“We agreed to be there,” he said, warning that if the ceasefire expired “then lots of bombs start going off”.
He said theUS blockade of Iran’s ports would not end until there was a deal, in which Washington is pressing for Iranian concessions on its contested nuclear programme.
Experts said Iran’s signalling was part of a bid to put pressure on Washington, with its leadership wary of signing a deal after US strikes last year in the middle of diplomatic efforts.
“The current standoff between the United States and Iran is no longer a clash of capabilitiesbut rather a struggle of political endurance and bargaining leverage,” Daniel Byman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in a commentary.
Trump said he was not under any time pressure despite the ceasefire deadline.
“I read the Fake News saying that I am under ‘pressure’ to make a Deal. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I am under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all happen, relatively quickly!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Despite the ongoing brinkmanship, oil prices fell on Tuesday while stocks rose on lingering hopes for a deal to end the conflict.
In Islamabad, heavily armed police and soldiers on Tuesday secured the city’s government quarter, which was virtually shut down.
That included the Serena hotel, which hosted the last round of negotiations and where guests had been asked to vacate the premises in recent days.
The rest of the city also saw a beefed up police presence, with offices, businesses and schools braced for shutdown orders.
Some schools and universities had already moved their students to distance learning for the week, and city authorities have banned the entry of trucks and other heavy vehicles.
New Lebanon talks
A separate 10-day ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanon was announced on Friday and included Hezbollah, whose rocket fire in support of Iran drew Lebanon into the war.
Israel and Lebanon, which have no diplomatic relations, will hold a second round of talks in Washington on Thursday, a State Department official told AFP.
Sporadic violence has continued and Israel’s military warned civilians against returning to dozens of villages in southern Lebanon, claiming Hezbollah’s activities were violating the truce.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 2,387 people since the start of the war, a Lebanese government body said in its latest toll.
https://www.breitbart.com/news/no-iran-delegation-sent-to-us-talks-yet-as-truce-expiry-nears/
UK moves to ban smoking for everyone born after 2008
Mark Hallam with open source material
2 hours ago
A draft law in the UK to create a "smoke-free generation" by banning smoking for anybody born after 2008 has cleared both Houses of Parliament. Only the king's signature remains for it to become law.
Technically, the law will raise the legal smoking age by one year every year starting on January 1, 2027, meaning those born after 2008 will never reach the legal age.
Children who do not reach the age of 18 before January 1, 2027 will never be permitted to buy cigarettes or tobacco products in the UK, once a new law that has now completely cleared parliament gets royal assent from King Charles III.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill cleared its final parliamentary hurdle on Monday, when the House of Lords signed off on the last minor amendments to a bill in the pipeline since 2024, early in the current Labour government's tenure.
Only one other country, the Maldives, currently has a similar "generational smoking ban" in place.
The very first country to do so, New Zealand, swiftly overturned the law following a change in government in 2023.
What are the new rules for smoking and vaping and where will they apply?
The rules will apply in all four of the UK's constituent countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. They were developed in conjunction with the devolved parliaments in Belfast, Cardiff and Edinburgh.
A selection of the core changes and provisions follow:
• Technically, the new law will raise the legal age requirement in the UK for buying cigarettes, cigars or tobacco, which is currently 18, by one year in every subsequent year, starting on January 1, 2027
• This will effectively mean that people born on or after January 1, 2009 will never be eligible to buy them
Retailers will face financial penalties for selling the products to those not entitled to them
• The government will also be empowered to impose a new registration system for smoking and vaping products entering the country, seeking to improve oversight
• The bill will expand the UK's indoor smoking ban to a series of outdoor public spaces, for instance in children's playgrounds, outside schools and hospitals
• Most indoor spaces that are designated smoke-free will become vape-free as well
• Smoking in designated areas outside pubs and bars and other hospitality settings will remain permissible
• Smoking and vaping will remain legal in people's homes
• Vaping will become illegal in cars if someone under the age of 18 is inside, to match existing rules on smoking
• Advertising for smoking and vaping products will be banned
• People aged 18 or older will remain eligible to purchase vaping products, but some items targeted at younger consumers like disposable vapes have already been outlawed as part of the program…
https://www.dw.com/en/uk-moves-to-ban-smoking-for-everyone-born-after-2008/a-76884561
(==Good Luck policing it!)
‘It might be won by the end of the week’: Greg Kelly on U.S. actions in Iran
‘It might be won by the end of the week’: Greg Kelly on U.S. actions in Iran
4:41
https://youtu.be/wu1cGVzTwTE
Brad Todd
@BradOnMessage
How do you rig an election? You rig the question. Look at this ballot asking Virginians to flip a 6D-5R congressional map to 10D-1R, breaking up every region of the Commonwealth. Yet the ballot says “to restore fairness.” Rigged.
