x01 Archives

US farmers face fertilizer price crisis as Iran war disrupts global supply– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser March 18, 2026 1

Blurb:

“The problem is, is we’re so strained financially coming into this issue,” explained Littleton, a third-generation farmer from Gibson County in the state’s northwest.

“We have had a couple of record losses over the last couple of years, so everyone’s kind of grabbing at straws anyway, and then to have input prices increase yet again, it just really couldn’t happen at a worse time.”

Littleton, who cultivates corn, soybeans, and wheat, is one of thousands of farmers nationwide who will pay significantly more this spring for the essential nutrients their crops require.

Nitrogen-based fertilizer is particularly crucial for corn, typically the largest crop in the U.S., which feeds the nation’s livestock and is converted into fuel for most U.S. vehicles.

While farmers have long voiced concerns over fertilizer costs, prices have surged dramatically since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February.

This action has caused a significant slowdown in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point for 20 per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas.

New Poll Levels That Dem/Media Narrative About Operation Epic Fury – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Democrats and liberal media have been all in trying to disparage Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

If you listened to them, you would think we were being destroyed and were losing, despite the unparalleled success of the military operation.

It’s legitimate to ask questions. You can reasonably have concerns or maybe be against the actions now. What isn’t reasonable is pushing out false stories to undermine our effort and essentially help provide propaganda that could benefit Iran.

Then the public has to wade through that and evaluate what they think, rather than just assessing the facts. Which, of course, is why Democrats/liberal media are doing that.

But a new poll is putting paid to the Democratic narrative that people don’t support the effort.The McLaughlin survey of likely voters found strong support.

When voters were asked whether they approved of President Trump using the U.S. military to eliminate Iran’s nuclear missile program and its support for terrorism — given Iran’s refusal to negotiate an end to its nuclear weapons and missile development — 51% approved, while 41% disapproved.

New Executive Order Gives JD Vance the Chance to Go After Walz, Newsom, Hochul– www.westernjournal.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Vice President J.D. Vance is being named America’s fraudbuster in chief.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that President Donald Trump will sign an executive order putting Vance in charge of an “anti-fraud task force” to “investigate fraud across the country,” according to the U.K.’s Independent.

A report in the New York Post said a White House document describing the order says “there is strong reason to believe similar vulnerabilities exist in California, Illinois, New York, Maine, and Colorado, where insufficient safeguards and weak oversight increase the risk of large-scale fraud.”

Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson will be vice chair of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. White House aide Stephen Miller will be a senior adviser.

The order calls for a comprehensive national strategy against fraud in which states partner with the federal government to provide housing, food, medical care, and financial assistance.

FCC Chair threatens broadcast networks’ licenses over war coverage | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

“The law is clear. Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not.”

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr warned that US broadcast networks could face consequences, including the loss of their licenses, if they continue airing what he described as “hoaxes and news distortions” related to coverage of the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

Carr made the comments in a post responding to a statement from President Donald Trump lambasting media reporting about alleged damage to US tanker aircraft in Saudi Arabia.

In his post, Carr said broadcasters that “are running hoaxes and news distortions – also known as the fake news – have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.”

Voters Gain Ballot Measures to Protect Girls’ Sports from Trans Athletes– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Voters in three states will face upcoming ballot measures regarding protecting girls’ sports from transgender-identifying athletes and preventing minors from receiving sex changes, according to multiple reports.

Voters in states such as Colorado, Missouri, and Maine will be able to vote on the upcoming ballot initiatives in the midterm elections.

In Colorado, the organization Protect Kids Colorado got enough signatures for three ballot initiatives — Initiative 108, Initiative 109, and Initiative 110 — to qualify for the ballot, according to the Colorado Sun.

Under Initiative 108, child sex trafficking would be “punishable by life in prison without the possibility of parole,” while under Initiative 109, transgender-identifying children would not be allowed to participate in sports that do not “align with their biological sex,” according to the outlet.

Indian tankers carrying LPG arrive at port after safe passage through Strait of Hormuz – Business– www.france24.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Two Indian-flagged tankers together carrying over 92,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas have arrived at ports in Gujarat state after safely passing through the Strait of Hormuz.  New Delhi has been negotiating with Iran, but the government denies discussing the possible release of Iranian tankers it seized in February as part of the bargain. Meanwhile, global crude prices jumped again amid new Iranian attacks on the UAE.

Labor group cancels Cesar Chavez events over ‘profoundly shocking’ new allegations– www.theblaze.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

Cesar Chavez has been lauded by Mexican-Americans as an iconic labor leader who fought for farmworkers’ rights in the 1960s, but his legacy may be marred by growing allegations of “profoundly shocking” behavior.

