CiVL News: Apr 26, 2026, 1:04 PM PDT -- Thomas on Equality, the WHCD Shooting, and Cinema's New Shape

Here's your latest episode from the Reason Magazine CiVL News Roundup produced by CiVL.com. This episode explores Justice Clarence Thomas's views on the Declaration of Independence, a shooting incident outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner, and the evolving definition of "movies" in the digital age. • Justice Clarence Thomas lectured on the Declaration of Independence at the University of Texas at Austin, emphasizing its "all men are created equal" passage. • Thomas stated that rights originate from God, not governments, citing his grandfather's beliefs. • He defined "self-evident" truths as "obviously true, and requiring no proof," as understood by his community. • Cole Tomas Allen, 31, was arrested after charging a security checkpoint with multiple weapons outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner. • Allen reportedly told law enforcement he intended to shoot Trump administration officials. • President Trump was removed from the dinner and later described the incident involving "very brave members of Secret Service." • D.C. police believe Allen was a Hilton guest; Reuters reported he was a CalTech graduate and part-time teacher. • YouTube surpassed Disney in 2023 for the most U.S. television viewers, indicating a convergence of content types. • The piece argues that mid-budget dramas migrated to cable and streaming, challenging the decline of "mature" films. • It reframes the "Peak TV" debate by considering film, TV, streaming, and user-generated video as a single continuum. Join CiVL and be part of building the future you want to live in. Be an early adopter. We're just getting started. Human respect, a core tenet of CiVL's vision, recognizes that the path to a flourishing civilization does not lie in more efficient forms of coercion, but in the widespread adoption of human respect as a primary value. By moving away from the "Conflict Machine" and toward a culture of voluntary cooperation, we align ourselves with the natural requirements for human well-being. We built CiVL News out of our passion for free and open access to information. Follow the topics you care about, and don't be subjected to algos! You're invited to build a hub with us for ideas that upgrade civilizations.