Top World News
Apr 23, 2026
AI oligarchs shamed with devastating list of 'false promises and decadence'
The artificial intelligence boom has been wildly profitable for tech billionaires and catastrophically hollow for everyone else, a new Mother Jones report said this week. Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Sam Altman have built fortunes on AI hype while delivering false promises, toxic platforms, and minimal actual job creation.According to Mother Jones columnist Tim Murphy's investigation, "The AI bubble has been a boon to the portfolios and prospects of the tech world's biggest players. Their companies are vying for hegemony and their net worths are trending toward Mount Olympus."Murphy documented a pattern of deception and excess: "Beyond the hype, you can find a litany of false promises, questionable investments, and just plain decadence, complicating both their predictions for the future and claims to come in peace."Bezos's Project Prometheus AI initiative carries a $38 billion valuation and is "focused on physical AI designed to interact with real-world industrial processes, such as manufacturing, aerospace engineering, and semiconductor production."Meanwhile, Bezos has dismantled the Washington Post after acquiring it in 2013 with promises of a "new golden era." After he nixed a Kamala Harris presidential endorsement, the paper suffered a mass exodus of subscribers, a $100 million 2025 loss, and a 40-plus percent purging of its staff. Yet Bezos still had enough leftover cash to purchase a 246-foot yacht for $75 million to join his previously purchased 417-foot yacht, Murphy reported.Zuckerberg burned through $77 billion before pivoting to AI. Mother Jones reports that 10 percent of Meta's profits came from scam ads — funds that also financed his 4,500 square foot underground bunker in Hawaii.Musk's AI platform X has been hit with allegations of 679,584 antisemitic posts over a one-year period between 2024 and 2025. Musk's Grok generated 1.8 million graphic images of women during a nine-day period last winter as his net worth continued to ascend to $850 billion, the report said.Trump lauded OpenAI's Stargate data centers as a job-creation engine that would "create 100,000 jobs 'almost immediately.'" In reality, however, "only 100 employees needed to operate Stargate's Abilene, Texas, campus once construction is completed," according to the report.Despite a promise to invest $1.4 trillion in AI infrastructure over the next eight years, the company's reported revenue in 2025 came in at $20 billion, a 70-to-1 spending-to-revenue ratio for a company promising to reshape the economy.
Apr 23, 2026
'I've said too much': MAGA network cuts off host saying 'gas prices are a real thing'
Pro-MAGA news network Real America's Voice pulled the plug on host Gina Loudon after she blamed the rising costs of fuel on President Donald Trump's war in Iran.On Thursday, co-host David Brody asked Loudon to comment on Trump's decision to order the U.S. military to fire on small Iranian boats, possibly breaking a fragile ceasefire agreement."Can we go to Terrence instead?" Loudon asked."My interpretation of this is this is President Trump's way of saying the ceasefire is over," co-host Terrence Bates volunteered. "Hey, Dr. Gina, I don't want to put you on the spot, even though I am, but I'm curious about your hesitance. You seem this morning at least a bit hesitant to talk about this.""I think your average American out there who's trying to, you know, get their family budget together and, you know, look at their, if they can take a vacation with their family this summer, with gas prices and things," Loudon explained. "And I know people don't want me to mention gas prices. That's become an attack on Trump, but gas prices are a real thing.""They're not just in our gas tank, but in our consumer goods, et cetera, et cetera," she continued. "And I think that they're not, they don't know from day to day whether in a ceasefire or not, because it changes every day."As Loudon spoke, she said the control room encouraged her to wrap up her remarks."And now I've said too much, and the producers are shutting me up," she admitted. "See, that's what happens when you wind me up and get me talking to you."
Apr 23, 2026
Take action over officials in Kyrgyzstan ‘helping Russia evade sanctions’, MPs and peers say
British foreign secretary told to impose new measures as ruble-pegged cryptocurrency A7A5 is supported in countryMore than 20 MPs and peers have called on the foreign secretary to take action against institutions and individuals in Kyrgyzstan allegedly facilitating large-scale Russian sanctions evasion.They urged the UK to levy personal sanctions against three top Kyrgyz officials for their alleged role in facilitating Russian sanctions evasion more broadly, and more specifically for allowing Kyrgyzstan to host infrastructure supporting the cryptocurrency A7A5. Continue reading...
