Fool Me Once…Part 1

History 10 Minutes

Happy April Fools’ Day!  I found an interesting article on the some of the best April Fools’ pranks ever pulled on the History Collection website. Enjoy!

From: historycollection.com:

Nobody is certain when the custom of setting aside the first day of April to pull pranks on the unsuspecting began. Records of pranks go back centuries. There are reports of people hoaxing their fellows as far back as the early 16th century in France, at a time when the New Year was celebrated on March 25, one week earlier than April 1. Pranks were considered part of the New Year celebration. By the late 16th century, the event was recorded in the Low Countries, and it appeared in the British Isles a century or so later. In England, public announcements of a ceremony to wash the lions – statues at the Tower of London – appeared in 1698, though no such event took place.

In any event, throughout the history of the western world, April 1 became the date when harmless pranks were pulled on friends and strangers – and some have been epic. News organizations, governments, and private individuals have generated hoaxes for their own amusement and for the entertainment of others, at the same time demonstrating both their power and the gullibility of sections of the public. Here are some of the best April Fools pranks of all time, which when perpetrated demonstrated the brilliance of the prankster, and the foolishness of those taken in.

1. The Curious Case of Sidd Finch, April 1, 1985

Just before Opening Day, 1985, Sports Illustrated ran an article in their April 1 edition describing a unique phenomenon in the New York Mets training camp. His name was Hayden Siddhartha Finch – known to his teammates as Sidd – and he was capable of throwing a baseball at the unheard of speed of 168 miles per hour, with astonishing accuracy. He was a master of yoga, a dropout from Harvard University, disliked wearing shoes, and preferred playing the French horn to baseball. The article was accompanied by photographs, and the Mets organization played along, assigning both a locker and a uniform number to the fictitious pitcher (21). The response from the public and other media was immediate.

Mets fans called the team’s offices for additional information about Sidd. Sportswriters flocked to the Mets spring training facilities for a glimpse. A press conference was held on April 2, attended by the three major networks at the time, during which Sidd’s retirement was announced. The story, which had been written by George Plimpton, was revealed to have been an April Fools’ joke on the fifteenth of that month, but by then an uncounted number of people had been taken in. The absurdity of the tale and the absence of Finch in camp aside, many believed the story, and the Mets continued to field questions about the pitcher who never was for weeks.

2. The spaghetti harvest in Switzerland, April 1, 1957

In 1957 the British Broadcasting Corporation ran a segment on their popular television program Panorama, presented by the widely respected newsman, called a presenter in the UK, Richard Dimbleby. The three minute segment depicted spaghetti being harvested from the trees on which it had been grown in Switzerland. The report described a bumper crop of Swiss spaghetti, in part because the Swiss government had successfully eradicated the spaghetti weevil. Footage of an annual spaghetti harvest festival was included in the segment. Dimbleby’s deadpan voice-over and his reputation as a newsman gave the segment the air of authenticity, and over eight million Britons watched the program.

How many of them were fooled is unknown, but the BBC received hundreds of telephone calls in the aftermath, many of them asking how they could successfully grow their own spaghetti. Spaghetti was a recently introduced food in the UK in the late 1950s, usually purchased already prepared in tomato sauce in cans, which the British refer to as tins. It was considered somewhat exotic, even in that less than delicious presentation. Callers were told to try to seed their spaghetti in tomato sauce. Decades later the spaghetti hoax was described by CNN as one of the greatest ever pulled by a professional news organization, no matter how unbelievable it seems today.

3. Make your own color television, April 1, 1962

In 1962 Sweden had but one television channel, SVT (Sveriges Television) and the vast majority of television sets in the country were black and white receivers. SVT broadcast its programming in black and white as well, there were no color programs available for airing. On April 1, 1962, its leading technical expert appeared during a news broadcast, with the important news of a technological breakthrough which would allow Swedes to view the channel’s programming in what became known to an American network as “living color”. All they had to do was place an ordinary woman’s nylon stocking across the face of their television screen.

The expert, whose name was Kjell Stensson, demonstrated the process on the air, and the public responded with alacrity. According to Stensson, it was the mesh of the nylon which generated the color in the pictures appearing on the screen, though remember they were being broadcast in black and white. Hundreds, if not thousands, reported successfully obtaining a color image. After the report was revealed to be an April Fools’ Day joke, the number of Swedes who admitted being taken in dropped dramatically. By the way, color television broadcasts did not appear in Sweden until 1970, also on April 1, when it was no longer necessary to have a pair of nylons to receive the transmission.

4. The day the world became lighter, April 1, 1976

Early in the morning of April 1, 1976, the BBC radio station 2 presented an interview with noted astronomer Patrick Moore. Moore announced to his interviewer, and thus to listeners, that later that same morning a rare planetary alignment would occur which would have an effect on the gravitational forces on earth. At precisely 9.47 AM in Great Britain the affect would be at its peak. According to Moore if people were to jump into the air at that time they would achieve heights which up to then had been reachable only by NBA players, and some may even be able to float in the air for an extended period.

The appointed time came and went, and the BBC began receiving calls from listeners who reported successfully accomplishing the feat predicted by Moore in the interview. Hundreds of callers reported being able to reach unforeseen heights, and remaining suspended in mid-air for incredible lengths of time. Others claimed that they had been lifted out of their chairs, with no effort on their part, and floated about the room. How many of the callers were simply playing along with the joke and how many were actually taken in is unknown, but BBC 2 and Moore never revealed the idea had been made up by pranksters in the studio, and the affable Moore went along with the joke.

