Hey everyone,

A quick update on where Centered America is headed.

We are no longer publishing daily news roundups here. That work is not going away, it is just moving. We will continue covering the news every day on Sharad’s personal Substack, Sharad’s Room, where the daily reporting now lives. If you came here for the news, that is where to find it.

Centered America itself is not going anywhere. We are still a registered 501(c)(4) nonprofit. The website is still up. The mission is still the same. What is changing is what we do with our social media and our video work.

Going forward, our focus is going to be on the people who never get a microphone.

We want to sit down with the park ranger and ask what is happening to the trails he loves. We want to talk to the school nurse about what she is seeing in her clinic. We want to ask the long-haul trucker how the tariffs are hitting his pay. We want to find the wildlife biologist who is watching a species disappear and let her tell us, in her own words, why it matters.

We want to know how this administration is affecting all of it, and how politics plays a role in everyone’s daily life.

The reason for the shift is simple. There is no shortage of people yelling about politics from a desk. There is a real shortage of regular Americans being asked what they are actually going through, and a real shortage of platforms willing to listen long enough to find out. We want to be one of those platforms.

You can still find everything we are about, our mission, our work, and how to get involved at our website. We are not slowing down. We are not stepping back. We are just pointing the camera at the people who deserved it all along.

Thank you for being here. The best stuff is still ahead.

— Sharad Swaney & Gavin Faivre, Co-Directors of Centered America

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Good evening, everyone.

The ceasefire is OVER. Not “fraying.” Not “under strain.” OVER. This morning, the U.S. launched “Project Freedom” to force merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz under military escort. Iran responded by firing cruise missiles at U.S. Navy ships, launching drones at a UAE oil tanker, and setting a Fujairah petroleum zone on fire. The U.S. destroyed six Iranian boats. A South Korean cargo vessel exploded. And Iran drew a NEW MAP claiming UAE ports as Iranian territory.

Then Trump went on Fox News and said Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth.”

CNN sources say joint U.S.-Israeli strikes inside Iran could resume within 24 hours.

This is no longer a blockade or a standoff. This is an active, expanding, SHOOTING WAR, and it got dramatically worse today. Gas is already at $4.45 and climbing. Twenty-three people were shot at a lake party in Oklahoma. Giuliani is in critical condition. And Trump is demanding Hakeem Jeffries be impeached, which is not a thing you can do to a member of Congress.

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Now here is your Monday evening briefing.

Ceasefire Collapses as Iran Strikes U.S. Vessels and UAE Oil Infrastructure

• The fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire reached on April 8 is unraveling in real time as both sides exchanged direct fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, the most serious confrontation since the truce began.

• U.S. Central Command commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Iranian forces launched “multiple cruise missiles, drones, and small boats at ships” the U.S. Navy was protecting, and that U.S. forces returned fire and destroyed six Iranian small boats using Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters.

• Iran’s IRGC, through Fars News Agency, claimed it struck a U.S. warship near the port of Jask with two missiles. CENTCOM categorically rejected the claim, with spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins calling it “false propaganda” and stating “No U.S. Navy ships have been struck.”

• CENTCOM announced two U.S.-flagged merchant vessels had successfully transited the strait under the new escort framework. The IRGC dismissed the claim as “baseless” and “outright lies.”

• Sources tell CNN that a resumption of U.S.-Israeli strikes on targets inside Iran could come within 24 hours.

• 15,000 service members, more than 100 aircraft, warships and drones are involved in Project Freedom.

Trump Threatens Iran Will Be “Blown Off the Face of the Earth”

• In a 20-minute phone interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump issued his most direct threat since the ceasefire began, warning Iran would be “blown off the face of the earth” if it targets any U.S. vessel involved in Project Freedom.

• Trump said Iran has become “much more malleable” in negotiations, citing the pressure from the ongoing naval blockade, which he called the “greatest military maneuver in history.”

• Trump told Fox: “We have more weapons and ammunition at a much higher grade than we had before. We have the best equipment. We have stuff all over the world. We have these bases all over the world. They’re all stocked up with equipment. We can use all of that stuff, and we will, if we need it.”

• On Truth Social, Trump claimed U.S. forces had “shot down seven small boats, or, as they like to call them, ‘fast’ boats” and added that Iran had hit a South Korean cargo ship.

UAE Oil Tanker Struck by Iranian Drones in Strait of Hormuz

• Two Iranian drones struck the MV Barakah, a crude oil tanker operated by ADNOC’s Logistics and Services unit, off the coast of Oman as it attempted to transit the Strait on Monday. The tanker was empty at the time and no injuries were reported.

