We Just Experienced The Driest First Three Months Of A Year In U.S. History

We Just Experienced The Driest First Three Months Of A Year In U.S. History

MICHAEL SNYDER

January, February and March were insanely dry. In fact, in all of U.S. history conditions have never been so dry during the first three months of the year. Just think about that for a moment. Not even during the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s were conditions this dry. Many were hoping that 2026 would be the year when our multi-year drought would finally break. Needless to say, that hasn't happened. 

Scientists are telling us that the southwestern U.S. is in the midst of the worst multi-year drought in at least 1,200 years. We really are experiencing a "megadrought", and this is something that experts such as Steve Quayle and Dane Wigington have been talking about for a long time. Unfortunately, it appears that our seemingly endless "megadrought" has gone to an entirely new level in 2026.

If it simply doesn't rain, there is not much that farmers and ranchers can do.

Right now approximately 63 percent of the continental United States is experiencing at least some level of drought, and the first quarter of this year was one for the record books...

Winter wheat is dying in Kansas fields that should be green by now. Ranchers in New Mexico are selling cattle they cannot afford to feed. Reservoir levels along the Colorado River system are dropping weeks ahead of the season when mountain snowmelt is supposed to refill them. Across roughly 63% of the contiguous United States, drought rated moderate to exceptional on the federal scale has taken hold, and the first three months of 2026 were the driest the nation has recorded in 131 years of continuous measurement.

This isn't just a crisis.

This is catastrophic.

It appears that the winter wheat crop in the U.S. is going to be a disaster.

At this stage, more than 81 percent of the Southern Plains is experiencing drought...

Heading into the harvesting season for the key winter wheat crop, much of the western side of the U.S. Plains are locked in drought. Over 81% of Southern Plains is experiencing some form of drought, according to the latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Nearly 20% of the region is experiencing either "extreme" or "exceptional" drought.

Only 30% of U.S. winter wheat is in either good or excellent condition as of the start of this week, according to the most recent weekly Crop Progress report from the Department of Agriculture. By comparison, 49% of the crop was good-or-excellent at this point last year.

The situation is particularly dire in the state of Oklahoma.

Last year, the state produced 101.1 million bushels of red winter wheat.

Thanks to the drought, it is being projected that the state will produce less than half of that total this year...

At the 2026 Oklahoma Grain and Feed Association meeting, crop scouts, extension specialists, and grain elevator representatives painted a sobering picture of this year's hard red winter wheat crop. Their estimates say the 2026 crop is roughly half the size of the previous two years, with production projected at 48.9 million bushels compared to 101.1 million bushels in 2025. The outlook is based on an average yield of 23.93 bushels per acre across an expected 2.043 million harvested acres, highlighting the significant downturn facing Oklahoma wheat producers.

When there is a lot less wheat to go around, prices will go up.

It is simply a matter of supply and demand.

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Over 123 Historic Christian Churches In Canada Burned Or Vandalized In Past 5 Years – More Than 220 Burned In Europe

Over 123 Historic Christian Churches In Canada Burned Or Vandalized In Past 5 Years – More Than 220 Burned In Europe

GP

In many of Canada’s small towns sits an architectural wonder. It’s their church. These are the centerpiece of each town. They tower over the residential homes and small businesses. Often, massive structures with intricate designs and steeples, some of which are over 200 years old.

Many of these small towns are “defined by their churches”. Is this the reason they are being torched? Who is benefiting from this systemic removal of Christian churches across Canada and Europe? The respective governments can no longer deny that these fires are a pattern.

All across Canada, churches are being vandalized and burned to the ground. The Canadian government seems to have little interest in learning why or stopping it. A recent study by the Macdonald-Laurier Institute proclaims arson of Canadian churches has doubled since 2021.

The Gateway Pundit recently reported on all the churches that have been burned in Europe over the last few years. Data from Ecclesiastical Insurance, the popular insurer of Christian buildings in Europe, stated that from 2020 to 2024, there were over 200 incidents of arson affecting churches.

Investigators in Canada have only charged people in 4% of the church arsons between 2021 and 2023. Because of this, the “official motives” are unknown in more than 96% of the cases. However, in Europe, local newspapers say the common cause of the arson is mental illness, or “pyromania”, with no particular ideological reason. That’s truly hard to believe.

The most recent Canadian church to burn was in the lake town of Saint-Romain, Quebec. It burned on the evening of April 13th. Their original church was built in 1893.  It’s a very small town of roughly 800 people. The following day of the fire, the founder of Rebel News, Ezra Levant, went to the site and noticed no other news outlets. The major news organizations in Canada have mostly ignored this arson trend. Politicians have been accused of downplaying the attacks

Even though roughly 45 firefighters from six stations were dispatched, the Church burned completely to the ground. It’s hard to make sense of how this could happen. In 2025, the town built a new $1.7mil Fire Department just 430 ft. from the church (image below). Fire officials said they saved the church bells and the cross from the top of the steeple.

