From the desk of Rich Stephens
News for the week ending 4-18-26
Below find the expanded text from tonight’s broadcast. For corrections or additions, contact Rich directly.
Charlie Kirk Trial
Friday, April 17, the accused murderer of Charlie Kirk was back in court. The Judge again addressed the camera operators regarding the February 24 order limiting still or video images of the defendant. The defense argued for extra time before the preliminary hearing currently scheduled for May 18. The prosecution argued that the defense is stalling and punishing the state and the victim by delaying proceedings.
One portion of the hearing revolved around the testimony of a consultant who argued, with a straight face, that cameras should not be allowed at trial. His position was that reporters will give an accurate account of what happens and that a live stream allows people on the internet to offer commentary, conspiracy theories and prejudicial statements. Ladies and Gentlemen, if there were EVER an argument to HAVE cameras record and broadcast what happens exactly as it happens, it SPECIFICALLY is that “the media” have proven themselves wholly unable to deliver facts without injecting their own opinions or priorities. I watched the OJ trial nearly in its entirety. I watched more than 90% of the Casey Anthony case. I watch press conferences, congressional hearings, court cases, and anything unedited that I can get my hands on. I spend hours vetting written sources and replaying videos so that I can bring you the most unbiased version of WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED that I am humanly capable of. I have biases. I have opinions. And this story is a great example of my opinion spilling out. That’s because this is really important to me. Sensationalism gets clicks. But the facts just might help us all take a small step towards the middle and start a conversation about something that matters. Judge Tony Graf will rule on cameras in court on May 8.
*Note: I fully understand how far away from ‘no opinions, just facts’ this rant was. But it is specifically why I started this project. MSM, Legacy Media and most ‘news’ you can consume on X, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn is opinionated drivel written to either rage bait you or indoctrinate you. So I went on a little bit of a tare to just highlight that while the media is actively advocating for cameras in the court room, they will be allowed in either way and the defense wants them to tell the only story you get about this trial. That offends me to my core.
World
Hormuz Reopens…maybe?
On Tuesday, April 8, the White House said Iran agreed to a ceasefire and to reopening the Strait of Hormuz while the administration negotiated a broader peace agreement.
On Friday, April 11, CENTCOM said U.S. forces began clearing Iranian sea mines from the strait. On Saturday, April 12, CENTCOM announced a blockade on ships entering and leaving Iranian ports, but said it would not block ships transiting Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports. The official U.S. position was a blockade on Iranian port traffic, not a closure of all shipping through the strait.
On Thursday, April 16, the State Department announced a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. On Friday, April 17, the White House said the Strait of Hormuz was completely open again and ready for business.
Iran’s official statements described the same week as an unfinished negotiation. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Pakistan brokered the ceasefire proposal and is facilitating talks in Islamabad between Iran and the United States. He said those talks produced several technical understandings, but did not reach a final conclusion.
Iran also said Lebanon was part of the diplomacy. Pezeshkian said a ceasefire in Lebanon was one condition in Iran’s 10-point plan, and he said Emmanuel Macron pushed to include Lebanon in the initial ceasefire framework. Separately, the State Department confirmed that a ten-day Israel-Lebanon cessation of hostilities took effect on April 16.
The nuclear piece still does not appear finalized in any public document. The White House continues to say Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon. Trump also wrote on Truth Social that most points were agreed to, but nuclear was not. No public official agreement has been released showing Iran formally accepted an end to its nuclear program.
White House Release
CENTCOM Mine Clearance and Blockade
State Department Lebanon Ceasefire
White House Hormuz Post
Iran Presidential Statement
White House Nuclear Statement
U.S. Politics
Eric Swalwell Resigns From Congress
On Sunday, April 12, Congressman Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign for Governor of California and wrote that he was “deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment” that he had made in his past.
On Monday, April 13, the House Ethics Committee announced that it had opened an investigation into Swalwell. The Committee said it was examining whether he violated the Code of Official Conduct or other applicable standards, including allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including toward an employee working under his supervision.
On Tuesday, April 14, Swalwell resigned from Congress. The Clerk of the House says California’s 14th Congressional District is now operating as a vacant office under Clerk supervision until a successor is elected.