• The UAE Foreign Ministry called it a “terrorist attack” and a “flagrant violation” of UN Security Council Resolution 2817 on freedom of maritime navigation, stating: “Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

• Brent crude jumped 3.4 percent to roughly $112 a barrel on the news.

• UAE Industry Minister and ADNOC CEO Sultan Al Jaber said the strait “must never be held hostage or used as a tool of economic coercion and extortion” and warned any change to its legal status would be “a dangerous and unacceptable precedent.”

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Fujairah Petroleum Zone Burns After Iranian Drone Strike

• A fire broke out at the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone in the UAE on Monday after a drone strike originating from Iran. Three Indian nationals sustained moderate injuries and were hospitalized.

• Bloomberg reported the strike hit the VTTI facility, a fuel storage terminal jointly owned by IFM Global Infrastructure Fund, Vitol Group, and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company.

• The UAE Defense Ministry said it intercepted three cruise missiles fired from Iran toward UAE territory, with a fourth crashing into the sea. The total injured in the UAE since Iran’s attacks began stands at 227, with three killed.

• Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Navy issued a map asserting expanded Iranian control near the Strait, including the UAE ports of Fujairah and Khorfakkan.

• These were the first missile alerts in the UAE since the April ceasefire took effect.

Supreme Court Restores Mifepristone Access by Mail

• Justice Samuel Alito issued an administrative stay Monday morning blocking the Fifth Circuit’s Friday ruling that had reinstated an in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone, the medication used in roughly two-thirds of U.S. abortions.

• The stay restores telehealth and mail-order access nationwide and remains in effect until 5 p.m. Monday, May 11. Alito ordered all parties to file responses by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 7.

• ACLU senior staff attorney Julia Kaye: “While this is a positive short-term development, no one can rest easy when our ability to get this safe, effective medication for abortion and miscarriage care still hangs in the balance.”

• Arizona AG Kris Mayes, part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general, called the order “a critical, if temporary, victory.”

• The case stems from a Louisiana lawsuit arguing the FDA’s 2023 telehealth rules undermined the state’s near-total abortion ban.

Oklahoma Lake Party Shooting Injures 23

• Edmond police are searching for two masked gunmen after a shooting at an unsanctioned “Sunday Funday” party near Arcadia Lake left at least 23 people injured. Initial reports of 13 grew Monday as more victims arrived at emergency rooms on their own.

• The shooting broke out around 9 p.m. Sunday at the Scissortail Campground. Victims ranged in age from 16 to 30. Three are in critical condition and four in serious condition.

• Police spokesperson Emily Ward: “This is obviously a very terrifying situation. We are working extremely hard to find these suspects and help these victims.”

• The party was “advertised across multiple social media platforms” and drew young adults from across the region. Two men in ski masks reportedly opened fire on the crowd.

• This is the 131st mass shooting in the U.S. in 2026. Gunfire has killed at least 278 youths ages 12 to 17 this year, with another 796 injured.

Giuliani Hospitalized in Critical Condition

• Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 81, is in critical but stable condition after being hospitalized in Florida with pneumonia. He required mechanical ventilation but is now breathing on his own.

• Spokesman Ted Goodman said Giuliani’s “restrictive airway disease,” diagnosed after his exposure on 9/11, “adds complications to any respiratory illness.” He said “the virus quickly overwhelmed his body.”

• Trump posted on Truth Social: “Our fabulous Rudy Giuliani, a True Warrior, and the Best Mayor in the History of New York City, BY FAR, has been hospitalized, and is in critical condition. What a tragedy that he was treated so badly by the Radical Left Lunatics, Democrats ALL, AND HE WAS RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!”

• Giuliani had hosted his online show Friday from Palm Beach with a notably raspy voice.

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Trump Demands Jeffries Be Impeached

• Trump posted on Truth Social calling Hakeem Jeffries a “Low IQ individual” and asking: “Isn’t he subject to Impeachment? I got impeached for A PERFECT PHONE CALL. Where are you Republicans? Why not get it started?”

• Members of Congress cannot be impeached under the Constitution. They can only be expelled by a two-thirds vote of their chamber, a process used only six times in U.S. history.

• Jeffries responded on X with “Jeffries Derangement Syndrome.”

• Jeffries had called the Supreme Court’s conservative majority “illegitimate” after its 6-3 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais struck down the state’s second majority-Black district. Justice Elena Kagan, in dissent, called it the “latest chapter in the majority’s now-completed demolition” of the Voting Rights Act.

DOJ Pushes Voter Roll Purges Right Up to Election Day

• The Justice Department has launched what CNN describes as a “sprawling effort” to obtain nearly every state’s voter registration file and review them for suspected noncitizens using the SAVE database, which has produced significant false positives.

• Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane told CNN that of those flagged by SAVE, only about three dozen were ultimately referred to law enforcement out of roughly 1.1 million voters, illustrating the false-positive problem.

• Brent Ferguson of Campaign Legal Center: “It sets up a situation where the federal government itself is the actor trying to purge voters from the rolls in the days before the election, which is clearly illegal.”

• The Brennan Center reports at least 12 states have already provided their full voter registration files, including driver’s license and partial Social Security numbers.

• The DOJ and Republicans are arguing the NVRA’s 90-day quiet period does not apply to noncitizen purges. The RNC is asking the Supreme Court to take up the question in an Arizona case.

Gas Prices at $4.45, Highest in Four Years, Hormuz Still Closed

• The national average climbed to $4.446 on Sunday, up from $4.099 a week earlier. Two days before the war began on February 28, gas was $2.98. A year ago it was $3.17.

• Kevin Book of ClearView Energy Partners told NPR: “When inventories are low and you can’t get oil out of the ground or out of the strait, you should expect prices to keep rising at least until demand capitulates and starts to contract.”

• Treasury Secretary Bessent told Fox Monday morning that “help is on the way as of today” as Project Freedom launched, but Iran’s strikes hours later complicated that timeline.

• California leads at $6.01, Hawaii at $5.64, Washington at $5.57. The U.S. dollar has depreciated roughly 10 percent since January 2025, compounding the squeeze on consumers.

Trump Renews Push to Kill the Filibuster

• Trump posted Saturday: “Republicans must TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER, and approve all of the necessary Safeguards we need for Elections to protect the American Public during the upcoming Midterms.”

• The post followed Schumer’s announcement of a new midterm protection task force including former AG Eric Holder. Trump called them “SLEAZEBAGS.”

• Senate Majority Leader Thune continues to oppose elimination. Sens. Rick Scott, Mike Lee, Ron Johnson, and John Cornyn have publicly supported it. Sen. Susan Collins has said it remains “an important protection for the rights of the minority party.”

Trump Seizes DC’s Busiest Public Golf Course

• The Trump administration is taking over East Potomac Golf Links, the busiest public course in DC, to redesign it into a “championship” course with a “National Garden of American Heroes” featuring life-sized statues.

• The National Links Trust, the leaseholder, said: “This news was a complete surprise to us.”

• Top Trump fundraiser Meredith O’Rourke is soliciting donations through a newly created foundation. Approximately 250 names have been pitched for the garden, which alone could exceed $40 million.

• The DC Preservation League filed an emergency motion. They previously sued after roughly 30,000 cubic yards of debris from the East Wing demolition were dumped on the grounds, alleging the materials may contain lead and asbestos.

• The course sits on land Congress designated in 1897 as parkland for “recreation and pleasure of the people.”

United Boeing 767 Hits Light Pole Near Newark Airport

• United Flight 169, a Boeing 767-400 arriving from Venice with 221 passengers, struck a light pole on the New Jersey Turnpike during its final approach to Newark on Sunday. The plane landed safely with no injuries on board.

• Debris struck a delivery truck and a Jeep on the Turnpike. The truck driver was hospitalized with cuts and released.

• The NTSB classified the event as an accident and directed United to provide the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder.

• The 767 was vectored to Runway 29, Newark’s shortest at 6,725 feet. Former NTSB Chair Robert Sumwalt: “As a former airline pilot, I would consider this runway to be relatively short, and so I suspect that the pilots wanted to make sure that they were not landing long.”

Epstein Hearing Scheduled in Palm Beach

• House Oversight Democrats will hold a “shadow” field hearing in Palm Beach featuring testimony from Epstein survivors and witnesses.

• Garcia: “President Trump is mentioned in the Epstein files thousands of times, but he refuses to answer any questions about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. If he has nothing to hide, he should join us in his hometown of Palm Beach.”

• The DOJ has released roughly 3.5 million of the estimated 6 million Epstein-related documents, drawing criticism for failing to redact victim information while shielding powerful men’s names.

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is scheduled to testify May 6 and Bill Gates on June 10.

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Centered America is a 501(c)(4) organization founded to unite disillusioned Democrats, Republicans, overlooked communities, and everyday Americans to rebuild the United States of America into a country that truly represents the people.

We are committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, reporting the truth, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda.

