Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Thursday, April 23, 2026

When does shoplifting become an act of political protest? The Opinion culture editor Nadja Spiegelman is calling this microlooting, and it describes the phenomenon of people stealing small things from big corporations like Whole Foods. The New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino and the political commentator Hasan Piker join Spiegelman for a lively discussion on what's behind this trend and where it might lead. Read more


Administration officials on Wednesday softened their predictions of an end to the Iran war and its turbulent effects on energy prices.


President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan has invited Pope Leo XIV on an ICE ride-along amid the religious leader's criticism of the administration's deportation efforts.

D/FBI Kashyap Pramod Vinod Patel Closed Down This Investigation


Here's to another year around the sun for everyone's favorite "I'm just asking questions," Jeff "Askhole" J.


The Justice Department's internal watchdog is launching an investigation into the DOJ's production of files and documents related to Jeffrey Epstein as controversy continues over the handling of the case of the convicted sex offender. Read more


The Trump family's World Liberty Financial crypto venture is being sued by one of its billionaire backers over allegations of extortion. Justin Sun has accused World Liberty of an "illegal scheme" to seize his WLFI tokens, a cryptocurrency issued by the company. Sun alleges the firm, co-founded by US President Donald Trump and his son Eric Trump, has "frozen" all of his tokens and stripped him of his right to vote on governance issues.

Link


This week, the Carney government trumpeted its "historic" plan to develop a "sovereign space launch" capability that would allow Canada to launch satellites without relying on American help. Read more


Trump's portrayal of himself as Jesus, or anointed by Jesus, is typical of cult leaders.

Chris Hedges Apr 20, 2026


Clock ticking on president's ability to wage war without congressional approval, limited to 60 days by 1973 legislation


Rep. Tom Kean Jr. represents New Jersey's most competitive district this November " but nobody, even his GOP colleagues, can say where he's been for the past month. A scion of one of the state's most storied political dynasties, Kean's team says the two-term congressmember is facing unspecified health issues. The New Jersey Republican hasn't voted since March 5 and has missed almost 50 roll call votes. The other two Republicans in the New Jersey delegation, Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, said they have called and texted Kean out of concern for his health. But so far, neither said they have heard from him. Van Drew said it's been "radio silence."


Election law attorney Marc Elias dubbed Turley "Mike Lindell with tenure," which is funny, but always seemed a tad unfair. Turley's takes oscillate between ragebait cynicism and comical dullardry. Even his most conspiratorial takes " like swallowing hook, line, and sinker the wingnut theories about Hunter Biden's laptop " carried a faux intellectual energy, that separated him from the frothing conspiracy theory vibe that the MyPillow guy brings to everything. But that tenuous grip on reality seems to be slipping, as the professor delivers his contrarian love letter to the recently deposed Viktor Orban. Sure, Orban had ties to Putin and a reputation for "authoritarianism and corruption," Turley concedes, but the Hungarian prime minister formed the last firewall against "global governance," a term Turley invokes with all the tin foil, black helicopter baggage you'd expect from Alex Jones, not a GW Law professor.


Hospitals in Mississippi " already strained under the costs of caring for a high rate of patients without health insurance and with low-reimbursement plans, such as Medicaid " are expected to lose $1 billion over the course of the next decade as a result of President Donald Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill signed into law in July. To complicate matters further, federal enhanced premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act Marketplace insurance expired late last year. That happened after Congress did not extend them, making health care less affordable for hundreds of thousands of Mississippians.


Close to half of the children in the United States"more than 33 million kids"live in counties with dangerously high levels of toxic air pollution, according to the American Lung Association's annual air quality report out Wednesday. Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the ALA, said at a time when the federal government should be strengthening air quality standards, President Donald Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) "is doing the opposite," despite Trump's campaign promise to deliver "the cleanest air." "In the last year, EPA has weakened enforcement and rolled back rules that would have protected kids from power plant and vehicle pollution," said Wimmer. "Children need clean air to grow and play, and communities need clean air to thrive. Leaders at every level must act to improve and protect America's air quality."


Wednesday, April 22, 2026

US Naval Secretary John Phelan has been fired. Phelan, who has no military experience, was appointed to the position by Trump in 2025 following a career as a private equity CEO and Republican fundraiser.


An IDF soldier wracked with unimaginable guilt and suffering from PTSD after being deployed into the Gaza Strip:

  • "I was sitting there in the command room. Suddenly, the soldiers on watch noticed five Palestinians crossing the line they weren't allowed to cross, heading for northern Gaza. Everybody went crazy. There was a big mess. The battalion commander gave an order to overwhelm them with fire, even though they hadn't been confirmed as armed or anything like that. A tank started shooting at them with its machine gun. Hundreds of bullets."
    Meanwhile other Israelis celebrate the mass murder of Palestinians


    The Trump administration is in advanced talks for a financing package for Spirit Airlines as the carrier is facing the risk of a liquidation, according to people familiar with the matter.

    The deal could include $500 million in financing from the government, which could provide a path to give the government an equity stake in the carrier, said the people, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks. The senior financing would put the government ahead of other stakeholders in the airline, one of the people said.

    The iconic discounter Spirit has been challenged for years by rising costs, changing consumer tastes, an engine recall and a court-blocked plan to be acquired by JetBlue Airways two years ago.


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