TODAY'S NEWS, April 16-17, 2026
- Larry Schweikart
- 6 hours ago
- 6 min read
HEADLINES: The Strait is open; Gallego faces sexual assault allegations; Project Hail Mary is epic moviemaking
The News of Today is the History of Tomorrow
IN POLITICAL NEWS
1) This is about as self-explanatory of a graphic on how the entire world has been reshaped as anything you could see. The red arrows are tankers headed for the U.S. Gulf, all re-routed from the Strait of Hormuz.
2) Meanwhile, if anyone wonders "who's winning," Iran has shut down all petrochemical exports. To paraphrase Gloria Steinham, America needs Iran like a fish needs a bicycle. Iran is cracking like a walnut. Then, boom-shaka-laka, just like that, both Iran and Trump declared the Strait "completely open." That would be after all of those little red arrows have loaded with 'Merican oil and headed back out. Classic.
3) President Trump may go to Poke-eeee-sthan to sign an Iranian peace deal. As Jeff Childers quipped in his "Coffee & Covid," there have been two times in the past an American president has gone to Poke-eeee-sthan: a) never and b) maybe once, briefly, with the motorcade running, to pick up a carpet order.
4) A former DemoKKKrat Lt. Governor of VA killed his wife then himself. Of course he did. And, as I predicted the other day, Senator El Pollo Gallego is the next to be hit with sexual misconduct charges. I'd guess 80% of these people are either subject to sex charges, blackmail, or are clearly on the take from Big Somethingorother.
5) Once again, taxpayers stuck with Rutabaga's bill, as a pro-life dad whose home was raided by Rutabaga's evil DoJ won $1m in a suit. Course, that's not all that much. Better to see Merrick Garland have to sit in a pile of fire ants.
6) The Amazing Moron Zohran wants to spend $30 million that New Kabul doesn't have on city-owned grocery stores, even though it is shown that there would be no price reductions on many items and that they won't be ready for five years, by which time New Kabul will have the credit rating of Angola. Oh, and instead of spending $30 million, New Kabul could have bought these 10 existing grocery stores for $20 million. But that would be too easy. Nor is Trump playing games, pulling $73 million from New Kabul until it enforces the citizens-only-drivers-license mandate.
7) So far up to five million children have been enrolled in Trump's tax deferred investment accounts.
8) This is a weird story that may not be a story---or may be. Over the past several months nine scientists or researchers connected to nuclear and high-level programs have gone missing. Now, kind of, a 10th, as a NM property manager to a high security campus has gone missing.
IN CULTURAL NEWS
IN TRANSOID NEWS
11) There is no bottom to the vile hell that is Kollyfornia as it is now providing sex-change operations to homeless illegals.
IN ECONOMIC NEWS
12) The Philly Feds manufacturing index as 2.5 TIMES higher than expected. The Trump economy is about to achieve liftoff. Empire Surven also came in higher than expected. Manufacturing jobs have increased, too.
13) Meanwhile, the S&P and the NASDAQ both hit record highs. So much for "Trump's Iran policies will kill the economy." Latest reports on inflation are blow "expectations." Those damned "expectations" are wrong more than a drunk picking ponies at Pimlico.
14) Social media giant SNAP lays off 1,000, embraces AI.
16) Thanks to President Trump and the BBB, our tax refunds are 11% higher this year, and Americans (like me) are using it to pay down debt.
17) Here is a troubling paper about AI, saying it will destroy lots of jobs. Researchers tried every solution, including a type of digital transaction tax. But this didn't help and while it did not transfer wealth from employees to investors/the wealthy, it cost them both. By laying off people, it's killing its own customer base. I get this. So did Henry Ford, who decided to pay his employees top dollar---about 80% more than anyone else---to make Model Ts so that within a couple of years each Ford employee could buy a Model T. As late as the 1960s, a stop at any of the Big Three's Detroit HQ would show not one foreign-brand car in the parking lots. Anyway, of the 100,000 tech people laid off last year, at least half were reported laid off due to AI.
18) Spirit Airlines could go out of business so fast its passengers are trapped at airports. I guess the spirit has left Spirit's body.
IN INTERNATIONAL NEWS
20) This is how incredibly out of touch the Euros are: they have drafted a "peace" plan that doesn't involve any of the belligerant parties. Yeah, and whose navy are you gonna send to open the Strait? Can't be the Mediocre Brits, who couldn't even surge a single aircraft carrier due to mechanical problems. 21) A gigantic new study of over 600,000 research papers found that . . . wait for it . . . 90% leaned left.
22) The BBC is reporting that Mediocre British legal advisors are telling immigrants to pose as homosexuals to gain admission. Now that's funny, right there. I don't care who you are.
23) Speaking of Mediocre Britain, and follow me now . . . the Brits are paying people to use more electricity with tax funds they just took from those people so that grid operators can "grapple with the impact" of more renewable sources that don't produce the energy they are being paid to consume. Don't ask. Stuttering Kier Starmer says he is f-f-f-fed up with Americans and Russkies dictating Brit energy policy. Oh really? But not fed up enough to ditch your stupid green mandates. Bite me chowderpickle. You can't even surge an aircraft carrier (you only have to baby flattops) in a week. Admiral Nelson would put a patch over his good eye when looking at this lame country. Example: If Mediocre Britain were a U.S. state, it would rank near the bottom.
24) The EU, meanwhile, is trying to incentivize people to use electricity at times other than when they need to use electricity. The Euros, it seems, will run out of jet fuel in six weeks. Well, you know what President Trump said: "You know where the oil is. TAKE IT."
25) As David Blackmon, the Rush Limbaugh of Energy notes, a major Spanish oil company, Repsol, is reopening facilities in Venezuela, after President Trump required Venezuela to open up and increase oil production by 300% within three years.
IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
26) If you watch one movie all year, it has to be "Project Hail Mary," an epic, emotional film of friendship between a human and a rock creature on a mission to save their respective planets. Ryan Gosling is fantastic, and he produced it, so kudos. The end credits song, "Glory, Glory" is 100% Jesus. Hmm. Maybe this is one of the reasons that Variety says there is a box office revival in theaters.
27) Livenation and Ticketmaster violated antitrust laws says a jury from New Kabul.
IN MEDICAL NEWS
27) The CDC says there is a chocolate-related poisoning reported in 34 states. Seems the chocolate has some 'shrooms in it. Ah, just put on some Grateful Dead.
28) Xanax is being recalled nationally. This is an anti-anxiety/depression drug. So, there will be more anxiety and depression, no? By the way, if you want a great novel by a good writer, Kyle Mills, get his Smoke Screen about a scenario in which Big Tobacco goes on strike. And I don't mean Lucky Strike.
AND FINALLY . . .
30) Indiana Fever forward in the WNBA, and Caitlin Clark's on-court bodyguard, the beautiful Sophie Cunningham, was baptized. We in the Valley sure miss her commentary---one of the few females I could ever stand to listen to when it came to sports because she really made astute comments, not just "Gee, they are really playing hard."
Larry Schweikart (@CyberneticsLS on Truth, @LarrySchweikart on X)
Rock drummer, Film maker,NYTimes #1 bestselling author
Link for Patriot’s History Vimeo
Link to buy larry a coffee