The public allegations escalated at a press conference held by Lana Drew and her attorney. Drew said she met Swalwell socially in 2018 while living and working in Beverly Hills. She said that during a third encounter, she believed he drugged her, raped her, and choked her until she lost consciousness. Drew said she did not consent, disclosed the assault to people close to her, recorded it in a handwritten calendar, and later discussed it in therapy at a sexual assault center.
At the same press conference, attorney Lisa Bloom said a police report would be filed immediately with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office. Bloom said her firm would provide text messages, journal entries, photographs, and witness information, and would cooperate with any other law enforcement agencies investigating Swalwell.
Other members of Congress had also begun publicly calling for Swalwell to step down. Official House statements from members including Andrea Salinas and Hillary Scholten called for his resignation, while Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández said she had been working with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna on an expulsion resolution.
As of the official sources reviewed for this story, the confirmed facts are that Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign, the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation, and he resigned from Congress the next day. No criminal charge, court filing, final ethics finding, or official law enforcement announcement confirming an active case was identified in the sources reviewed.
Swalwell Campaign Statement
House Ethics Committee Statement
House Clerk Vacancy Page
Press Conference Video
Salinas Statement
Tony Gonzales Resigns From Congress
Monday, April 13, Congressman Tony Gonzales said on his official X account that he would file his retirement from office when Congress returned. Tuesday, April 14, the House Clerk recorded that Gonzales had formally resigned, effective at 11:59 p.m. that night.
The resignation followed a House Ethics Committee investigation opened March 4 into whether Gonzales engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee in his congressional office or dispensed special favors or privileges. The Committee later said it had also received an Office of Congressional Conduct referral and that those allegations would be investigated by the subcommittee.
In the days before Gonzales resigned, members of Congress publicly tied his departure to the allegations. Rep. Nancy Mace issued official statements accusing Gonzales of misconduct and calling on him to resign or face expulsion. Rep. Katherine Clark also publicly linked Gonzales’s resignation to accountability for sexual misconduct allegations.
As of the time of his resignation, I did not find a final House Ethics Committee report concluding that Gonzales had committed a violation. The official record shows that a formal investigation was underway, that an OCC referral had been received, and that pressure on Gonzales intensified publicly before he stepped down.
House Ethics Committee March 4 Statement
House Ethics Committee March 12 Statement
Virginia Joins National Popular Vote Compact
Virginia has become the 18th state to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.
House Bill 965, approved by Governor Abigail Spanberger on April 13, enters Virginia into an agreement that would award all of the state’s electoral votes to the candidate who wins the national popular vote, not necessarily the candidate who wins Virginia. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
The compact does not abolish the Electoral College. It works around it. The compact only takes effect once states holding at least 270 electoral votes have joined. Until then, Virginia keeps using its current system.
The Constitution says each state appoints electors in the manner its legislature directs, and the Supreme Court has recognized broad state power over electors. The Supreme Court has not directly ruled on this compact itself, but supporters point to the Constitution’s elector clause and prior cases recognizing broad state authority over how electors are appointed.
If the compact ever reaches 270 electoral votes, the practical effect would be that member states would collectively guarantee enough electoral votes for the national popular vote winner to take the presidency. That would allow a candidate to win states like Virginia, lose the national vote, and still receive none of Virginia’s electoral votes.
Virginia HB 965
HB 965 Enrolled Text
National Popular Vote Explanation
U.S. Constitution
Chiafalo v. Washington
Attorney Explanation Video
Dominican Sisters Sue New York
On Monday, April 6, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne and Rosary Hill Home filed a federal lawsuit against New York officials over the state’s LGBTQ long-term-care rules. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and seeks to block enforcement of the law against the Catholic hospice.
Rosary Hill Home, located in Hawthorne, New York, says it was founded in 1901 and operates as a free home for people suffering from incurable cancer. The facility says it does not accept payment from patients, families, insurance, or government.
The dispute centers on a New York law signed by Governor Kathy Hochul on November 30, 2023. The governor’s office said the measure established a bill of rights for long-term-care residents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or living with HIV, and prohibited facilities and staff from discriminating against them on those grounds.
The text of New York Public Health Law Section 2803-c-2 bars long-term-care facilities from assigning a transgender resident to a room inconsistent with that resident’s gender identity, from restricting restroom access inconsistent with gender identity, and from willfully and repeatedly refusing to use a resident’s preferred name or pronouns after being informed. The law also requires facilities to maintain records that include gender identity, name, and pronouns, and to provide recurring cultural-competency training for direct-care staff.
