https://drudge.com/user/LampLighter New links and comments. en-us http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Wordzilla/0.58 10 https://drudge.com/news/291907/fema-said-answered-phone-during https://www.politico.com/news/2026/05/07/fema-said-answered-the-phone-during-texas-floods-most-callers-didnt-get-through-00909339 The agency's top official told lawmakers that the "vast majority" of calls were answered. New data indicates most people couldn't get through. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:yf6hctt2ug3qyfty4in64yob/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlbexfi7iz2l" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreigqs4rilzhw46ax5ggoql252irbhrfdgsqhgqjlhcp52kuq2id2v4" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">FEMA said it answered the phone during the Texas floods. Most callers didn't get through.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yf6hctt2ug3qyfty4in64yob/post/3mlbexfi7iz2l?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Politico (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yf6hctt2ug3qyfty4in64yob?ref_src=embed">@politico.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yf6hctt2ug3qyfty4in64yob/post/3mlbexfi7iz2l?ref_src=embed">May 7, 2026 at 10:02 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Fri, 08 May 2026 10:32:37 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291907/fema-said-answered-phone-during#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291907 news, 0.5 daily 291907 https://drudge.com/news/291911/official-boasts-credit-card-spending https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money/trump-credit-card-spending-b2971738.html A senior Trump official has boasted that Americans' credit card spending is "through the roof" as millions across the country grapple with soaring costs of living including high gas prices, a slow job market and inflation. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml6s3s3pod2c" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreig334qcwtz5f3cmonissqg4u6uu4xwegkfmzammvm6falxjifpwlm" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">Hassett on American consumers: &quot;Credit card spending is through the roof. They&#x27;re spending more on gasoline, but they&#x27;re spending more on everything else too.&quot;<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3ml6s3s3pod2c?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Aaron Rupar (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed">@atrupar.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3ml6s3s3pod2c?ref_src=embed">May 6, 2026 at 9:19 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Thu, 07 May 2026 23:33:33 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291911/official-boasts-credit-card-spending#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291911 news, 0.5 daily 291911 https://drudge.com/news/291910/nk-dials-down-hostility-toward-seoul https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/05/07/North-Korea-dial-down-hostility-revised-constitution-NIS/8241778138050/ North Korea has significantly tamped down its hostility toward South Korea in its recently revised constitution, while maintaining leader Kim Jong-un's stance on treating the Koreas as two states, Seoul's spy agency said Thursday. Thu, 07 May 2026 17:01:20 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291910/nk-dials-down-hostility-toward-seoul#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291910 discussion, 0.5 daily 291910 https://drudge.com/news/291909/europe-and-now-asia-confidence-us https://www.csmonitor.com/Perspectives/Essays/2026/0506/Xi-Jinping-Trump-Iran-war-summit OpEd: Thousands of miles from the Persian Gulf, economic and political shrapnel from the Iran war has left longtime American allies nervous about the staying power and stability of their partnerships with the United States. Thu, 07 May 2026 15:49:54 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291909/europe-and-now-asia-confidence-us#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291909 discussion, 0.5 daily 291909 https://drudge.com/news/291868/reporter-hegseth-did-president https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5864147-newsmax-reporter-hegseth-press-briefing-trump-iran-war/ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared annoyed Tuesday after a reporter asked him when President Trump decided to capitulate on his initial demands for Iran to surrender unconditionally. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:t6ubj2wlhc34awzcymh3qpur/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml5ft3xh4k2z" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiedcdwvdjqaybjtxhdlozbcc45hd5iaiwmkwvzvk3y2bcxbgysv5a" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">Over a year ago Trump told Zelensky he didn't have any cards & couldn't last much longer against Putin. This year Trump told us he has all the cards against Iran so they were going to unconditionally surrender in 4-6 weeks. But Zelensky is still fighting. And Trump is folding.</p> -- Ron Filipkowski (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:t6ubj2wlhc34awzcymh3qpur?ref_src=embed">@ronfilipkowski.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:t6ubj2wlhc34awzcymh3qpur/post/3ml5ft3xh4k2z?ref_src=embed">May 5, 2026 at 8:07 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Wed, 06 May 2026 17:30:43 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291868/reporter-hegseth-did-president#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291868 news, 0.5 daily 291868 https://drudge.com/news/291867/alberta-canada-separatist-group-we-have https://apnews.com/article/alberta-separation-canada-referendum-e93c247ccc2e5f0340a5490d88ab0da2 Alberta separatists said Monday they have formally submitted almost 302,000 signatures to try to trigger a referendum on the province leaving Canada. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:a67zdrt4nl2tv2qojpngogbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2yd6ibmd2n" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreieqttcdsbqbmq7h22qi5sfjaqsubkskck6lc4lhlkj6kytucrujmq" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">Alberta separatists have submitted nearly 302,000 signatures to trigger a referendum on leaving Canada. The group needed 178,000 signatures to force the province to consider the vote.