Almost every small town, like Saint-Romain, relies on volunteer firefighters. They have regular jobs and only work for the department when a fire happens or during training. When they arrived, the fire was out of hand. They focused on protecting the surrounding buildings. This included a daycare, a primary school, a youth residence, and probably their new fire department building.

Oddly, Fire Department Squadron Sergeant Louis-Philippe Ruel said the Saint-Romain church fire is not considered suspicious. You have to wonder if he’s aware of all the other church fires across Canada.

The Archdiocese of Sherbrooke said the Saint-Romain church was sold to the city a few years ago. The building had been deconsecrated – its sacred qualities removed. It was serving as a community center and the city library. The city’s mayor posted an alert on the city’s website. The message discusses reviving the library, accepting book donations, and preserving the bell tower. But no mention of rebuilding the church.

We will probably never learn if the Saint-Romain church, or any other church fires, were declared LIB’s. These are structures that a fire department decides in advance to “Let It Burn” if they catch on fire. It’s an unwritten policy that the public has been kept in the dark about. It’s meant to rid a community of something unwanted, like an old bar by a school. Or just further their urban development plans.

The Saint-Romain church is a large property in the center of town, considered prime real estate. The new 2,800 sq. ft. fire department was completed in 2025 at a cost of $1,661,000. Reviewing city documents, you get the sense leaders are focused on tourism and pursuing rapid construction growth. This is typical of small towns.

Rebel News has extensively covered these Canadian church fires. Their videos and excellent reporting can be seen at Save Our Churches.

There’s no easy way to access some of these wonderful small towns except by car. On his way to Saint-Romain, Mr. Levant put it this way: “Traveling through the province, the history is impossible to miss. Small towns, often named after saints, are still visually defined by their churches—grand structures that speak to a time when faith shaped public and private life alike. Their scale and craftsmanship hint at the devotion and sacrifice that built them.”

US, Iran said closing in on framework for permanent deal, as Trump renews bomb threats

US, Iran said closing in on framework for permanent deal, as Trump renews bomb threats

Lazar Berman

Emanuel Fabian

Nava Freiberg

Jacob Magid

The White House reportedly believes it is nearing a one-page memorandum of understanding with Iran aimed at permanently ending the war and laying out a framework for monthlong talks on the regime’s nuclear program.

The US expects a response from Tehran within the next 48 hours, according to a Wednesday Axios report, which cited two US officials and two additional sources briefed on the matter.

The MoU consists of 14 points and is being crafted by US President Donald Trump’s top envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, together with several Iranian officials.

The MoU will reportedly include a moratorium on nuclear enrichment by Iran and provide for the shipment of highly-enriched uranium stockpiles out of Iran, in exchange for Washington lifting some of its sanctions on Tehran and releasing billions in the Islamic Republic’s frozen funds, in addition to both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.

Axios later reported that the document includes a clause stating that the deal “would end the war throughout the region, including in Lebanon.”

Such a clause would mark a significant shift, as the ceasefire reached last month with Iran did not extend to Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting against the Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah. Instead, a separate US-brokered truce was reached there between Israel and Lebanon, as both seek to keep the Lebanese front distinct from the Iranian file.

The plan would also declare an end to the war and trigger a 30-day negotiation period, in pursuit of more detailed agreements pertaining to the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program and US sanctions against the regime.

The US is seeking a moratorium on all uranium enrichment by Iran for at least 12 years, with a provision that would extend the moratorium if Iran were found to have violated it, Axios said. At the end of the negotiated period, the Islamic Republic would be allowed to enrich to the low, civilian-use level of 3.67%, while committing never to seek a nuclear weapon, or to carry out activities related to the development of nuclear weapons, and to submit to enhanced inspections, including snap inspections by the UN.

This would also be a major departure from repeated US pledges not to accept a deal that allows Iran to enrich at all. Trump has also long pilloried the nuclear deal signed by former president Barack Obama, which allowed Tehran to continue enriching at 3.67%.

Iran would agree to remove its existing stockpile of highly enriched uranium, with negotiators floating moving the material to the US, Axios said. A Channel 12 report later Wednesday said there was no agreement on which country would take the stockpile, and that Trump had told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their latest call that without agreement on this issue, there would be no deal.

A clause being negotiated would also require Iran to commit not to operate underground nuclear facilities, the report said.

As the talks proceed, Iran and the US would gradually ease their operations in the Strait of Hormuz to allow shipping through the waterway and trade through Iranian ports, the report said.

But if negotiations collapse or fail to reach a deal, the US could restore the blockade or resume the war, according to a US official. The report cautioned that “nothing has been agreed yet,” but sources describe the current process as the closest the two sides have come to an agreement since the war started with joint American and Israeli airstrikes on February 28.

A Pakistani source involved in the mediation efforts confirmed the report to Reuters, saying, “We will close this very soon. We are getting close.”

Asked what the timeframe might be for Iran and the US to reach an agreement on a memorandum of understanding permanently ending the war between them, Trump responded, one week.

