Public funding of political campaigns at the local level (HB162) >Abolishes all mandatory minimum sentencing for rape, manslaughter, assaulting a law enforcement officer, possession and distribution of child pornography, and all repeat violent felonies (HB863) >Makes it harder for judges to deny bail, even in the case of things like aggravated assault, armed robbery, and drug trafficking (HB357) >Gives convicted murderers, rapists, and terrorists a chance to get out of prison early (HB853) >Drastically reduces the criminal penalty for robbery (HB244) >Bars prosecutors from mentioning a criminal's prior convictions during the guilt phase of a trial, even if it's for the same crime (HB1070) >Transfers the Department of Juvenile Justice from the Secretary of Public Safety's purview to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (SB21) >Reduces the amount of time that the Commonwealth can compel a convicted criminal to pay court fees from 60 years to 10 (SB180) >Taxpayer funding for transgender surgeries (HB1245) >Bans most discretionary state contracting under $100K from going to businesses owned by White men and allows state agencies to award contracts to women or minority-owned firms that are 5% more expensive than a bid from a business owned by a White man (HB61) >Punishes VMI for adopting an anti-DEI stance (HB1374 & HB22) >Abolishes all Confederate-themed license plates (HB1344) >Eliminates the tax-exempt status for all Confederate history groups (HB167) >Renames Columbus Day to "Indigenous Peoples Day." (HB858) >Makes it illegal to approach within 8ft of somebody within 40 feet of an abortion clinic (SB137) >Enshrines a Leftist narrative about January 6 and teaches it in public schools (HB333) >Allows localities to adopt rent control measures (HB1177) >Increases the sales tax in Northern Virginia, adds an additional sales tax for home deliveries, raises the car tax for electric vehicles, and imposes new sales taxes for streaming services, concerts, gym memberships, nail salons, barber shops, tanning beds, tatoo parlors, dry cleaners, shoe repairs, carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, landscaping, and housekeeping work for homes, swimming pool maintenance, travel agencies, and shipping services (SB730, HB1179, HB900 & HB978) >Creates a new tourism tax on event entrance fees (HB550) >Raises the hotel tax in Arlington (HB524) >Imposes a new 7.75% tax on incomes over $1 Million (HB1074) >Creates two new tax brackets, one over $600K at 8% and another over $1 Million at 10% (HB979)">
🗳 🇺🇸 Here's what Virginia Democrats have introduced so far. This list is truly insane:
>Bans future attempts to clean up voter rolls (HB111)
>Makes it illegal for state agencies distributing federal dollars to NGOs to investigate whether they're engaged in fraud (HB1369)
>Makes it illegal to hand-count ballots (HB968)
>Allows mail-in ballots to be counted one week after election day (HB773)
>Allows for absentee ballots to be received and counted for three days after election day (HB82)
>Gerrymanders the state with a 10-1 or 9-2 Democrat Congressional map (HJ4)
>Creates a state-level equivalent of the VRA (HB967)
>Eliminates the requirement that large last-minute campaign contributions have to be publicly reported at least 24 hours before election day (HB1348)
>Removes the State Board of Elections' ability to dispatch law enforcement officers to collect vote tallies from a locality that refuses to publish them (HB1321)
>Joins the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact for allocating Virginia's electoral college votes in presidential elections (HB965)
>Automatic restoration of voting rights for felons after they're released from prison and the mentally handicapped (HB964, HB963, & HB1014)
>Allows for votes to be cast "electronically through the internet" (HB493)
>Public funding of political campaigns at the local level (HB162)
>Abolishes all mandatory minimum sentencing for rape, manslaughter, assaulting a law enforcement officer, possession and distribution of child pornography, and all repeat violent felonies (HB863)
>Makes it harder for judges to deny bail, even in the case of things like aggravated assault, armed robbery, and drug trafficking (HB357)
>Gives convicted murderers, rapists, and terrorists a chance to get out of prison early (HB853)
>Drastically reduces the criminal penalty for robbery (HB244)
>Bars prosecutors from mentioning a criminal's prior convictions during the guilt phase of a trial, even if it's for the same crime (HB1070)
>Transfers the Department of Juvenile Justice from the Secretary of Public Safety's purview to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (SB21)
>Reduces the amount of time that the Commonwealth can compel a convicted criminal to pay court fees from 60 years to 10 (SB180)
>Taxpayer funding for transgender surgeries (HB1245)
>Bans most discretionary state contracting under $100K from going to businesses owned by White men and allows state agencies to award contracts to women or minority-owned firms that are 5% more expensive than a bid from a business owned by a White man (HB61)