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Sources

Ceasefire Collapse / Hormuz / Project Freedom

• The Hill - Project Freedom launch, sources say strikes could resume within 24 hours

• CBS News - Adm. Cooper confirms cruise missiles, drones, small boats; six Iranian boats destroyed

• CNN - Two U.S.-flagged merchant ships transit successfully, IRGC disputes

• CNBC - CENTCOM denies ship struck, “false propaganda”

• Al Jazeera - Iran warns any foreign military approaching will be attacked

• Times of Israel - 15,000 service members, 100+ aircraft involved

• FDD Long War Journal - Iran claims missile strike on U.S. warship

• RedState - Capt. Hawkins denial, IRGC claims “baseless”

Trump “Blown Off the Face of the Earth”

• Mediaite - Fox interview: “blown off the face of the earth,” “greatest military maneuver in history”

• Newsweek - Trump “more malleable” quote

• Daily Beast - Truth Social post on seven boats

• Express Tribune - “Fast boats” quote

ADNOC Tanker Struck

• Al Arabiya - Two drones hit MV Barakah, UAE calls it “terrorist attack”

• The National - UAE Foreign Ministry “acts of piracy” statement

• Khaleej Times - ADNOC CEO “must never be held hostage” quote

• AGBI - Brent crude jumps 3.4% to $112

Fujairah Oil Zone Fire

• Reuters via U.S. News - Three Indians injured, three cruise missiles intercepted

• Bloomberg - VTTI facility identified as target

• Khaleej Times - First missile alerts since ceasefire, IRGC Navy map claiming UAE ports

• Axios - Total 227 injured in UAE since attacks began, three killed

• France 24 - South Korean cargo ship explosion

Mifepristone / Supreme Court

• NPR - Alito stay, May 11 deadline, FDA and Louisiana must respond by May 7

• CNN - Two-thirds of U.S. abortions use medication, Louisiana lawsuit origin

• Common Dreams - ACLU Julia Kaye quote

• AZFamily - Arizona AG Mayes, coalition of 22 AGs

Oklahoma Shooting

• CNN - 23 injured (revised up from 13), ages 16-30, 131st mass shooting of 2026

• ABC News - Integris Health treating victims, critical and serious conditions

• Fox News - Two masked gunmen, party advertised on social media, 278 youths killed by gunfire in 2026

Giuliani Hospitalized

• ABC News - Critical but stable, mechanical ventilation, 9/11 lung disease

• NBC News - Trump Truth Social blaming Democrats

• CNN - Raspy voice on Friday show

• CNBC - Now breathing on his own

Trump vs. Jeffries

• Mediaite - Full Trump post, “Low IQ individual,” “A PERFECT PHONE CALL”

• The Hill - Jeffries “illegitimate” quote about Louisiana v. Callais

• Daily Beast - Kagan dissent: “now-completed demolition” of Voting Rights Act

• Benzinga - Jeffries responds “Jeffries Derangement Syndrome”

Voter Roll Purges

• CNN - DOJ using SAVE database, Idaho false positives, Idaho SoS McGrane quote, Ferguson “clearly illegal” quote

• Brennan Center - 12 states already provided full voter files including SSN data

Gas Prices

• NPR - $4.446 Sunday, Kevin Book “demand capitulates” quote

• U.S. News - $2.98 before war began, $3.17 a year ago

• California Governor - California at $6.01, dollar depreciation 10%

Filibuster

• Mediaite - Trump “TERMINATE THE FILIBUSTER” post, Schumer task force, “SLEAZEBAGS”

• Washington Post - Thune opposes, Republicans used workaround for immigration funding

• Time - Scott, Lee, Johnson, Cornyn support; Collins opposes

East Potomac Golf Course

• Daily Beast - National Links Trust blindsided, Meredith O’Rourke fundraising, 250 statue names

• Washington Examiner - Championship course plans

• Daily Beast - Emergency motion filed, East Wing debris dumped on grounds with potential lead/asbestos

• Fox 5 DC - 1897 designation, landscaping begins Monday

Newark Plane Incident

• CNN - Boeing 767-400 from Venice, 221 passengers, light pole on NJ Turnpike

• CBS News New York - Truck driver treated and released, Sumwalt “relatively short runway” quote

• The Hill - NTSB investigation launched, Runway 29 at 6,725 feet

Epstein Hearing

• House Oversight Democrats - Garcia “thousands of times” quote, Palm Beach location

• Beltway/COURIER - 3.5 million of 6 million documents released, Lutnick May 6, Gates June 10

Good morning, everyone.

I need you to read that headline again. Pete Hegseth has fired or forced out 24 generals. Sixty percent of them are Black or female. No performance reasons given for ANY of them. And in a separate White House meeting, Trump was caught thinking out loud about NUKING Iran. While the blockade he ordered has already destroyed a majority of U.S. military bases in the region. While Spirit Airlines just DIED because of the war he started. While gas hit $4.45. While his approval hit 34 percent.

