>Trump’s new nickname indicates people are not confident he will secure a deal with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-taco-wall-street-nacho-b2967600.html

President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth with Iran over opening the Strait of Hormuz has led to a new nickname inspired by TACO, the president’s acronym nickname for issuing and reversing threats.

“We thought we were getting a TACO, ‘Trump Always Chickens Out.’ But so far we are getting a NACHO, ‘Not A Chance Hormuz Opens,’” Bloomberg columnist Javier Blas wrote on Twitter.

The new nickname, bestowed by a financial trader, according to Blas, reflects the public’s frustration with the on-again, off-again blockade in the Strait that has disrupted global oil supply, causing gas prices to rise.

But it also indicates that some are not confident Trump can secure a deal with Iran that will alleviate tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and allow ships carrying oil to pass through.

Despite being in the middle of a ceasefire, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. has initiated a blockade of Iranian ports. Iran has offered to reopen the waterway if the U.S. concludes its blockade, but the president has refused unless Iran concedes to his demands about ending its nuclear enrichment program.

Already, peace talks between the U.S., Israel and Iran have failed once, and an attempt at a second round of negotiations fell through this past week when Trump summoned his top negotiators back to D.C.

Gas prices have gone up across the country as a result of traffic being halted in the Strait, the waterway responsible for transporting roughly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil supply. Earlier this month, the average cost of a gallon of regular gas hit $4 for the first time since August 2022.

The Independent has asked the White House for comment.

https://tech.yahoo.com/cybersecurity/articles/report-flags-40-internet-traffic-151500514.html

Automated bots now account for over half of global internet traffic, with malicious bots nearing 40%

AI‑driven bot attacks surged more than twelvefold in 2025, blurring lines between legitimate automation and abuse

A growing share of attacks target APIs, with financial services seeing nearly half of last year’s account takeovers

It’s been a few years now since automated bot activity took up most of global web traffic, but “bad bots” are taking an ever-increasing share of that cake, and with AI agents being thrown into the mix, the problem is only getting more complex.

A new report on bot activity, harvested from Thales’ Threat Research and Security Analyst Services teams over 2025 found automated activity now represents more than 53% of all internet traffic, while the remaining 47% fall on human interaction.

Bad bots, on the other hand, now take up almost 40% of all global web traffic.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-war-iran-has-cost-25-billion-so-far-says-pentagon-official-2026-04-29/
The war in Iran has cost $25 billion so far, a senior Pentagon official said on Wednesday, providing the first official estimate of the military's price tag for the conflict.
With just six months before mid-term elections in which Trump's Republicans may face an uphill battle to keep their House majority, Democrats are riding high in public opinion polls as they attempt to link the unpopular Iran war with affordability.
Jules Hurst, who is performing the duties of the comptroller, told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee that most of that money was for munitions.
Hurst did not detail what that cost estimate included and whether it took into account the projected costs of rebuilding and repairing base infrastructure in the Middle East damaged in the conflict.
Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, responded to Hurst: "I'm glad you answered that question. Because we've been asking for a hell of a long time, and no one's given us the number."
The US started carrying out strikes against Iran on Feb. 28 and the two sides are currently maintaining a fragile ceasefire. The Pentagon has poured tens of thousands of additional forces into the Middle East, including keeping three aircraft carriers in the region.
Thirteen U.S. troops have been killed in the conflict and hundreds wounded.
Disruptions in shipments of oil and natural gas since the war started have caused a run-up in U.S. gasoline prices and agricultural products such as fertilizers, on top of the long list of other high consumer prices.
Trump's popularity has taken a beating since the U.S. and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28 that has led to a surge in gasoline prices.
Just 34% of Americans approve of the U.S. conflict with Iran, down from 36% in mid-April and 38% in mid-March, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-congressional-authorization-iran-military-operation-war-powers-rcna343094
Trump told reporters he considers seeking congressional authorization under the War Powers Act "unconstitutional" and falsely claimed other presidents had not done so.

President Donald Trump on Friday sent letters to Congress explaining that, due to the ceasefire, he doesn't need its authorization for military operations in Iran, even though the conflict hit the 60-day mark this week.

"On April 7, 2026, I ordered a two-week ceasefire. The ceasefire has since been extended. There has been no exchange of fire between the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated," Trump wrote in the letters, one of which went to the House and one of which went to the Senate.

"Despite the success of United States operations against the Iranian regime and continued efforts to secure a lasting peace, the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant," the president added in the letter, promising to keep congressional leaders updated on further developments in Iran.

The letters come as congressional leaders this week faced mounting questions about whether they planned to schedule votes on a formal war authorization from Congress.

The 1973 War Powers Resolution directs the president to seek authorization for war from Congress after an ongoing military conflict hits the 60-day threshold. The law allows for a president to seek a 30-day extension if necessary to safely remove troops from the region, but Trump did not mention that in his letter.

"I have and will continue to direct United States Armed Forces consistent with my responsibilities and pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct United States foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive," the president wrote in his letter.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5pn1ngerpo
The US will release a limited number of passports that feature a portrait of US President Donald Trump, the White House has confirmed.

First reported by Fox News, the passports will be released as part of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence in July.

An administration official has confirmed to the BBC that the new designs will be available for "any American citizen" who applies for a passport when the rollout kicks off, and will continue for as long as there is availability.

The passports will also only be available at the Washington Passport Agency.

In a rendering of the passport released by the US State Department, an image of Trump is seen surrounded by the text of the Declaration of Independence and the American flag, along with the president's signature in gold.

"President Trump's new patriotic passport design provides yet another great way Americans can join in the spectacular celebrations for America's 250th birthday," a spokesperson for the White House told the BBC.