Several celebrations of Cesar Chavez Day, which is observed March 31, have been canceled across the country by the United Farm Workers, an organization Chavez co-founded.

‘These allegations have been profoundly shocking. We need some time to get this right, including to ensure robust, trauma-informed services are available to those who may need it.’

The union said in a letter Tuesday that the claims against Chavez were “incompatible” with the organization’s values.

Whence the ‘Woke Reich’ and Iran? – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Nearly three weeks into a war against a crazed theocracy, the political and media focus has been, like a complaining child in the back seat of a car on a long trip, “When will it be over?”

This ridiculous impatience is a product of a Democrat opposition to Operation Epic Fury that will exploit every misstep, whether occurring out of strategy, operations, rhetoric, or unintended consequences. It is akin to getting a work assignment that the employer and employee both know will only reasonably produce results after weeks of long hours, at minimum, but nonetheless getting harangued by the boss every day: “You’re not done yet!?”

Now, the boss may be just an intolerable micro-manager, or he may be trying to get you to quit out of frustration. But it’s fairly certain, given the Democrat decades-long foreign policy record, that productive oversight of the conflict is not their goal.

Between the now ascendant neo-Marxist left and the “river-to-the-sea” crowd, the Democrat war objectives are clear: sabotage.

Two key figures of Iranian leadership killed: Who’s next? – The Debate– www.france24.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

Ali Larijani was the head of Iran’s Security Council and a key voice in the ear of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Gholamreza Soleimani was the head of the Basij militia. Both were pillars of Iran’s security apparatus. If they have indeed been taken out, the question is who replaces them, and will they take Iran down an even more hardline path?

The death of Iran‘s key figure Ali Larijani raises more questions than answers.

First, Israel says it has killed him in an air strike, but Tehran has yet to confirm or deny.

While Israel and the United States rejoice and call on the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow what is left of their Islamic leadership, the reality on the ground is less certain. The systematic killing of the leaders of Iran since February 28 has created a vacuum in Tehran.

The fear among analysts is that the space will be filled by regime insiders who will be hardened and more radical.

Larijani was the lead negotiator at the now aborted talks to find a peaceful way forward.

House Republicans seek to use water pollution rules to restrict abortion pill– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

A group of House Republicans aims to use environmental restrictions to curb the use of the abortion pill mifepristone, which anti-abortion advocates say contaminates the water supply with human remains from at-home abortions.

Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) introduced a new bill Wednesday with nine GOP cosponsors that would do away with telehealth access to abortion medications and require in-person screening before a doctor could dispense the pills.

The bill would also require patients undergoing a medication abortion at home to use a catch-kit to collect the fetal remains and other pregnancy tissue, including the placenta and blood clots, to be disposed of as medical waste by the prescribing medical team.

Miller’s bill, the “Clean Water for All Life Act,” is being championed by the anti-abortion advocacy group Students for Life of America, which has advanced the argument that the proliferation of medication abortion in recent years has tainted the drinking water supply with human fetal remains and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Illinois Gubernatorial Republican Primary Results Are In, Here’s Who Governor JB Pritzker Will Face– wltreport.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

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The results are in.

On Tuesday night, Illinois voters headed to the polls for the Republican gubernatorial primary.

The race was between farmer and two-time Republican Gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, and real estate developer and owner Rick Heidner

The race was not close at all, and Bailey came out on top.

Newsweek reported more on the results and gave insight if Repiblicans have a chance to flip the Governor’s seat:

Darren Bailey won the Illinois Republican primary on Tuesday and will now face Democratic Governor JB Pritzker in the November election. Polling on the race is pretty threadbare at the moment, but prediction markets aren’t hopeful Republicans can win.

The Republican primary left the party at a crossroads, with voters deciding between putting state Senator Darren Bailey up against Pritzker despite his huge loss in 2022 or putting up a lesser-known candidate. Pritzker has easily won both of his elections. But gubernatorial control in Illinois jostles back and forth between political parties, making it a long shot for Republicans, though not out of the realm of possibility.

On Tuesday, Bailey won the GOP primary with 48.8 percent of the vote when the race was called. He beat out Ted Dabrowski, James Mendrick and Rick Heidner. All four campaigned on affordability, crime and dissatisfaction with Pritzker’s leadership, but they differed sharply in background, tone and strategy as they tried to emerge from a low‑budget, relatively quiet primary.

There’s only been one general election poll for Illinois governor, which was conducted months ago, in November. Performed by Victory Research, a majority of those polled said they’d vote for Pritzker in a head-to-head matchup against the individual candidates. Over 54 percent said they would vote for Pritzker in a matchup with Bailey.

