(2026-04-17). American farmers bet on solar. Then Trump changed the rules. grist.org 
Over the past few years, Kentucky sheep farmer Daniel Bell has been expanding his flock, and that meant he needed to build a new barn. His land is far from the power lines he'd need to heat it, so he figured rooftop solar would be ideal. | To help pay for it, he wanted to apply for a renewable-energy grant through the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Energy for America Program, or REAP — only to find that the Trump administration had effectively halted grants through the program. Bell said that made it impossible to proceed with the idea on his land. | "For me, it's just been about freedom. Freedom t…
(2026-04-17). Last route to Southern Lebanon destroyed: Israeli airstrike destroys key bridge over Litani River. hindustantimes.com Donald Trump's push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah is unravelling as fighting intensifies on the ground. The Israel Defense Forces has carried out massive strikes across southern Lebanon—including a key bridge over the Litani River—further isolating the region. Hezbollah has responded with rockets and drones targeting northern Israel, while Beirut has distanced itself from any ceasefire talks despite Washington's efforts to broker a three-way dialogue. With Benjamin Netanyahu showing no signs of backing down, diplomacy appears to be collapsing even before it begins.
(2026-04-17). Headlines for April 17, 2026. democracynow.org Israel Agrees to 10-Day Ceasefire in Lebanon After U.S.-Brokered Talks, Israelis in Tel Aviv Protest Settler Violence After High Court Lifts Wartime Ban on Gatherings, House Votes 213-214 to Reject War Powers Resolution as Trump Claims Deal with Iran Is "Very Close", Ukraine Strikes Black Sea Oil Refinery as Russian Attacks Kill 17, Progressive Democrat Analilia Mejía Wins Special Election for New Jersey House Seat, House Temporarily Extends FISA's Mass Surveillance Powers in Late-Night Vote , House Votes to Extend Deportation Protections for 330,000 Haitian Immigrants, Acting ICE Director Todd…
(2026-04-17). Report from Beirut: Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Met with "Cautious Optimism" democracynow.org 
A 10-day ceasefire has begun in Lebanon. The news is being celebrated across the country, but major questions remain over what happens next. President Trump announced the deal between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday. Hezbollah, which is not a party to the agreement, says it will observe the ceasefire. The Israeli military is occupying a large swath of southern Lebanon, about 10% of the country. Early on in the current war, the Israeli military announced the intention to create a "security zone" from the Lebanese-Israeli border all the way to the Litani River, 20 miles north of the border. | Many in the…
(2026-04-17). Trump Says He's Still Blockading Iran After It Says It's Opening Strait. truthout.org After Iran's foreign minister announced that the Strait of Hormuz is "completely open" for the remaining duration of the ceasefire, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. is still maintaining its naval blockade on Iranian ships in the region. Iran said that it is reopening the strait in response to the temporary ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon on Thursday. |
(2026-04-17). Trump dictates the terms in Lebanon and Iran, leaving Netanyahu boxed in. haaretz.com The Israeli prime minister told the security cabinet that the U.S.-facilitated cease-fire is an effort to align on the major issue — Iran. But Netanyahu can't convince the Israeli public that the war's goals were achieved, with Hezbollah not disarmed and the Iranian regime still largely intact…
(2026-04-17). Trump says Israel banned from bombing Lebanon. al-monitor.com WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States has banned Israel from further bombing in Lebanon, using an atypically harsher tone than usual with the longtime U.S. ally Israel."Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!!" Trump said in a social media post.Trump also said any deal the United States reaches with Iran "is in no way subject to Lebanon" but the U.S. will "deal with" the militant Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner.
(2026-04-17). 10-day ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon goes into effect. ecns.cn A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday local time (2100 GMT), following an earlier announcement by US President Donald Trump.
(2026-04-17). 'Trump forced Israel into a ceasefire' with Lebanon. aljazeera.com Abed Abou Shhadeh, a political commentator in Israel, says the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is 'problematic'.
(2026-04-17). Outrage as Trump disguises himself as Jesus Christ, mocks Pope. ummid.com A massive outrage erupted on Sunday April 12, 2026 — the Orthodox Easter Day, after U.S. President Donald Trump disguised himself as Jesus Christ and mocked Pope Leo XIV.
