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Former Ukraine Top Spy and Currently Presidential Chief of Staff, Popular General Budanov Has Become a Danger to Zelensky’s Rule

Keep your enemies closer?

We have been reporting here on TGP on how the corruption scandal involving Volodymyr Zelensky’s close friend and partner Timur Mindich shook Kiev’s political landscape.

Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO exposed a $100 million embezzlement and kickback scheme at the state nuclear energy company Energoatom, which led to Mindich fleeing justice to Israel.

To survive the political crisis, the all-powerful chief of staff Andriy Yermak was sacrificed by the regime, and Zelensky appointed in his place Kirill Budanov, head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), and his moderate critic.

As journalist and political analyst Vitaly Ryumshin detailed in RT, this has been a dangerous idea.

Budanov started in his new role keeping a low profile, but soon he started making public statements at odds with those of Zelensky.

“While the president has prepared the country for a prolonged conflict, Budanov has spoken of ongoing negotiations and suggested that peace may not be as distant as many assume. When Zelensky highlighted Ukraine’s technological breakthroughs, Budanov has downplayed them. He has also openly acknowledged the growing difficulties of mobilization, a rare admission from a senior official in a country at war.

At the same time, Budanov has been carefully constructing his public image. In Western media, he is presented as both a war hero and a pragmatic ‘dove’, a man who understands the need to bring the conflict to an end. For domestic audiences, his team promotes stories of personal bravery, portraying him as a hands-on commander who has taken part in operations and narrowly escaped danger.”

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Hormuz: Who Is Calling The Shots?

I’ve been trying to make sense of what’s going really on with the war on Iran. The US says it is blockading the Straits of Hormuz to destroy Iran’s economy, but it risks destroying the world economy, including its own, in the process. So, let’s have a look and see if we can make any sense out of it. Take it up in the comments.

Picture this: it’s the end of April 2026, and the world is holding its breath over the powder keg in the Persian Gulf. After a whirlwind of airstrikes, naval showdowns, and shadowy proxy battles, it has simmered into an uneasy ceasefire, but the air crackles with the threat of explosion. What kicked off as a thunderous US-Israeli assault on 28 February is now a high-stakes game of chicken, where nobody’s blinking. Western headlines scream of taming a rogue regime, Iranian voices roar defiance, and powers like Russia, India, and China shake their heads at the chaos rippling across the globe. At the epicentre? The Strait of Hormuz, where only about ten ships a day are making the passage through it, way less than a tenth of normal traffic. 

And just what is Donald Trump’s strategy. Is he out to crush Iran? Or China? Is he creating his own new world order based on US hegemony? Or is he handing globalist elites at the World Economic Forum (WEF) and their UN Agenda 2030 playbook a golden opportunity to reshape the world into the Global government tyranny they desire? 

Let’s rewind to the fireworks. The war erupted when Trump, fresh off a 60-day ultimatum for Iran to scrap its nuclear ambitions and ditch its proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis, imitated joint strikes with Israel. Tehran lit up under the bombs and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed. Trump’s strategy was, he said, crystal clear: regime change, pulverise Iran’s missiles, sink its navy, wipe out its air force, neuter its terror network, and slam the door on any atomic dreams. But Iran didn’t follow the script, fought back effectively, and oh so predictably closed the Straits. By early April, a fragile two-week truce kicked in and on 7 April Iran eased tanker access through Hormuz, the US paused the pounding and Trump stretched it indefinitely on 21 April, bragging that 75% of targets were toast. And then, after calling the Iranian regime a bunch of gangsters for closing the Straits, the US imposed its own, very much reducing traffic and directly ordering around 40 ships to turn back and putting shells into at least one of them. But still, there’s no grand deal in sight. Iran’s rebuffing US demands for ironclad nuclear handcuffs and talks in places like Islamabad have hit the skids after Iran refused to accept America’s demand for capitulation and Trump yanked his envoy at the last minute.