5. A German joke became American news, April 1, 1934

On April Fools’ Day, 1934, a Berlin newspaper published a photograph which showed a man flying using an apparatus which was powered by his own breathing. The man exhaled into a box worn on his chest, his breath causing rotors to spin and create suction, which according to the accompanying article lifted him into the air. Skis attached to his feet were used to land, and a tail fin was strapped to his back, affording him the capability of steering while airborne. The entire article and photograph was clearly a joke, in accordance with the date of its publication in Germany. American wire services picked up the story, and it appeared in American newspapers, one of which was the New York Times, later in the week.

The American newspapers received the story days after it appeared in Germany, and the significance of the date of publication was lost on them. In the United States the story ran as being real news. It was distributed throughout the United States by Hearst International. Newspapers which subscribed to Hearst carried stories which described the invention as a miraculous new means of man achieving flight, and even speculated on the invention’s potential impact on transportation and daily commuting. Gradually the newspapers came to realize that the whole story had been a joke, and the reports of a breath powered aviator faded out.

6. The Norwegian wine bottle shortage, April 1, 1950

The most widely read newspaper in Norway published a story on its front page on April 1, 1950, which described a dilemma faced by the Vinmonopolet, the wine monopoly in Norway which was owned and operated by the government. According to the story, the monopoly faced an overstock of barreled wine, and at the same time a severe shortage of bottles to fill in order to present the wine for sale to the public. In order to alleviate the glut and distribute the wine, the monopoly would sell at a deep discount, and for just that day tax-free, the wine to individuals who arrived at markets with vessels with which to carry the beverage home. The article recommended buckets.

Dutiful Norwegians formed long lines, laden with the recommended buckets, though some brought with them pitchers, empty bottles, and other vessels to carry their share of the inexpensive wine they felt was their due. Gradually realizing that the lines were not moving, or moving very slowly as those at the head of the line realized they’d been had, the disappointed Norwegian wine drinkers went home, many of them leaving their buckets – the symbol that they had been duped – behind. Who placed the story in the newspaper – whether a government official or an impish editor – was never revealed.

7. The wasp swarm in Auckland, April 1, 1949

In late March every year New Zealand radio stations are warned against perpetrating April Fools’ Day hoaxes on the air, as being a violation of the standards expected of news organizations. The warning came about in the aftermath of an April Fools’ Day joke in 1949. That year a disk jockey by the name of Phil Shone broadcast a report of a swarm of wasps, more than one mile wide, approaching Auckland. Shone exclaimed on the damage the swarm could do to persons who were inundated by it, and told his listeners to take precautions to protect themselves from being stung. He advised them to place traps baited with honey outside their abodes, to keep the wasps from entering the home.

For those who had to go out, he recommended that all skin be covered, with masks and gloves. He also suggested that socks be pulled up over the cuffs of trousers for those forced to be outside. The image of New Zealanders clad as he recommended was no doubt amusing to him, but there were those who did not find the joke entertaining. The New Zealand Broadcast Service determined that the hoax was a violation of the standards all broadcasters were duty bound to meet, and the annual reminder appeared the following year, and every year hence.

8. The Hawaiian tax refund, April 1, 1954

It was another disk jockey, at Hawaii’s KHON radio, who created a frenzy through an April Fools’ Day joke in 1954. The radio station announced that the United States had granted statehood to the territory, and as a result, Hawaiians were to receive refunds on the income taxes paid for 1953. IRS offices in the islands and on the mainland were flooded with calls from citizens demanding additional information. So were radio stations, television stations, congressional offices, savings and loans, and banks. The entire territory of Hawaii, not then as populated as today, was placed in a frenzy before cooler heads prevailed.

The situation of residents of Hawaii, who paid federal income taxes but were not granted full rights as citizens of the United States, had been much in the news. Tax relief for the islanders had been discussed among members of Congress, including those lobbying for statehood for the islands. The joke did little other than roil the islands for a few days, before it was demonstrably proven false. Statehood was not granted to the islands until 1959, and Hawaiians were never refunded the income taxes they paid before statehood was achieved.

9. Americans land on the moon, April 1, 1967

To Americans, the drive to land on the moon by the end of the decade was in limbo in the spring of 1967. A disastrous and tragic fire which killed three astronauts in January of that year had shaken confidence in the space program. Congress was divided on whether to continue to pursue President Kennedy’s vision. But on April 1 of that year, listeners to Radio Zurich in Switzerland were informed that the Americans had landed on the moon. The news was broadcast in a breathless, rushed fashion, complete with winded reporters rushing to their mikes to deliver the latest information, barely able to control their breathing as the story unfolded.

The good citizens of Zurich were informed of the time the American spaceship would depart the moon to return to earth, and encouraged to head for rural areas where, once away from the light pollution of the city, they would be able to view the departure. Thousands did. Even American officials in Switzerland were taken in by the hoax, which was the brainchild of Radio Zurich’s Hans Menge, a respected news broadcaster. The April Fools’ Day hoax was even monitored by the Soviets, though their radar capabilities caused them to question what they were hearing from the Swiss. The Americans finally did land on the moon over two years later, in July 1969.