Fox News said Trump made the comment during a phone interview with the network, which added that the president sounded cautiously optimistic.

Trump has been known to give varying timelines pertaining to the Iran talks in the constant cold calls he takes from journalists.

Given Axios’s reporting that the US is expecting an Iranian response to the MOU within two days, it was unclear whether Trump was suggesting that an additional few days would still be needed after that.

Trump earlier Wednesday signaled support for the proposal in a post on Truth Social, saying the American war effort and blockade on Iran would end if Tehran accepts the terms.

“Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran,” Trump wrote.

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China Wants Iran War End, Pushes 'Immediate' Hormuz Reopening During Araghchi Visit Ahead Of Trump-Xi Summit

China Wants Iran War End, Pushes 'Immediate' Hormuz Reopening During Araghchi Visit Ahead Of Trump-Xi Summit

 TYLER DURDEN

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is currently in Beijing meeting with his Chinese counterpart, FM Wang Yi, and the timing of the visit sends a resounding message to Washington and the West. 

The highly anticipated Trump-Xi meeting is still scheduled for next week, expected for May 14-15, though there has been ample speculation the ongoing events of the unpredictable Iran war and Hormuz Strait crisis could derail the trip at the last minute.

Of course, Iran and the question of peace will be high on the agenda as Trump visits - and currently it seems the White House is desperate to set in place some kind of final offramp, given the Tuesday night 'pause' in Project Freedom operations in the Gulf.

Upon the occasion of Araghchi's visit, Foreign Minister Wang has taken the opportunity to again call for the immediate opening of the strait. And the Iranian top diplomat seconded this at a moment the US Navy has imposed an effective blockade of Iranian ports, which of course severely impacts Iranian oil going to China. "Currently, it is possible to resolve the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible," Xinhua quoted Araghchi as saying.

Wang during the meeting also called for a "comprehensive ceasefire," saying his country is deeply distressed by the war. Xinhua further quoted him as saying:

"The international community shares a common concern for restoring normal and safe passage through the Strait, and China hopes the relevant parties will respond as quickly as possible to the strong calls from the international community."

The two sides are clearly coordinating their messaging to some degree, given Wang also expressed that China "appreciates Iran’s pledge to not develop nuclear weapons."

Tehran has for years insisted its program is only for peaceful nuclear energy development and for domestic needs, but has amid Trump's Operation Epic Fury made clear it will never given up its right to enriched uranium. It has said this is as "sacred as the soil" and sees it as a matter of national sovereignty. This in the face of US demands that it transfer all nuclear material out of the country.

More out of Beijing on Wednesday:

“We believe that a comprehensive ceasefire brooks no delay, a resumption of hostilities is inadvisable, and persisting with negotiations is particularly important,” Wang told Araghchi at the start of their meeting, according to footage released by Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV.

...Earlier, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged China to press Iran to ease its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes.

As for what China gains in this high-level diplomacy and engagement with Tehran at a moment it could face more US and Israeli bombs, Associated Press presents the following:

Some noted that the Iranian foreign minister visited at Beijing’s initiative. "It’s China exercising their leverage... to summon the Iranian foreign minister," said Hoo Tiang Boon, a professor of Chinese foreign policy at Nanyang Technological University.

"By holding the talks with the Iranians, you can't fault for them not putting in any effort," Hoo said.

As for some further specifics to come out of the Araghchi-Wang meeting, Iran "expressed appreciation for China’s four-point proposal" - according to a readout in semi-official Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

"Iran supports the formation of a new framework for the post-war period in the region" the readout adds. As for the 'four points' - these were issued by Beijing earlier in the conflict and are quite broad. These official points are featured below in their entirety, via Chinese state sources:

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US said to tell Israel that Iran showing ‘surprising openness’ on transferring its uranium stockpile overseas

US said to tell Israel that Iran showing ‘surprising openness’ on transferring its uranium stockpile overseas

TOI

US officials have told Israel they are “optimistic” about reaching a framework agreement with Iran on ending the war, according to a Channel 12 report. This assessment has also reportedly been conveyed by US President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to the latest “update” conveyed to Israel by the Americans, Iran is showing “surprising openness” regarding the transfer of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to a third country. But there is no agreement on which country that would be. Without agreement on this issue, Trump told Netanyahu in their latest call, there will be no deal, the report says, citing two Israeli officials.

Israel is concerned by the lack of attention being paid to the issue of Iran’s ballistic missile program, the report also says. Israel wants to see a clause in the framework agreement that would limit the range of Iranian ballistic missiles, even though there would be credible means of ensuring Iranian compliance with any such clause, or with any provisions intended to limit Iran’s ballistic missile production.

While “part of the Iranian leadership” is apparently open to “significant steps” on the path to a framework agreement, including on the issue of removing Iran’s uranium stockpile, Israel and the Americans are wary of the potential for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to thwart such a deal, the report continues. Israel, it says, remains braced for all scenarios, including the collapse of the negotiations.