And then he went online at 11 p.m. and posted a picture of himself shirtless in the Reflecting Pool.

This is not a functioning government. This is a man with nuclear weapons who cannot sleep and cannot stop posting.

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Now here is your weekend briefing.

Hegseth Purges 24 Generals, 60 Percent Black or Female, As Trump Ponders Nukes

• The Guardian reports Hegseth has fired or forced into retirement 24 generals and senior commanders since Trump returned to office, and roughly 60 percent of those pushed out have been Black or female, with no performance-related reasons given for any of the firings. The pace and scope have been compared by some to Stalin’s purges.

• Retired Army Major General Paul Eaton, who commanded U.S. forces following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, told the Guardian the purges mirror plans outlined in Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s policy blueprint.

• The Guardian reported, citing a source with knowledge of the meeting, that Trump raised the possibility of using nuclear weapons against Iran during a recent White House meeting, describing him as talking out loud about nukes during the discussion.

• Kevin Carroll, a former Army colonel who served in the offices of the defense secretary and joint chiefs, told the Guardian: “All the retired officers I know are seriously concerned of the long-term effect on the force of senior leaders saying things like no quarter, no mercy, or [that] we’re going to eliminate a civilization without any remonstration from the senior military officials.”

• At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, when ranking Democrat Sen. Jack Reed asked whether Trump had instructed him to single out Black and female officers, Hegseth replied “Of course not” before adding: “Members on this committee and the previous leadership of this department were focused on height, social engineering, race and gender in ways that we think were unhealthy.”

CNN: Iran Damaged a Majority of U.S. Military Bases in the Middle East

• A CNN investigation found at least 16 American military sites across eight countries were damaged in Iranian strikes during the war, representing a majority of U.S. positions in the region.

• Bases hit include Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar (struck twice), Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Camp Buehring in Kuwait, and sites in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq. A Boeing E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft worth nearly half a billion dollars was destroyed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

• A U.S. source familiar with the situation told CNN: “I’ve never seen anything like this before. These are rapid, targeted strikes, with [advanced] technology.”

• A congressional aide told CNN that Iran identified radar systems as “the most cost-effective targets to hit,” calling them the most expensive and limited resource in the region.

• Iran’s precision was reportedly enabled by a Chinese TEE-014 satellite Tehran secretly purchased in 2024.

• Undersecretary of Defense Jules Hurst said the Pentagon’s $25 billion war cost figure does not include base reconstruction, telling lawmakers: “We don’t have a final number for what the damage is to our installations overseas.”

Spirit Airlines Dead. 17,000 Jobs Gone. First Major Airline Collapse in 25 Years.

• Spirit Aviation Holdings began an orderly wind-down of operations early Saturday after talks with the Trump administration over a $500 million rescue deal collapsed. All flights were canceled.

• CEO Dave Davis blamed the collapse on the Iran war, saying the “sudden and sustained rise in fuel prices in recent weeks ultimately has left us with no alternative but to pursue an orderly wind-down of the company.” He added: “Sustaining the business required hundreds of millions of additional dollars of liquidity that Spirit simply does not have and could not procure.”

• Spirit’s restructuring plan had assumed jet fuel costs of about $2.24 a gallon in 2026. By late April, prices had reached around $4.51 a gallon.

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy denied the war was the cause, saying “Spirit was in dire straits long before the war with Iran.”

• This is the first time in 25 years a major U.S. airline has gone out of business due to financial trouble. 17,000 employees are without jobs and thousands of passengers are stranded.

• Rescue fares: United capped at $199 one-way (longer routes $299) through May 16. Southwest selling flat fares at counters: $200 under 500 miles, $300 for 501 to 1,000 miles, $400 over 1,000 miles. Frontier offering 50 percent off with code SAVENOW. JetBlue offering $99 one-way fares through May 6. American implementing fare caps on overlapping routes. Spirit is processing automatic refunds for direct purchases.

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Trump Says the Navy Is Acting “Like Pirates”

• At the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches dinner Friday night, Trump described U.S. Navy seizures of Iranian shipping: “We took over the ship, we took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business.”

• He added: “We’re like pirates. We’re sort of like pirates. But we’re not playing games.”

• Trump described how a vessel was seized: “They were going to ram the, we call it an iron wall... ‘Turn your ship around!’ And there was no response... Now, they’re 5 miles away, and one shot into the engine room, blew up the engine room. The ship stopped. They used tugboats, and then we landed on top of it.”

• U.S. Central Command said 48 Iranian ships have been forced to turn around in the past 20 days. A senior official said: “Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can’t sell. That’s an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran’s leadership cannot financially benefit.”

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei called the comments “a direct and damning admission of the criminal nature of their actions against international” law.

