Author: HP McLovincraft

Seeker of rabbit holes. Pessimist. Libertine. Contrarian. Your huckleberry. Possibly true tales of sanity-blasting horror also known as abject reality. Prepare yourself. Veteran of a thousand psychic wars. I have seen the fnords. Deplatformed on Tumblr and Twitter.

Trump Administration Seeks Pause Of Lawsuit Challenging Vaccine Recommendations

Trump administration lawyers on April 23 said they are still considering whether to appeal a ruling that blocked the rollback of guidance on some vaccines.

The lawyers said in a filing that pausing the litigation over the guidance pending the resolution of any appeal that is filed would “promote judicial economy and avoid burdens on government agencies that may be rendered unnecessary by a decision on any appeal.”

For instance, if an appeal is filed, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit may dismiss some or all of the claims by plaintiffs in the case, which would eliminate the need for the government to produce records sought by plaintiffs, the lawyers told U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy in a motion to stay proceedings pending resolution of any appeal.

“At a minimum, a First Circuit decision on any appeal could narrow the issues in dispute and provide guidance on how to resolve any remaining issues,” the motion stated. “If Defendants continue producing administrative records and the parties start briefing cross-motions for summary judgment before Defendants’ time to appeal has run and before the First Circuit has an opportunity to weigh in on any appeal, there is a significant potential for wasted time and resources.”

Murphy in March stayed the updates made to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine guidance under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., resulting in the guidance reverting to what had been in place in mid-2025.

Murphy concluded that Kennedy and other officials did not follow proper procedure in updating the guidance and appointing new members to the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee.

That stay would remain in effect even if Murphy approves the requested motion, administration lawyers said.

The lawyers did not say why no appeal has been lodged against Murphy’s decision. They asked him to stay proceedings in the case until whichever comes later: May 15 or the resolution of any appeal the defendants may file.

The deadline to appeal Murphy’s preliminary injunction is May 15.

Shortly after the injunction was issued, the Department of Health and Human Services said it would prevail in an appeal. The department has declined to answer questions about why an appeal has not yet been lodged.

“Unless officially announced by us, any assertions about what we are doing next is baseless speculation,” a department spokesperson told The Epoch Times in March.

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‘Invidious racial discrimination’: AMA color-based scholarships vanish from website after complaint

The American Medical Association Foundation website no longer includes listings for race-based scholarships after a medical watchdog suggested the foundation should lose its tax-exempt status for racial discrimination.

Do No Harm, a watchdog group of doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, aims to expose racial discrimination, transgender ideology, and other divisive practices in medicine. Do No Harm sent a letter to the IRS earlier this month, noting that multiple AMA Foundation scholarships explicitly state that only students of certain races qualify.

Last week, the scholarships disappeared from the AMA Foundation’s website.

“The AMA Foundation appears to have removed the discriminatory scholarships at the heart of our IRS complaint—a tacit admission that our concerns were warranted,” Dr. Kurt Miceli, a psychiatrist and chief medical officer at Do No Harm, told The Daily Signal.

“However, we believe the government is still obligated to investigate to confirm that these programs have truly been eliminated and not simply rebranded and reconstituted,” Miceli added.

The AMA did not respond to The Daily Signal’s request for comment by publication time.

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New York Times Portrays Fired USAID Staff as Victims — Reaction Is Not What They Expected

In July 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that USAID would no longer send foreign assistance across the globe.

Rubio noted that USAID had, for decades, failed to ensure the programs it funded actually supported America’s interests.

“Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War. Development objectives have rarely been met, instability has often worsened, and anti-American sentiment has only grown,” Rubio wrote in a blog post, according to Fox News.

“This era of government-sanctioned inefficiency has officially come to an end. Under the Trump Administration, we will finally have a foreign funding mission in America that prioritizes our national interests. As of July 1st, USAID will officially cease to implement foreign assistance. Foreign assistance programs that align with administration policies—and which advance American interests—will be administered by the State Department, where they will be delivered with more accountability, strategy, and efficiency,” Rubio said.

During the summer of 2025, the DOGE team announced they had eliminated another $14.3 billion in bogus contracts, including international contracts tied to USAID.

