- Friday April 25th, 2025
- "It Is Not A Question of Who Is Right Or Wrong But What Is Right Or Wrong That Counts."
- --Geoff Metcalf
- Providing an on line Triage of the news since 1998
My son has narrated the last book I wrote.Please consider listening to it and encouraging others to do so too.(Click HERE)
World & Nation
Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan arrested by FBI for allegedly helping violent illegal immigrant evade ICE in her courtroom
A veteran Wisconsin judge was arrested Friday for allegedly helping a
Mexican illegal migrant evade ICE agents in her courtroom, the head of
the FBI announced.
Judge Hannah Dugan, who has been on the Milwaukee County bench for
nearly a decade, was nabbed on an obstruction charge after she was
accused of interfering in Eduardo Flores Ruiz’s arrest last week.
“We believe Judge Dugan intentionally misdirected federal agents away
from the subject to be arrested in her courthouse, Eduardo Flores Ruiz,
allowing the subject — an illegal alien — to evade arrest,” FBI
Director Kash Patel said in an X post.
“Thankfully our agents chased down the perp on foot and he’s been in
custody since, but the Judge’s obstruction created increased danger to
the public.”
High-ranking Russian military general blown up in car explosion in Moscow amid rising tensions over peace deal talks
A senior Russian military general was killed Friday in a fiery car explosion in Moscow.
Yaroslav Moskalik, deputy head of the main operations directorate of
the Russian armed forces, died when the vehicle blew up in the town of
Balashikha, Russian media reported.
The bomb had been planted in a parked car and was detonated remotely as
the officer, who lived nearby, walked past, law enforcement sources
said.
Authorities haven’t officially confirmed any details of the incident,
which comes a day after Russia launched its deadliest attack on Ukraine
in almost a year.
Trump Would Back Congressional Stock Trading Ban
President Donald Trump said in an interview published Friday that he
would "absolutely" sign a ban on congressional stock trading into law
if such legislation reached his desk.
"Well, I watched [former House Speaker] Nancy Pelosi [D-Calif.] get
rich through insider information, and I would be OK with it. If they
send that to me, I would do it," Trump told Time magazine in an
interview about his second term’s first 100 days.
When asked if he would sign such a bill, Trump replied, "Absolutely."
Trump says China's Xi called him amid ongoing confusion over trade talks
President Donald Trump claims Chinese
President Xi Jinping has called him amid growing confusion over
US-China tariff negotiation
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that
he has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping "many times" but did not
say if any of those communications took place since he imposed stiff
tariffs on the communist nation.
Asked for details about those communications, Trump responded by saying "I’ll let you know at the appropriate time."
Trump’s latest comments, which took place before he boarded Marine One
to travel to Rome for Pope Francis’ funeral, come after days of back
and forth between the countries over whether they are in direct talks
about reducing the tariffs – and whether Trump and Xi have spoken
directly to one another since the tariffs were rolled out.
Huge Crowds Pack Vatican Ahead of Pope's Funeral
The Vatican was making final preparations Friday for Pope Francis's
funeral as the last of the huge crowds of mourners filed through St.
Peter's Basilica to view his open coffin.
Over 128,000 people have already paid their last respects to Francis,
whose coffin will be closed at 8:00 pm in a ceremony attended by senior
cardinals.
Many of the 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs attending Saturday's
ceremony in St. Peter's Square, including President Donald Trump and
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, are expected to arrive later
Friday in Rome.
Poll: 64% of Americans Unhappy With Trump Tariffs
An ABC/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Friday puts the number of
American respondents unhappy with the tariff strategy of President
Donald Trump at 64%.
The breakdown between respondents who identify as Democrat, Republican,
or Independent shows a big divide. Seventy-four percent of Republicans
polled are pleased with the President's approach to trade strategy and
tariffs, with only 25% opposed.