• The economic toll inside Iran: about two million Iranians have been put out of work and the rial dropped 15 percent over two days.

Trump Vows to Take Over Cuba “Almost Immediately”

• At the same dinner, Trump told the crowd: “Cuba, which we will be taking over almost immediately.”

• He floated using a returning aircraft carrier: “On the way back from Iran, maybe the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the biggest in the world, we’ll have that come in, stop about 100 yards offshore, and they’ll say, ‘thank you very much, we give up.’”

• The same day, Trump signed an executive order under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act expanding sanctions targeting Cuba’s security apparatus, energy, finance, mining, and defense sectors, with secondary sanctions against foreign banks doing business with blacklisted entities.

• Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez called the measures “collective punishment” and “unilateral coercive measures.”

• Earlier this week, the Senate voted 51 to 47 along party lines to block a resolution requiring congressional approval for military action against Cuba.

Pentagon Pulls 5,000 Troops From Germany, Threatens Italy and Spain

• The Pentagon ordered the withdrawal of 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany on Friday, with the drawdown to be completed in six to twelve months. About 36,436 active-duty personnel were stationed there as of December 2025.

• The order followed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s comments that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by Iran.

• Trump said Saturday: “We’re going to cut way down. And we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000.”

• Asked about Italy and Spain, Trump told reporters: “Yeah, probably will. Why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help. Spain has been horrible. Absolutely.”

• Spain has refused U.S. access to its bases for Iran-related operations. Italy denied use of a Sicilian airbase. Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez has called U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran “illegal.”

• Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X: “The greatest threat to the transatlantic community are not its external enemies, but the ongoing disintegration of our alliance.”

• Republican Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Mike Rogers, chairmen of the Armed Services committees, said they were “very concerned” about the withdrawal.

Gas Hits $4.45, Highest Ever for This Date

• The AAA national average for regular gas was $4.45 a gallon on May 2, the highest ever recorded for that calendar date and about $1.28 higher than a year ago.

• The price has surged about $0.40 in the past month and roughly $1.50 since strikes on Iran began February 28.

• Brent Crude was over $111 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate over $105 in early Friday trading.

• The all-time AAA national average record remains $5.016, set on June 14, 2022.

Trump’s Approval Hits Record-Low 34 Percent

• A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Trump’s approval at 34 percent, the lowest of his second term. Cost of living approval: 22 percent. Economic approval: 27 percent.

• A separate Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll found overall disapproval at 62 percent, the highest of either of his terms.

• 77 percent of registered voters say Trump bears at least a fair amount of responsibility for rising gas prices: 95 percent of Democrats, 82 percent of independents, and 55 percent of Republicans.

• 58 percent of voters said they would be less likely to support midterm candidates who back Trump’s Iran approach, including one in five Republicans and two-thirds of independents.

• The Republican Party’s economic edge over Democrats has shrunk to a one-point lead, down from a 14-point lead at the start of Trump’s second term.

• Trump’s approval among Republican-leaning independents fell to a new low of 56 percent. Democrats hold a 5-point advantage on the generic House ballot, widening to 9 points among voters certain to vote.

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Reed Rejects Hegseth’s “Timeout” War Powers Theory

• During Senate Armed Services Committee testimony, Hegseth told Sen. Tim Kaine: “We are in a ceasefire right now, which our understanding means the 60-day clock pauses or stops in a ceasefire.”

• Sen. Jack Reed rebutted that interpretation Sunday on ABC’s “This Week,” saying the War Powers Resolution does not allow for any pause once hostilities begin.

• Reed told Hegseth at the hearing: “Mr. Secretary, I am concerned that you have been telling the president what he wants to hear, instead of what he needs to hear.”

• David Janovsky of the Project on Government Oversight told The Hill: “The War Powers Resolution is written in very broad terms. It refers to ‘hostilities, not war,’ and it even covers situations where hostilities are imminent but not actually occurring.”

Tennessee Calls Special Session to Erase Memphis Congressional Seat

• Gov. Bill Lee called a special session beginning Tuesday, May 5, to redraw Tennessee’s congressional map after Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling narrowing the Voting Rights Act.

• Lee made the call one day after Trump posted that he had a “very good conversation” with Lee, writing “This should give us one extra seat.”

• Republicans hold an 8 to 1 advantage. Sen. Marsha Blackburn shared a proposed map showing Republicans winning all nine seats, saying: “I urge the state legislature to reconvene to redistrict another Republican seat in Memphis. It’s essential to cement President Trump’s agenda and the Golden Age of America.”