VOTE NO.
6:56 AM · Apr 21, 2026
·
337K
Views
https://x.com/BradOnMessage/status/2046543606794567746?s=20
Eric Daugherty
@EricLDaugh
OMG. Trump Fed Chair Nominee Kevin Warsh is TOYING with Elizabeth Warren
WARREN: Name one aspect of Trump's economic agenda you disagree with.
WARSH:He said I'm 'out of central casting.' I'd look older, greyer and show up with a cigar of sorts.
Clapping
WARREN: Quite ADORABLE!
This dude is awesome.
10:53 AM · Apr 21, 2026
·
547.5K
Views
Did X turn off the volume if someone watching has not signed up to X? There’s quite a few videos that sounds is turned off!
https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2046603251563237686?s=20
>>24523450. He’s got a dry sense of humor and Warren has none
CSPAN
@cspan
.@alexanderburns on Kamala Harris: "What was her message on health care?"
Mark Cuban (@mcuban): "Don't remember. Don't care. Those days are gone."
Burns: "Would you like to see her run for president again?"
Cuban: "No…There's time for a lot of new shit right now."
(Funny many think the same on Mark Cuban. They are irrelevant and have always been that way.)
1:24 PM · Apr 21, 2026
·
85.9K
Views
https://x.com/cspan/status/2046641289454620747?s=20
(How does one convert a TruthSocial video to play here?)
Citizen Free Press
@CitizenFreePress
Dan Bongino:
"The hit on Kash Patel is going to make a lot of sense very soon. There's a reason the media and Democrats want him out now."
citizenfreepress.com/
Dan Bongino:
"The hit on Kash Patel is going to make a lot of sense very soon. There's a reason the media and Democrats want him out now."
4/21/26, 3:26 PM
Dan Bongino:
"The hit on Kash Patel is going to make a lot of sense very soon. There's a reason the media and Democrats want him out now."
http://citizenfreepress.com/
Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigns minutes before hearing on whether she should be expelled
The Ethics Committee was considering recommending that the House expel Florida's Cherfilus-McCormick over allegations, which she has denied, that she stole federal funds.
April 21, 2026, 2:38 PM EDT
By Scott Wong and Kyle Stewart
WASHINGTON —
Embattled Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla., resigned on Tuesday, moments before the House Ethics Committee was set to consider whether to recommend she be expelled from Congress.
Last month,the Ethics panel found her guilty of 25 ethics violations related to allegations she stole federal relief funds and used some of the money to fund her political campaign. Her criminal trial is expected to begin in February 2027, and she complained that it was a "dangerous path" for the Ethics panel to weigh her expulsion before her day in court.
She has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.
"I will not stand by and pretend that this has been anything other than a witch hunt. I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished," Cherfilus-McCormick said of the Ethics process in a statement posted on X.
"Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away so that I can devote my time to fighting for my neighbors in Florida's 20th district. I hereby resign from the 119th Congress, effective immediately."
Tuesday’s stunning development marked the third resignation in the past week. Two other House lawmakers — Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas — resigned ahead of potential votes to expel them from Congress over allegations of sexual misconduct.
(Congress always has been a soap opera, it’s proven. Tell me why the leaders in control do not call the police for multiple crimes in the House. The leaders shouldn’t determine if they are guilty or not, why do they let them off?)
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/democratic-rep-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick-resigns-ethics-probe-rcna341199
Top Sunni cleric urges ‘fair agreement’ to save Iran amid war risks
4 hours ago
Iran's top Sunni cleric Molavi Abdolhamid said on Tuesdaythat a “fair agreement” was the only way out of the current deadlock, warning that Iran’s skies were under enemy control and infrastructure was at risk of destruction.
“The country’s skies are under enemy control, infrastructure is exposed to destruction,and the armed forces do not have the necessary tools for air defense,” Abdolhamid said in a post on X.
“In this deadlock, the only path to salvation is a ‘fair agreement,’” he added.
“The hardliners who today stubbornly stand in the way, what answer will they have tomorrow before God and this oppressed nation for the destruction of the homeland?” Abdolhamid said.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604215279
Senator draws criticism over post on Iran-linked ships bypassing US blockade
3 hours ago
Listen to this article
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy faced criticism on Tuesday after posting a one-word response to a report claiming 26 ships linked to Iran had made it past a US blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
“Awesome,” Murphy wrote on X in response to the post, prompting backlash from Trump allies and conservative commentators who said he was applauding Iran.