Apr 23, 2026
Trump orders up new 'shoot and kill' operation in Strait of Hormuz
In yet another sign that things are not going well despite all his predictions that the war with Iran is about to come to a close, Donald Trump is threatening more violence in the Strait of Hormuz where the Middle Eastern country has the upper hand.The war, which the president claims the US has already won, has now been raging since the beginning of March and, despite White House announcements of a ceasefire, it continues with constant skirmishes.That type of fighting appears to be accelerating with a presidential announcement on Truth Social on Thursday morning.“I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat, small boats though they may be (Their naval ships are ALL, 159 of them, at the bottom of the sea!), that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. There is to be no hesitation,” he wrote. He added, “Additionally, our mine ‘sweepers’ are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Apr 23, 2026
Philippines’ ex-president Rodrigo Duterte to face trial for crimes against humanity
ICC judges say there are substantial grounds to believe Duterte guided anti-drugs crackdown that killed thousandsThe former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, will face trial at the international criminal court (ICC) after judges unanimously confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his “war on drugs”.Pre-trial judges concluded on Thursday that there were substantial grounds to believe Duterte was responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder in relation to anti-drugs crackdowns that led to the killing of thousands of people. Continue reading...
Apr 23, 2026
The only three people Trump listens to have him trapped in a 'quagmire': MS NOW panel
Donald Trump’s Iran problem is not going away and maybe worsening, and he can thank the only three people who seem to have his ear, according to the panel on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”With the Strait of Hormuz still caught up in a stranglehold as a result of the president’s unprovoked war on the Middle Eastern nation, Trump has been fuming at the current state of affairs that is costing him MAGA support and has an increasing number of GOP lawmakers looking for a way to rein him in.According to co-host Joe Scarborough, the president’s refusal to listen to Pentagon experts has cost him dearly.“You know, not to labor a point here, but everybody knew from 1979 that if you went into Iran, the strait was a problem,” the former GOP lawmaker began.He continued, “And then you have the United States stumbling into Iran instead of listening to some of the smartest people, not only around now, but also throughout history on military strategy. He listened only to Pete Hegseth, Benjamin Netanyahu and Lindsey Graham –– I mean, really, that's a triumvirate.”“That's really why we're here,” he elaborated. “As far as the people in his ear saying this is something that needs to be done. And we have reports that there were many close to him, many military leaders saying, ‘Don't listen to these guys. Don't believe these guys. They're making this sound easier than it actually is.’ And yet here we are.""I mean, we're right now, we we are in a bit of a quagmire as it pertains to the strait, because the Iranians know they can play hardball," he added. Co-host Jonathan Lemire offered, “Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, outlined this could happen. But no, no advocacy was made and that's not necessarily his job. But no one else there did either. And, you know, [Vice President JD] Vance said that he had some reservations, but also made clear, 'Hey, boss, it's your decision. We'll just do it.' And this was a rushed war and it was shortsighted. They thought it was going to be over in days, a couple of weeks at most. And now it is no doubt a bit of a quagmire.” - YouTube youtu.be
Apr 21, 2026
MAGA congressman gets more than he bargained for from Jake Tapper: 'Guess I'm confused?'
