News From Around the Web
#1 Trump Has a Blunt Message on Gas Prices for the Rest of 2026 - Hillary Remy for The Street, Quasar, Clash Report, Bryan Knows Best, Dayle Winston Brand, Governor Gavin Newsom/NewsWire, and WLNS on X
For weeks, the White House said the surge in gas prices was temporary. On April 13, the president changed that message. Speaking by phone on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures, Trump was asked directly whether oil and gas prices would be lower before the November midterm elections. “I hope so. I mean, I think so. It could be, it could be. Or the same. Or maybe a little bit higher. But it should be around the same, I think this won’t be that much longer,” he said, according to Newsweek. The comments came hours after Iran peace talks in Islamabad collapsed, and Trump announced a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. That is a striking admission. It means the administration is no longer promising relief at the pump before the November midterm elections...
#2 Youtuber Nick Shirley Slams California Bill, Claims It Would Stop Videos Exposing Fraud - Titus Wu for New York Post, Elon Musk/Nick Shirley (community note), Nancy Pelosi Stock Tracker, @ChicagoRay1, Eric Daugherty, and Max Bonilla on X
Conservative influencer and YouTuber Nick Shirley called out a proposed California bill on Monday that he argued would “criminalize investigative journalism,” including his viral efforts to expose fraud in the state. “The enemy truly is within,” Shirley said. “When our politicians would rather protect fraudsters and illegal migrants, it’s time for us to stand up or face mass oppression from the traitors who ‘rule’ over us,” he said. The legislation, which one Republican lawmaker dubbed the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” is aimed at boosting privacy for immigrant services providers. Authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D), the measure would outlaw sharing the photo or personal data of a provider on the internet for harassment or violent purposes...
#3 Macron Under Fire Over Iran, Hezbollah Policy as Trump Admin Hosts Israel-Lebanon Talks - Benjamin Weinthal for Fox News, John Neumeier, SG News, Salazar.eth, Lahav Harkov, and Daily Breeze on X
France’s President Emmanuel Macron is facing renewed criticism for his lack of support for President Donald Trump’s war against Iran and demands to include Lebanon in the current ceasefire as historic talks between Israel and Lebanon are set to begin Tuesday. The historic meeting brokered by President Trump between Lebanon, a former French mandate, and Israel will take place at the ambassador level as hopes for an agreement evolve — most noticeably without French involvement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to host both nations' ambassadors...
#4 Another Billion-Dollar Company Is Leaving California - Kasia Pawlowska for SFGate, Dennis Jackson, Eric Daugherty, Kyle Becker, MilitaryLife1999 and New York Post on X
One of the biggest homebuilders in the country announced plans to move its headquarters out of California last week. KB Home, which employs over 2,300 people and is valued at around $3.7 billion, according to Forbes, said it will leave Los Angeles and relocate to Tempe, Arizona, in spring 2027. In a news release, the building giant cited a more “business-friendly operating environment” in Arizona and that the departure from California would “lower the company’s cost structure over time.”#5 One of the Most Prominent Investors in the Trump Family’s Crypto Company Is Now Criticizing It - Rob Wile for NBC News, Klaatu Barada Nikto, CryptoTopic, Peter Girnus (community note), 𝙇𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝕏, and Blockster/Halcyon_Defy on X
Justin Sun, among the largest investors in the Trump family’s primary crypto company, claims the company is misleading investors. It’s the most prominent instance yet of a crypto insider aligned with President Donald Trump calling out his family’s crypto dealings, which Democrats have said benefit from the president’s authority. Sunday on X, Sun, a billionaire who is among the most recognizable figures in the crypto industry, accused the Trump group, World Liberty Financial, of setting up a system that grants company officials unilateral power over user accounts. That includes the ability to freeze them...#6 The Quiet Kill: How Assisted Suicide Became a Growth Industry - Tracy Beanz and Michelle Edwards for The HighWire, UncoverDC, Juno News, The Canberra Declaration, Happiness, and Deb on X
In Canada, and increasingly in the United States, must now reckon with as Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) quietly expands its reach across North America. The numbers tell the story. Canada has led the charge in normalizing assisted dying, and the trajectory is alarming. According to advocate Amanda Achtman, who works with Canadian Physicians for Life, 1 in 20 deaths in Canada is now the result of MAID — a statistic that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. Vancouver Island, she notes, has been dubbed “the euthanasia capital of the world.” And Canada, which has seen an increase in organ donation alongside its MAID program, is not stopping there. The country is scheduled to expand MAID eligibility to individuals whose sole qualifying condition is a mental illness — set to take effect in 2027, barring successful legal challenges...
