The big news is the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas and the question on everyone’s mind as to whether this is coincidence or coordinated. In the past few days, there have been several bombings, ricin letter attacks, substations in CA shot up and a refinery fire. Whether these are related or coincidental, it shows us that when something happens, you need to expect more. Don’t get focused on a single event.

The gun bill was shot down in the Senate, which is good news for people who prefer freedom to serfdom. Not so good for socialists.

The current H7N9 Bird Flu in China continues to be a concern, with Chinese officials now saying that it’s likely the virus can be transmitted from human to human. This is a concerning development, because if the virus can jump from one human to another, it’s far easier to spread and cause a pandemic.

If you have find a news story or prepping-related article, send it in.

News

1. Sheriff calls phone cable vandalism, PG&E substation shooting… | www.ktvu.com
2. ‘Like a nuclear blast’: Texas plant explosion registered as 2.1 earthquake
3. 5 to 15 killed, 160 wounded in ‘devastating’ Texas chemical plant blast
4. *Eyewitness Updates* West, Texas Explosion
5. Eyewitness: Dozens of Additional Deaths Possible in West, Texas Explosion
6. RSOE EDIS – Explosion in USA on Thursday, 18 April, 2013 at 03:10 (03:10 AM) UTC. EDIS CODE: EX-20130418-38890-USA
7. Massive Fertilizer Plant Explosion Shakes Texas | Zero Hedge
8. H7N9 Bird Flu Cases In China Rise By Five To 82; Seven-Year-Old Leaves Beijing Hospital – Forbes
9. Boston bombings: How surviving a bomb blast feels and what you can do to help survivors. | SHTF School
10. Picture Analysis: Boston Culprits Identified?
11. Boston Bombing Suspect Arrested | Zero Hedge
12. report-suspect-idd-in-boston-marathon-bombing-arrest-made
13. White House confirms letter thought to contain ricin sent to Obama | World news | guardian.co.uk
14. Boston Bombing Suspect Identified, Authorities Believe | Zero Hedge
15. Boston Terror Attack Carried Out Right Under Nose of Police and Military | Zero Hedge
16. Second Ricin-Laced Letter Addressed To Barack Obama
17. Flashback: Al-Qaeda Recommended Targeting Sporting Events

Freedom Issues

1. Reports: Reid to Pull Gun Control Bill Entirely
2. GUN WATCH: Obama the sore loser; McCain the traitor
3. NRA-ILA | Statement from Chris W. Cox on U.S. Senate Defeat of Manchin-Toomey-Schumer Amendment
4. DONE: Toomey-Manchin Background Check Fails to Garner 60 Votes
5. Police Chief Ken James: Guns Are Not Defensive Weapons – Guns & Ammo
6. NRA-ILA | The math on background checks doesn’t add up
7. NRA-ILA | Tennessee House Approves School Security Measure
8. NRA-ILA | Senate background checks bill misfires, hits law-abiding gun owners
9. Gun control hopes fade as Joe Manchin admits: ‘We will not get the votes today’ | World news | guardian.co.uk

Economic

1. What Is Pushing Down the Gold Price? | Zero Hedge
2. Big Mac Index Shows Official CPI Underreports Inflation
3. US Mint Sells Record 63,500 Ounces Of Gold In One Day | Zero Hedge
4. U.S. Economy Fundamentally Tormented; No Amount of Money Printing Can Fix It | Business 2 Community
5. Welfare Programs Now One-Sixth Of Federal Budget
6. History Tells Us That A Gold Crash + An Oil Crash = Guaranteed Recession
7. No-Doubt-Pensions-Are-Screwed
8. If This Continues The Currencies Will Literally Collapse
9. Major Precious Metals Retailer: “We Have Been Experiencing Astounding Volume”
10. The Next Great War and the 24-Year Cycle | Clif Droke | FINANCIAL SENSE
11. Seven Reasons The Economy Could Be Headed Into Recession – Forbes
12. Bit Happens | Grant Williams | FINANCIAL SENSE
13. Bitcoin and the Rebirth of Financial Safe Havens | Jon Matonis | FINANCIAL SENSE
14. Goldman Throws In The Towel On A 2013 “Recovery” As Does Bank Of America | Zero Hedge
15. Gold Will Get The Last Laugh On Central Banks — www.forbes.com — Readability

Science, Nature and Tech

1. Bird flu victims report no contact with poultry as virus continues to spread
2. Chinese authorities suspect human-to-human transmission of H7N9 avian flu
3. China’s Bird Flu Is Being Spread from Human to Human
4. Experts unclear how China bird flu infects humans – Yahoo! News

Prepping and General Interest

1. Official: ‘Small amount of looting’ in town rocked by blast
2. CDC | Facts About Ricin
3. Chinese Kalashnikov: The Poly Tech AKS-762 – Guns & Ammo

None of the above should be considered an endorsement or an attempt to push any particular agenda by the Preparedness Podcast. They’re simply presented here as an informative source.