The Gov Hub Newsletter: April 7, 2026

A store that literally is named the “Trump Truth Store” in Crystal Lake, Illinois has had to temporarily close due to low sales. As one could imagine, the store sells Trump and MAGA-themed gear.

JD Vance’s newest book, on his journey to Catholicism [despite being accused of killing the last Pope and being seemingly disliked by the current Pope], has caught the eyes of the congregants of the church he put on the cover of his book… congregants not only do not know him, but the church pictured is a Methodist church…literally called Mt. Zion United Methodist Church.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott [R] seemingly can’t tell the difference between AI and reality, having re-shared an AI-generated post falsely depicting the rescue of the two U.S. service members over the weekend, following their fighter jet going down in Iran. His text added to the now deleted post? “This is so awesome.”

In Maryland, a GOP campaign treasurer – James Phillip Appel – was indicted on charges that he embezzled $200K from Delegate Kathy Szeliga and a community org, and then used the embezzled money to refinance a loan on a yacht worth an estimated $800K. According to the Washington Post, Appel has pleaded not guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges.

The current president took to Truth Social in the wee-hours of the morning today to threaten that a “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by 8pm tonight, amongst a litany of other weird threats and incoherent ramblings. These ramblings follow others on Sunday, with Trump saying, “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped in one, in Iran.” Notably, a presser that was scheduled for this morning at the Pentagon was canceled. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis [R] signed a bill that gives him and fellow state officials the final say in designating groups in the state as “domestic terrorist organizations.” The new law gives the head of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement the authority to recommend a designation to the governor and cabinet. The law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2026, puts a target on student orgs at public unis, which can be dissolved, lose funding, or have student members expelled if given that designation. 

In Texas, the Republican-dominated State Board of Education is considering requiring readings from the Christian Bible in public school classrooms, and is reviewing a list of proposed Bible passages. 

As gas prices continue to skyrocket as a result of Trump’s war in the Middle East, Trump is also continuing his war against a federal assistance program known in short-hands as LIHEAP, that helps people heat and cool their homes. Trump’s vision: eliminate the program.

Amazon is adding a 3.5% ‘fuel and logistics surcharge’ for third-party sellers in both the U.S. and Canada, starting on April 17, 2026. The reason given? Increased fuel costs [hello, Trump’s war].

And yet again, it’s fuel at the center of this economic story, which is that airlines are canceling flights amidst a jet fuel shortage and increased prices – additionally, ticket prices are up as well.

According to AAA, the latest national average on gas prices is $4.14, and in at least six states, diesel prices are surpassing previous record highs.

Long-time friend of Epstein and Trump, Steve Bannon won a SCOTUS order that’s expected to lead to the dismissal of his criminal conviction for refusing to testify before Congress. At the urging of none other than Trump and crew, the justice vacated a lower court ruling that had upheld Bannon’s conviction. Albeit a largely symbolic move since Bannon already served jail time, the decision clears the decks for a trial judge to dismiss the case.

But the emails… from the U.S. Marshals Service… that shows that the members of Elon’s private security that were deputized as federal agents, were deputized without receiving the training required. The emails reveal that waivers were needed and given because members of the security team hadn’t completed a basic law enforcement training program nor did they have at least a year under their belt working in law enforcement at an agency that had “general arrest authority.”

The Florida-based drone company, Powerus, which brought Eric and Donald Trump Jr. on board last month, has been on the global road trying to sell their drones to countries in the Gulf that are fending off attacks from the IRGC amidst a Trump-started war in the region. The positioning and conflict of interest is under watch, with these countries seemingly dependent on U.S. support, thus handing companies like Powerus and its beneficiaries [the Trump’s] a possible financial boon and an interest in continuing the war.

Sec. Def Hegseth announced that his answer to keeping troops safe and a surge of shootings at American military bases, often by military members, is to allow troops to take their personal weapons onto military bases for ‘self-protection.’

A new report from Reuters has revealed that through their review of internal ICE data, that ICE arrested more than 800 people after receiving tips from TSA. Within that data set, Reuters found that TSA shared records on 31,000 travelers with ICE.

A 3-year-old girl separated from her mother at the U.S.-Mexico border was held in federal custody for five months and allegedly sexually abused in a foster placement, according to court filings. A petition filed by the American Bar Association's Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project said the abuse occurred while she was in the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement in a foster home. Her father, a legal permanent resident, immediately applied to reunify with her but faced months of delays and bureaucratic blocks, sharing that the requirements he faced necessitated an appointment the government refused to allow him to schedule.

The emotional and psychological toll on children being held in ICE detention is further under the spotlight following the release of this new CBS News interview with 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his parents, in the wake of Ramos and his dad’s detention. In the interview, Liam’s parents shared that he’s now fearful of going outside and police officers, and overall is scared of being “taken away again." 

Congresswoman Debbie Dingell [D-MI] sunk a solo cup in what appears to be a tailgate round of beer pong, cheering on UMich.

Senator Elizabeth Warren [D-MA] has questions for Mr. Beast. Seriously. 

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood [D-IL] brought eyes to a new bill she’s introduced on child suicide prevention with this post.

Colorado State Rep. Jenny Wilford [D] shared a niche-relatable Reel on what it’s like to have to gut your bill – pour one out.

A federal appeals court has ruled that Iowa can enforce a 2023 book ban law that restricts teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ topics with students in K-6, and bans certain books from both school libraries and classrooms. The decision, which reinstates the law, lifted a lower court’s temporary order blocking it. The fight over the law however is still ongoing, with the cases against the law continuing in the district court according to AP.

Pam Bondi, Trump’s AG with the bad roots got the axe late last week. The reaction to her firing can perhaps be best categorized by a picture taken of her portrait in the trash can at the DOJ. The temporary replacement is Todd Blanche, who was formerly Trump’s personal defense lawyer turned Deputy AG.

A coalition of 24 states, co-led by Massachusetts AG Campbell and California AG Rob Bonta, is suing Trump over his latest executive order on elections. The EO aims to create a federal voter list and limit mail-in ballots, all packaged with a threat to states that don’t comply. The coalition of AGs suing argues that the EO is not only unconstitutional, but that election control belongs to the states, not the president. 

Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick will be back in front of Congress on May 6, 2026 after agreeing to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee about his relationship with Epstein.

Also finding his way in front of the House Oversight Committee, but in June 2026, is Bill Gates who will sit for a transcribed interview.

A new lawsuit has emerged against Les Wexner and the Wexner Foundation, with several women alleging that Wexner was the enabler behind Epstein’s sex trafficking ring. Details named in the suit include the allegation that Epstein received $200M+ from Wexner over several decades with the intent of perpetrating gender-motivated violence. 

Before her firing, former AG Pam Bondi was facing a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee. Now, the vibe on the matter has shifted, with some members of the Committee still wanting to see their subpoenas through, and others like Congressman James Comer [R-KY] seemingly luke-warm on their thoughts and feels on the matter.

The Hill: EPA takes early step in methane rollback

Politico: Politicians are debuting holograms at airports. It’s either innovation or the ‘height of inauthenticity."

AP: Low-voltage utility elections face surge of attention as electricity bills rise

USA Today: US government accounts and pro-Iranian voices wage ‘memetic warfare