Western sources paint a picture of gritty impasse. “An awkward limbo of ‘no war, no peace’,” as the NYT quips, with diplomacy derailed and both sides digging in like a modern Somme. The Guardian captures the frustration: a “deepening sense of deadlock” despite frantic regional shuttle diplomacy. Trump keeps dangling the phone line to Tehran; “Call if you want to talk” but insists no nukes, period. Casualties? Murky as ever, though US brass concedes Iran’s still got plenty of punch left in its missile and drone arsenals.

In Tehran it’s a tale of grit and grievance. PressTV and IRNA frame this as a brutal US-Israeli bulldozer trampling sovereign soil—day 57 of invasion by 25 April, no less. Iran’s pushing “workable frameworks” for peace, but with teeth: demands for war reparations from Gulf neighbours over wrecked bridges and power grids, like the Karaj-Tehran lifeline. Their 10-point blueprint? Crack open Hormuz, lift the US naval stranglehold, but only if the West coughs up real security pledges. No more nuclear grovelling without it. And the warnings? Chilling. Tehran vows “mayhem” on Israel and the US if the truce snaps, teasing “new surprises” in its arsenal. Even US senators are calling the whole mess “disastrous,” with failed bids to leash Trump’s war powers stacking up.

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$65B lithium mother lode hidden beneath Appalachian Mountains could supply US with power for centuries

They’ve hit the mother lode.

We may no longer need to rely on foreign batteries to power our electronics. Geologists have announced that the Appalachian Mountains could be hiding a sprawling multibillion-dollar cache of lithium that could last the US hundreds of years.

“This research shows that the Appalachians contain enough lithium to help meet the nation’s growing needs,” declared US Geological Survey Director Ned Mamula in a statement.

According to a map by the institution, this East Coast mountain range houses around 2.5 metric tons of this battery precursor, most of which is concentrated in the Carolinas, Maine and New Hampshire. Total value: around $64.4B dollars.

Per Bloomberg, the US imports nearly half of its consumption of lithium, which powers lithium-ion batteries that are used for everything from iPhones to vehicles and even aerospace alloys.

With this recent mineral motherlode, USGS officials estimate that we could supply 1.6 million grid-scale batteries — enough to power 130 million electric vehicles or supply 180 billion laptops for a collective thousands of years of global use.

It could also fuel 500 billion cellphones, the equivalent of 60 devices for every person on Earth.

All told, this haul is enough to replace 328 years of imports at least year’s level, providing “a major contribution to US mineral security, at a time when global lithium demand is rising rapidly,” said Mamula.

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett Declares ‘I Am One of the 535 Most Powerful People’ in America While Whining About ‘Disrespect’ Toward Black Women, Demands Regular Americans Need to Know Their Place

Texas Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett unleashed an unhinged and egotistical rant on national television Tuesday, insisting she is one of the “535 most powerful people in this country” and complaining that everyday Americans are showing her “disrespect” by failing to treat her as an untouchable elite.

Crockett made the comments during an appearance on “The Sherri Show,” hosted by Sherri Shepherd, while discussing criticism of Black women in Congress.

“Some people are just like, ‘Oh, but you’re a congresswoman.’ I’m a Black woman first,” Crockett declared.

The soon-to-be former politician added, “So, the level of disrespect that is continuously lobbed against us as Black women, for me, I’m like, wait a minute now. I am one of the 535 most powerful people in this country!”

Crockett went on to demand that everyday Americans know their place beneath her.

“And for some reason you think we’re on the same level, but you’re going to disrespect me? Like, it’s not going to happen!” Crockett asserted.

The interview has drawn swift backlash and criticism on social media, with commenters explaining that members of Congress are public servants elected by the American people, not royalty above reproach.

Crockett’s latest outburst comes at a particularly awkward time, because in March, she was decisively defeated in the Democrat primary for U.S. Senate in Texas by state Rep. James Talarico.

The stunning loss ended her bid to move up from the House, leaving her as a lame-duck congresswoman heading into the final months of her term.

Crockett, a former public defender and civil rights attorney, first won election to Congress in a 2023 special election for Texas’s 30th District following the retirement of longtime Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.