According to the complaint and attached exhibits, Rosary Hill received three Department of Health communications tied to those requirements: a March 18, 2024 Dear Administrator Letter announcing the law’s requirements, an October 2, 2024 notice regarding LGBTQIA+ training, and a January 16, 2025 letter regarding cultural competency requirements for aide training programs.
The lawsuit argues that enforcing those requirements against Rosary Hill would violate the sisters’ religious beliefs and constitutional protections. It also argues that the law contains an exemption for facilities operated by the Church of Christ, Scientist, but not for Catholic organizations.
As of the sources reviewed here, the case remains pending. No ruling was identified resolving the lawsuit, and no official source reviewed showed that Rosary Hill had been shut down, lost its license, or been penalized. Rosary Hill’s admissions page currently includes a nondiscrimination notice covering sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and HIV status, followed by a statement that the notice should not be interpreted to require conduct contrary to Catholic teaching.
Federal Complaint PDF
Rosary Hill About
Governor Hochul Press Release
New York Public Health Law 2803-c-2
Rosary Hill Admissions Notice
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax Killed Wife, Then Himself, Police Say
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife, Dr. Cerina Wanzer Fairfax, inside their Annandale home just after midnight Thursday, then killed himself, according to Fairfax County Police.
At a press conference later that morning, Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis said Cerina Fairfax was shot several times in the basement. He said Justin Fairfax then ran upstairs to the primary bedroom and killed himself with the same firearm.
The couple’s two teenage children were inside the home when it happened. Police said the son called 911 shortly after midnight. Davis said both children were later with family members and victim services personnel.
Police said the killings came during an ongoing domestic dispute and divorce. Davis said the couple were separated but still living in the house in separate areas, with divorce proceedings underway and court appearances pending in the near future.
Davis said Justin Fairfax had recently been served paperwork tied to an upcoming court appearance and that investigators were looking at whether that may have been a spark for the violence.
The press conference also revealed a prior police response to the same address in January 2026. Davis said Justin Fairfax called police and alleged that his wife had assaulted him. He said officers reviewed cameras that had been installed inside the house and determined that the assault allegation was untrue. No arrest was made, though a report was written.
Governor Abigail Spanberger later issued an official statement describing the case as the murder of Dr. Cerina Fairfax in an apparent murder-suicide. She called Cerina Fairfax a devoted mother, a beloved dentist in the Fairfax County community, and a supporter of Virginia Commonwealth University.
As of the official sources reviewed for this story, police have publicly identified the shooter and victim, described the sequence of events, and confirmed the presence of the children, the ongoing divorce, and the earlier January police call. Police said firearm details were still under investigation.
Fairfax County Police Press Conference
Governor Spanberger Statement
Grand Central Machete Attack Leaves Three Injured, Suspect Dead After Police Shooting
Friday, April 11, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said officers assigned to transit overtime posts were flagged down at about 9:40 a.m. at Grand Central Terminal by a civilian reporting that a man armed with a knife had just stabbed multiple people on a subway platform. As detectives moved toward the 4/5/6 platform, they encountered one of the victims coming up the stairs and then saw the suspect on the platform below.
Tisch said the man was armed with a large knife described as a machete, was acting erratically, and repeatedly said he was “Lucifer.” According to the briefing, officers gave him at least 20 orders to drop the weapon and also tried to de-escalate the encounter by telling him, “We are going to get you help.” Tisch said the suspect instead advanced toward officers with the knife extended, and one officer fired, striking him twice. Officers then began lifesaving measures, and the man was transported to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
In the same briefing, Tisch identified the suspect as 44-year-old Anthony Griffin and said he had three unsealed prior arrests but no documented EDP history with the department. She said security camera footage showed Griffin entering the subway system at Vernon Boulevard in Queens around 9:30 a.m., boarding a 7 train to Grand Central, slashing one person on the 7 train platform, and then moving upstairs to the 4/5/6 platform, where he slashed two more people.