10. Converting soil into food, April 1, 1878

The New York Daily Graphic was a newspaper which relied on illustrations rather than writers to deliver the news of the day. It was filled with both original artwork and the reproductions of others. It was the first American newspaper to present a daily weather map, provided by an obliging government, which paid the paper to print it for the benefit of its readers. On April Fools’ Day, 1878, the Graphic presented its readers with an illustrated story which described Thomas Edison, then on the crest of fame for his invention of the phonograph, having created a machine which converted dirt into edible protein. His machine could also emulate the Wedding at Cana, converting water into wine.

According to the Graphic, Edison’s invention forever solved the problem of hunger in the world, since the minerals in the soil could be shaped into food without the pesky delay of growing wheat, or corn, or some other comestible. Competing newspapers reprinted the Graphic’s reporting, and Edison was fervently praised on editorial pages across the country. When editors for the Graphic learned of the story being repeated around the country they took the opportunity to needle their compatriots in the media, reprinting their reports, and gloating over the fact that their competitors had bought into their April Fools’ Day hoax. The writer of the hoax, William Croffut, gave birth to Edison’s moniker, “the Wizard of Menlo Park”.

SOURCE: HISTORYCOLLECTION.COM

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Published by pat frederick

Published

121 thoughts on “Fool Me Once…Part 1”

    1. Good morning, Pat! It rained off-and-on all night, sometimes very heavy, but at least the temp is above freezing @ 37 but windy again. No sign of Wheezer yet but I’m guessing he’s hunkered down somewhere out of the rain.

      I have to wish a Happy Birthday to my sweet daughter, Heather Brianna! She would be 45 today. And yes, she always got teased for having a BD on April Fool’s Day. We spent the night on the beach at Chesapeake, VA.

      Liked by 2 people

          1. my son has my Dad’s blue blue eyes, but he looks like me too. the only nod to his birth father was the tow head color of his birth–but that has darkened (like his dad’s as well). otherwise no resemblance.

            Liked by 2 people

            1. Odd but both of mine had their Father’s eye color (blue) whereas mine are green – my Mom’s eyes are blue, tho. But they got my hair color and facial features – especially my nose, sad to say! LOL

              Liked by 1 person

  6. TheseTruths

    TheseTruths(@thesetruths)

    Offline

    Wolf

    April 1, 2025 01:13

    DOGE Designer:

    ELON MUSK: “Someone is going to be arrested tomorrow. He actually stole 400,000 social security numbers & personal information from the Social Security database and was selling social security numbers in order for people to basically steal money from Social Security.”

    He elaborates more in the video, 2 minutes long.

    Liked by 2 people

  8. EXCERPT: “Over the course of 2024, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory laid off nearly 900 workers due to budget cuts at the agency. The cuts, which came amid delays on the Mars Sample Return program, a mission to collect dust and rocks from the red planet, reduced the lab’s headcount by 13 percent and impacted both technical and support staff.

    But the jet propulsion laboratory’s chief inclusion officer, Neela Rajendra, survived the cuts. Rajendra, who helped organize a project to recruit women and minorities to the space industry, has argued that “extreme deadline[s]” are an obstacle to “inclusion,” stating on a 2022 podcast that “some people might be left behind” by the “super fast pace.”

    The comment came two years before a pair of NASA astronauts were stranded on the International Space Station for nine months due to a faulty propulsion system, raising questions about why the agency had spent millions on DEI when it couldn’t even bring back space rocks from Mars or its own employees from orbit.

    The cuts to the laboratory, which creates land rovers and re-entry systems, had not impacted Rajendra’s role. But by early March, it seemed like her number was finally up.

    NASA had closed its central diversity office and fired 23 employees in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order banning DEI in the federal government. The jet propulsion lab, meanwhile, had begun to “alter, remove, or reroute” web pages related to DEI, lab director Laurie Leshin told staff in an email. Though the laboratory is administered by the California Institute of Technology, meaning its staff are not civil servants, it is still owned by NASA and funded by the federal government…..”

    https://freebeacon.com/campus/nasas-jet-propulsion-lab-laid-off-900-workers-due-to-budget-cuts-but-hasnt-fired-its-top-dei-officer/

    Liked by 1 person

  9. EXCERPT: “The Trump administration is launching a review of Harvard University’s grants and contracts, citing the school’s “failure to protect students on campus from anti-Semitic discrimination” and its promotion of “divisive ideologies over free inquiry.” If Harvard fails to take “meaningful actions” on those issues as early as this week, the administration will “not hesitate” to terminate funds, a source familiar with the probe told the Washington Free Beacon.

    The move is the first step in a regulatory fight between the Trump administration and Harvard that is almost certain to escalate.

    A source familiar with the probe said the anti-Semitism task force is “laser focused on Harvard” and will be “equally aggressive” with the school as it was with Columbia University. In that case, the administration launched an identical funding review on March 3, slashed $400 million in federal funding on March 7, and sent a list of policy demands that it called “preconditions” for “formal negotiations regarding Columbia University’s continued financial relationship with the United States government” on March 13.