>Punishes VMI for adopting an anti-DEI stance (HB1374 & HB22)
>Abolishes all Confederate-themed license plates (HB1344)
>Eliminates the tax-exempt status for all Confederate history groups (HB167)
>Renames Columbus Day to "Indigenous Peoples Day." (HB858)
>Makes it illegal to approach within 8ft of somebody within 40 feet of an abortion clinic (SB137)
>Enshrines a Leftist narrative about January 6 and teaches it in public schools (HB333)
>Allows localities to adopt rent control measures (HB1177)
>Increases the sales tax in Northern Virginia, adds an additional sales tax for home deliveries, raises the car tax for electric vehicles, and imposes new sales taxes for streaming services, concerts, gym memberships, nail salons, barber shops, tanning beds, tatoo parlors, dry cleaners, shoe repairs, carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, landscaping, and housekeeping work for homes, swimming pool maintenance, travel agencies, and shipping services (SB730, HB1179, HB900 & HB978)
>Creates a new tourism tax on event entrance fees (HB550)
>Raises the hotel tax in Arlington (HB524)
>Imposes a new 7.75% tax on incomes over $1 Million (HB1074)
>Creates two new tax brackets, one over $600K at 8% and another over $1 Million at 10% (HB979)
Ukrainian forces have begun training and testing exoskeletons for battlefield use. Soldiers from the 147th Separate Artillery Brigade are using them in the Pokrovsk sector for both logistics and frontline operations. The goal is to reduce physical strain, especially when loading heavy artillery shells into howitzers without automatic loaders. Artillery crews can handle up to 1200 kg of ammunition per day, and early tests show that exoskeletons help them work faster and with less fatigue Above all, by improving the conditions for those soldiers on the front lines who handle such heavy loads, plus the stress of work. Seeking to reduce overall fatigue in the troops
🌆 Market News Digest
April 6, 2026 EST
🔥 Top Stories
• Trump warns Iran of imminent destruction of bridges & power plants by Tuesday midnight — escalating tensions with potential for severe infrastructure strikes.
• Oil prices rise as Trump deadline nears; US crude settles at $112.41/bbl — geopolitical uncertainty boosts energy markets.
• US stocks gain amid optimism over Iran ceasefire; S&P up 0.41% — markets react to diplomatic signals and oil price stability.
• IMF warns prolonged Middle East war will slow global growth & boost inflation — economic outlook darkens with conflict escalation.
• Trump claims Iran is at its weakest; threatens to decimate Iranian infrastructure — aggressive stance amid ongoing negotiations.
⛽ Oil & Energy
• US crude at $112.41/bbl, Brent at $109.77/bbl — energy markets volatile on Iran conflict fears.
• US considers charging tolls in Strait of Hormuz; free passage part of Iran deal — strategic move to control shipping lanes.
• ...
🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇱 - WAR IN IRAN | APRIL 5th, DAY 37 RECAP:
🇺🇸🇮🇷 - The NYT reports that during the operation in Iran, two U.S. transport aircraft intended to carry the airmen were disabled and abandoned, then blown up. Two MC-130J Combat King II rescue aircraft and four MH-6 Little Bird helicopters were deliberately destroyed by U.S. forces during the search and rescue mission in Iran, according to ABC News, citing U.S. officials.
🇮🇷🇦🇪 - Several fires have broken out at Abu Dhabi’s Borouge petrochemicals factory, with damage currently being assessed following an Iranian missile and drone attack. This comes less than 24 hours after Israel struck Iran’s largest petrochemical facility.
🇮🇷🇮🇱 - An Iranian ballistic missile impacted the Neot Hovav industrial zone near Beersheba in the first wave, the third time this industrial zone has been hit during the war.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 - "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. ...
F15E SHOOTDOWN AND CSAR OPERATION — FULL VERIFIED BREAKDOWN
APRIL 3 — THE SHOOTDOWN
F15E from the 494th Fighter Squadron out of RAF Lakenheath is hit over southwestern Iran.
Crash site confirmed in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province near Dehdasht.
Wreckage includes ACES II ejection seat and tail section matching the squadron.
Cause
Iran claims it used a new IRGC air defense system.
Exact weapon system remains unconfirmed.
HOUR 0
Both crew eject.
Pilot activates survival radio and PRD immediately.
Contact established with U.S. aircraft overhead.
Pilot recovered within hours.
WSO lands separately in mountainous terrain.
WSO beacon briefly detected by satellites, then goes silent.
Reason unknown.
HOURS 1 TO 12
WSO begins evasion using SERE training.
Maintains intermittent encrypted communication with U.S. forces.
IRGC launches large scale search operation.
Iranian state TV urges civilians to report or capture the pilot.
Rewards up to $60,000 reported.
Public messaging includes calls to shoot on sight.
HOURS 12 TO 24
WSO moves into high ...