Tisch said one victim, an 84-year-old man, suffered significant lacerations to the head and face on the 7 train platform. A second victim, a 65-year-old man, suffered similar injuries and an open skull fracture on the 4/5/6 platform. A third victim, later described in questioning as a woman, suffered a shoulder laceration. All three were taken to Bellevue Hospital, and Tisch said their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening at that time.
Tisch also said no officers were injured and that the incident was captured on body-worn camera. She said the attack appeared to be random and pointed to the NYPD’s recent increase in transit staffing, saying the department had added more than 175 additional officers to subway patrol.
Omaha Police say officers shot and killed a woman Tuesday, April 14, after she allegedly abducted a 3-year-old boy at knifepoint from a Walmart and cut him during the confrontation outside the store.
According to Omaha Police, officers were dispatched at 9:13 a.m. to the Walmart at 1606 South 72nd Street for a “nature unknown” emergency call. A second 911 caller then reported that a woman armed with a large kitchen knife was with a young child. When officers arrived in the south parking lot, police said they found 31-year-old Noemi Guzman standing near a shopping cart with the 3-year-old boy inside.
Omaha Police said Guzman was armed with the knife, made threats, and refused repeated commands to drop the weapon. Police said she then cut the child, and two officers opened fire, striking her. Officers attempted lifesaving measures at the scene, but Guzman was pronounced dead. The child was taken to Children’s Hospital with injuries police described as not life-threatening.
In its update, Omaha Police said surveillance footage showed Guzman had shoplifted the knife inside the store, approached the child and guardian in an aisle, brandished the knife, and forced them out into the parking lot before officers made contact. The department also said multiple parts of the encounter were captured on body-worn camera and surveillance video, and it released two still images from an officer’s body camera showing Guzman armed with the knife.
Police Chief Todd Schmaderer said, “The responding officers acted with professionalism and direct action to intervene and save a child’s life.” Mayor John Ewing said he was grateful for the department’s professionalism and transparency and said he trusted the investigative process required by law. As of Friday, April 17, Omaha Police had publicly identified the suspect and outlined the sequence police say led to the shooting, but no official motive had been released and the officer-involved shooting investigation remained ongoing.
Omaha Police Press Releases
Omaha Police Release
Body Camera Still Images
Mayor Ewing Statement
Hennepin County Charges ICE Agent in Highway Gun Incident
On Thursday, April 16, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan, Jr. had been charged with two counts of second-degree assault for a February 5 incident on eastbound Highway 62 in Minnesota. The county said Morgan brandished and pointed his duty weapon at two individuals while traveling alongside them in a black rental vehicle, and said there is now an active nationwide warrant for his arrest. The case number listed by the county is 27-CR-26-9656.
According to the county’s announcement, Morgan was driving illegally on the shoulder in a rented SUV with no markings or other features to indicate that it was an ICE vehicle. After another vehicle moved back into the legal lane, the county said Morgan sped up, pulled alongside the vehicle, matched its pace, opened his window, and pointed his duty weapon directly at both occupants while continuing to drive on the shoulder. Under Minnesota law, second-degree assault applies when a person assaults another with a dangerous weapon, and Minnesota statutes define a firearm as a dangerous weapon.
The warrant reflects a judicial finding of probable cause, but the underlying evidence has not been publicly released in the materials reviewed. Hennepin County’s own charging process says a criminal complaint must contain a statement of facts showing probable cause, must be signed under oath by the investigating officer, approved by the prosecutor, and then signed by a judge after the judge determines the complaint shows probable cause to support the charge. No public complaint PDF, affidavit, video, or witness statements were located in the official materials reviewed.
Any effort to arrest or prosecute a federal officer in state court would likely face an immediate federal challenge. Federal law allows a state criminal prosecution against a federal officer to be removed to federal court when it is brought for or relating to an act under color of federal office. DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel has also taken the position that a federal law-enforcement officer who must violate state criminal law in the course of performing official duty is immune from criminal prosecution, and that the Supremacy Clause bars state officials from penalizing federal employees for performing their federal functions.
That does not make the Minnesota warrant automatically void. The core federal defense would be that Morgan was acting under federal authority and did no more than was necessary and proper to carry out that duty. The public record now establishes that Hennepin County filed charges and obtained a warrant, but it does not yet include the full complaint or any official federal filing laying out Morgan’s defense. Based on the governing federal statutes and DOJ’s published legal positions, any actual arrest or continued prosecution would likely be difficult, heavily contested, and subject to attempted federal override through removal and immunity arguments.