    Harvard agreed to make some changes aimed at curbing anti-Semitism in January, when it settled a lawsuit with a group of Jewish students. Though the Trump administration’s press release announcing the funding review cites those “recent actions” as “welcome,” it also makes clear that the school must do “much more” to “retain the privilege of receiving federal taxpayers’ hard earned dollars.”……

    https://freebeacon.com/campus/trump-admin-to-review-9-billion-in-harvard-grants-and-contracts-over-anti-semitic-discrimination-and-divisive-ideologies/

    Liked by 1 person

        1. this is why income tax needs to be reduced or eliminated, that money is a draw for everyone to drink for free ON OUR BACKS!
          they got endowments, tuition…they are not a charity!

          Liked by 1 person

  11. Pegon Zellschmidt

    April 1, 2025 8:58 am

    This is getting interesting. Trump is going to have to pardon all ICE agents and LEO working with them before he leaves office, otherwise Democrats will hunt them down and incarcerate them all.

    BREAKING: A Boston sanctuary city activist judge just held an ICE Agent in contempt of court for arresting an illegal alien subject to deportation as he left the courthouse.

    Democrat judges are defying federal law to keep criminal aliens, murderers & rapists in America. pic.twitter.com/xl1Reu3woX

    — Dapper Detective (@Dapper_Det) April 1, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Wall Street Apes
    @WallStreetApes
    Federal Judges are not supposed to be ordering universal injunctions. The DOJ has even been trying to stop this for years

    “How can a federal judge issue an order that affects everybody else other than those in front of him or her? How is that possible?”

    “It shouldn’t be possible”

    “I thought that if you wanted to effect parties who aren’t in court, you had to file a class action”

    “That’s correct — The Department of Justice makes that argument all the time in our briefs. think in many cases, class actions would be inappropriate”

    “I read Article 3, which defines judicial power. Where does it mention universal injunction?”

    “It does not”

    “Federal judges, you render a decision to a plaintiff or a defendant, but you can’t impact people outside of your courtroom other than through a class action.”

    All of this lawfare should have never been legal to begin with

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Liked by 2 people

  14. Just The News: “The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency should know when a noncitizen becomes a criminal defendant in Pennsylvania, according to a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The one-page bill cleared the state Senate on Monday 31-18, with four Democrats joining the chamber’s 27 Republicans in a yes vote.

    Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Johnstown, said the legislation’s “simple” language reaffirms that being in the country without permission is a crime. It also means that defendants would be transferred to federal custody for deportation. “This legislation is common sense,” he said. “If you’re in our country illegally, and you violate the laws, you will be held accountable.”

    Lawmakers pointed to high-profile violent crimes perpetrated by noncitizens, including the rape and murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas; the assault of two police officers in New York City; and 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student who was killed while out on a jog on in Athens, Ga., in February 2024.

    Riley’s death inspired an eponymous federal law that requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to detain noncitizens who have been charged with or convicted of theft or violent crimes.

    Riley’s killer, Venezuelan citizen Jose Antonio Ibarra, was arrested after illegally crossing the Texas border in 2022. Federal authorities released him to a migrant shelter in New York City before he relocated to Georgia in an apartment complex roughly 1 mile from where Riley’s body was found. He’d faced charges for driving violations and theft before the murder, according to law enforcement.

    “There are too many tragedies, too many American families hurt, that could have been avoided if ICE and our state and local authorities were aligned on upholding our immigration laws,” said Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-Allentown.

    A similar bill passed the Senate last year, though it was not considered in the House.”

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order aimed at cracking down on the massive amount of ticket scalping and reselling that has taken place in recent years, resulting in record-high ticket prices. 

    Although initially-set ticket prices have not fluctuated much in recent years, scalpers and bots have notoriously grabbed up the tickets for high-demand events and concerts, including tickets to see award-winning performers like Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Ariana Grande, drastically increasing their prices. 

    The order directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) and state officials to enforce laws that prevent fans from being overcharged for the tickets. The directive also instructs the Treasury, FTC and DOJ to deliver a report within 180 days that summarizes the actions taken to address the issue of unfair practices, and make recommendations for additional regulations to help protect consumers.

    Musician Kid Rock joined the president at the White House when he signed the order, and stated that price-gouging practices have been going on for over a decade. The artist is a known Trump supporter, and performed at the Republican National Convention last year. 

    “Anyone who’s bought a concert ticket in the last decade, maybe 20 years, no matter what your politics are, knows it’s a conundrum,” Kid Rock told reporters.

    The president is not the first person to try and fix the ticket issues. Former President Joe Biden last year tried to crack down on junk fees from sellers like Live Nation, The Hill reported.”

    Liked by 2 people

    1. when the news starred spreading about Joann’s bankruptcy, employees (maybe) and others purchased as much of the fabric as they could at sale prices. they have begun selling it at exaggerated prices on a site called etsy. for example i ordered a yard of fabric sale priced at $6.99 a yard. i ordered online and was told i would receive an email when it shipped. 2 weeks later i was told it was no longer available. I immediately checked etsy. some seller was selling it for $24.99 a yard!

      Liked by 2 people

      2. Yeah, I don’t like Etsy. I checked into it some time ago, IIRC, and I think you had to use PayPal at that time, which I refuse to do (since I read the fine print!)

        Liked by 1 person

  16. Just The News: “President Donald Trump on Monday announced that he will be traveling to the Middle East in the coming weeks as his first foreign trip of his second presidential term. 

    The president did not give a specific timeline for when the trip would take place, or for how long. But he is expected to visit both Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the latter of which has committed to investing $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years, The Hill reported.

