Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Rep. Nancy Mace introduces measure to expel fellow Republican Cory Mills

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Rep. Nancy Mace introduces measure to expel fellow Republican Cory Mills

Mills, who is being investigated in connection with allegations including sexual and financial misconduct, has denied wrongdoing.

Fired former British official says he felt political pressure to approve Epstein friend as U.S. ambassador

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Fired former British official says he felt political pressure to approve Epstein friend as U.S. ambassador

Britain's prime minister is facing calls to resign over the appointment of a scandal-tainted former politician and friend of Jeffrey Epstein.

Los Angeles becomes the first major school district to require screen time limits

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Los Angeles becomes the first major school district to require screen time limits

The resolution followed pressure from parents who said their children developed unhealthy habits after schools required them to use iPads and laptops every day.

Rep. Cory Mills says he won't resign from Congress amid ethics probe into misconduct allegations

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Rep. Cory Mills says he won't resign from Congress amid ethics probe into misconduct allegations

Mills, who is facing a potential expulsion vote, said he won't follow in the footsteps of three House colleagues who resigned over various allegations of misconduct in recent days.

US war with Iran hints at limits of 'Make Europe Great Again' project, analysts say

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US war with Iran hints at limits of 'Make Europe Great Again' project, analysts say

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

I'm Glad Trump has extended the Ceasefire indefinitely. Why?

Because though thousands to millions might die of starvation from the mistakes he has already made (along with Netanyahu) maybe no more will die of Bombs and missiles and Drones?

Anyway, I think blowing up all the electrical generation plants in Iran makes the U.S. look like a total idiot nation sort of like what Putin looks like already allowing 30,000 to 35,000 of his soldiers to be blown up by UKrainian small drones every month now!  Zelensky says it costs Ukraine about $1000 for every Russian Soldiers death.

By the way, if Trump landed our soldiers on Iran this is likely how many American Soldiers would die (30,000 to 35,000 a month) from Iranian small drones or "Flying Hand grenade Suicide Drones!

So, not bombing Iran or sending our soldiers into die for no reason at all I think is a very good idea!

Don't You? 

Sometimes I think Constant Adaptations is the Key to immortality

Which might be the opposite of  "stop the world! I want to get off!"

Because often this means physical death (but it also could just mean Psychological death instead) 

when I was 21 to 25 and to some degree 18 to 25 I thought I was going to have to physically die to get anywhere useful to me in life.

Then I learned you only need to "Die to self" not physically die.

Tibetan Lamas say: "You need to Empty your cup to fill it with something more new and useful to you!"

However, actually doing this is much harder (and also strangely easier) than one might expect.

But, many people see their personalities as solid and when you do this you don't allow for the thousands of other people you might be or know.

So, often this is why people often die young. Because they equate their present personalities as a permanent one when it is not. (usually).

So, for me, learning to die to self and to create a person I actually wanted to be during my 20s where I could actually be happy in life started with my studies of Philosophy and Psychology.

Once I started to read "Psychology Today" I realized I didn't have to self destruct. I just had to give up 90% of my programming as a human being.

This was logical to me as I was already a computer programmer of COBOL and Fortran. So, reprogramming myself into someone I actually wanted to be was both logical and beautiful once I figured out how to actually do this.

By God's Grace 

In rare interviews, George W. Bush hails the First Amendment and Obama says America doesn't have 'kings'

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In rare interviews, George W. Bush hails the First Amendment and Obama says America doesn't have 'kings'

NBC News interviewed the four living former presidents about their message to Americans ahead of the politically divided country's 250th anniversary this summer.

Tucker Carlson apologizes for 'misleading' people on Trump: 'We're implicated in this for sure'

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Tucker Carlson apologizes for 'misleading' people on Trump: 'We're implicated in this for sure'

The former Fox News host, once a prominent supporter of the president, has been vocally opposed to how the president has handled Iran.

 

The Marshall plan in Japan was called: "Occupation and Reconstruction of Japan, 1945–52"

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Kennan and Containment, 1947 · Marshall Plan, 1948 · The Berlin Airlift, 1948–1949 · Creation of Israel, 1948 · The Arab-Israeli War of 1948 · North Atlantic ...
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... Plan" (所得倍増計画). The plan called for doubling the size of Japan's economy in ten years through a combination of tax breaks, targeted investment, an ...