Meanwhile, Democrats are solidly against Trump's actions, with 96% of
those polled saying they don't like the approach. Only 30% of the
Independents involved in the poll approve of Trump's actions, with 68%
showing in the disapproval column.
Delaware Losing $14 Billion Affirm Holdings
Another major e-commerce player is departing from Delaware as corporations pack up and find a new domicile for their businesses.
Affirm Holdings Inc., a publicly held American technology firm with a
market cap of about $14 billion, is preparing a move to either Nevada
or Texas, reports GuruFocus.
Affirm, founded in 2012 by PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, handles
financial services for merchants and shoppers. The company is
headquartered in San Francisco but seeking shareholder approval to move
its corporate domicile from Delaware.
Rubio: Iran Must Give Up Nuclear Enrichment in Any Deal With US
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview released Wednesday
that Iran must give up all nuclear enrichment if it wants to make a
deal during talks with the Trump administration and head off the threat
of armed conflict.
Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian energy use and says it
does not seek to make weapons-grade uranium to build atomic bombs.
“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like
many other countries can have one, and that is they import enriched
material,” Rubio said in a podcast interview with journalist Bari Weiss.
Documents Show Differences Over US Peace Drive for Ukraine
Ukrainian and European officials pushed back this week against some
U.S. proposals on how to end Russia's war in Ukraine, making
counterproposals on issues from territory to sanctions, according to
the full texts of the proposals seen by Reuters.
The sets of proposals from talks between U.S., European and Ukrainian
officials in Paris on April 17 and in London on April 23 laid bare the
inner workings of the shuttle diplomacy under way as President Donald
Trump seeks a quick end to the war.
The primary areas of difference in the two texts are over the
sequencing for resolving questions over territory, the lifting of
sanctions on Russia, security guarantees and the size of Ukraine's
military.
Marco Rubio’s State Department ‘coup’ humiliated a gullible media
Rumours of a major State Department reorganisation have been
circulating for weeks. Paranoia has been rampant, with leaks and staff
panic in online chats, culminating in last Friday’s Politico article:
“‘Bonkers crazypants’: American diplomats shaken by reports of possible
cuts”. It discussed a “purported order” that called for “slashing state
department offices and bureaus”.
The first Trump administration was hobbled by leaks and opposition from
career employees fighting a rear-guard action of delay, obfuscation,
and (sometimes) feigned incompetence. The second Trump administration
isn’t perfect on that score, but it’s certainly learned a lot.
Political appointees keep their cards close to their chest and leaks
are sometimes strategic rather than inadvertent. This keeps outside
observers guessing as to whether they are watching 3D chess or
tic-tac-toe.
In the movie Air Force One, the presidential plane had the ability to
spew forth “chaff”, or a cloud of particles to throw off incoming
missiles. Back when Britain had a significant navy, its vessels used to
“make smoke” by burning oil, to obscure themselves from pursuing planes
or ships.
Sometimes the Trump team throws up chaff in the form of leaked plans
that are so outrageous that they coalesce the Left-wing opposition in
outrage, after which the real plan is released to confused disarray. If
a pick for a job is unpopular or apparently unqualified, it attracts a
media brouhaha that clears the decks for the real pick, who might be
controversial but will eventually be confirmed.
My university fired me over my views. Now it’s paying the price
The university demoted, then fired me for saying children aren't mature enough to make gender decisions
It’s amazing how fast your life can change.
Like many professionals, I’ve spent most of my life honing my skills —
through study, practice and experience — to become the best I can
possibly be at what I do. After decades of such dedicated medical and
academic effort, the University of Louisville hired me to lead its
Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology.
Then, in 2017, after almost 15 years of richly rewarding service in
that role — and generous recognition by university officials of what
I’d accomplished — an odd, disappointing and terrible thing happened.
The school that had for so long celebrated my hard-earned expertise
abruptly demoted me — for that same expertise. Then, in 2019, it fired
me. Here’s how that happened.