    Trump made the Middle East the first foreign trip of his first term as well, with a visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel in 2017. “I have a very good relationship with the Middle East,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday.

    The president previously stated that he could also meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Qatar at some point to discuss peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. It is not clear if the meeting will take place as soon as next month.”

    Liked by 1 person

  18. I don’t agree with Luna on this issue. I see no reason whatsoever that a Mom can’t leave her baby long enough to vote!!! If breast-feeding is the issue: PUMP, WOMAN!!! And claiming they were “bribed?” WTH, lady – get real!

    Just The News: “House Speaker Mike Johnson is set Monday to reject a bipartisan petition led by GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna to allow new moms in Congress to vote by proxy. The petition asks that such members be allowed to delegate their voting authority to a fellow member who would vote for them on Capitol Hill.

    The petition reportedly has 218 signatures, including 11 Republicans, which represents more than half of the House’s 432 members now. The number of signatures will allow Luna, who gave birth two years ago while serving in the House, to force a full House vote on the measure.

    However, Johnson opposes the proxy process on the argument that it’s unconstitutional. 

    “What does it tell other younger women who are wanting to run for office? You can’t vote because you have a baby?” Luna recently said. “That’s so backwards and archaic.”

    The Florida Republican is working on the effort with Colorado Democratic Rep. Brittany Pettersen, who also had a baby while serving in office. Luna claimed last week that House Republicans were bribed, without offering any specific proof, by members of their conference to block the petition.”

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Liked by 1 person

  19. Oh, FFS! Why do the taxpayers need to pay for their fricking meals???? How about all the liquor??? Not to mention pharmaceuticals – all delivered to Congress on a regular basis!

    EXCERPT: “House members, during their busy legislative session, which is focused on budgets and proposed tax breaks, are also taking time to complain about the food at the chamber’s cafeterias and possibly make changes. 

    “You came to Congress. You’re so excited. I’m in this brand new office. It’s beautiful. I have this amazing staff,” Democratic Texas Rep. Julie Johnson told the news outlet NOTUS, which reported the story Monday. “And I am amazed at how terrible the food is here, given the fact that we’re the most powerful country in the world.”

    Democratic New York Rep. Joe Morelle expressed similar concerns.

    “I would like there to be, frankly, more options for people, healthier options for people,” he told NOTUS. “Obviously, one of the things we’re always concerned about is just quality and the cost – to make it affordable for people who work here to be able to access quality food. So yeah, we’ve talked at length about it.”

    The news outlet didn’t specify whether the lawmakers talked about the cafeterias in the Cannon, Longworth or Rayburn office buildings or the members-only dining room.

    Morelle is the top Democrat on the House Administration Committee, which oversees House restaurants and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. Thus, he could be responsible for changing food options.

    Two other Democrats, not identified by NOTUS, told the news source they bring food from home because they don’t like the cafeteria food…..”

    https://justthenews.com/government/congress/quest-replace-worst-food-congress-notus

    Liked by 2 people

  20. Just The News: “The Treasury Department on Monday announced that it is sanctioning seven entities and six individuals believed to be connected to a money-laundering scheme tied to the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

    The Sinaloa Cartel is considered one of the most notorious drug trafficking cartels in the world, and the United States has already labeled it a Foreign Terrorist Organization. 

    “Laundered drug money is the lifeblood of the Sinaloa Cartel’s narco-terrorist enterprise, only made possible through trusted financial facilitators like those we have designated today,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.  “Treasury, as part of a whole-of-government approach to addressing this pressing national security threat, will use all available tools to target anyone who assists the cartels in furthering their campaign of crime and violence.”

    The new sanctions target suspected money launderers for the organization.”

    Liked by 1 person

  22. EXCERPT: “For years, Lebanese-American businessman Marcus Lemonis has been raising enormous versions of the stars and stripes over his Camping World RV dealerships across the nation. As some of those American flags have faced legal challenges, including presently in Greenville, North Carolina and Sevierville, Tennessee, Lemonis vowed that he would not be moved by a city council’s vote, even if it meant time behind bars.

    “While I respect the city council’s position and while I understand they have the right to sue me, and they’re going to, and I understand I have the right to defend myself, the flag is never coming down,” he told WITN after the Greenville City Council voted 4-2 to authorize civil action over an alleged city code violation for the 40′ x 80′ flag on a 130′ tall pole, 50′ taller than permissible. “Not when they sue, not when I lose, not if they take me to jail, the flag is not coming down.”

    Holding the same stance in Tennessee ahead of an April 15 court date, Lemonis took to X early Tuesday morning and addressed “Any town USA” about the flags at his dealerships as well as at Shulers BBQ in South Carolina and in the town of Grafton, Illinois.

    “These flags represent something personal to me. I came to this country from an orphanage in Beirut, Lebanon, at 9 months old. I grew up in a middle-class home where your work ethic was everything, maybe the only thing. Our family was in the Chevrolet Business and had the largest flag in Miami,” wrote the CEO, who was adopted by a family in Florida. “As a child, I used to tell everyone that one day I would have a business of my own and that…my flag would be bigger, like any child would.”…….

    https://americanwirenews.com/defiant-ceo-ready-for-jail-after-city-sues-for-colossal-american-flag-never-coming-down/

    Liked by 2 people

  23. the judge should be arrested for obstruction of justice. AND the illegal was arrested OUTSIDE the courtroom. he’s fair game there judge.

