Iran doubts Trump's credibility (get in line); approval ratings tank; dumbest conspiracy theory; A.I.'s bad press continues
It's National Jelly Bean Day!
Happy Earth Day!
The melody is familiar- composed by Rowland Prichard, “Hyfrydol”, a Welsh hymn song, has been used as the melody of many Christian hymns since its introduction in 1830. In 2001, singer-songwriter Peter Mayer wrote new lyrics for the classic tune. “Blue Boat Home,” Mayer said, grapples with the idea that “we are on a planet in an unimaginably vast universe, and we’re all connected, and we are all one big family of life, and our bodies are made of stardust.” One reason it connects with so many people, he says, is that it’s “an accessible metaphor talking about something very vast and sometimes very overwhelming.” It’s a rather odd hymn in that it makes no references to a deity or the supernatural, which is probably why the Unitarian Universalist church added it to its 2005 hymnal; surveys reveal it’s the most popular song in the collection.
It’s particularly appropriate given the recent Artemis II lunar mission. I’m surprised that it hasn’t popped up in a Star Trek or The Expanse episode or, for that matter, why it isn’t the unofficial “astronaut’s hymn” especially since it’s not tied to any specific religious dogma but elegantly describes our place in the vast universe.
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The newsletter is published Monday through Thursday (holidays and medical procedures excepted).
—Kevin G. Barkes
(Most) everything you need to know for today:
April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 253 days remain until the end of the year. As of this writing, 1,003 days remain in Trump’s term of office.
Knee-deep in the hoopla:
The latest on the Iran war from the Associated Press. (Use this link if other is not working. Then check back later and use the first link.)
Iran’s doubts about Trump’s credibility complicate peace process. Iranian leaders fear being burned again by President Trump, who tore up a nuclear agreement reached during the Obama administration after lengthy negotiations. (New York Times gift article.)
Trump’s approval on economy falls in AP-NORC poll, showing new warning signs for president. Trump’s approval rating on the economy dropped to 30% in April from 38% in a March AP-NORC poll. A similarly low share of U.S. adults, 32%, approve of the president’s leadership on Iran, which is unchanged since last month. (AP)
Trump media company replaces CEO, ex-congressman Nunes after stock plunge that wiped out billions. After soaring shortly before Trump’s re-election in November 2024, stock in the company plunged 67%, wiping out more than $6 billion in investor wealth. (AP)
Pete Hegseth scraps mandatory flu shots for U.S. service members. The Navy and Marine Corps Force Health Protection Command warns that because the flu can spread quickly, outbreaks "may be widespread and can adversely impact Navy and Marine Corps force readiness and mission execution." But what do they know? (CBS News)
Texas can require Ten Commandments in classrooms, US appeals court rules. Even the current conservative Supreme Court will bounce this one… if they agree to hear it. (Reuters)
The single dumbest conspiracy theory of 2026. The “disappearing scientists” story is, in its way, a remarkable achievement. (The Atlantic gift article)
Midterms get even worse for Senate Republicans—thanks to Trump. The Cook Political Report adjusted the ratings Monday for four Senate battles in favor of Democrats, as President Donald Trump’s leadership has resulted in an “increasingly sour national environment for Republicans.” The odds of Democrats retaking the Senate may be increasing. (The New Republic)
Virginia voters approve redistricting plan that could boost Democrats’ seats in Congress. (AP)
WHO warning: High percentage of common infections worldwide are no longer responsive to antibiotics. (Earth.com)
Concern grows that AI Is damaging users’ cognitive abilities. Students using ChatGPT “consistently underperformed at neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels,” researchers found. (Futurism)
OpenAI under criminal probe in Florida over mass shooter’s ChatGPT use. Investigation seeks to determine responsibility for attack that killed two people; chatbot advised suspect on weapon and timing, Florida’s attorney general says. The investigation marks one of the first attempts to hold an artificial intelligence company criminally liable for deaths. (Wall Street Journal gift article)
Thinking of using a chatbot for medical advice? Read this first. (Washington Post gift article) For the heck of it, I fed the results of my blood tests, ultrasound, PET/CT scan, and bone marrow biopsy into ChatGPT and asked for a plain English explanation, suggested course of treatment, and prognosis. According to the human doctor on my case, its analysis was right on the money. Go figure.
Yellowstone wolf steals sign warning tourists about hungry grizzly bears. Apparently stupid people taunting bison isn’t getting the job done. (Cowboy State Daily)
Late Night:
CNN to Air Political Comedy Special on Eve of White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Since this Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner might be short on laughs—a mentalist, not a comedian, will be the featured entertainer with President Trump in attendance—CNN aims to pick up the slack with a political comedy special airing the night before.