Following the funding cuts, the agency went from roughly 10,000–16,000 direct employees (plus hundreds of thousands of contractors and local staff overseas) to under 300 remaining staff. Over 90–97% of USAID’s workforce was eliminated.

Elisabeth Bumiller and Eileen Sullivan wrote A Year After U.S.A.I.D.’s Death, Fired Workers Find Few Jobs and Much Loss for The New York Times, bemoaning the struggles of the laid-off workers, something thousands of Americans face each day without fawning coverage from the outlet.

The authors share the example of a USAID-funded senior VP,making $272,000, or roughly five times more than the median income of the average American worker.

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Trump Rules Out Use of Nuclear Weapons in Iran War

President Donald Trump on Thursday ruled out using a nuclear weapon in the war with Iran.

He told reporters in the Oval Office that the United States has already greatly weakened the Islamic Republic with conventional weapons, declaring that “a nuclear weapon should never be allowed to be used by anybody.”

PBS NewsHour correspondent Liz Landers asked the president whether nuclear weapons might be used in the war, which the president said was a “stupid” question. 

“Why would I use a nuclear weapon when we’ve totally and in a very conventional way decimated them without it?” Trump said. “I wouldn’t use it.”

Two days ago, Trump extended a two-week ceasefire with Tehran, calling the Iranian leadership “seriously fractured.” He also cited a request from Pakistan’s prime minister as another reason for extending the ceasefire. 

In an April 17 Truth Social post, Trump said that Iran had agreed to surrender enriched uranium buried by last summer’s strikes on an underground base. 

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Good News: Fifth Circuit Says Government’s Tax Power Is Not Designed to Control Behavior

A somewhat under-the-radar decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit earlier this month is, on its surface, focused on the issue of home alcohol distilling. But the appeals court’s reasoning could have a big impact on other businesses and various walks of life, including the energy industry.

In short, McNutt vs. U.S. Department of Justice focused on a federal law that banned – through the government’s taxation power – the private home distillation of alcohol. But the Fifth Circuit ruled that using the power to tax as a reason to ban something is an improper abuse of power. This line of constitutional thinking could have much larger implications.

Why? Because the ruling would erect new guardrails on how the government can use its authority to impose a tax in such a way that does not raise revenue but instead bans otherwise legal activity. When we consider all the ways the government has done this over the years, it’s clear that the energy industry has been a prime target for just such an abuse of power — especially in cases where the government used its taxing authority and “necessary and proper” constitutional reasoning to regulate activities.

As a Liskow law blog summarized it, “The case originated when a group of hobby distillers challenged an 1868 federal law that effectively criminalized the distillation of spirits in or near a private residence, even for personal use. The plaintiffs, including members of the Hobby Distillers Association, argued that the prohibition exceeded Congress’s constitutional powers, particularly where the activity was noncommercial and confined to the home.”

The analysis added, “The case underscores that the federal government’s broad federal taxing authority does have limits, particularly when it intersects with private, noncommercial conduct. As challenges to federal regulatory regimes continue, McNutt may serve as an important reference point in defining the boundary between taxation and regulation.”

For energy development, the McNutt decision provides a new avenue to challenge federal prohibition of development when such prohibition has been primarily based on the government’s taxing authority. In other words, is the ban really about taxation (raising revenue), or is it about using the power of taxation to achieve regulation? The Fifth Circuit determined that the latter avenue as a sole motivator is improper.

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Trump Orders Navy to Destroy Iranian Boats Mining Strait of Hormuz, Reposted Column That Advocates More Killing

President Donald Trump warned Iran today that the U.S. Navy would destroy boats that are laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz.

The threat comes after he announced an extension of the two-week ceasefire that was to end last night, as Pakistan attempted to persuade Iran to negotiate an end to the war. How well that effort can go is now open to question.

Multiple posts on X today reported that Iran’s chief negotiator, Parliament Speaker Bagher Ghalibaf, has resigned from Iran’s negotiating team, but an Iranian journalist called those reports “ridiculous.”

And Trump reposted on X a line from Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen, who argues that the Iranians need a deal and Trump doesn’t. Trump must therefore kill anti-peace deal officials.

