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Mexican officials shared the data in response to an investigation by ICIJ and media partners. 

Drug syndicates have used .50-caliber ammunition produced at a plant owned by the U.S. Army and smuggled across the border in attacks on Mexican civilians and police.

The post Under Former Chemical Industry Insiders, Trump EPA Nearly Doubles Amount of Formaldehyde Considered Safe to Inhale appeared first on ProPublica.

The post Sick in a Hospital Town, Part 5: Too Big to Fight appeared first on ProPublica.

The House on Thursday passed a bill to extend temporary protected status for people from Haiti who are living in the United States through 2029.

IMF Warns Australia Set For One Of Highest Inflation Rates In Developed World

Authored by Rex Widerstrom via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Australia is on track to have one of the highest inflation rates in the developed world.
Australian dollars coins in Melbourne, Australia, on April 4, 2024. AAP Image/Joel Carrett

In the latest edition of its World Economic Outlook, the global lender said economies around the world “face repercussions [from] the direct impact of higher commodity prices, indirect second-order effects on inflation expectations—which tend to be especially sensitive to energy and food prices—and amplification effects coming from [conservative] sentiment in financial markets.”

While the global economy had withstood “a series of shocks, yet another one—this time a military conflict engulfing the Middle East since the end of February—is testing this resilience,” the IMF warned.

It predicted that Australia’s GDP growth would remain flat this year at 2025’s level of 2.0 percent and would fall in 2027 to 1.7 percent.

Those figures are lower than previously projected, down from 2.1 percent for this year and 2.2 percent for next.

While that will be a consideration as Treasurer Jim Chalmers drafts his next budget for delivery on May 12, even more alarming is the forecast for inflation, with the consumer price index at 4.0 percent this year and 3.2 percent in 2027.

Those inflation figures exceed those of most advanced economies, including the United States (3.2 percent in 2026 and 2.1 in 2027), the UK (3.2 and 2.4), Germany (2.7 and 2.3), New Zealand (3.1 and 2.3), Japan (2.2 and 2.3),

Australia’s unemployment is also expected to be stubborn, at 4.2 and 4.3 percent respectively.

IMF Calls for Less State Intervention in Economy

Prior to the outbreak of the Iran War the IMF had intended to revise its growth forecasts upwards, but the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on oil and gas facilities reversed the positive momentum and raised the prospect of a major energy crisis, according to IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas in a press briefing.

Under a “severe” scenario, in which an extended conflict results in greater damage to energy infrastructure, global growth would fall to 2 percent in 2026 and be perilously close to a global recession.

“What should we avoid?” Gourinchas asked.

“Price caps, subsidies, and similar interventions are popular, but they distort prices. They’re often poorly designed, hard to unwind, and extremely costly,” he said.

“Most countries don’t have that luxury anymore. Where support for the most vulnerable is needed, targeted and temporary measures should be deployed, consistent with medium‑term plans to rebuild fiscal buffers and avoiding stimulating demand where inflation is rising.”

Government Stimulus a Mistake: Experts

Two experts spoken to by the Epoch Times said they were unsurprised by the IMF’s forecasts.

While declining to offer his own forecast of GDP, John Quiggin, professor of economics at the University of Queensland, said he agreed that the Australian Labor government’s cut to fuel excise was “giving the wrong signals.”

“The only merit is that it is temporary,” he said. It is due to end in 3 months.

Graham Young, executive director of the Australian Institute for Progress, said the government was giving “a masterclass in how to repeat the 1970s and 80s and turn a price increase into an inflation increase.

“On its own, the oil price will redirect spending largely from non-essentials to fuel, but if the government tries to soften the hit, and they do that without corresponding savings somewhere else, then it will turn into inflation,” he explained.

He cautioned that further pressure on  inflation would occur if the Australian Council of Trade Unions is successful in its bid to increase the minimum wage by 5 percent without a corresponding rise in productivity.

“Wage increases without productivity increases are almost always inflationary first and deflationary second as they put businesses out of business, increase unemployment, and contract the economy,” Young said.

He recalled how interest rates were “probably not high enough to kill inflation” in 1975 and so were progressively raised until the peak in 1989/90.

“Our rates are better placed at the moment than in the 70s, but not by much,” he said.
Graph showing the relationship between the Consumer Price Index and home loan rates in Australia. Courtesy of Graham Young, of the Australian Institute for Progress

RBA Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser said, at a speaking event in the United States on April 14, that inflation expectations were rising in the short term, but remained anchored long term.

“Our estimate is that the supply capacity of the Australian economy at the moment probably can only grow at about 2 percent,” he told New York University guests.