Hennepin County Charging Release
Hennepin County Charging Process
Minnesota Assault Statute
Federal Officer Removal Statute
DOJ Supremacy Clause Memo
Full Press Conference
USDOT Withholds $73 Million From New York Over Commercial License Violations
On Thursday, April 16, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was withholding more than $73 million in federal highway funds from New York. USDOT said the state had failed to revoke illegally issued non-domiciled commercial learner’s permits and commercial driver’s licenses after a federal audit found widespread violations in the state’s licensing process. The department said the amount being withheld was $73,502,543, equal to 4% of New York’s National Highway Performance Program and Surface Transportation Program Block Grant funds.
The dispute goes back to a federal audit announced on December 12, 2025. At that time, USDOT said an FMCSA review of New York’s non-domiciled CDL program found that 107 of 200 sampled records were issued in violation of federal law, a failure rate of over 53%. USDOT also said New York’s systems defaulted to issuing 8-year licenses to some foreign drivers applying for non-REAL ID licenses regardless of when their lawful status expired, and said the state had issued commercial licenses without evidence that current lawful presence had been verified.
USDOT said New York was ordered to take corrective action, including pausing the issuance of new, renewed, transferred, or upgraded non-domiciled licenses; conducting a comprehensive internal audit; and immediately revoking all unexpired, noncompliant licenses. The department said on April 16 that New York had still not completed the required corrective actions, including the immediate rescission of noncompliant CLPs and CDLs, and that the final determination of substantial noncompliance had now been issued.
The federal government’s position rests on FMCSA’s CDL rules. Federal regulations say a state may issue a non-domiciled CLP or CDL only to a person who meets the regulatory criteria, and for certain foreign-domiciled applicants the state must ensure the license period does not exceed the applicant’s immigration validity period or one year, whichever is sooner. The regulations also state that applicants who do not provide evidence of lawful immigration status are not eligible for a non-domiciled CLP or CDL.
This action is part of a broader federal review that began last year. On June 27, 2025, USDOT announced a nationwide audit of how states issue non-domiciled CDLs, saying the review was intended to identify abuse and ensure federal licensing standards were being followed. New York publicly rejected the federal allegations when the original audit findings were announced. In a December 12 statement, a New York DMV spokesperson said the state was complying with federal rules and that every CDL it issues is subject to lawful-status verification through federally issued documents.
At this stage, the official record shows that USDOT has issued a final determination and announced a federal funding withholding, while New York has publicly denied the core allegations. No public lawsuit, appeal filing, or post-determination New York response was located in the materials reviewed.
USDOT Withholding Announcement
USDOT Audit Findings
USDOT Nationwide Audit Announcement
Federal CDL Rule
New York DMV Statement
Secretary Duffy Post
Finance
Markets
Markets continued their climb this week. The Dow picked up 1531 points and closed at 49,447, a 3.2% gain.
NASDAQ did even better, picking up nearly 7%, closing at 24,468 after gaining 1566 points. For those of you keeping score at home, that’s the highest close on record for that index.
The S&P500 closed at 7126, a gain of 310 points representing a 4.5% gain.
Gold rose another $92, closing at $4879 / ounce while Oil futures dropped.
Sports
The Masters
Sunday, April 12, Rory McIlroy won the Masters for the second straight year, finishing 12-under and beating Scottie Scheffler by one stroke at Augusta.
Scheffler did not win, but he did do something no one at the Masters has done since 1942: a bogey-free weekend. Over the final two rounds, he posted nine birdies, one eagle, and zero bogeys.
MLB
In MLB, the Dodgers set a weird record on Friday April 17. While visiting the Rockies, the 35 degree temperature was the coldest first pitch in club history. Snow blanketed the field just hours before the game but the dodger bats warmed things up, taking a 7-1 win. Yankees Ace Garrett Cole threw 44 pitches in his first rehab start since Tommy John surgery in 2025. The yankees are 3-7 over their last 10, sliding a half game behind the Rays who swept them earlier in the week. It could be worse though, their crosstown rival Mets have lost 9 in a row and sit at the bottom of the NL East.
Rich Stephens
The Cold Take