Marvin The Martian

The Avignon Papacy reference is the detail that demands attention. An American defense official invoked a 14th-century episode in which the French Crown physically relocated the papacy to Avignon and controlled it for 67 years - as an implicit model for what happens to religious institutions that oppose state power. That's not a slip of the tongue. That's a studied historical reference deployed deliberately in a room with the Pope's senior diplomat. The message was not subtle. Leo heard it. He spent Holy Week delivering what papal scholars described as a sustained theological argument about the nature of power and imperial violence. On Palm Sunday he said Jesus rejects the prayers of those who wage war. On Easter Sunday - the same morning Trump posted his expletive-filled threat on Truth Social - Leo told world leaders to lay down weapons. On Tuesday he called the civilization threat "truly unacceptable" and asked citizens directly to contact their elected representatives. The White House's response to the Pope's Tuesday statement: "The Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing." The first American pope will spend America's 250th birthday on Lampedusa with migrants. One Vatican official told The Free Press: "The Pope may well never visit the United States under this administration." The Pentagon summoned a cardinal and invoked the Avignon Papacy. The Pope responded by asking 1.4 billion Catholics to call their congressmen.

A Trump insider opened a $51,000,000 oil short position — hours before Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran. This guy is now 16 for 16. $170 million in profit. A perfect streak. This is not a talented trader. "We placed the bet." "The ceasefire dropped." "We cashed out." Sixteen times in a row. That is not skill. That is not instinct. That is not research. That is someone who knows what is coming before it comes. Think about what that actually means. A private individual is placing a $51 million bet that oil prices are about to collapse — hours before a sitting president announces a ceasefire that collapses oil prices. Not once. Sixteen times. Zero losses. There are only two explanations and both should terrify you. Either someone inside the White House — or with direct access to it — is leaking ceasefire negotiations to traders before diplomats, before the press, before the American people hear a single word. That is insider trading. That is corruption. That is a federal crime. Or the timing of the announcement itself is being shaped around the trade. Which is worse. This is not a genius investor who reads the news faster than you do. The news hadn't happened yet. He wasn't reading the news. He was getting a phone call. While Americans were watching the ceasefire announcement and feeling relieved — somebody already knew. Somebody had already bet $51 million on it. And somebody was already counting their winnings. You are not watching a free market. You are watching a White House with a side hustle. Via~ Really American

When you realize that the two most profitable businesses are war and illness, it’s easy to understand what’s going on.

This little girl was out in the streets every night, defending Iran since the beginning of the war and waving the Iranian flag. But she was killed alongside her mother and father in an attack by the US and Israel in Iran

First moments after the Israeli forces targeted a residential building in the Shiyyah area of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Follow: T.me/presstv

"I ✂️my 1st 🎬 'Strangely Optimistic' for @DisabilityChall in a 72-hr marathon that nearly broke me. My doc just confirmed my 'Long COVID eyes' are Neuropathic Corneal Pain Syndrome & is writing up my case for a study."—@MsJulieSLam with @NinaStorey Watch: youtube.com/watch?v=aaVmJv…

One of the darkest days in Lebanon’s recent history! 100 Israeli strikes in 10 minutes across different regions. More than 250 have been killed and 1,200 wounded, with the toll expected to rise as civilians remain trapped under the rubble. My heart is aching. I’m still in shock.

BREAKING: X is working on biometric authentication to use the platform "Verify your identity to continue using X" "Biometric authentication required" It appears they are going to use "Amazon Rekognition Face Liveness"

COVID-19 und Kinderherzen Eine neue Studie im International Journal of Cardiology (2026) zeigt: Auch Kinder, die COVID-19 scheinbar problemlos überstanden haben, können Monate später noch subtile Herzveränderungen aufweisen. Griechische Forscher untersuchten 137 Kinder (4–17 J.) bis zu einem Jahr nach COVID-19 vs. 79 gesunde Kontrollkinder mit Standard-Echo + Global Longitudinal Strain (GLS), einem sensitiveren Ultraschallverfahren. Ergebnisse - Standardwerte (Pumpfunktion etc.) unauffällig in beiden Gruppen - GLS signifikant reduziert bei COVID-Kindern, Zeichen für subklinische Herzbelastung, nach außen unsichtbar - 23,6% berichteten Long-COVID-Symptome, v.a. Fatigue (16,6%) Palpitationen (2%) - Schwerere Verläufe zeigen erhöhte sICAM-1-Werte (Entzündung der Gefäßinnenwände) Das Herz läuft nach außen rund, muss aber unter der Haube mehr leisten als normal. Fazit der Autoren: Regelmäßiges kardiovaskuläres Monitoring nach COVID-19 bei Kindern, besonders vor Rückkehr in den Leistungssport. Einordnung Die Studie ist methodisch sorgfältig und erschien in einem renommierten, peer-reviewed Journal. nur 216 Kinder, ein Zentrum in Athen. Als Argument für engeres Monitoring ist die Evidenz aber überzeugend. Karaviti et al., Int J Cardiol, Jan 2026 doi.org/10.1016/j.ijca…

Massive reminder WHO declared the emergency declaration to be over years ago while simultaneously saying the Covid pandemic was not over and was still a global threat WHO’s 6-year statement reaffirms that for 2026, still monitoring as Covid19 is ongoing: who.int/news/item/02-0…

@ABC Meanwhile majority of American politicians…

Without dismantling apartheid Israel there will be no peace literally anywhere on earth.

He’s been elected six times. SIX. Times. It’s not just Netanyahu. It’s Israel.

Dear MAGA—“America first” was always a scam. Trump touted bringing American steel back. That was a complete lie.

@jasonhickel Greatest source of violence and instability in the world

@jasonhickel US is that single greatest source. Israel is its proxy.

@jasonhickel They've been allowed to do it to Gaza, why not Lebanon too?

@jasonhickel 💯💯💯 @jonlovett here is the depravity of the imperialist world system, & the settler colonial epitome of that depravity. Extermination chambers for thousands of hostages, incinerating families in tents, dehumanization/sadism, Lebensraum, & tech+weapons $$$ tied to mass murder

What Israel is doing to Lebanon is obscene, carpet bombing civilians, massacring people in their hundreds, total disregard for human life. Truly plumbing the depths of evil. The single greatest source of violence and instability in the region and it's not even close.

Today, one of my children discussed nuclear war, stock market manipulation, and went to see "The Magic Faraway Tree" at the cinema with his Mum. (In case you are asking, of course they were) This is normal childhood behaviour in 2026. The Stolen Child (WB Yeats)