• Rep. Steve Cohen, the Memphis Democrat whose seat is the target: “Donald Trump wants an extra seat. And he wants to get it by directing how the districts are drawn. It’s taking away potentially a goodly half of African American and African American-chosen representation in the United States Congress.”

• State Rep. Justin Pearson: “I would be lying if I didn’t say it was also so painful because of what my ancestors went through to get access to the ballot, many of them who were lynched, who were shot, were beaten on bridges like the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma in order for us to have this right to representation.”

• Tennessee’s primary is August 6. The filing deadline already passed. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called a separate special session beginning Monday for the same reason.

Comey Indictment Defense Crumbles As Republican Senator Calls It “Vindictive”

• Acting AG Todd Blanche said on “Meet the Press” the Comey case is “not just about a single Instagram post” but is based on “a body of evidence that [prosecutors] collected over the series of about 11 months.”

• Blanche conceded that the “86 47” phrase “is used constantly” on social media and online merchandise but said: “Every one of those statements do not result in indictments.”

• Sen. Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Comey was a “major disappointment” as FBI director but blasted the case: “If this whole case is based on a picture in the sand of a North Carolina beach, it again makes no sense to me. I can’t find any evidence where 86 is used as a call for violence.” Tillis said the term has its roots in the restaurant industry meaning to cancel a menu item.

• Sen. Adam Schiff said: “It’s the fact that James Comey is a political opponent of the president’s. It’s the fact the president has called upon him for prosecution. It’s the fact that Todd Blanche wants to keep this job.”

Mifepristone Goes Back to Supreme Court

• Danco Laboratories filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court Saturday seeking an immediate stay of a Friday Fifth Circuit ruling that ended telehealth and mail access to mifepristone nationwide.

• Generic manufacturer GenBioPro filed a separate emergency application. The cases are likely to be handled together.

• Danco argued: “Never before has a federal court purported to immediately enjoin a several years’ old drug approval; restrict a distribution system for that drug that manufacturers, providers, patients, and pharmacies have all been using for years; or reinstate conditions that FDA determined do not meet the mandatory statutory criteria.”

• Mifepristone is the most-used medication in U.S. abortions. In states where abortion is legal and telehealth is permitted, fewer than 2 percent of prescriptions are filled in person.

Federal Judge Blocks Yemen Deportation Order

• U.S. District Judge Dale E. Ho issued a 36-page emergency order blocking the Trump administration from forcing roughly 3,000 Yemeni refugees out of the U.S. The TPS designation was set to expire May 4.

• Ho wrote: “TPS holders from Yemen are not ‘killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.’ They are ordinary, law-abiding people who have been granted status to be here because the Government has repeatedly determined, in accordance with the TPS statute, that Yemen is subject to an ongoing armed conflict.”

• He ruled DHS “acted unlawfully by terminating TPS in clear disregard of the procedural requirements established by Congress.”

• Plaintiffs include a pregnant 33-year-old Detroit woman whose unborn child has a congenital heart condition not treatable in Yemen, and a 50-year-old former human rights worker in Brooklyn targeted by Houthi-aligned militias.

• DHS responded: “Temporary means temporary and the final word will not be from activist judges legislating from the bench.”

Sinaloa Governor Steps Down on U.S. Cartel Charges

• Sinaloa Gov. Ruben Rocha Moya announced Friday he will temporarily step down after a U.S. indictment charged him and nine other officials with helping the “Chapitos,” sons of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

• The five-count indictment alleges he met with the Chapitos before his election and promised to install officials friendly to their operations. Charges include narcotics importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns, carrying a mandatory minimum of 40 years.

• Rocha Moya called the allegations “false and malicious.” Mexican President Sheinbaum said her government will not protect anyone who has committed a crime but rejected U.S. “meddling.”

• Culiacan Mayor Juan de Dios Gamez, also indicted, said he will step down as well.

Kid Rock Gets Apache Helicopter Ride From Hegseth

• At the Friday opening of Kid Rock’s “Freedom 250 Tour” in Dallas, the singer debuted a promo video showing Defense Secretary Hegseth offering him a ride in an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. An Apache costs about $7,000 per hour to fly.

• Pentagon spokesman Parnell said Kid Rock “participated in multiple troop touches with service members and filmed videos for Memorial Day, America’s 250th birthday, and for his Freedom 250 tour.”

• Rep. Jason Crow, a former Army Ranger: “Why is Pete Hegseth spending your taxpayer dollars to give Kid Rock ‘joy rides’ on Apache helicopters?”

• This follows Hegseth’s March intervention in an Army investigation of two Apache pilots who flew near Kid Rock’s Tennessee estate during a protest. Hegseth ended that investigation, writing on X: “No punishment.”