The loudmouth representative quickly gained national attention for her combative style in House hearings, most notably her viral exchanges with then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans during Judiciary Committee proceedings.

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Senate Passes Rule Banning Members From Trading on Prediction Markets

The U.S. Senate unanimously voted on April 30 to ban members and their staff from betting on prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket. The rule, aimed to stop senators from insider trading will go into effect immediately.

“Serving in Congress is an honor, not a side hustle,” Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) wrote in an X post on Thursday. “Americans deserve to know that their leaders are here for the right reason!”

Moreno spearheaded the ban, and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) added an amendment to expand the rule to Senate staff.

Polymarket, one of the most popular prediction markets in the world, quickly voiced support for the legislation on social media.

“We’re in full support of this,” the trading platform wrote in an X post after the decision was made in Washington.

“Our Rulebook & Terms of Service already prohibit such conduct, but codifying this into law is a step forward for the industry. Happy to help move this forward however we can.”

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Senators Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Tighten US Ban on Chinese Vehicles

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation aimed at strengthening a U.S. government ban on Chinese automakers accessing the U.S. market, citing national security concerns.

Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) introduced the Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 on April 29, which would codify a Commerce Department rule that effectively bars all Chinese automakers from selling passenger vehicles in the United States and take other measures to block China from entering the U.S. light-duty market.

“The American auto industry is the backbone of the American industrial economy, we cannot afford to make the same mistakes globalists have made for decades and see these great American companies devastated by predatory and massively subsidized Chinese state enterprises hellbent on the destruction of our economy,” Moreno said in a statement.

“As Europe, Mexico, and others allow their markets to be overrun by Chinese predators, the U.S. must act before it’s too late. The answer is simple: Chinese vehicles can never be allowed into the U.S. market—the fate of the American auto industry and countless autoworkers depends on it.”

The legislation would ban internet-connected vehicles and related hardware and software tied to the Chinese regime or other foreign adversaries from being imported, manufactured, sold, or resold in the United States.

It would empower the Commerce Department to identify and block technologies or parts deemed national security threats from entering the U.S. market.

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Dem Rep Suggests Hegseth Could Be EXECUTED For War Crimes Like NAZI Sub Captains

In a stunning escalation of partisan rhetoric, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) declared on national television that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is “guilty” of war crimes — and compared U.S. military operations against drug-smuggling boats to the actions of Nazi submarine captains executed after World War II.

The remarks, delivered Wednesday on CNN’s OutFront, come as the Trump administration presses aggressive action to dismantle narco-terrorist networks flooding America with deadly fentanyl and other poisons.

Instead of backing efforts to secure the homeland, Moulton opted to invoke the language of international tribunals.

Host Erin Burnett asked Moulton directly: “Do you believe that the Secretary of Defense is guilty of war crimes?”

Moulton answered without hesitation: “Absolutely. I mean, he’s clearly behind the operation to shoot all these boats in the Caribbean when it’s very unclear that we actually have any confirmation that these so-called narco terrorists, a term the administration invented to justify this action, are even on the boats.”

He continued, “I mean, in fact, there’s a lot of evidence that these are just fishermen, you know, getting jobs, piloting these boats, trying to feed their families. There’s been press reporting on some of these individuals who have been killed, who are clearly not war criminals.”

He added, “And on top of that, we then have the strike where they came back in and hit it again, a double tap, just purely to kill these survivors who were clinging to wreckage. You know, it’s interesting, Erin, another historical analogy back in World War II, the Allies tried Nazi submarine captains for doing this exact same thing. And guess what the conclusion was? They got executed. Listen to THAT, Mr. Secretary!”

The X post capturing the moment quickly went viral, with users reacting in disbelief at a sitting congressman invoking execution rhetoric against a Trump cabinet official.

This isn’t isolated grandstanding. It fits a clear pattern: Democrats framing routine counter-narcotics operations — strikes on vessels tied to designated terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua operating on known smuggling routes — as criminal acts worthy of prosecution.