"Between the UFC250 Fight, the Great American State Fair, Freedom250 Grand Prix, and this new passport celebrating our freedom, President Trump continues to proudly lead a renewal of national pride and patriotism during our historic semiquincentennial celebration," they added.

Current US passports depict scenes from the country's history, such as the Moon landing, along with American symbols like the Statue of Liberty.

It is not clear whether US citizens will be able to opt out of the special edition.

The longest shutdown of a federal department in U.S. history came to an end on Thursday when President Trump signed a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security following a breakthrough on Capitol Hill.

The House unanimously approved a Senate-passed bill to fund most of DHS earlier in the day, with the exception of the department's immigration enforcement agencies, which have been largely unaffected by the shutdown. The chamber passed the legislation through voice vote with little fanfare, a sign that lawmakers were finally ready to put the impasse behind them.

The 76-day shutdown left many critical agencies like the Coast Guard, FEMA and the TSA struggling to maintain operations as funding ran dry. Repurposed money to pay employees was set to expire within days, increasing pressure on lawmakers to resolve the funding lapse.

The DHS shutdown
Spending authority for the department expired on Feb. 14, kicking off weeks of protracted negotiations between Republicans and Democrats that ultimately resulted in the bill that earned the House's sign-off.

>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhs-shutdown-house-vote/

https://thenewporktimes.com/article/4chan-turns-on-maga-the-internets-edgiest-forum-finds-a-new--lrcgzc

4chan’s rogue trolls ditch MAGA, branding loyalists as ‘cringe boomer NPCs’ in a savage meme betrayal.

4chan Turns on MAGA: The Internet's Edgiest Forum Finds a New Target
Image: Chad Herald

By Bob Binkman | April 29, 2026 | N’Djamena, Chad

In a shocking turn of events that has reverberated through the digital underworld and beyond, the notorious internet forum 4chan—long a bastion of chaotic memes and unfiltered edginess—has turned its razor-sharp irony against the MAGA movement, once a sacred cow in the online culture wars. From the dusty cybercafes of N’Djamena to the global halls of internet diplomacy, this betrayal is being felt as both a seismic shift in meme warfare and a potential harbinger of digital doom.

From Meme Soldiers to Mockery
Once heralded as the shadowy architects of Donald Trump’s 2016 meme-fueled ascension, 4chan users have now redirected their anarchic energy toward savaging the very movement they helped create. Threads on the infamous /pol/ board are awash with derisive images of “Boomer MAGA dads” sporting red hats, clutching AR-15s at gas stations, and ranting about “Biden’s lizard overlords.” The term “NPCs of the right” has become a viral insult, branding loyalists as mindless drones parroting outdated talking points. As one anonymous poster quipped, “MAGA went from owning the libs to owning mobility scooters—pure cringe.”

“We thought we were memeing a revolution, but now it’s just a bunch of dads whining about inflation on Truth Social. I’d rather simp for anime waifus than this boomer slop,” wrote user ‘xX_DankLord420_Xx’ in a widely upvoted thread.

Remember this thread here >>1507239 ? Remember all the simps defending Ilhan Omar's blatant fraud? Welp I've got some good news...

https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/04/27/ilhan-omars-husbands-wine-company-has-been-officially-dissolved-amid-scrutiny-1635100/

I'm not even going to post the full article. Rather I'm going to focus on this part right here:

>“The people at the address didn’t even know what we were talking about when we went out there because it never existed in that location,” independent journalist Nick Sortor told Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany. “And it’s awfully coincidental that only days after her accounting error of millions of dollars, that this entity, this wine company, ends up being dissolved.”

Another Somalian owned business pulling millions in scams that doesn't exist... It's almost like there's a pattern. I can't wait to see what excuses /news/ comes up with next!

https://www.reuters.com/world/fbi-director-kash-patel-sues-atlantic-court-records-show-2026-04-20/
April 20 (Reuters) - FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick following the publication of an article on Friday alleging the director had a drinking problem that could pose a threat to national security.
The magazine's story, initially titled “Kash Patel's Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job," cited more than two dozen anonymous sources expressing concern at Patel’s “conspicuous inebriation and unexplained absences” that “alarmed officials at the FBI and the Department of Justice.”
The article, which The Atlantic subsequently titled “The FBI Director Is MIA” in its online version, reported that during Patel’s tenure, the FBI had to reschedule early meetings “as a result of his alcohol-fueled nights” and that Patel “is often away or unreachable, delaying time-sensitive decisions needed to advance investigations.”
In The Atlantic's story, the White House, the Department of Justice and Patel denied the allegations. The article included a statement from the FBI attributed to Patel, “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court—bring your checkbook.”
“The Atlantic's story is a lie,” Patel said in an interview with Reuters. “They were given the truth before they published, and they chose to print falsehoods anyway.”
"We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit," The Atlantic said in a statement.
Reuters could not independently establish the accuracy of the article or why the publication changed the title.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/us/politics/james-comey-indictment.html

The Justice Department has secured a new indictment of James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, over a social media post, after a past indictment effort spurred by President Trump last year ended in failure, according to people familiar with the investigation.

The new case represents another twist in the department’s tortured efforts to satisfy the demands of Mr. Trump to pursue criminal charges against Mr. Comey, a longtime target of the president’s wrath.

The charge stems from an incident nearly a year ago, when Mr. Comey, vacationing on the North Carolina coast, posted a photograph on social media showing seashells arranged to say “86 47,” combining the slang term “86” often used to mean dismiss or remove in reference to Mr. Trump, the country’s 47th president.

Members of the administration, as well as Mr. Trump’s family, declared that the meaning of “86” was to kill, and that the message amounted to a threat to assassinate the president.