Odds and Ends — 13 April 2026

Cryptocurrency, Investing, Money, Economy, Business, AI, and Debt:

Flash Fiction:

”You were in military intelligence for four years, and then the CIA for six?”

”Correct. Obviously I can’t divulge details of any of my assignments, but I can say they involved extensive time overseas on four continents.”

”All very impressive, but I think you’d find this to be a different kind of intelligence service altogether. I’m a very wealthy man and I have a need for discretion even more than those organizations do.”

”I understand sir. Your previous employee respected your money, but he could never fully accept your being a vampire. I have no such feelings. You are what you are.”

”Very well, a million dollars a month it is. You start immediately. Find me everything about this group. Most importantly, when they will next all be gathered together after sunset. I’m getting hungry.”

Written for @daily.prompt/13-april-2026-freewriters-community-daily-writing-prompt-day-3072-a-different-kind-of-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">this prompt.

Coronavirus and Public Health:

Long COVID tied to higher risk of heart disease, even after mild infection

Iran:

https://twitter.com/RobBfromDerby/status/2043343994394927298

https://twitter.com/IranInThailand/status/2043342530826400220

Surprising nobody, U.K. Will Not Help in Blockade of Strait of Hormuz

https://twitter.com/DropSiteNews/status/2043739395384050061?s=20

https://twitter.com/RnaudBertrand/status/2042833312172167568

https://twitter.com/ripplebrain/status/2043334350888968637

Time Is On Iran’s Side

The Iranians believe that time is on their side in this confrontation and they are probably right. The longer the Strait of Hormuz is closed, the more the economic and political pressure on the US and its allies will mount. As a result, Iran’s negotiating hand is likely to be stronger — if and when peace talks resume.

https://twitter.com/micah_erfan/status/2043710420133822472

https://twitter.com/PatBlanchfield/status/2043350337382199366

Hungary:

Orban loses in a landslide

https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/2043440929940398426

https://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/2043452680568180955

https://twitter.com/SzabadonMagyar/status/2043673904976150843

https://twitter.com/Daractenus/status/2043726301194801668

https://twitter.com/Nexom_Maciej/status/2043729938746900658

https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/2043455925856436411

Politics:

https://twitter.com/ElxMapping/status/2043405288372425006

https://twitter.com/HeatherThomasAF/status/2043438347281182962

https://twitter.com/EdwardGLuce/status/2043432217590833643

https://twitter.com/1goodtern/status/2043587215280783580

https://twitter.com/TheRickWilson/status/2043502023920779602

———— Stark. Raving. Mad. ————

https://twitter.com/itsdeaann/status/2043513763371131085

https://twitter.com/jimstewartson/status/2043719271520624870

https://twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2043740458287788209

———— Autocracy R Us ————

Judge Dismisses Trump Suit Against Wall Street Journal

A federal judge in Miami handed President Trump a defeat in his defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over a story about a birthday book for Jeffrey Epstein, saying the president’s legal team failed to clear the legal bar needed to bring the case.

https://twitter.com/DittiePE/status/2043673240606851479

Elon Musk was ubiquitous in Washington last spring, wielding unprecedented power helping the Trump administration reshape and, in some cases, dismantle federal agencies across the government. But now, his legal adversaries can’t find him to answer questions under oath about the role he played at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency in the first months of President Donald Trump’s administration.