(2026-04-17). US to recover uranium from Iran, Trump tells Reuters. al-monitor.com WASHINGTON, April 17 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump told Reuters on Friday that the U.S. will work with Iran to recover its enriched uranium and bring it back to the United States."We're going to get it together. We're going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery… We'll bring it back to the United States," Trump said during a phone interview. He referred to "nuclear dust" and addedthat it would be retrieved "very soon."
(2026-04-17). As Iran Reopens Strait of Hormuz, Are U.S. & Iran Near Deal or Renewed Fighting? democracynow.org 
President Trump on Thursday repeated his claim that a deal to end the war on Iran is "very close" and that direct talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan as soon as this weekend. Despite the claims, the Pentagon is surging thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, including an additional 6,000 sailors and aviators joining the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier battle group. Around 4,200 others with the Navy and Marines are expected to arrive near the end of the month. Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, says "we might be, at some point, returning to a…
(2026-04-17). Trump announces complete blockade of Strait of Hormuz. ummid.com U.S. President Donald Trump Sunday April 12, 2026 announced complete blockade of Strait of Hormuz, hours after Pakistan mediated talks between Iran and the United States collapsed.
(2026-04-17). US army 'defeat' in Iran confirmed as Trump drops military, reveals new plan amid Hormuz failure. hindustantimes.com The U.S. intensifies its economic war against Iran as President Donald Trump pivots from military pressure to sweeping new sanctions amid the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has warned countries and financial institutions against purchasing Iranian oil, with China emerging as a key focus due to its dominant role in Tehran's export market. As the naval blockade faces scrutiny and mixed enforcement reports, Washington is now targeting Iran's "shadow fleet," banks, and global trade networks to choke off revenue streams. With tensions rising and diplomacy uncertain, the latest sancti…
(2026-04-17). Ships crossing Hormuz need IRGC OK, unfreezing of assets part of deal, Iran official says. al-monitor.com By Parisa Hafezi and Jonathan SaulDUBAI, April 17 (Reuters) – All ships can sail through the Strait of Hormuz but this needs to be coordinated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a senior Iranian official told Reuters, adding that unfreezing Iranian funds was part of the deal.Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi wrote on X that the strait was open after a ceasefire accord was agreed in Lebanon, while U.S. President Donald Trump said he believed a deal to end the Iran war would come "soon", although the timing remains unclear.
(2026-04-17). Mojtaba's reply to Trump's blockade: Shock for entire world; US war on Iran causing new crisis. hindustantimes.com Global markets are bracing for shockwaves as Iran halts petrochemical exports in retaliation to Donald Trump's naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The move—combined with strikes on key Iranian energy hubs—threatens to disrupt supply chains and push already fragile economies toward instability. With the Gulf accounting for a significant share of global petrochemical output, the suspension risks ripple effects across industries worldwide.
(2026-04-17). Trump says war in Iran be ending pretty. haaretz.com
(2026-04-17). China steps up Iran diplomacy while seeking smooth summit with Trump. tribune.com.pk 
China is accelerating its efforts to end the Iran war, walking a diplomatic tightrope as it prepares for a summit next month with US President Donald Trump while trying not to alienate Tehran. | President Xi Jinping's mid-May meeting with Trump is shaping Beijing's approach to the Middle East conflict even as the world's top crude oil importer, reliant on the Middle East for half its fuel, seeks to safeguard its energy supplies, analysts say. | China's modulated approach to the war has protected its back-channel leverage enough that Trump credited Beijing with helping to get Iran to last weekend's peace talks…
(2026-04-17). CARTOONS: latest weapons of mass. independentaustralia.net 
(2026-04-17). Rohana Kuddus: Prabowo's Year One. newleftreview.org A critical-analytical portrait of Southeast Asia's answer to Trump, as the Indonesian President—formerly the Suharto dictatorship's crown prince and chief butcher in East Timor—re-centralizes power in the archipelago, strengthening the Army's place within the civil administration.
(2026-04-17). Susan Watkins: Trump Abroad. newleftreview.org In which direction is America heading, amid the strategic cacophony of Trump's second term—counter-revolution in the Caribbean, onslaught on Iran, somersaults on China? Analysis of the political logics at stake as the US ratchets up from covert to overt assassinations; from wars of attrition to wars of overthrow.
(2026-04-17). OMB Head Russ Vought Refuses to Provide Financial Estimates on Iran War Costs. truthout.org Testifying before both houses of Congress on Wednesday, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) head Russ Vought refused to provide lawmakers with estimates of how much the war on Iran is costing the U.S. financially. Vought — one of the main proponents of Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation-backed blueprint for how President Donald Trump should run the government that was published and… |
(2026-04-17). Pentagon drafts plans for military assault on Cuba. wsws.org The Trump administration has ordered preparations for a military attack on Cuba as part of its broader campaign for hemispheric dominance.