“By the third or fourth quarter of last year, inflation began to pick up, and is now around 3.5 percent on core and nearer 4 on headline, which is too high.

“It’s obvious that inflation is going up in the short term, and people are very conscious of that. There’s not much monetary policy can do about that, other than prevent it from getting into long-term inflation expectations. The big question for us is what it’s going to do to [business] activity … Those are the numbers we’re crunching through at the moment.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has left for Washington D.C., to discuss the economic crisis with international counterparts, including the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, and Chinese Finance Minister Lan Foan at the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

The IMF report showed it was “a dangerous moment for the global economy,” Chalmers said. “We’re weighing all of this extreme uncertainty as we prepare a budget focused on resilience and reform.”

Tyler Durden
Thu, 04/16/2026 – 20:05

Republicans fell short in their bid to flip a vacant U.S. House seat in a blue-leaning district in northern New Jersey.Democrat Analilia Mejia, who was backed by progressive champions Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of neighboring New York, defeated GOP candidate Joe Hathaway in Thursday’s special election in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, the Associated Press reports.With her victory, Mejia will fill the final eight months of the term of Gov. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic representative who stepped down from Congress in November after winning New Jersey’s gubernatorial election.The special election came as the GOP clings to a fragile House majority. Republicans would have relished the opportunity to pick up the seat, but they faced an uphill climb to flip the suburban district Sherrill won by 15 points in her 2024 re-election and carried by roughly the same margin in last year’s gubernatorial election.DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUBMejia, a progressive organizer who served as national political director on the 2020 Sanders presidential campaign, pulled off an upset in the February Democratic primary, narrowly edging out more moderate rival former Rep. Tom Malinowski in a field of 11 candidates. While Mejia was the clear choice of the party’s left flank, the rest of the field appeared to divide the moderate and center-left vote.Her victory was another boost for the left against the establishment after democratic socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani sent shock waves across the nation with his Democratic primary victory in June 2025.Hathaway, a former Randolph Township mayor and current council member who was uncontested for the GOP congressional nomination, told Fox News Digital that the choice for voters was “between a common sense, practical independent leader who’s gotten things done at the local level in New Jersey and knows the issues, contrasted with someone who’s running on pure ideology, far left-wing ideology, Squad-backed ideology.”PROGRESSIVES NOTCH ANOTHER WIN OVER DEMOCRATIC MODERATES AS SANDERS-AOC ALLY NEARS CONGRESSMejia recently appeared at a town hall with Malinowski and, on Sunday, teamed up with Sherrill on the campaign trail as she aimed to unite Democrats, who enjoy a sizable registration advantage in the district.Hathaway claimed that Mejia was trying “to hide a little bit” from “some of her rhetoric, because she knows that those policies are completely out of touch, but it’s not fooling voters. It’s certainly not fooling us.”Jewish voters make up a key part of the district’s electorate, and Hathaway, in the only debate in the special election, claimed Mejia was antisemitic, noting that she has said Israel committed genocide in Gaza.”She blamed Israel for the attacks by Hamas on October 7,” Hathaway said. “I think Jewish individuals across this district, Republican or Democrat, are very afraid of this kind of rhetoric.”Hathaway said, “I’ve spoken to more members of the Jewish community who have told me they’ve never voted for a Republican in their life, who are going to vote for me in this race. I mean, that shows you where the Jewish community is on the importance of this race and how they are not aligned with Mejia… and her platform.”Mejia pledged to “protect the rights of Jewish constituents,” and said her criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza should not be conflated with antisemitism.In a statement to Fox News Digital, Mejia said, “Joe Hathaway’s inability to distinguish between criticism of a government or government official and bigotry is troubling and disgusting in equal measure.”Mejia last week wrote that she was “honored” after being endorsed by the liberal pro-Israel political group J Street PAC. But her acceptance of the endorsement triggered pushback on the left, with the North Jersey Democratic Socialists of America calling her move a “heel turn.”Hathaway, as he worked to win over independents and Democrats, pointed out where he agrees and disagrees with President Donald Trump, who lost the district by eight points in the 2024 presidential election.REPUBLICANS WIN BUT DEMOCRATS ALSO CLAIM VICTORY WITH BALLOT BOX SURGE IN TRUMP TERRITORY”I’m always going to do what’s right for this district first. And I’ve been clear: If the president’s going to do things that are good for the district, increasing the SALT cap deduction, putting money back in people’s pockets, especially New Jersey, affordability is so tough here. If we’re doing things like border security, reducing fentanyl deaths like we’ve seen in our community. Those are good things. I support those policies,” Hathaway said.”But on the other hand, if the president’s going to do things that aren’t in the best interest of our district, it’s my job to push back, and that’s exactly what I’ve done,” he spotlighted.Hathaway pointed to Trump’s move last year to terminate billions of federal dollars for the Gateway Project, which is funding a new train tunnel under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York, and the president’s plans to cut roughly 1,000 jobs and nearly $1 billion in funding for an Army base located in New Jersey.”I’m going to call balls and strikes in this race. I’m not going to be a rubber stamp for anybody,” Hathaway said.And Hathaway predicted, “I think we have the right math, the right bipartisan coalition to come together to win this thing on April 16.”But Hathaway came up short, given the rough political climate facing Republicans and the traditional headwinds for the party in power.Mejia repeatedly tied Hathaway to Trump and Republicans in Congress.”MAGA Republicans are driving up everyday costs with extreme policies my opponent supports. Healthcare and critical programs are being gutted just to fund tax breaks for the ultra-rich. We can’t afford another vote for Trump in Congress,” she wrote in a recent social media post.Dan Cassino, a Fairleigh Dickinson University political science professor and pollster, called Hathaway’s hopes of capturing crossover Democrats “a pipe dream.””Democrats as a whole do not seem interested in finding common ground with Trump,” Cassino said on Monday, as he predicted that most voters in the special election would be strong partisans. “Democratic turnout is through the roof and Republican turnout is depressed at this point.”