Sean Parnell, assistant to the secretary of war for public affairs, rejected the original report Murphy had responded to and criticized the senator’s comment.
“First of all this is false,” Parnell wrote. “Second, a Dem senator cheering on the number one state sponsor of terror is shameful.”
The Trump War Room account accused Murphy of rooting against the US military, whileMike Davis, founder of the conservative Article III Project, called for the Senate to censure him.
Murphy later said the post had been sarcastic and was aimed at President Donald Trump’s handling of the conflict.
“Ok Twitter, I can’t believe I need to clarify this but obviously Trump’s bungled mismanagement of this war is not ‘awesome’,” Murphy wrote.
“My tweet was something called ‘sarcasm’,” he added.
Murphy has been a frequent Democratic critic of Trump’s foreign policy, including his approach toward Iran.
(Murphy is stupid! Now he has brought an investigation from the FBI and other agencies whether he is working for Iran. That’s how brilliant democrats are.)
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604214276
The future has been switched off here
4 hours ago Tehran Insider
I am online again after 51 days. It is difficult to describe what things feel like here in Tehran. Bad is not quite the word. Weird, perhaps. Unreal.
The question on most minds is this: how did we get here? And where are we going?
In about ten months we have lived through a huge protest, a deadly crackdown and two wars. Both, from where most of us stand, utterly futile.
Leaders in Washington and Tel Aviv may declare victory. The rulers in Tehran—whoever truly holds power right now—will say they have been vindicated. Exiled opposition figures urge people inside Iran to fight again.
But people here are exhausted.
Completely spent, at least for now.
The economic shock is already visible.
Layoffs are spreading and prices keep rising. Inflation has reached the point where people joke that of course the shops are full of basic goods because no one can afford to buy them.
It is still unclear how badly steel plants and petrochemical facilities have been damaged in US-Israeli strikes. But these so-called “mother industries” sit at the heart of Iran’s economy. If they falter, the disruption will soon ripple everywhere.
Meanwhile diplomats and besuited Revolutionary Guards commanders haggle over uranium enrichment and the fate of the Strait of Hormuz, supposedly on our behalf, but without ever asking whether we are willing to pay the price for these grand strategies.
Even the language we once used to describe life here has begun to feel worn out. Talking about the “struggle for subsistence” sounds almost hackneyed now.
Last year I wrote that when people in Iran speak about the future they usually mean tomorrow, or perhaps next week at best.
Now even that horizon has shrunk.
The future, psychologically, has been shut down as a coping mechanism. People do not want to imagine more bombs. And they want even less to imagine the Islamic Republic surviving all this—perhaps harsher and more unified after two rounds of war.
President Trump says Iran’s capabilities have been “obliterated.”From where we stand, the only thing truly obliterated is morale. He says “regime change” is complete. Here, we have not even seen it begin.
The authorities and their supporters appear firmly in control of the streets.
Night after night they stage loud displays of celebration—part rally, part carnival—proclaiming victory and, implicitly, daring anyone who disagrees to come outside.
Even if a grand bargain emerges somewhere between capitals and diplomats, ordinary people here are not on anyone’s agenda.
I have no figures, but I suspect fewer than one in a thousand people currently has any meaningful internet access. And even that connection is so slow that voice messages barely work.
Almost no one outside seems to notice how isolated we have become. Soon, they say, even text messages will be capped. The country is being sealed off, one piece of red tape at a time.
And still life goes on. People go to work—the lucky ones. People eat, drive, hang out.But when you look into their eyes, there is often very little soul behind them.
That does not mean things will never improve. They might. But we have stopped hoping.
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604215404
8 hours ago
US says it boarded sanctioned stateless tanker in Indo-Pacific
US forces conducted a maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned tanker M/T Tifani overnight without incident in the Indo-Pacific, the Department of War said on Tuesday.
The department said in a post on X that the operation was a right-of-visit boarding and formed part of wider maritime enforcement efforts against illicit networks providing material support to Iran.
“As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit networks and interdict sanctioned vessels providing material support to Iran—anywhere they operate,” the post said.
“International waters are not a refuge for sanctioned vessels. The Department of War will continue to deny illicit actors and their vessels freedom of maneuver in the maritime domain.”
Overnight, U.S. forces conducted a right-of-visit, maritime interdiction and boarding of the stateless sanctioned M/T Tifani without incident in the INDOPACOM area of responsibility.⁰⁰As we have made clear, we will pursue global maritime enforcement efforts to disrupt illicit… pic.twitter.com/EGwDe3dBI3
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) April 21, 2026
https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202604194357