"You Don't Win a War with Bombs, you win a war with Diplomacy": Basic Military strategy 101

Even with Japan in World War II we didn't win the war with Atomic Bombs, we won the war with Diplomacy instead. Then the Marshall plan rebuilt Japan after the war.

In Germany Hitler either killed himself or went to South America like many other Nazi's also did. I'm not sure if anyone really knows for sure to this day. Then the Marshal Plan helped rebuild much of Europe too.

I was wrong about the Marshall plan also being in Japan. I will have to research what that was called too:

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The Marshall Plan, or European Recovery Program (ERP), was a 1948 U.S.-sponsored initiative that provided over $13 billion (approx. $150 billion in today's dollars) to rebuild Western Europe, foster economic growth, and prevent the spread of Soviet influence. Signed into law by President Harry Truman on April 3, 1948, the plan was essential in boosting European industrialization, stabilizing economies, and promoting transatlantic cooperation.
Key Aspects of the Marshall Plan
  • Purpose: Officially aimed to restore war-torn Europe's economy, eliminate poverty, and prevent the expansion of communism, particularly in countries with strong communist parties like France and Italy.
  • Significance: It was a strategic economic investment that solidified Western Europe as a key ally to the United States.
  • Scope: Sixteen nations were involved in the plan, including Britain, France, West Germany, Italy, and others, spanning 1948 to 1951.
  • Results: The plan is largely considered a success, bringing stability to Europe and fueling the economic growth that led to the European Union.

Legacy and Impact
  • Aid Type: Rather than just cash, aid often included raw materials, food, and fuel shipments.
  • Soviet Reaction: The Soviet Union viewed the plan as a form of American economic dominance and rejected the aid, forcing its Eastern European satellites to do the same.
  • Long-Term Impact: The Marshall Plan helped create a stable and democratic Europe, setting the stage for decades of prosperity.

For further reading, you can find the original, historical documents for the plan at the National Archives.
  • Marshall Plan, 1948
    The plan's effects included: * **Extensive investment into the region** * **Establishing markets for American goods** * **Economic...
    Office of the Historian (.gov)

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Dive deeper in AI Mode
The Marshall Plan was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred $13.3 billion to 17 ...
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AI Overview
The correct answer is ✅ The Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states.
While the Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program) was nominally offered to all European nations, the Soviet Union rejected the aid and pressured its satellite nations to do the same.
  • 5/12/97 Fact Sheet: The Marshall Plan - state.gov
    This recovery set the stage for Europe's remarkable economic growth in the following years. The architects of the Marshall Plan co...
    U.S. Department of State (.gov)
  • Celebrating the Anniversary of the Marshall Plan: A Legacy Remembered
    The Marshall Plan, also known as the Economic Cooperation Act, was signed into law by President Harry Truman on April 3, 1948. The...
    U.S. Department of State (.gov)
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    Trump extends ceasefire in Iran indefinitely: Full Article

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    Trump extends ceasefire in Iran indefinitely

     

    Trump extends ceasefire with Iran indefinitely, until "discussions are concluded"

    Washington — President Trump is extending the ceasefire in the war with Iran until talks between the U.S. and Iran are "concluded," he announced Tuesday, despite previously saying he wouldn't extend the deadline.

    The president said he is granting the ceasefire extension at Pakistan's request, and blamed Iran's "seriously fractured" government for the delay. He said he is giving Iranian officials more time to "come up with a unified proposal."

    "I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other," the president posted on Truth Social Tuesday afternoon.

    Iran has not publicly reacted to the president's extension.

    The two-week ceasefire was originally set to expire Tuesday night, but Mr. Trump has said in recent days it would end Wednesday evening. Mr. Trump said previously that he wasn't inclined to extend that deadline, and that the U.S.'s bombing campaign against Iran would resume upon the ceasefire's conclusion. 

    Asked on CNBC Tuesday morning whether he would allow the ceasefire to continue if talks are going well, the president said, "I don't want to do that. We don't have that much time." 

    "Well, I expect to be bombing, because I think that's a better attitude to go in with," he told CNBC. "But we're ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go."

    The U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire two weeks ago, pausing hostilities and buying the two sides more time to negotiate. 

    Senior-level talks stalled after an initial meeting with U.S. and Iranian representatives in Islamabad, dashing hopes for further in-depth negotiations. After the first round of talks, Mr. Trump accused Iran of refusing to reach a deal on its nuclear program that the U.S. president views as acceptable.

    Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, with Iran blocking ships from transiting the Strait of Hormuz while the U.S. blockades Iranian ports. 

    On Monday, the president said Vice President JD Vance, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were on their way to Islamabad, although that wasn't the case. A White House official said a senior U.S. delegation "plans to travel to Islamabad soon." But by the president's announcement of a ceasefire extension Tuesday, Vance was still in Washington. 

     

     

     

    Virginia voters approve new congressional map favoring Democrats, CBS News projects

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    Virginia voters approve new congressional map favoring Democrats, CBS News projects

    Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a new congressional map that would give Democrats an advantage in 10 House districts, leaving just one safe Republican seat, CBS News projects. 

    The new map could help Democrats pick up as many as four House seats, marking a major blow for Republicans in a nationwide redistricting battle ahead of this year's midterm elections.

    The closely contested referendum had been pitched by Democrats as a way to counter President Trump's push for GOP states to redraw their congressional maps to benefit Republicans, led by Texas, which made five of its Democratic districts GOP-leaning. 

    A similar ballot question spearheaded by California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom sailed through last year, moving five GOP-held districts leftward and potentially canceling out Texas' gambit. Missouri and North Carolina followed by redrawing their maps to edge out Democrats in one seat apiece. But measures in Indiana and Maryland did not make it through state legislatures.

    While state legislatures can redraw congressional maps in some states, Virginia voters in 2020 approved a constitutional amendment that created a bipartisan commission to draw their state's map. Tuesday's referendum set aside the current maps drawn up by the commission, replacing them with maps that were drawn by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly. The previous system will be put back in place after the 2030 census. 

    National Democrats had pushed the Virginia referendum as a national battle against Republicans' redistricting efforts, and hoped to capitalize on Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger's 15-point victory and other gains in November.

    In a statement celebrating Tuesday's results, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said: "While many expected Democrats to roll over and play dead, we did the opposite."

    The Democratic National Committee said that "Virginians refused to let Trump play games with Americans' right to fair representation."

    Republicans, meanwhile, pointed to the race's tight margins, with the pro-redistricting side on track to win by low single digits. In a statement, Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, who chairs the House GOP's campaign arm, called the redistricting bid an "egregious power grab" and said the close result "reinforces that Virginia is a purple state that shouldn't be represented by a severe partisan gerrymander."

    The new districts spread out the growing Democratic stronghold in northern Virginia, Richmond and Virginia Beach. Many voters in more rural parts of the state had said the new map disenfranchises them. 

    virginia-redistricting-maps3.jpg
    Maps show current Virginia congressional districts and the proposed redistricting. CBS News

    Democrats dispatched some of their most high-profile surrogates, including former President Barack Obama and his Attorney General Eric Holder, the chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Although that committee had been focused on creating bipartisan commissions to redraw congressional maps, Holder had advocated for the Democratic gerrymander in Virginia.

    He told "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on Sunday that "we need to deal with the crisis that we have right now, come up with a way in which we deal with that crisis, and then get back to the redistricting commissions in California and in Virginia."

    Mr. Trump also weighed in. Despite his previous pushes for gerrymanders in GOP-controlled Texas, Indiana, Missouri and North Carolina, on Monday, he urged Virginia voters to reject the new map. 

    But Mr. Trump himself is facing low approval ratings, and Virginia remains especially hard-hit by the Trump administration's federal job cuts and soaring energy prices. 

    Nearly $100 million has been poured into the race already, with 95% of that money donated coming from dark money groups. Virginians for Fair Elections, a group supporting the referendum, has donated $64 million, while an anti-redistricting group Virginians for Fair Maps has poured in nearly $20 million, according to data from the Virginia Public Access Project.

    Lawsuits from GOP officials challenging the Virginia referendum are still pending in state court, though the Virginia Supreme Court allowed the referendum to go forward while those legal challenges are considered. In his statement on Tuesday's results, Hudson urged the courts to "uphold Virginia law."

    With Election Day less than seven months away and primaries and filing deadlines already passed, it's unlikely many other states will take up redistricting again before 2026, although the Florida legislature is set to convene next week in a special session on the matter. 

    The Supreme Court heard arguments in the fall in Louisiana v. Callais, which could weaken Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which has been used to ensure minority voters have the opportunity to elect their preferred candidates. The Supreme Court has not issued an opinion in that case yet, but the ruling could result in new congressional maps in several states.