Disgraced former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., was once dubbed the “Snapchat king of Congress” years before his career was derailed by newly-surfaced sexual misconduct allegations.Swalwell was forced to resign from Congress and suspend his California gubernatorial bid amid the fallout of damning reports alleging sexual harassment and sexual assault. In his public statements, Swalwell has fiercely denied the criminal allegations but admittedly suggested he had acted inappropriately outside his marriage in the past.Among the allegations Swalwell has faced are that he had sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to women he had met in professional settings on Snapchat, the popular social media platform known for allowing messages and images to disappear.‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST CLAIMS SHE PERSONALLY WITNESSED TROUBLING BEHAVIOR FROM SWALWELLIn 2016, Swalwell was the subject of a glowing report from The Hill by tech journalist Taylor Lorenz about his use of the platform, which at the time was seldom used by politicians.”Imagine a typical Snapchat user, and you probably don’t think of a 35-year-old straight-laced congressman from California,” Lorenz began the report. “But in a few short months, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) has skyrocketed to success on the app, using the platform to connect with constituents and grow his base.””The result is an entertaining feed of short videos, photos and an unfiltered peek into the daily life of a congressman. He snaps photos of his daily commute, shoots videos from his hometown in northern California, and documents his daily meetings as a representative of California’s 15th district,” she wrote.REP. LUNA WARNS OF POTENTIAL JAIL TIME FOR ERIC SWALWELL FOLLOWING SERIOUS CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONSIn an interview with Lorenz, Swalwell said how “so many of our constituents” were on Snapchat and not just “young people.””That’s when I realized that a lot of people are really going there whether it’s for getting news, staying in touch with friends, just cool, fun, interesting things that disappear in 24 hours,” Swalwell said at the time. “We just realized that this was another way to communicate directly with constituents.”Swalwell boasted his growing following on the platform, telling Lorenz, “”People now come up to me at the grocery store or in our community and say, hey, I like your Snapchat.””I want people back home to know that I haven’t forgotten about the responsibility of sharing what I do here as the person they elected,” the now ex-lawmaker said.SWALWELL’S MOUNTING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS THREATEN CAREER BEYOND POLITICS, EXPERTS WARNAccording to the report, Swalwell offered “personal Snapchat lessons” to colleagues on Capitol Hill and even “carried around a stack of homemade Snapchat flyers that he hands out on the House floor.””It may seem strange for a member of Congress to be so enamored with a social media messaging app, but Swalwell says he is passionate about mobile technology and the opportunities it provides,” Lorenz wrote.Looking back at her report nearly a decade later, Lorenz told Fox News Digital, “I’m horrified and disgusted by the stories coming out about his behavior. The fact that someone in his position of power was allegedly using social media to groom young women is very disturbing. I think we are all probably reading this story about his Snapchat use in a new light.”Swalwell’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Heather Locklear and Lorenzo Lamas are taking their relationship public this month.On Wednesday, Lamas took to X to announce that he and Locklear will be at the Chiller Theatre Expo, which is taking place at the Hilton hotel in Parsippany, New Jersey from April 24–26.”Looking forward to seeing all of my peeps. She is too,” Lamas wrote on the social platform, formerly known as Twitter.The announcement came just a day after a representative for Lamas confirmed to E! News that the pair are seeing each other. Representatives for Locklear and Lamas did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.80S ICONS HEATHER LOCKLEAR AND LORENZO LAMAS ARE OFFICIALLY TOGETHER AFTER DECADES OF HIGH-PROFILE ROMANCESLocklear and Lamas have been a rumored couple since TMZ pushed photos of them celebrating New Year’s Eve together in Las Vegas.Last May, Locklear ended her five-year relationship and engagement to Chris Heisser. In 2021, Locklear told People that a marriage to Heisser was “not so important.””We’re together, and we love each other and support each other. And really, that’s all that matters,” she told the outlet at the time.Locklear and Lamas have a long history of relationships.The “Melrose Place” actress was married to Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee from 1986 to 1993, a pairing that drew major media attention during the height of both of their careers.LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSIn 1994, she married Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, and the couple had a daughter before eventually divorcing in 2007. Over the years, Locklear has also been linked to several other figures, including an engagement to her “Melrose Place” co-star, Jack Wagner.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERLamas has had a notably eventful relationship history, including five marriages.He was first married to Victoria Hilbert in the early 1980s, followed by a marriage to publicist Michele Cathy Smith.He later married actress Kathleen Kinmont in 1989, and after their divorce, he wed Playboy Playmate Shauna Sand in 1996; the couple had three daughters before separating in the early 2000s. In 2011, Lamas married Shawna Craig, though they eventually divorced as well.