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:a67zdrt4nl2tv2qojpngogbq/post/3ml2yd6ibmd2n?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- The Associated Press (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:a67zdrt4nl2tv2qojpngogbq?ref_src=embed">@apnews.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:a67zdrt4nl2tv2qojpngogbq/post/3ml2yd6ibmd2n?ref_src=embed">May 4, 2026 at 9:00 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Wed, 06 May 2026 14:31:03 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291867/alberta-canada-separatist-group-we-have#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291867 news, 0.5 daily 291867 https://drudge.com/news/291865/ai-podcasts-now-comprise-over-third-new https://www.extremetech.com/internet/aigenerated-podcasts-now-comprise-over-a-third-of-new-shows This makes it harder for shows produced by actual humans to stand out on "new" or "trending" lists. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:w5dk6pygx5sdrslc5vo56h75/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml4wsk7qi22m" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiegdkjiopxom7mweyovdgdft7ezmekx6iz2bkjwh7q2cvpiwmlatq" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">Almost 40% of newly published podcasts are now AI-generated in what the podcast industry is calling podslop www.bloomberg.com/news/newslet ... <br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:w5dk6pygx5sdrslc5vo56h75/post/3ml4wsk7qi22m?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Catalin Cimpanu (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:w5dk6pygx5sdrslc5vo56h75?ref_src=embed">@campuscodi.risky.biz</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:w5dk6pygx5sdrslc5vo56h75/post/3ml4wsk7qi22m?ref_src=embed">May 5, 2026 at 3:38 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Wed, 06 May 2026 10:33:38 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291865/ai-podcasts-now-comprise-over-third-new#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291865 news, 0.5 daily 291865 https://drudge.com/news/291862/greenland-ice-melt-has-surged-and-scientists https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/05/260504023852.htm Greenland's ice sheet is now melting in ways never seen before, with extreme events becoming more frequent, widespread, and intense. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:6uybbvnd3pfjh5oztjngzdss/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh3e3sktfg2y" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiflsw7zi6llkantspsvojre3tmkk7q43hda6xvw57kx2tog4e2vdm" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">Researchers will also trial a prototype 'Early Warning System' for glacier change in Greenland, as ice melt continues to accelerate.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6uybbvnd3pfjh5oztjngzdss/post/3mh3e3sktfg2y?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Euronews (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6uybbvnd3pfjh5oztjngzdss?ref_src=embed">@euronews.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:6uybbvnd3pfjh5oztjngzdss/post/3mh3e3sktfg2y?ref_src=embed">Mar 15, 2026 at 2:50 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Wed, 06 May 2026 07:33:53 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291862/greenland-ice-melt-has-surged-and-scientists#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291862 news, 0.5 daily 291862 https://drudge.com/news/291852/doj-official-represent-bondi-epstein https://courthousenews.com/democrats-cry-foul-over-doj-official-representing-bondi-in-epstein-interview/ Lawmakers said the Justice Department has indicated Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon -- a candidate to replace Pam Bondi as attorney general -- will represent her in a transcribed interview later this month, raising ethical concerns. Tue, 05 May 2026 23:30:37 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291852/doj-official-represent-bondi-epstein#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291852 news, 0.5 daily 291852 https://drudge.com/news/291841/hegseths-intellectual-purge-insult https://www.justsecurity.org/137831/hegseth-dod-harvard-mit-georgetown-carnegie/ OpEd: When Secretary Pete Hegseth announced in February that the Defense Department would sever ties with Harvard University, he framed the move as an act of ideological hygiene. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:mcxwgi6ytwp72kzqmujcixep/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkzpfcjruc2w" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiapf44c4uiabyg5s633zzpoouzbnlundfixn6ypmmult7x5pqdt24" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">I cannot recommend this essay highly enough. For those concerned about civil-military relations, higher education opportunities for military officers and more. Hegseth's Intellectual Purge is an Insult to His Officer Corps www.justsecurity.org/137831/hegse ... <br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mcxwgi6ytwp72kzqmujcixep/post/3mkzpfcjruc2w?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Ryan Goodman (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mcxwgi6ytwp72kzqmujcixep?ref_src=embed">@rgoodlaw.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:mcxwgi6ytwp72kzqmujcixep/post/3mkzpfcjruc2w?ref_src=embed">May 4, 2026 at 8:47 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Tue, 05 May 2026 21:32:40 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291841/hegseths-intellectual-purge-insult#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291841 news, 0.5 daily 291841 https://drudge.com/news/291801/us-falls-below-ukraine-press-freedom https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/04/us-falls-below-ukraine-in-press-freedom-as-global-autocracy-takes-hold/ Reporters Without Borders (or RSF, to use the initialism for its French name, Reporters Sans Fronti&Atilde;&uml;res) today released the 2026 version of its venerable World Press Freedom Index ... <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:ddc4e2e5gie5qzys5dnr36s3/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkxa664nyl2m" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreibl24jykoxfskphim3xe2ykljxt4v6z4vt4eqhupnpuiu6ds4c2ea" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">The United States can't lead the world in defending press freedom on World Press Freedom Day when it's actively dismantling it at home.