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/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 https://drudge.com/news/291807/millions-see-higher-student-loan-payments https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2026/0502/trump-student-loan-debt Kathleen Naranjo was almost eight years into paying off her portion of $50,000 in student loans when a federal appeals court last month ended one of the most affordable loan repayment plans in history. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:ornpixmpy5ts36lh7hmi7wkp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkqk7hn4h22h" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreig45z24jq5jya353hdsv7772votjbcbl5zp7x5oj3c2owk7nq5bba" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">As a Pitt fan, I&#x27;m glad to see him use his platform as Dr. Langdon to speak out. Student debt is crushing people whose only sin was advancing their education. The system is broken--and the Trump admin has made it worse by jacking up loan payments by hundreds of dollars a month.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ornpixmpy5ts36lh7hmi7wkp/post/3mkqk7hn4h22h?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Elizabeth Warren (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ornpixmpy5ts36lh7hmi7wkp?ref_src=embed">@warren.senate.gov</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ornpixmpy5ts36lh7hmi7wkp/post/3mkqk7hn4h22h?ref_src=embed">Apr 30, 2026 at 5:21 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sun, 03 May 2026 09:32:53 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291807/millions-see-higher-student-loan-payments#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291807 news, 0.5 daily 291807 https://drudge.com/news/291806/seismic-data-captured-sound-awe https://www.sciencenews.org/article/seismic-data-awe-total-solar-eclipse Seismic data have captured the tense quiet of the COVID-19 lockdowns and the thunderous excitement of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. And now, another human experience has been written in seismic signals: the shock and awe of witnessing a total solar eclipse. Sun, 03 May 2026 00:29:00 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291806/seismic-data-captured-sound-awe#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291806 discussion, 0.5 daily 291806 https://drudge.com/news/291804/weekend-music-have-fun https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiNZaTWQGGQ No specific topic or genre. Just what may be on your playlist this evening... The thread link is... Capital Cities - Safe and Sound, live at Lollapalooza Brasil 2014 Sat, 02 May 2026 21:37:27 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291804/weekend-music-have-fun#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291804 discussion, 0.5 daily 291804 https://drudge.com/news/291780/elon-musks-7-biggest-stumbles-stand https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/04/elon-musks-7-biggest-stumbles-on-the-stand-at-openai-trial/ Elon Musk seems tired and cranky. On Thursday, he took the stand for the third day in a four-week trial stemming from his lawsuit alleging that OpenAI abandoned its mission and should be blocked from taking the company public later this year. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:k5nskatzhyxersjilvtnz4lh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkv7w5ltlk2w" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreifubpbinvlzhzgg2rz67yqgkdlke2bfhmbc72mj3ajn2e4ojr6thm" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">A federal judge had stern words for Elon Musk as she prepared to open the trial in his case against OpenAI and its chief executive Sam Altman. "How can we get things done without you making things worse outside the courtroom?" she asked Musk.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:k5nskatzhyxersjilvtnz4lh/post/3mkv7w5ltlk2w?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- The Washington Post (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:k5nskatzhyxersjilvtnz4lh?ref_src=embed">@washingtonpost.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:k5nskatzhyxersjilvtnz4lh/post/3mkv7w5ltlk2w?ref_src=embed">May 2, 2026 at 2:00 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sat, 02 May 2026 21:32:20 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291780/elon-musks-7-biggest-stumbles-stand#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291780 news, 0.5 daily 291780 https://drudge.com/news/291749/man-taking-over-iran-problem https://www.newsweek.com/irans-regime-is-changing-and-the-man-taking-over-is-a-problem-for-trump-11895265 As President Donald Trump claims signs of disarray in Iran's wartime leadership, one key player appears to be accumulating sizable influence ... <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:a67zdrt4nl2tv2qojpngogbq/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkpim4iid625" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreibwzijmbrs3kmlyo2bdjtugwygqnd3wtpbgc2ibvyrrmmfpdrzrwe" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">Supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement that Iran will protect its nuclear and missile capabilities as a national asset, likely drawing a hard line as President Trump seeks a wider deal. Khamenei also insisted Americans belong "at the bottom" of the Persian Gulf.