President Trump will deliver remarks on his ‘No Tax on Tips’ policy at a roundtable discussion in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday evening.
“While every Democrat voted to raise your taxes, President Trump cut them. Whether you are a server who depends on tips, a factory worker earning overtime, or a senior on a fixed income, the Working Families Tax Cuts are putting more money back in your pocket where it belongs,” the White House said in a statement.
WATCH:

Here’s how the Working Families Tax Cuts is delivering real results for the American people, per the White House:
Bigger Refunds: The average refund this filing season is over $3,400 – 11% higher than last year, and 19% higher than the average return over the prior 4 years.
Broad-Based Relief: This landmark legislation is putting more money back into Americans’ pockets and providing real relief. We’ve seen an overwhelming adoption of the President’s key tax priorities, with 53 million Americans (45% of all filers) benefiting from at least one of President Trump’s signature new tax cuts.
No Tax on Tips: More than six million Americans have claimed No Tax on Tips, with an average deduction of over $7,100, providing meaningful relief to service workers who rely on gratuities.
No Tax on Overtime: Over 25 million Americans have benefited from No Tax on Overtime, with an average deduction of over $3,100. Even legacy media outlets admit this tax provision is wildly
popular, including among Democrats.
No Tax on Social Security: A new deduction made possible by the Working Families Tax Cuts ensures an overwhelming majority of seniors will pay no tax on their Social Security income as a result of deductions exceeding taxable social security income. Over 30 million seniors have claimed this deduction, with an average deduction of over $7,500.
Simpler Filings: Over 105 million filers have claimed the permanently Doubled Standard Deduction, simplifying tax filing for millions across America.
Small Business Relief: Nearly 12 million small business owners are seeing an average tax reduction of nearly $7,000, while the permanent extension of the 20% Qualified Business Income deduction is delivering $4,600 in average relief to eight million entrepreneurs.
Investing in the Next Generation: Parents of nearly five million children have claimed Trump Accounts on their returns – tax advantaged savings accounts that give the next generation a jumpstart on saving.
Enhanced Child Tax Credit: Over 34 million families have claimed the enhanced Child Tax Credit, which is permanently doubled and expanded by the Working Families Tax Cuts.
Made-in-America Tax Breaks: More than one million Americans have claimed No Tax on Car Loan Interest, with an average deduction of over $1,800. This deduction is helping families afford reliable transportation while boosting U.S. auto jobs.
Ensuring Tax Dollars Benefit Americans, Not Illegals: The Working Families Tax Cuts Act ensures American taxpayers are no longer funding benefits for illegals.
Fueling Business Investment: The restoration of immediate deductibility for research and development expenses — applied retroactively — is freeing up $100 billion in prior-year deductions for tens of thousands of businesses, while full expensing allows companies to write off investments immediately, improving cash flow and fueling expansion.
Supporting Family Farms: By raising the death tax exemption—increasing the amount family farms can inherit without paying taxes—two million family farms are being protected from excessive taxation.
Incentivizing Adoption: The Working Families Tax Cuts Act significantly boosted tax incentives for families adopting from foster care, making up to $5,000 of the Adoption Tax Credit refundable.
Improved Housing Affordability: The expanded low-income housing tax credit is incentivizing the construction of affordable homes for American families.
The post WATCH: Trump Delivers Remarks on His ‘No Tax on Tips’ Policy in Las Vegas appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.