If you watch only one video, make it this one:
The Daily Show: Another edition of The Worst Wing: Kash Patel denies excessive drinking and labor secretary’s family plays HR Violation Bingo. (Video)
Jimmy Kimmel Live: Trump extends Iran ceasefire again, reads from Bible, and Tucker Carlson apologizes for supporting him. (Video)
Late Night with Stephen Colbert: Stephen fixed Red Lobster's new "Endless Shrimp" commercial, President Trump claimed he would have won the Vietnam war "very quickly," and Spirit airlines could go out of business as the war against Iran roils the global energy supply. (Video)
Cold Open: Tonight On TMZ DC (Video)
Late Night with Seth Meyers: Trump says he will reach Iran peace deal “the nice way or the hard way”. (Video)
Keep scrolling… lots of interesting stuff in Quote of the Day, Holidays, On This Day, Birthdays, and Deaths. I can pretty much guarantee you’ll learn something new.
History highlight:
1970 – The first Earth Day was celebrated.
Quote of the day:
The people of this world must unite or they will perish.
--J. Robert Oppenheimer (Wikipedia link)
(More J. Robert Oppenheimer quotes from the KGB Quotations Database)
Today’s holidays:
“In God We Trust” Day, Administrative Professionals Day, April Showers Day, Chemists Celebrate the Earth Day, Earth Day, Girl Scout Leader’s Day, International Mother Earth Day, and National Jelly Bean Day.
On This Day:
2019 – “Avengers: Endgame” premiered in Los Angeles. (Video)
2016 – The Paris Agreement was signed, an agreement to help fight global warming.
2004 – Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
1992 – A series of gas explosions ripped through the streets in Guadalajara, Mexico, killing 206.
1991 – Johnny Carson announced he would retire as host of The Tonight Show the following year.
1989 – 100,000 Chinese students gathered at Tiananmen Square, demand to meet Li Peng.
1978 – The Blues Brothers made their world premiere on “Saturday Night Live”. (Video)
1977 – Optical fiber was first used to carry live telephone traffic.
1976 – Barbara Walters became the first female US nightly network news anchor, co-anchoring ABC World News Tonight with Harry Reasoner.
1970 – The first Earth Day was celebrated.
1969 – British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston won the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race and completed the first solo non-stop circumnavigation of the world.
1967 – The McDonald’s Big Mac debuted. The price: 45 cents.
1954 – Red Scare: Witnesses began testifying and live television coverage of the Army–McCarthy hearings began.
1945 – Hitler admitted defeat to those in his underground bunker.
1915 – World War I: The use of poison gas in World War I escalated when chlorine gas was released as a chemical weapon in the Second Battle of Ypres.
1889 – At noon, thousands scrambled to claim land in the Land Rush of 1889. Within hours the cities of Oklahoma City and Guthrie were formed with populations of at least 10,000.
1876 – The first National League baseball game is played at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia.
(For more comprehensive lists of the day’s historical events, check here, here, and here.)
Some Birthdays:
2011 – Violet McGraw, American actress
1990 – Machine Gun Kelly, American rapper, singer, songwriter, actor
1986 – Amber Heard, American actress
1967 – Sherri Shepherd, American actress, comedian, and television personality
1966 – Jeffrey Dean Morgan, American actor
1959 – Ryan Stiles, American-Canadian actor and comedian
1952 – Marilyn Chambers, American actress
1950 – Peter Frampton, English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer
1946 – John Waters, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter
1944 – Steve Fossett, American businessman, pilot, and sailor (died 2007)
1939 – Jason Miller, American actor and playwright (died 2001)
1939 – Mel Carter, American singer and actor
1937 – Jack Nitzsche, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and conductor (died 2000)
1937 – Jack Nicholson, American actor and producer
1936 – Glen Campbell, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor (died 2017) (Video)
1928 – Estelle Harris, American actress and comedian (died 2022)
1926 – Charlotte Rae, American actress and singer (died 2018)
1923 – Bettie Page, American model and actress (died 2008)
1923 – Aaron Spelling, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (died 2006)
1904 – J. Robert Oppenheimer, American physicist and academic (died 1967)
1899 – Vladimir Nabokov, Russian-born novelist and critic (died 1977)
1891 – Nicola Sacco, Italian-American anarchist (died 1927)
1870 – Vladimir Lenin, Russian revolutionary and founder of Soviet Russia (died 1924)
1724 – Immanuel Kant, German anthropologist, philosopher, and academic (died 1804)
1707 – Henry Fielding, English novelist and playwright (died 1754)
(A more complete list of today’s birthdays.)
Some Deaths:
2023 – Len Goodman, English ballroom dancer and television personality (born 1944)
2020 – Shirley Knight, American actress (born 1936)
2013 – Richie Havens, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1941)
1996 – Erma Bombeck, American journalist and author (born 1927)
1994 – Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States (born 1913)
1984 – Ansel Adams, American photographer and environmentalist (born 1902)
1983 – Earl Hines, American pianist and bandleader (born 1903)
1978 – Will Geer, American actor (born 1902)
1933 – Henry Royce, English engineer and businessman, co-founded Rolls-Royce Limited (born 1863)
1778 – James Hargreaves, British inventor (born 1720)
1616 – Miguel de Cervantes, Spanish novelist, poet, and playwright (born 1547)
(A more complete list of today’s deaths.)
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