Given the timing of that poll, it’s not a great indicator of how people plan to vote moving forward. But prediction markets are also putting the race in Democrats’ favor.

Why Is the Free Press Going Easy on Iranian Tyrants?– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

The concept of freedom of the press isn’t ruined by criticism of the press. But when liberal TV hosts roll out their lectures, they sound a little like the president they routinely attack. Any criticism of their work must be Fake News.

MS NOW host Ana Cabrera expressed indignation on March 16 after FCC chairman Brendan Carr tweeted that broadcast stations should watch what they’re airing on the war in Iran: “Freedom of the press has been such a huge, huge underpinning of the democracy in this country, right? In order to hold people in power accountable to be that government watchdog.” But Carr is “squashing” press freedom with a simple tweet.

NPR media reporter David Folkenflik lamented Carr wanted to “get in the weeds of what’s said,” but allowed that “you can argue there are good principles involved about wanting to make sure certain kinds of coverage is fair to all sides” – yet the government shouldn’t interfere.

Tom Homan Exposes the Entire Dem Scheme With Illegals, Says They ‘Sold This Country Out for Future Political Power’– www.westernjournal.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

One of the most poorly kept political secrets in modern times is that Democrats just love themselves some unfettered illegal immigration.

Sure, they’ll never outright admit to it — that would be tantamount to political suicide — but actions speak louder than words, and when it comes to illegal immigration, Democrats have practically been screaming at the top of their lungs of late.

The million (billion? trillion?) dollar question, then, is why?

Look, anyone with a room-temperature IQ can tell you that Democrats are trying to “import voters.”

The common criticism is that Dems, alongside all of their unpopular ideas, can’t win over the average American on policy. Instead of changing those unpopular policies, however, Democrats seem far more intent on simply bringing in more agreeable voters.

But it’s not quite so surface-level, as Border Czar Tom Homan so eloquently — and worryingly — pointed out during a Fox News appearance on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh police chief reviews officers’ lack of ICE assistance in arrest– www.foxnews.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Pittsburgh police officers did not intervene as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents struggled to detain a suspect near a police station, and claims circulated that officers were told to stand down.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando said he is not aware of any order directing officers not to act and has launched an administrative review into the incident.

“To that end, I was recently made aware of an incident that occurred in front of the Zone 3 police station where ICE agents were struggling to take someone into custody,” Lando said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

KDKA Radio in Pittsburgh reported that the incident unfolded as ICE agents attempted to detain a suspect near the Zone 3 station, when the individual began fighting and kicking ICE agents.

Death of Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani tests regime resilience, risks hardline shift– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Dr Dorsey pointed out that there may also be a hardening of the lines on both sides of the war following the security chief’s death.

“You could see Israel, the United States, seeing this as a major body blow that sets the stage for trying to finish Iran off,” he said.

Already, Iran has retaliated for the assassination of its security chief, targeting Tel Aviv with missiles carrying cluster warheads, which are difficult to intercept.

Larijani’s death is also likely to lend more power to the more radical leaders and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said Dr Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University Qatar.

“As an insider with deep connections within the Islamic Republic’s deep state and with impeccable revolutionary credentials, he would have been indispensable to any decision to end the current war,” Dr Kamrava told CNA.

“His death is likely to strengthen the hands of President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi on the one hand, and the more radical, less compromising commanders of the Revolutionary Guards on the other.”

Senate Republicans Delivered a Brutal Response to Democrats After the SAVE Act Vote– townhall.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

Senate Republicans have issued a brutal response to Democrats who have refused to vote in favor of the common-sense election integrity measures laid out in the SAVE America Act.

 

Use ‘queer joy’ to resist ‘white Christian nationalism’: University of Kansas professor– www.thecollegefix.com

pgnewser March 18, 2026 0

Blurb:

OPINION 

Homosexuals and gender-confused individuals should embrace “queer joy” as a way to withstand attacks from “white Christian nationalists,” according to a University of Kansas law professor.

“I contend that queer joy as resistance is just one strategy for resistance, one that ought to be pursued alongside other tactics of resistance,” Professor Kyle Velte argues in a paper published on SSRN.

Velte lists a number of supposed infringements on the “rights” of LGBT people.

Among these are Supreme Court rulings that found artists, such as bakers and website designers, cannot be forced by the state to use their skills to promote so-called same-sex “marriage.” The law professor also criticized the 2021 case Fulton v. City of Philadelphia which affirmed social service providers cannot be forced to place kids in same-sex households.

“The impact of these decision[s] means that some vendors and faith-based social service agencies may refuse to serve LGBTQ people,” Velte wrote.