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ddc4e2e5gie5qzys5dnr36s3/post/3mkxa664nyl2m?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Freedom of the Press Foundation (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ddc4e2e5gie5qzys5dnr36s3?ref_src=embed">@freedom.press</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ddc4e2e5gie5qzys5dnr36s3/post/3mkxa664nyl2m?ref_src=embed">May 3, 2026 at 9:10 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sun, 03 May 2026 19:30:11 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291801/us-falls-below-ukraine-press-freedom#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291801 news, 0.5 daily 291801 https://drudge.com/news/291799/iran-standoff-could-leave-trump-worse-off https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/iran-standoff-could-leave-trump-worse-off-than-before-he-went-war-2026-05-02/ More than two months into a conflict that has failed to deliver a decisive military or diplomatic win, President Donald Trump faces the risk that a standoff with Iran will drag on indefinitely and leave an even bigger problem ... <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/app.bsky.feed.post/3mktuv2gbqk2m" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiezpxly4xinnk5vnytpzh6fxnmmkln3s55wf5npuc6kw3uobecoby" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">Iran standoff could leave Trump worse off than before he went to war reut.rs/4cKzXsj<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/post/3mktuv2gbqk2m?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Reuters (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r?ref_src=embed">@reuters.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/post/3mktuv2gbqk2m?ref_src=embed">May 2, 2026 at 1:10 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sun, 03 May 2026 18:30:20 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291799/iran-standoff-could-leave-trump-worse-off#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291799 news, 0.5 daily 291799 https://drudge.com/news/291802/worlds-largest-container-carrier-plans https://theedgemalaysia.com/node/802111 The world's largest container carrier plans a new service linking Europe with isolated Middle East ports, using trucking across Saudi Arabia and smaller vessels in the Persian Gulf instead of transiting the blocked Strait of Hormuz. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:yosojsta3nm5qiod5zqixzur/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkukh366j32l" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiet3aeipwjfwovggkhoao2im24i544bz66oqgeurneehp63vulusq" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">Bill McKibben on the solar energy boom: "Sunlight has to travel 93 million miles to reach the Earth, but none of those miles go through the Strait of Hormuz.&quot; <br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yosojsta3nm5qiod5zqixzur/post/3mkukh366j32l?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Democracy Now! (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yosojsta3nm5qiod5zqixzur?ref_src=embed">@democracynow.org</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:yosojsta3nm5qiod5zqixzur/post/3mkukh366j32l?ref_src=embed">May 2, 2026 at 7:36 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sun, 03 May 2026 17:33:56 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291802/worlds-largest-container-carrier-plans#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291802 news, 0.5 daily 291802 https://drudge.com/news/291816/yemen-introduced-world-coffee https://apnews.com/article/yemen-coffee-cafes-taste-spices-war-72b5d2fdec7375cf476a6881810d8ce6 Hundreds of years ago, Yemen helped introduce the world to coffee. Lately, the mountainous, war-ravaged country that borders Saudi Arabia and Oman is exporting something else: its coffee culture. Yemeni coffeehouses are opening at a rapid pace across the U.S. Sun, 03 May 2026 14:51:16 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291816/yemen-introduced-world-coffee#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291816 discussion, 0.5 daily 291816 https://drudge.com/news/291776/heres-list-individuals-targeted https://abcnews.com/US/list-individuals-including-lisa-cook-targeted-trump-administration/story?id=124968309 The Justice Department's second attempt to indict former FBI Director James Comey is the latest salvo in what critics call a campaign of retribution on the part of the Trump administration since Donald Trump returned to the presidency in 2025. Administration officials have insisted that any such actions are, as Vice President JD Vance said, "driven by law and not by politics." But they come after Trump vowed during his presidential campaign that he would seek retribution if reelected. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpkmjfa422w" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiddnxr2qzi63h6yizkdyuqlcfmtrw652ejvbxzsrrntcvzp2tnmki" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">New in PN: The dumbest week in DOJ history &quot;You're forgiven if the comically thin Comey indictment overshadowed the absolute embarrassment of Monday&#x27;s DOJ filing -- the one where government attorneys apparently just let Trump write a Truth Social rant about his ballroom and sent it to the court.&quot;<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mkpkmjfa422w?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Aaron Rupar (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc?ref_src=embed">@atrupar.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:4llrhdclvdlmmynkwsmg5tdc/post/3mkpkmjfa422w?ref_src=embed">Apr 30, 2026 at 7:55 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sun, 03 May 2026 12:32:36 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291776/heres-list-individuals-targeted#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291776 news, 0.5 daily 291776