Wildfires killed nearly 20% of the world’s giant sequoias. How crews are racing to save the rest:

🐻🐻clowns abc7.com/post/3-south...

Tankers in the Gulf came under fire on Saturday as Iran reimposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, just hours after declaring the vital waterway had reopened to commercial traffic. At least two vessels reported being struck by gunfire as they tried to cross the strait.

Good morning to readers; Oil prices have rebounded to above $90 per barrel (+24% compared to pre-war). A Ukrainian drone maker and a former US Special Operations Forces operator explain what intelligence Russia is transferring to Iran during four years of war in Ukraine.

🚢 Iran said today that the Strait of Hormuz is again closed to traffic, less than 24 hours after Trump boasted: "Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again." Also, the British military just reported that a cargo vessel was attacked near the strait, damaging containers on board.

How the current conflict with Iran echoes Rome's wars with Persia gruntledhistoryteacher.substack.com/p/on-raiding...

NEW: The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) outlined specific conditions on April 17 for vessels to transit the strait that amount to Iran retaining control over maritime traffic through the strait. Read More: isw.pub/IranUpdate04... Other Key Takeaways:

Check out this @taskandpurpose.com interview with the photographer! taskandpurpose.com/news/august-...

There is no amount of money, oil, or gold that is worth more than having bees, trees, and clean water.

Incredible satellite imagery of the tornado outbreak underway across the central United States.

The Coachella music festival is in the news with the minimum price of sold out 3-day ticket costing $549. Contrast that with "Nicolas" who is currently harvesting onions in the Coachella area and getting paid $22 for a $900lb crate. #WeFeedYou #coachella2026

#FridayFunDay and early #Caturday

🙄 <A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, said there are plenty of American workers to meet employers’ needs... A 2022 UC Merced study found that farmworkers face deep socioeconomic barriers: 42% reported low food security, many live in overcrowded housing, with a median wage of $16,000/yr>

On California farms, workers say threats to deport them are on the rise. They described instances in which bosses threatened to call ICE on them, sometimes because they complained about workplace violations. @melissagomez.bsky.social www.latimes.com/california/s...

Seems not good

The warblers are coming. But climate change may be messing with their timing. 🧪 www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/arti...

This is what comes of snorting coke off of toilet seats …

For decades, billions of gallons of sewage and industrial waste have been dumped into the Tijuana River.

RFK's dad is rolling in his grave.

A new war powers vote failed 52-47, largely along party lines.

Large parts of the business of keeping the US military fed were privatised to civilian contractors. And then last year DOGE started making cuts in those civilian contractors. eu.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

This Kern County crew is harvesting broccolini. Unlike broccoli, which is harvested once, workers need to keep on coming back to the same field to select the individual, tender 6–8 inch stems before they flower. It's a challenging crop as it requires precise timing. #WeFeedYou

Try as they might, renewables are gaining momentum. "Last month, fossil fuels generated less electricity than in any March going back at least 25 years, while renewables generated more." e360.yale.edu/digest/us-re...

Seaworld is seeking a permit for more drone shows, moving away from its infamous fireworks shows which have been known to disrupt neighbors and wildlife. voiceofsandiego.org/2026/04/10/w...

U.S. Expands Search for Contraband as Iranian Blockade Continues — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/04/16/u...

Voting on spy powers at 2am will definitely help with trust in the government!

Amazon will pay $20.5 million to settle allegations that two of its Oregon data centers helped contaminate groundwater. This is exactly why communities across the country are organizing to stop data centers — and winning. Never doubt your power to change the system.

Patch on the back of the helmet reads : NOT FLAT

Apollo missions used film, Artemis used digital. I know which I prefer and it smells like cellulose acetate.

read this... then share.

19 years ago, 32 people were murdered and 23 were injured at Virginia Tech during one of the worst mass shootings in our country’s history. (1/2)

Marinette Marine Awarded $30M for Landing Ship Medium Ahead of Vessel Construction Manager Selection — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/04/16/m...

President Claudia Sheinbaum “orders daily consular visits to immigration detention centers, replacing weekly check-ins, as outrage mounts over deaths of detained Mexican nationals in U.S. custody.” www.latimes.com/world-nation...

Brutal heat & drought here in the Shenandoah Blue Ridge. This is the most extreme spring I have experienced as a gardener. We’ve had to hold off transplanting in fear of plant killing temps. When scientists say the climate crisis is a global food crisis these are the conditions they’re referring to.

It was 87° at 1:30 pm as farm workers in Arvin, CA are bent over removing weeds by hand to protect the young vegetable plants. Their work keeps the rows clean, reduces competition for water and nutrients, and helps the crop grow strong and healthy. #WeFeedYou

If you’re reading this, then you almost certainly paid more in taxes this year than many billionaires and giant corporations did. It’s time for the richest among us to pay their fair share. https://itep.org/88-profitable-corporations-paid-zero-income-tax-in-2025/

As promised, here’s my tax day rant. For 99% of taxpayers, the IRS already has the data to send you an almost fully completed 1040 for you to add a few pieces of data to, automatically recalculate, be done. It doesn’t because of Intuit.

WATCH LIVE: IRS “CEO” Frank Bisignano is testifying before the Senate Finance Committee

"Saipan International Airport has seen gusts over 100 mph for over 10 hours, with a peak gust so far of 130 mph. Farther south, Guam International Airport clocked a peak gust of 88 mph." "Utility lines were reported downed and 1 foot deep water was reported in Guam by the National Weather Service."

Khanna: They’re saying this technology is going to be bigger than nuclear, bigger than electricity, bigger than aviation. Last I checked, we have an FAA for aviation, nuclear energy is regulated, and electricity is regulated.

Chicago firefighter facing a ‘death sentence’ receives kidney from fellow firefighter. Beautiful story www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/14/c...

CENTCOM blockade update. Looking at the reporting around it, most of it zoomed in on Hormuz, there seems to be a lack of understanding as to what the Americans actually have declared. My impression is that this operation is a by-the-book affair too.

Klein: I agree that it is a revolutionary technology, that it is going to transform our economy on the scale of the Industrial Revolution. But unlike the Industrial Revolution, which created huge numbers of jobs, the goal of this revolution is to eliminate jobs.

The Baltimore Banner’s parent organization will buy the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a deal that will keep one of the country’s oldest newspapers open

There’s nothing we love more than sharing the universe with you all. If you feel the same, vote for us in @TheWebbyAwards by Thursday, April 16! Vote here: t.co/H77VV0SoUd 🔗 vote.webbyawards.com/Public...

A Category 5 storm just formed more than a month before the Pacific hurricane season even starts. Most Americans didn’t hear about it. Here’s why that matters—and what it tells us about where storms are headed next: www.mesoscalenews.com/p/the-storms...

The US Navy's dive medical team was first to welcome them home.