(2026-04-17). Pentagon in panic mode? Trump pushes civilian firms to make missiles as stocks run dry amid Iran war. hindustantimes.com Is the world's "most powerful military" quietly running out of weapons? And is that what's really driving Washington's sudden shift in tone? As the Iran conflict stretches on, reports suggest the U.S. is facing a deepening munitions crunch, one that didn't begin in this war, but may be reaching a breaking point because of it. Years of supplying Ukraine, followed by sustained operations in the Middle East, have reportedly drained critical missile stockpiles. Now, the question is no longer just about battlefield strategy but industrial capacity. Why is the Pentagon reportedly reaching out to civilian giants like Fo…
(2026-04-17). In Empire We Trust — Who Gains and Who Loses in Trump's America. portside.org In Empire We Trust — Who Gains and Who Loses in Trump's America |
(2026-04-17). Bill Clinton: Is He a Lifetime Supporter of a CIA Dictatorship? indybay.org The Wikipedia article on Bill Clinton with in parenthesis what the article proves and what other sources have said, making it appear Bill Clinton is a lifetime supporter of turning America into the same dictatorship Donald Trump wants.
(2026-04-17). Trump scammed by Iran and Pakistan. onlineopinion.com.au Trump's Hormuz ultimatum was impossible for Iran to meet, making renewed US action to reopen the strait all but inevitable.
(2026-04-17). Tucker Carlson may have Turned on Israel and Trump, but he's no friend to Progressives or Muslims. juancole.com Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) — Republicans seem to have reached the Donner party stage now, cannibalizing one another, as is illustrated by
(2026-04-17). Nausicaa Renner: Party and Class. newleftreview.org Nausicaa Renner on Paul Heideman, Rogue Elephant. Hollowed-out parties and capitalist sectoralization said to underlie the Trumpian capture of the GOP.
(2026-04-17). House Judiciary Investigating Jared Kushner's Investments From Saudi Arabia. truthout.org The ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee on Friday morning announced a "sweeping" probe into alleged self-enrichment by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump who has served as a high-profile White House envoy in the Middle East while also, according to Congressman Jamie Raskin, "soliciting billions of dollars from Gulf monarchies for [his] private business… |
(2026-04-17). Is America on the Verge of a Nuclear Renaissance? wattsupwiththat.com It has been more than seven years since President Donald Trump signed the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA) into law — and it has taken all seven years (including four during the Biden Administration) for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue a final rule implementing its provisions.
(2026-04-17). This Isn't Just Trump's War on Iran. Both Parties Paved the Way for Disaster. truthout.org Unlike the invasion of Iraq, which received the support of a sizable minority of congressional Democrats, Donald Trump's war on Iran has received near-universal criticism. Still, the party has focused primarily on process-style critiques — such as the legality of declaring the war under the Constitution and the war's economic impact — rather than the humanitarian consequences and flagrant… |
(2026-04-17). Pro-Palestinian Tufts University graduate targeted by Trump administration returns to Turkey. al-monitor.com By Nate RaymondBOSTON, April 17 (Reuters) – A Tufts University graduate who had been arrested by U.S. immigration agents last year as part of the Trump administration's targeting of pro-Palestinian campus activists has returned to her home in Turkey following a settlement with the government.Lawyers for Rumeysa Ozturk announced the accord on Friday, a week after President Donald Trump's administration fired an immigration judge who had in January rejected the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's efforts to deport her.
(2026-04-17). After Trump attack, Pope Leo slams 'tyrants' spending billions on wars. geo.tv 
Pope Leo XIV arrives to hold a holy Mass for peace and justice at Bamenda airport in Bamenda, Cameroon, April 16, 2026. — ReutersBAMENDA: Pope Leo blasted leaders who spend billions on wars and said the world was "being ravaged by a handful of tyrants", in unusually forceful…
(2026-04-17). Saturday 4/25: Attack on BirthrightCitizenship:Trump,SupremeCourt &Poetry Carved Into Angel Islands Walls. indybay.org Revolution Books | 2444 Durant Ave. | Berkeley, CA…
(2026-04-17). Empire: Winners and Losers in Trump's America. juancole.com