Who’s the Leader?

Trump took to Truth Social this morning to unbosom himself of another threat, as is his custom.

“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,” Trump wrote:

There is to be no hesitation. Additionally, our mine “sweepers” are clearing the Strait right now. I am hereby ordering that activity to continue, but at a tripled up level! 

Trump followed that with another post about supposed infighting among Iranian officials over who is running the country, and a claim that the U.S. Navy has sealed the strait.

“Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is!” Trump continued:

They just don’t know! The infighting is between the “Hardliners,” who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the “Moderates,” who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY! We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz. No ship can enter or leave without the approval of the United States Navy. It is “Sealed up Tight,” until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!

A report from U.S. Central Command appears to confirm Trump’s claim.

“U.S. forces have directed 29 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of the U.S. blockade against Iran,” CENTCOM reported:

Over past 24 hours, media reports have alleged that several commercial ships evaded the blockade, citing M/V Hero II, M/V Hedy, and M/V Dorena as examples. These reports are inaccurate.

Hero II and Hedy did not sail past the blockade as part of a flotilla that “ferried” millions of barrels of oil to the market. In fact, the Iranian-flagged tankers are anchored in Chah Bahar, Iran, after being intercepted by U.S. forces earlier this week. Dorena has been under the escort of a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean after previously attempting to violate the blockade. 

On Tuesday, Trump claimed that the blockade had collapsed Iran’s economy, and that the nation was losing $500 million daily.

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Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves Calls Special Session For Redistricting

Mississippi’s Republican Governor Tate Reeves on Friday evening announced he is calling a special legislative session for redistricting once the US Supreme Court rules on voting rights (Louisiana v. Callais).

Governor Reeves said the legislature will convene 21 days after the Supreme Court issues a ruling.

President Trump’s Department of Justice, through Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division Harmeet Dhillon and Solicitor General John Sauer, told the US Supreme Court that race-based congressional districts must end once and for all.

The case, State of Louisiana v. Phillip Callais (and the related Press Robinson v. Phillip Callais), stems from Louisiana’s woke lawmakers caving to left-wing judges and creating a second “majority-minority” congressional district.

Here are the key takedowns:

  1. No More Race-First Districts Without Proof: Plaintiffs must prove their proposed majority-minority district is “superior” to the state’s map under race-neutral rules, including political goals. Otherwise, it’s just assuming racism where none exists.
  2. Decouple Race from Party: The brief slams how courts let Democrats hide behind “polarized voting” that’s really just partisan divides. “Plaintiffs must decouple party from race when determining whether majority and minority voters vote differently,” it states. No more using black voters’ loyalty to Democrats as an excuse for gerrymandering.
  3. Real Evidence of Discrimination Required: Echoing Shelby County v. Holder (which gutted outdated VRA provisions in 2013), the DOJ says current conditions don’t justify this nonsense. Voter turnout is sky-high, minorities are winning elections everywhere – including in Congress, where black representation is at record levels.

Full statement from Tate Reeves:

I don’t typically make news on a Friday afternoon, but today I am going to make an exception:

I’m calling a special session.

During the recently completed regular session, the Legislature discussed drawing new maps to comply with a decision from a federal judge from the Northern District of Mississippi – a decision that has been appealed to the 5th Circuit and the appeal has been heretofore stayed pending future U.S. Supreme Court decisions.

The entire world knows the Callais decision has not yet been handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court. It is a decision that could (and in my view should) forever change the way we draw electoral maps.

It is my belief and federal law requires that the Mississippi Legislature be given the first opportunity to draw these maps. And the fact is, they haven’t had a fair opportunity to do that because of the pending Callais decision.

For those reasons, I am using my constitutional authority to allow the Mississippi Legislature to use their constitutionally recognized right to draw these maps once the new rules of the game are known following Callais.

It is my sincere hope that, in deciding Callais, the U.S. Supreme Court will reaffirm the animating principle that all Americans are created equal and that when the government classifies its citizens on the basis of race, even as a perceived remedy to right a wrong, it engages in the offensive and demeaning assumption that Americans of a particular race, because of their race, think alike and share the same interests and preferences – a concept that is odious to a free people whose institutions are founded upon the doctrine of equality.