#7 Texas Attorney General Probes Lululemon Over Potential ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Its Activewear - Reuters, Isabella Maria DeLuca/Attorney General Ken Paxton, Cooking with Chris, Dallas Texas TV, Leading Report, and zerohedge on X
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into athleisure brand Lululemon (LULU.O), opens new tab over the potential presence of "forever chemicals" in its activewear, he said on Monday in a post on social-media platform X. The probe will examine whether Lululemon's athletic apparel contains PFAS, which the brand's health-conscious customers would not expect based on its marketing, Paxton said. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of widely used materials called "forever chemicals" because they do not break down easily in nature. "Lululemon does not use PFAS in its products," a company spokesperson said, adding it phased out the substance in fiscal 2023, after limited use in durable water repellent products...
#8 TMZ Is Officially in DC—Wait, What? - Tristan Espinoza for The Washingtonian, Merlin Capital, Anna/Gina Milan, Matthew Foldi, King Taurus/TMZ/Zara Rahim,
Earlier this morning, TMZ—the tabloid empire known for its aggressively unfiltered paparazzi videos and ability to turn even the most minor celebrity mishap into national news—posted a brief announcement: “HEY EVERYONE, WE’RE HERE!!! TMZDC Staff Starts Today!!!” Yes, that TMZ. In DC. Consisting of three producers—Jakson Buhaj, Jacob Wasserman, and Charlie Cotton—TMZDC is, according to its own announcement, “on the hunt for good stories” as it sets up a new outpost on Capitol Hill. Which raises an immediate question: in a journalist-saturated city where ego, ambition, and a ravenous hunger for the national spotlight are hardly in short supply, what can TMZ do that Politico and company can’t?#9 Why Congress Is Fighting Over a Central Tool of American Surveillance FISA - Eric McDaniel for npr, Real America's Voice (RAV), The truth is out there/Thomas Massie, Anna Paulina Luna/Dr. E.C. Nook, Meredith Lee Hill, Justin Amash, and Rishi Dev Arya on X
A key tool of the U.S. spy community will expire this month without action from Congress. The government says the intel gathered through the provision — Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA 702 — underpins a majority of the articles in the president's daily intelligence briefing and is a key asset in the fight against international counterterrorism and trafficking. But a number of lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, are concerned that FISA 702 allows for the federal government to spy on the communications of American citizens without a warrant, violating their constitutional right to privacy...
#10 Doordasher Joins Trump for White House Press Event After Delivering McDonald’s -Kathryn Watson for CBS News, ruth allum/Aaron Rupar/J. Magennis, /Rodney/The White House/Baddies + More!/Requiem for Pablo, ᶜᵒᵐᵐᵉⁿᵗᵃʳʸ Pastor Bob Joyce, Clay Travis (community note)/Mary/Flu Like Symptoms...Mahomes, and Riles23/Rep. David Kustoff
In a televised moment on Monday, President Trump welcomed DoorDash delivery driver Sharon Simmons to the White House, and they both spoke to the media as she dropped off a food order from McDonald's. The president invited Simmons to talk to the press about tax breaks on tips, but also put her on the spot with questions about whom she voted for and whether she thinks "men should play in women's sports." Simmons, who told reporters she'd never delivered to the White House before, said the "no tax on tips" policy has helped her financially at a time when her husband is fighting cancer. Simmons said the "no tax on tips" policy, which allows workers to keep more of their tips, netted her $11,000 more than she would have earned otherwise. Simmons agreed with the president that the tax benefit is "very special."
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Coffee Shop Says Other Cafes Can ‘Steal’ Its Bestselling Latte Recipe. Hundreds of Them Have - Joseph Lamour for Today
A Midwest coffee shop is sharing the recipe for its most popular latte ... with other coffee shops. Little Joy Coffee in Northfield, Minnesota, posted a video on social media that sparked a movement for independent coffee shops worldwide, and it all started with a Raspberry Danish Latte.“Let’s see if this thing’s worth 8 bucks,” says Serena Walker, Little Joy’s manager and social media host, in the March 13 video. It’s part of the cafe’s “DIY or Buy” series, which assesses whether a drink should be made at home or purchased in a shop...