    California Joe

    California Joe

    April 1, 2025 10:52 am

    Boston Judge Holds ICE Agent in Contempt for Detaining Illegal Migrant-

    A Boston judge dismissed a criminal case against a migrant here in the United States illegally, citing prosecutorial misconduct after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained him during his criminal trial. The judge also held the arresting ICE agent in contempt of court for “egregious misconduct.”

    Wilson Martell-Lebron, a Dominican national, appeared in court last Thursday on charges for having provided false information on a license application, but when he left Boston’s Edward W. Brooke Courthouse, he was detained by ICE agents and placed in an unmarked SUV. Boston Municipal Court Judge Mark Summerville accused the agents of “obstructing justice,” adding that ICE agent Brian Sullivan “conspired in a premeditated manner” to take Martell-Lebron into custody, per Boston 25 News. Summerville even charged that Sullivan “intentionally” and “egregiously” Martell-Lebron’s rights under the 6th and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/04/01/boston-judge-holds-ice-agent-in-contempt-for-apprehending-illegal-immigrant-during-criminal-trial/

    Liked by 2 people

  24. Troublemaker10

    April 1, 2025 9:35 am

    Autism Capital 🧩
    @AutismCapital

    🚨NEW: Elon Musk says that the United States Institute of Peace deleted a terabyte of financial data linking them to funding the Taliban and Iraqi leaders but he and the DOGE team were able to recover the data due to the agency’s ineptitude with technology.
    2:01 AM · Apr 1, 2025
    ·

    🚨NEW: Elon Musk says that the United States Institute of Peace deleted a terabyte of financial data linking them to funding the Taliban and Iraqi leaders but he and the DOGE team were able to recover the data due to the agency’s ineptitude with technology.

    — Autism Capital 🧩 (@AutismCapital) April 1, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  27. China Delays $23B Sale of Panama Canal Ports to US-Backed Consortium Led by BlackRock

    China has held up the $23 billion sale of dozens of ports worldwide — including two key ports in the Panama Canal — to a group led by US investing giant BlackRock after President Trump expressed concern about Beijing’s sway over the strategic shipping lanes.

    On March 4, CK Hutchison, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate controlled by 96-year-old billionaire Li Ka-shing, announced plans to sell 43 port facilities globally — including critical ports at both ends of the Panama Canal and near the Suez Canal — for approximately $22.8 billion. But China’s State Administration for Market Regulation unexpectedly initiated an investigation on Friday into potential violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws, effectively stalling the deal.

    China President Xi Jinping is reportedly “angry” over CK Hutchison’s plans to sell its Panama Canal port operations — particularly because the company did not consult Beijing beforehand, according to the Wall Street Journal. The deal — spearheaded by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, a longtime Trump confidante — called for an agreement to be signed by April 2, though it now is likely that the Wednesday deadline will be missed. […]

    Insiders say Chinese leadership had hoped to leverage the port issue in its talks with the Trump administration, only to be caught off guard by the deal’s sudden progress. – New York Post

    Our Take: The last bit there caught my eye. The Chinese government was caught off guard by the speed of the Trump Administration… “by the deal’s sudden progress.”

    Set aside whether Xi and China are actually caught off guard, the speed is the point I wanted to spotlight. We regularly comment on how exhausting it is to cover the Trump Administration because they’re moving so fast.

    Imagine how our trade opponents and actual foreign adversaries feel. Accelerate. – Ashe in America

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Just The News: “U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Tuesday that she is directing federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for Luigi Mangione if he is convicted of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.

    “Mangione’s murder of Brian Thompson — an innocent man and father of two young children — was a premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America,” Bondi said in a statement, according to ABC News. “After careful consideration, I have directed federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty in this case as we carry out President Trump’s agenda to stop violent crime and Make America Safe Again.”

    Liked by 1 person

  30. “The shocking “trash” video out of London showing streets piled high with litter is not the exception.

    Countries across the Middle East and Africa are facing a trash crisis, and one fundamental element is the systemic littering seen in nearly all of these nations.

    Egypt is just one example: In one Egyptian publication, the author writes: “We Egyptians need to learn to internalize principles behind cleanliness, to understand that it is unacceptable to keep our homes clean at the expense of tossing trash on our stairwells, building entrances, street corners, and beyond.”

    45% of all Egyptian households simply dispose of their trash by dumping it on the streets, according to government data. That is how they handle trash in their own country.

    This same mentality, which is seen across much of the MENA countries, is now making itself present in the West.

    Even research papers conducted in Egypt acknowledge that not only is littering widespread in every community, but the government itself has taken no public education measures to combat the issue.

    It’s a major crisis from top to bottom, and if the streets of Paris and London are any guide, it will only get worse within Europe as well.”

    Liked by 1 person

  31. good. you want equal opportunities? be equally qualified!