The special session will take place on the calendar day that falls 21 days after the U.S. Supreme Court issues the Callais decision.

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The True Cost of Tree Paper vs Hemp Paper

The paper industry consumes over 4 billion trees annually. That number has been growing steadily as global packaging demand increases — driven by e-commerce, food delivery, and the ongoing shift away from single-use plastics. But there’s a fundamental question that rarely gets asked: is wood actually the best fiber for making paper?

The answer, based on material science, economics, and environmental impact, is no. Hemp is a superior paper fiber by virtually every measurable metric. Here’s a comprehensive comparison.

Growth Cycle: 120 Days vs 20–80 Years

This is the most dramatic difference between hemp and trees as paper feedstock. Hemp reaches full maturity and is ready for harvest in approximately 120 days from planting. Trees used for paper pulp — primarily softwoods like pine and spruce — take 20 to 80 years to reach harvestable size, depending on the species and growing conditions.

This means a single field of hemp can produce a paper fiber harvest three times per year in tropical climates, or once per year in temperate zones. A forest planted for paper production will produce one harvest per generation. The throughput difference is staggering.

Yield Per Acre: 4x More Fiber

One acre of hemp produces approximately 4 times more usable paper fiber than one acre of trees over a 20-year cycle. This is a combination of hemp’s faster growth, higher cellulose content (57% vs 40–50%), and denser planting capacity.

In practical terms, this means that replacing tree-based paper with hemp paper would require dramatically less agricultural land. Given that deforestation for paper production is a significant driver of habitat loss and biodiversity decline, this land efficiency has enormous environmental implications.

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Leaked FDA Memo Shows Feds Masked Sudden Cardiac Deaths in Our Children Says Senator Ron Johnson

Senator Ron Johnson raised concerns during an exchange with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding a memo he said originated from a senior official within the Food and Drug Administration, describing findings tied to child deaths following COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations.

Johnson said the memo was “apparently from CBER director, Doctor Prasad,” and referenced its contents as part of an FDA review.

He stated the document described an internal analysis involving “96 autopsies of child death following the covid mRNA injection.”

According to Johnson, the memo included language he described as significant in acknowledging outcomes tied to the vaccines.

“In that memo, Doctor Persad writes, this is a profound revelation,” Johnson said.

He continued, “For the first time, the US FDA will acknowledge that covid 19 vaccines killed American children, healthy young children who face tremendously low risk of death.”

Johnson added that these children were “coerced at the behest of the Biden administration via school and work mandates to receive a vaccine that could result in death.”

Johnson said the memo raised questions about the impact of pandemic-era mandates. “In many cases, such mandates were harmful,” he said.

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France’s ID Portal Hacked: 19 Million Records Up for Sale

French authorities have added another case study to the growing argument against centralizing citizen identity data.

France Titres, formerly known as ANTS, operates the portal where residents apply for passports, national ID cards, residence permits, driver’s licenses, and vehicle registrations.

On April 15, something broke inside that system. A week later, the Interior Ministry confirmed what anyone watching digital ID schemes has been saying about this exact architecture for years, and the scale on offer from the attacker makes the warning harder to wave away.

A threat actor using the aliases “breach3d” and “ExtaseHunters” appeared on criminal forums on April 16, claiming to have stolen between 18 and 19 million records from the agency’s internal systems.

If accurate, that is roughly a third of France’s population sitting in a for-sale listing. The seller describes the haul as a fresh, structural compromise rather than a recycled dump, and is actively shopping it.

Early French press reports, including Le Figaro, initially pegged the figure at around 12 million accounts before later estimates climbed. The government has not confirmed any number.

What the ministry has confirmed is a “security incident that may involve the disclosure of data from both individual and professional accounts.”

Login credentials, full names, email addresses, dates of birth, unique account identifiers, postal addresses, places of birth, and phone numbers may all have been extracted. That combination is a starter kit for identity fraud, synthetic identity construction, and convincing phishing attacks against people who already expect email from French government domains.

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