Worth Knowing, Probably Not Quite Threadworthy 4/12

[SVPete]

Iran Nominated to Head UN Terrorism Prevention Group

https://www.frontpagemag.com/iran-nominated-to-head-un-terrorism-prevention-group/

The United Nations is the single worst enabler of human rights abuses in the world even as it claims to protect human rights.

As UN Watch reports, the United Nations continues elevating Iran, China and other human rights abusers to leading positions in shaping and determining human rights findings and enforcement.

And Iran, the world’s greatest state sponsor of terrorism, in particular will be in a position to shape policy terrorism prevention.

On Wednesday, the UN’s 54-nation Economic and Social Council nominated the Islamic Republic of Iran to the UN’s Committee for Program and Coordination, which meets next month to shape policy on women’s rights, human rights, disarmament, and terrorism prevention. ECOSOC’s nomination is effectively decisive, as the UN General Assembly customarily rubber-stamps such nominations without a vote.

In addition, ECOSOC by acclamation elected China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan to the influential Committee on NGOs, which oversees the work, accreditation and UN access of thousands of human rights and civil society groups that enjoy consulative status at the world body.

The UN continues to make satire difficult just by being what the UN is. UNExit - the US from the UN and the UN from the US!

[SVPete]

U.S. Military to Deploy Underwater Drones to Clear Mines in Strait of Hormuz

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2026/04/11/us-military-to-deploy-underwater-drones-to-clear-strait-of-hormuz-mines-n2674305

The U.S. military will start clearing the Strait of Hormuz with underwater drones in the coming days, according to the U.S. Central Command.

Two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers passed through the Strait for the first time on Saturday since the conflict started on Feb. 28.

USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy crossed the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf to ensure the Strait is clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, CENTCOM posted on X.

Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will help clear sea mines in the coming days, CENTCOM said.

Iran claims they don't know where their mines are. Given the casualty rate in the Iranian navy, that is, ironically, plausible.

[SVPete]

Trump’s White House Ballroom Can Resume Construction, Court Rules

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/scott-mcclallen/2026/04/11/trumps-white-house-ballroom-can-resume-construction-court-rules-n2674299

A panel of federal judges ordered that President Donald Trump's administration can resume building the White House ballroom while a lower court gathers more information about whether a building pause will cause a national security risk.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia gave a 2-1 ruling on Saturday.

The 17-page order extended the district court’s stay of its March 31 preliminary injunction to April 17. The National Trust for Historic Preservation had sued the National Park Service over the planned 90,000 square-foot ballroom to replace the demolished East Wing. The project is funded by private donors.

This does not decide the case, it simply permits the construction to continue while the lower court gethers the info necessary to consider Trump's motion.