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:a67zdrt4nl2tv2qojpngogbq/post/3mkpim4iid625?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/3mkpim4iid625?ref_src=embed">Apr 30, 2026 at 7:19 AM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Fri, 01 May 2026 16:30:09 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291749/man-taking-over-iran-problem#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291749 news, 0.5 daily 291749 https://drudge.com/news/291756/less-than-half-gop-want-passport https://www.newsweek.com/less-than-half-republicans-want-passport-donald-trump-portrait-11894566 Less than half of Republicans said they would pick the passport with President Donald Trump's portrait on it, according to a new YouGov poll. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkltv43fnq2x" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiesh7qfmgpwn7joszq455ubhd2vyggjpjo2dfh2mv2l6nleeg3mnu" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">The State Department is close to finalizing a radical redesign of the U.S. passport to include a picture of President Donald Trump, The Bulwark has learned from two sources with knowledge of the redesign:<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/post/3mkltv43fnq2x?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- The Bulwark (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh?ref_src=embed">@thebulwark.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:aunpu65mdrhwfie7ynymlzeh/post/3mkltv43fnq2x?ref_src=embed">Apr 28, 2026 at 8:30 PM</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Fri, 01 May 2026 14:31:02 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291756/less-than-half-gop-want-passport#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291756 news, 0.5 daily 291756 https://drudge.com/news/291761/irans-leader-vows-protect-nuclear https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-gulf-khamenei-5cbf26dc89ce5e868e414320178f4c1b Iran's supreme leader defiantly vowed Thursday to protect the Islamic Republic's nuclear and missile capabilities, which U.S. President Donald Trump has sought to curtail through airstrikes and as part of a wider deal to cement the war's shaky ceasefire. Fri, 01 May 2026 01:57:51 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291761/irans-leader-vows-protect-nuclear#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291761 discussion, 0.5 daily 291761 https://drudge.com/news/291760/quantum-physics-can-confirm-someone https://www.sciencenews.org/article/quantum-physics-location-security An urgent call comes in from the White House. But the recipient is skeptical: They need a way to verify that the message comes from the purported location. Quantum physics has a solution. Fri, 01 May 2026 00:09:57 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291760/quantum-physics-can-confirm-someone#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291760 discussion, 0.5 daily 291760 https://drudge.com/news/291759/trump-you-have-smart-and-shape https://www.newsbreak.com/combat-rated-361333999/4620882370436-trump-says-you-have-to-be-very-smart-and-in-shape-to-be-an-astronaut-i-would-ve-had-no-trouble-making-it President Donald Trump, speaking on April 29, 2026, during a White House meeting with the Artemis crew, commented on the physical and intellectual demands of becoming an astronaut while addressing the successful space mission involving four crew members. His remarks came as he praised the astronauts' achievement and discussed the broader future of U.S. space exploration. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 22:19:18 -0400 lamplighter https://drudge.com/news/291759/trump-you-have-smart-and-shape#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291759 discussion, 0.5 daily 291759 https://drudge.com/news/291757/mayor-mamdaniking-charles-should-return https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/zohran-mamdani-king-charles-koh-i-noor-diamond/ New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said if he talks to King Charles III during his visit, he would encourage the king to give back a diamond with a long, controversial history. A jewel called the Koh-i-Noor is contained inside the Crown of Queen Elizabeth. The diamond is believed to have originated from India. It was given to Queen Victoria in 1849 as a condition of the Treaty of Lahore, which ended the first Anglo-Sikh War. Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:52:04 -0400 LampLighter https://drudge.com/news/291757/mayor-mamdaniking-charles-should-return#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.291757 discussion, 0.5 daily 291757