    Winston

    April 1, 2025 11:31 am

    BREAKING: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is signing a new memo to implement the same standards for men and women in combat roles. pic.twitter.com/5h95hURV4O

    — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 31, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Well, that was FUBAR! Sheesh! Instead of going around on the hi-way, I cut thru on the gravel road from Tilden north towards home. It was the most likely one to still be driveable after all the rain and cuts thru to a hi-way that comes out just south of my house. And, of course, once I got to the hi-way, I discovered that they have it shut down for “repairs!” Again!!! SMDH – thankfully, it wasn’t too muddy and I didn’t slide but it was kind of hair-raising now and then! SMH

        Liked by 1 person

          1. Poor Michael….his big heart gets him in trouble! I was appalled at the condition of his house – he has always been a stickler about keeping it clean, organized and dust-free. Now his ex has completely taken over the entire first floor, with crap scattered here, there and everywhere! You can hardly walk thru the rooms! He has to play his guitar upstairs now, as well as basically living upstairs 90% of the time. Her cat doesn’t get along with his cat, so they have to keep them separated. It’s ridiculous!!!

            Her supposed “helper,” who is paid by the State, is also her meth dealer! Her cancer doctor knows she’s doing it but she’s terminal now and he just shrugs….but she can’t live in subsidized housing with meth, nor can she afford anything since her benefits are only $900/mo. But she can afford meth…..it’s a really awful situation all the way around! And she keeps buying more crap at the Dollar Store. I feel for him but he’s going to have to put his foot down if he wants any peace. She was originally only supposed to be there for a few weeks or a month – it’s been 4 months now!!!

            I actually considered letting her stay in my extra bedroom but quickly decided no way – I will NOT have meth in my house – period! IDC who you are or what your circumstances are!!!

            Liked by 1 person

  33. Clarion

    April 1, 2025 1:44 pm

    I missed this letter from the other day. Linda McMahon is awesome.

    JUST IN: Trump Education Secretary Linda McMahon just put California Governor Gavin Newsom ON NOTICE that he must follow the law and ban men in women’s sports – or lose federal funding.

    “As Secretary of Education, I am officially asking you to inform this Department whether you will remind schools in California to comply with federal law by protecting sex-separated spaces and activities. I am also officially asking you to publicly assure parents that California teachers will not facilitate the fantasy of ‘gender transitions’ for their children.”

    BOOM.

    🚨 JUST IN: Trump Education Secretary Linda McMahon just put California Governor Gavin Newsom ON NOTICE that he must follow the law and ban men in women’s sports – or lose federal funding.

    “As Secretary of Education, I am officially asking you to inform this Department whether… pic.twitter.com/6XU7Ncl8bD

    — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) March 27, 2025

    Liked by 2 people

  34. Troublemaker10

    April 1, 2025 1:41 pm

    Libs of TikTok
    @libsoftiktok

    Press Secretary SHUTS DOWN fake news hoax that Trump deported an innocent Maryland father:

    FACT 1: The individual was a member of the vicious MS-13 gang which Trump designated a foreign terrorist organization

    FACT 2: He was involved in human trafficking

    FACT 3: Foreign terrorists don’t have legal protections in the U.S.

    BOOM 🔥

    Video linked…

    Press Secretary SHUTS DOWN fake news hoax that Trump deported an innocent Maryland father:

    FACT 1: The individual was a member of the vicious MS-13 gang which Trump designated a foreign terrorist organization

    FACT 2: He was involved in human trafficking

    FACT 3: Foreign… pic.twitter.com/6BOKZTya1v

    — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) April 1, 2025

    Liked by 1 person

  35. what the hell are we paying them for??????
    Nick Sortor
    @nicksortor
    🚨 #BREAKING: After less than a day in session, the House is DONE for the week, Speaker Johnson says.

    This comes after a handful of Republicans joined all the Democrats to allow certain members to vote from their couches instead of coming in to work.

    Infuriating.

    “That rule being brought down means that we can’t have any further action on the floor this week. That means we will not be voting on the Save act for election integrity. We will not be voting on the rogue judges who are attacking President Trump’s agenda.
    We will not be taking down these terrible Biden policies with the CRA votes. All that was just wiped off the table”

    Liked by 1 person

  36. Oh, wonderful! Look out, NYC!!!

    Just The News: “The New York Department of Corrections plans to release prisoners en masse amid an ongoing prison strike in the Empire State, according to a memo obtained by Just the News.

    Corrections officers began striking in February over forced overtime and tough working conditions, blaming a 2022 state law for their worsening situation. The strike concluded in March, but has placed considerable burdens on the prison system.

    “In view of the current staffing crisis, and in order to have the appropriate balance between the safety and well-being of those working and residing in DOCCS Correctional Facilities and public safety, it is appropriate that I, as Commissioner, exercise my authority… to move individuals from the Department’s general confinement facilities, into Residential Treatment outcount status,” Commissioner Daniel Martuscello III wrote in the memo.

    Those guilty of class B-E violent felonies, sex offenses, and an array of other crimes will not be eligible, though Martuscello warned he expected a “large number” of inmates to qualify. He set an April 4 deadline for superintendents to submit the first list of possible releases.

    The release to will apply to those who have fewer than 110 days left until their scheduled release date and who have an approved residence. They must further report to a parole officer within 24 hours of release.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Daily Caller News Foundation

    “MyPillow Founder and CEO Mike Lindell announced Monday that he is considering running in Minnesota’s 2026 gubernatorial race. Lindell — a Minnesota resident — claimed that “no one wants” Walz as governor. Notably, incumbent two-term Democratic Gov. Minnesota Tim Walz is eligible to run for reelection, but his name has also been floated as a potential contender in the 2028 presidential race.

    “I live here in Minnesota,” Lindell said. “Everywhere I go, no one wants Tim Walz. They don’t. It’s like even if you … are a Democrat and you think he [Walz] is a good Democrat governor, they don’t even like him for what they did, these nonsensical things he did,” Lindell added.