CNN anchor Jake Tapper pushed Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) to answer his questions, with the longtime journalist pressing the Trump administration's claims over its objectives in the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran. As President Donald Trump announced an extended ceasefire as the current deadline was set to end, Flood told Tapper during a live broadcast on Tuesday that congressional leaders had been receiving classified briefings surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.But Tapper didn't stop his line of questioning — multiple times — saying he wanted Flood to answer direct questions about the Iranian regime, its nuclear capabilities and what the plan was for America's military operations. "I guess I'm just confused because President Trump has been saying for weeks that that that he won the war, the U.S. won the war, and [Pete] Hegseth and others have said that the Iranian Navy is at the bottom of the sea and they don't have the capability of doing the missile construction that they did, the ballistic missiles and the nuclear material is underground," Tapper said. "I'm just I'm trying to understand what the metric is other than opening the Strait of Hormuz for this to be over for. You say nobody wants to cut and run. OK. But what still needs to be done?"Flood had a quick response. "Making sure that there is no more nuclear weapons that comes out of Iran," Flood said.Tapper wasn't satisfied with that. "But what's the metric for that? I mean, because it sounds as though they're pretty close to having achieved that," Tapper said. "If the missiles are destroyed the way President Trump and Pete Hegseth say they are." But Flood said that wasn't good enough. "Nuclear pretty close isn't achieved — and by the way, a lot of this is handled in a classified setting with actual metrics and actual updates," Flood explained. "And that is not something that can be shared on CNN or any other network right now," he added. "You know, we are into this now. We have a mission to rid ourselves of, of a nuclear prepared Iran. The people of America have checks and balances and that there's going to be a request for supplemental. There are certain limitations on how long the president can engage in this way. There's going to have to be an opportunity for the White House to share with Congress where they're at. And I know that the guys behind me that are 100% for not only the cattle industry, but national security and safety from a terrorism sponsor. We want it all. We want all of the above. And I think we can have it, but it doesn't happen on a 24-hour news cycle. It happens over time. And it happens when our military leaders can go to bed at night knowing that we don't have to worry about a dirty bomb or a nuclear bomb landing somewhere in Israel or in the United States."
Apr 21, 2026
'He's a moron!' CNN conservative fumes after ex-Fox News host apologizes for Trump support
MAGA commentator Scott Jennings had a stinging response to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson's comments that he was regretful for supporting President Donald Trump. CNN anchor Kasie Hunt asked Jennings to comment on Carlson's remarks that he would be "tormented" by his decisions to endorse Trump, which led to a heated exchange between the two during the live broadcast. Carlson had issued a public apology Monday for having supported Trump in the 2024 election, telling his millions of followers that he was “sorry for misleading people.”Jennings shared his thoughts on the move. "I mean, is his preference that Kamala Harris had become the president of the United States?" an indignant Jennings asked. "That will come as a surprise to, I'm sure, a lot of people who used to view Tucker Carlson as a conservative and someone who, you know, had certain kinds of values. And what's he sorry for? That we got a new engagement here that might ultimately lead to taking away nuclear weapons?"Hunt pushed back on Jennings' characterization of the war."We got into engagement, Scott? That is quite a way to put it," Hunt said. "We started a war with Iran.""Is he now claiming he had no idea that Donald Trump held the position that he would never permit Iran to have nuclear weapons, if that's what he's saying today?" Jennings asked. "He's kind of a moron," Jennings added. "I mean, I don't know how else to put it, or he's willfully misleading people. The president was clear he'll never let them have nuclear weapons. We just saw on '60 Minutes' on Sunday night, a broad agreement among the experts. They have 970 pounds of enriched uranium, enough to make 10 or 11 nuclear bombs. This is not acceptable to the president. He had that position back in 2024. He had that position back in the first term. He has that position today to say now that you're sorry, that you elected a president that wanted to take away nuclear weapons from this terrorist regime. I don't get it."
Apr 21, 2026
Trump extends ceasefire with Iran after vowing 'to be bombing' if negotiations stalled
President Donald Trump announced that he was extending a ceasefire with Iran just hours after he threatened to bomb the country if negotiations stalled."Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump said in a Tuesday Truth Social post. "I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other," he added.While speaking to CNBC earlier in the day, Trump promised that a "great" deal would emerge from negotiations with Iran, but vowed to resume attacks if it did not."I expect to be bombing because I think that's a better attitude to go in with. But we're ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go," the president explained. Iran has insisted that it would "not negotiate under threat and force."