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Indian realtor tells Canadian judge he abducted 9-year-old boy because it’s ‘acceptable in his culture,’ begs not to be deported

An Indian real estate agent in Ontario, Canada has claimed to a judge that it was a “cultural misunderstanding” when he lured a boy into his vehicle and abducted him. He is now facing deportation from the country.

Manoj Govindbalunikam, 37, was given an 18-month sentence earlier in April after being convicted of abducting a 9-year-old boy in August 2023. He pleaded not guilty to abducting the boy and then buying the young lad ice cream as well as toys. Police later found photos of him with the boy in his yellow Chevrolet Camaro.

While in court, Govindbalunikam’s lawyer asked that his punishment be reduced to a conditional discharge. In doing so, he would be able to avoid getting deported back to India.

“A term of imprisonment of six months or more would render Mr. Govindbalunikam inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and he could face deportation,” the attorney said, per the Daily Mail. The lawyer claimed the incident was a misunderstanding and that luring the boy with the toys and ice cream would be “considered acceptable in his culture.”

“The subject also admitted offering the victim a toy and food as a kind gesture with no intention or desire to do something wrong or harmful,” the attorney argued.

Govindbalunikam also claimed that the charges against him were racist and that he “never experienced racial discrimination until his arrest.”

“He claims that conversing with any individual and offering transportation would be considered acceptable in his culture. As such, he claims that this offense is misinterpreted on how authorities have perceived his actions,” the attorney added in the hearing.

The explanation that the abduction was a “misunderstanding” was rejected by the judge. Police said that the real estate agent lured the boy to his car with a fidget spinner and then gave him his real estate agent business info. After the child went walking home, Govindbalunikam offered to give him a ride.

After telling the boy to ditch his bike, he drove the 9-year-old to a tavern where he “purchased an ice cream for the victim.” Witnesses at the tavern recognized the boy, but not Govindbalunikam, and called the police.

“Mr Govindbalunikam has been here for over a decade and has worked in two demanding fields,” the judge said in his ruling.

“I do not accept that this abduction was as a result of a ‘cultural misunderstanding’ whereby he mistakenly believed that it was acceptable to take a child. He has been a resident of Canada for too long to suggest that this was an innocent error,” the judge added.

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DOJ Sues New Jersey Over Mask Ban for Law Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Justice is suing New Jersey over a law that bars local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from wearing masks and requires them to show identification before making arrests.

Filed on April 29 in federal court in Newark, New Jersey, the lawsuit requests an injunction to block New Jersey’s Law Enforcement Officer Protection Act, which applies to all law enforcement officers, including federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The Justice Department argues that the law is unconstitutional, calling it an “illegal attempt to regulate the federal government” and saying that it would compromise the safety of federal officers.

Threatening federal agents with prosecution for concealing their identities during detentions “chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations,” the agency said.

“The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect the privacy and safety of law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like New Jersey’s,” Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in a statement.

In February, a federal judge preliminarily blocked a similar law in California that barred federal agents from concealing their faces while working.

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Son of Norwegian Diplomats, Who Inherited $10M From Jeffrey Epstein’s Will, Commits Suicide Days After Police Launch Investigation on His Parents

Late sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s impact on Norway keeps producing nefarious outcomes.

Since the US DOJ released the ‘Epstein files’, a lot of activity has been going on in the Norwegian kingdom, notably around Crown Princess Mette-Marit, who is suffering deep reputational damage, and former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, who is under criminal investigation.

But a horrifying development involved diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen and his wife Mona Juul, a former ambassador.

Days after an investigation into their ties to Epstein was launched, their 25-year-old son has reportedly died by suicide.

Daily Mail reported:

“Edward Juul Rod-Larsen, 25, was found dead in Oslo on Wednesday, just days after Norwegian and French police launched a joint investigation into his parents,

[…] ‘It stands in the shadow of months of a public spotlight that has long since ceased to be critical, and has instead become suspicious, speculative and at times limitless. A spotlight that has not only affected two parents, but has also drawn their children involuntarily into the relentless machinery of the public,’ [his family] lawyers wrote.

‘Speculating on connections is both irresponsible and undignified. Suicide is always complex. There is never one explanation, never one cause, never one blame’.”

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