    Lindell has been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump for many years, and has previously spoken at Trump campaign rallies. He previously considered making a gubernatorial bid in 2022 amid encouragement from Trump, and also considered making a run in 2018. “I’m looking at every single thing, option and doing my due diligence,” Lindell said of his potential gubernatorial bid.

    Former Vice President Kamala Harris selected Walz as her running mate in their failed 2024 White House bid. Walz notably told The New Yorker in an interview published March 2 that he would consider making his own presidential bid in 2028 if the circumstances and his “skill set” were right.

    The Democratic governor has faced pushback over some of the far-left initiatives he has promoted while in office, such as signing legislation in 2023 that mandates schools provide tampons in both girls’ and boys’ restrooms, which led to Trump and others giving him the nickname “Tampon Tim.”

    In March, Walz set off on a tour hosting town hall events in red-leaning districts across the U.S. The left-wing governor admitted in an interview with New York Magazine published Monday that he can sometimes be a “train wreck” because he speaks “from the heart,” also telling the outlet that he thinks the Democratic Party is too “timid.”

    Other people reportedly considering making a bid for the Minnesota governor’s mansion in 2026 include former Republican Minnesota gubernatorial nominee Scott Jensen, former Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Kendall Qualls, former Minnesota attorney general candidate Jim Schultz, and attorney Chris Madel.

    The 2026 Minnesota gubernatorial election is set to take place on Nov. 3. Lindell could not immediately be reached for comment.”

    Liked by 1 person

  39. Liked by 1 person

  40. EXCERPT: “Musician and Trump buddy Kid Rock brought comedian and often harsh Trump critic Bill Maher to have dinner with President Donald Trump and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White. During an interview with “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday, Rock admitted that,

     “Everyone was a little suspect about going into this. Even the President kind of alerted to me a little bit, like, ‘What do you got me doing,’ I go, ‘Man, we’re just trying to show people that, you know, even though we’ve been pretty hard on each other, that, when you get face to face, maybe we can have a little more civility in this country and try to bring people together. That was my whole intention.'” 

    But according to Kid, things could not have gone better. So much so that it surprised everyone. Rock went on to say that, while it is well known how liberal Bill Maher is, and that he has donated money to many Democrat politicians including Joe Biden and Barack Obama, he had never been to the White House. Rock continued, saying that Trump took everyone up to the private residence and also took them to see the Gettysburg Address and the Lincoln Bedroom. 

    At dinner, Rock said that they “talked about things we had in common, ending wokeness and securing the border. The president asked him what he thought about policy going on with Iran and Israel and things. It just blew my mind. I was very proud.” Lawrence Jones asked if Rock thought Maher walked away actually liking Trump, explaining that “Trump is the kind of person that you have to meet him to understand him.” Rock’s answer, “100 percent.” He said that he commented to Dana White that there were not many who met Trump and came away not thinking how engaging, funny, and smart he is. He also said that Maher said to him, “Wow.”……”

    https://redstate.com/beckynoble/2025/04/01/kid-rock-gives-the-skinny-on-the-trump-bill-maher-dinner-will-anything-change-n2187379

    Liked by 1 person

  42. Just The News: “President Donald Trump’s new administration has deported over 100,000 illegal migrants since taking office on January 20, and arrested more than 110,000.

    The numbers are a combination of arrests and deportations by both U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an ICE official told Just The News on Tuesday. 

    The news comes as illegal border crossings hit a new low under the Trump administration, with Border Patrol reportedly encountering just 7,181 migrants in March, Trump’s border czar Tom Homan posted on X.

    “It is a far cry from the more than 11,000 a day that we saw for a time period under Biden,” Homan said. “The men and women of the Border Patrol have proven what they can accomplish when they are allowed to do their job and complete the mission of their agency.”

    It is not clear how many of the people arrested have been convicted of committing crimes outside of being in the U.S. illegally, or have been accused of crimes. The Trump administration said its first priority was deporting violent criminals.”

    Liked by 1 person

  43. 1961 Volkswagen Beetle Deluxe Roadster

    My Dad, Who Visited Germany And Rented A Car Just To Drive The Autobahn In The Late 60s

    Man in a suit standing beside a classic vintage car with a forest background.

    Mercedes-Benz G4. The Predecessor Of The Super Luxury G-Wagons Of Today

    A classic vintage car with a dark blue body and black roof parked on grass.

    1937 Chevy

    Vintage car parked in front of a rustic stone house under sunlight.

    1965 Ford Galaxy

    Vintage car with a sleek gray exterior on the left; vibrant red leather interior details on the right.

    Liked by 1 person

  44. 1967 Oldsmobile 70-X Toronado

    Vintage car with a sleek tan exterior parked on a brick driveway, featuring a luxurious leather interior.

    1934 Thompson House Car. This Unusual Weird And Wacky Vintage Old Car Was Used As A Camper In The 30’s

    A unique, vintage car with a custom camper extension parked beside a tranquil lake.

    1956, Only 43,000 Miles

    Vintage car parked outside a rustic white building, surrounded by trees at sunset.

    Liked by 2 people

  47. The French frigate L’Hermione from 1780, sailing in line astern the modern Aquitaine class frigate, Provence, 2015

    Liked by 1 person

  49. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Like

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