Random News and Notes 9 April
Today marks a couple of important dates in US history.
First, in 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered his forces to Union General Ulysses Simpson Grant at Appomattox Courthouse Virginia. Grant’s terms are generous, pardons for all officers and men, horses kept for spring planting and most importantly, the 28,000 Rebs – who had been starving – were to be fed from Union supplies. The surrender effectively ends the Civil War.
In 1942, Major General Edward P. King Jr. surrenders at Bataan, Philippines—against General Douglas MacArthur’s orders—and 78,000 troops (66,000 Filipinos and 12,000 Americans), the largest contingent of U.S. soldiers ever to surrender, are taken captive by the Japanese. The prisoners were at once led 55 miles from Mariveles, on the southern end of the Bataan peninsula, to San Fernando, on what became known as the “Bataan Death March.” At least 600 Americans and 5,000 Filipinos died because of the extreme brutality of their captors, who starved, beat and kicked them on the way; those who became too weak to walk were bayoneted.
After the war, the International Military Tribunal, established by MacArthur, tried Lieutenant General Homma Masaharu, commander of the Japanese invasion forces in the Philippines. He was held responsible for the death march, a war crime, and was executed by firing squad on April 3, 1946.
And finally, on this date in 2003, Baghdad fell to US forces after just three weeks of combat operations. U.S. forces pulled down a bronze statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad’s Firdos Square, an act symbolizing the end of the Iraqi president’s long, often brutal reign, and a major early victory for the United States. Dramatic images of the toppled statue and celebrating citizens were instantly beamed around the world. With Hussein in hiding and much of the city now under U.S. control, the day’s events later became known as the Fall of Baghdad.
Before we get into our first story, I need to post a little disclaimer. I really dislike picking on our neighbours to the north. Sure, I’ll engage in some good natured banter about sports and whatnot, but being in a Canada-adjacent state that is allowed. The problem is America’s Hat keeps doing stuff that needs to be picked on. Our first story today is a prime example.
On April 8, 2026, NDP MP Leah Gazan accused Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government of cutting $7 billion from Indigenous services while ignoring violence against MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+.
Yeah me too.
MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ stands for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual. I had to ask grok. Gazan BTW, is a quarter Lakota according to her bio. She seems to really lean into that part of her heritage.
Anyways, what kind of woke retard sh*t is this. What do Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women have to do with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual? More, what do two-spirit, and the rest on the alphabet have to do with L, G and B? I know, that isn’t on Canada. It’s me ranting about the oppression Olympics of critical theory and intersectionality.
Next!
One Courtney Williams was arrested by the FBI on charges that she transmitted classified national defense intel to the media. Williams, 40, from North Carolina, worked at Fort Bragg from 2010 to 2016 with top-secret clearance on Delta Force operations. A grand jury indicted her Tuesday for sending marked SECRET//NOFORN information to journalist Seth Harp between 2022 and 2025, which appeared in his 2025 book and a Politico article detailing unit tactics, drug issues, and abuses.
Evidence includes her own text messages admitting the risks; she appeared in court Wednesday, presumed innocent, with up to 10 years possible if convicted. FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized no tolerance for betraying the country amid a push against leakers.
Incidentally, Harp is a shitbag and his book is filled with things that can only have come via leak. I expect some more people to be perp-walked in the coming days.
There is something happening in Ireland. Irish farmers and truckers started a protest over high fuel prices. The protests that started Tuesday are targeting high fuel costs from US-Israel-Iran tensions in the Strait of Hormuz that halted 20% of world oil trade. Blockades have shut Galway Port, Limerick’s Foynes, Cork’s refinery, and parts of Dublin’s M50, causing fuel shortages, long queues, and delays for emergency services. Government leaders call the actions sabotage, with Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan deploying Defence Forces to help police clear key sites.
These protests are not occurring in a vacuum. The everyday Irishman is starting to realize the Irish government is no longer operating in his or her best interests. There have been large protests over unchecked immigration in recent months. This isn’t going to end well for those in Leinster House.
I don’t recall if this came up in the comments or not, but the story is big enough for me to run with it anyway.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 47-year-old Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, niece of slain Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, and her 25-year-old daughter Sarinasadat Hosseiny at their Tujunga, California home on Friday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio revoked their green cards due to Afshar’s social media activity promoting Iranian regime propaganda, celebrating attacks on U.S. troops, and backing threats against Israel. They were transferred to a Texas ICE facility pending deportation.amid a Trump administration push to remove 3,000 to 4,000 Iranian elites.
Afshar’s former boyfriend and a hairdresser described her as emotionally abusive and a stalker. Iranian dissidents welcomed the action.
The Trump administration is pushing to remove 3,000 to 4,000 Iranian elites and their family members.
CENTCOM Commander ADM Brad Cooper delivered what I expect to be the last Epic Fury update for a while. Cooper stated that Iran suffered a generational military defeat in Operation Epic Fury, with approximately 13,000 Iranian military targets destroyed in less than 40 days, and affirmed U.S. forces remain present and vigilant. Iran’s Forensic Chief Abbas Masjedi Arani reported over 3,000 people killed across Iran in the U.S.-Israeli war since late February.