Apr 21, 2026
Senator forced to explain what 'sarcasm' is following right-wing melt down
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) was forced to explain what “sarcasm” was Tuesday following a barrage of attacks from right-wing figures over a remark he’d made about the U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.On Monday, multiple reports revealed that more than two dozen Iranian vessels bypassed the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil trade flows. In response to the reports, Murphy published a single-word post on social media: “awesome.”The reaction from right-wing figures was swift.“You should be removed from the Senate,” wrote right-wing figure and self-proclaimed “proud Islamophobe” Laura Loomer. “You are a national security threat.”“This piece of s--- is rooting for the Muslim terror Mullahs to win,” wrote Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), another right-wing figure who’s also been scrutinized for making what critics have called Islamophobic remarks. “Treason.”The right-wing backlash saw a number of other notable figures condemn Murphy, including political commentator Benny Johnson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and conservative commentator Batya Ungar-Sargon, among several others.As the backlash stretched into Tuesday morning, Murphy apparently felt compelled to clarify the meaning of his remark.“I can’t believe I need to clarify this but obviously [President Donald] Trump’s bungled mismanagement of this war is not ‘awesome,’” Murphy wrote in a social media post on X. “As I have said a million times here, it’s a disaster and he should end the war immediately. My tweet was something called ‘sarcasm.’”Ok Twitter, I can’t believe I need to clarify this but obviously Trump’s bungled mismanagement of this war is not “awesome”. As I have said a million times here, it’s a disaster and he should end the war immediately. My tweet was something called “sarcasm”. https://t.co/aL9vSEzZC1— Chris Murphy ???? (@ChrisMurphyCT) April 21, 2026
Apr 21, 2026
Trump brags about only 'losing 13 men' in Iran war: 'We've done a great job'
President Donald Trump praised himself for "doing a great job" after 13 service members were killed in the Iran war.During a Tuesday interview on CNBC, Trump noted that many other wars lasted years instead of months."I would have won Vietnam very quickly," he reflected. "I would have, if I were president, I would have won Iraq in the same amount of time that we won [Iran] because essentially we've won here.""The Democrats can say, well, we should have done better," the president continued. "But we can't let traitors, like [Chuck] Schumer, put pressure on you where they say, we want out. Think how bad that is. I'm negotiating with these people."Trump insisted he wasn't going to rush into ending the war in Iran."And, you know, we have, I mean, if you look at this, what we've suffered in terms of losses, we lost 13 men, and that's terrible," he remarked. "But if somebody would have said, we've done this and obliterated that country, obliterated it, and we lost 13 men, people would have said, that's not possible to have done that. It's not possible.""So we've done a great job," he added, "and I don't want to be rushed by people that are really treasonous as far as I'm concerned."
Apr 21, 2026
Trump begs Iran for mercy based on viral post: 'Please do them no harm!'
President Donald Trump begged Iran's leadership to release eight women he believes will be executed as his administration attempts to negotiate a peace agreement.The 79-year-old president expressed hopes that a delegation, likely led by Vice President JD Vance, will strike a "great deal" with Iran during talks in Pakistan, but he shared a post from a pro-Israel influencer to set a new condition to open negotiations."To the Iranian leaders, who will soon be in negotiations with my representatives: I would greatly appreciate the release of these women," Trump posted Tuesday morning on Truth Social. "I am sure that they will respect the fact that you did so. Please do them no harm! Would be a great start to our negotiations!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP."Iran has executed at least 600 people so far this year, on pace to exceed the record 1,639 people executed last year, but the nation's government has not confirmed that eight women pictured in an X post by right-wing influencer Eyad Yakoby have been sentenced to death."BREAKING: The Islamic Republic is preparing to hang eight women," Yakoby posted Monday night. "Not a word from the international community or so-called human rights organizations."Yakoby's post shows photos of eight young women with their hair uncovered, which is legally required in Iran since the 1979 Islamic revolution, and the post does not contain any identifying details about them or links to any other supporting evidence.