House GOP Split on Pardoning Ghislaine Maxwell

• House Oversight Chairman James Comer told Politico “a lot of people” on the committee were considering whether a Trump pardon could secure Maxwell’s cooperation in the Epstein investigation. Comer himself opposes it, saying: “Honestly, other than Epstein, the worst person in this whole investigation is Maxwell.”

• Ranking Member Robert Garcia released a statement: “It’s outrageous that Republicans on the Oversight Committee are considering a pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell. She is a sexual abuser who facilitated the rape of women and children.”

• Maxwell, serving 20 years for sex trafficking, invoked the Fifth when she appeared before the committee in February. Her attorney has said she would speak fully if granted clemency.

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is scheduled to testify May 6 and Bill Gates on June 10.

Garcia Probes Noem’s Rent-Free Coast Guard Mansion

• Rep. Robert Garcia sent a letter to DHS Secretary Mullin demanding records on whether Kristi Noem is still living at the Coast Guard Commandant’s quarters at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, nearly two months after Trump fired her on March 5.

• Garcia: “Kristi Noem got fired in March and she is still living rent-free in a government home that belongs to the Coast Guard. The Trump Administration can’t explain why, nor do they seem to care. This same Administration threw out the Coast Guard Commandant with three hours of notice to make room for Noem, and even though she’s been fired from her government role, she won’t leave government housing.”

• At a March 3 hearing, Noem testified: “I’m not in the Commandant’s house. I’m in a Coast Guard House, but not the Commandant’s house... And I will also tell you that I rent that facility.”

• Admiral Kevin Lunday, the current commandant, is reportedly living next door waiting for her to leave.

ICE Hires Firm Sued for “Torture” to Track Migrant Children

• ICE awarded a contract in mid-April to MVM Inc. to assist with “safety and wellness checks” on unaccompanied minors released to sponsors. An internal ICE document says the operations are actually aimed at deporting the children or pursuing criminal cases against them or their sponsors.

• MVM is being sued in federal court for “torture, enforced disappearance and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment” tied to its role in family separation. In March 2025, Judge Dana Sabraw allowed the claims to proceed, writing MVM “fails to cite any authority to support its argument that conduct performed pursuant to a government contract renders that conduct exempt from claims of torture.”

• Neha Desai of the National Center for Youth Law: “We have seen MVM harm children in federal immigration custody in egregious ways for many years now.”

• MVM has received about $1.1 billion in ICE contracts in 2025 alone, plus $145.1 million in fiscal 2026.

Medicare Portal Leaked Doctors’ Social Security Numbers

• CMS accidentally exposed the unredacted Social Security numbers of at least 102 healthcare providers in a downloadable file from a new national provider directory.

• The numbers had been publicly accessible for weeks before the Washington Post discovered and alerted CMS.

• CMS blamed the providers for entering the data in the wrong place. The directory was launched in November 2025 as part of the DOGE-era push to modernize Medicare.

• It remains unclear whether affected providers have been notified.

Trump Endorses Andy Barr, Pushes Musk-Backed Rival Out of Kentucky Race

• Trump endorsed Rep. Andy Barr in the Kentucky GOP Senate primary Friday night, calling him “the only Candidate who will easily defeat the Democrat.”

• Sixteen minutes earlier, Trump posted asking businessman Nate Morris to drop out and accept an ambassadorship. Morris had received roughly $10 million from Elon Musk and was closely tied to VP Vance.

• Morris confirmed: “When President Trump asks you to serve your nation, you answer the call.”

• The seat opens with McConnell’s retirement. Former AG Daniel Cameron remains in the May 19 primary. Cameron’s campaign jabbed: “Congrats to Mitch McConnell for getting his guy.”

Trump’s Sleepless Spiral: 565 Posts in April, Shirtless AI at 11 PM

• A Daily Beast analysis found Trump posted 565 times on Truth Social in April, an average of 18 posts a day, compared with 250 in April 2018. He posted between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on 189 separate occasions, meaning on 83 percent of nights he was up posting at least once. Only five nights included an apparent uninterrupted full night of sleep.

• At 11:03 p.m. Friday, Trump posted an AI image of himself shirtless on a gold throne-shaped float in the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool alongside Vance, Rubio, and Burgum, with an unidentified woman in a bikini. Over the next 41 minutes he posted 11 times.

• At 11:13 p.m. he posted a doctored image of Hakeem Jeffries holding a baseball bat with the caption: “Low IQ Democrat Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, is nothing but a THUG, and he is a danger to our Country!” This came less than a week after the WHCA dinner shooting prompted calls to tone down rhetoric.

• Jeffries replied on X: “Do you need a hug? Be Best.”

• Cameras have caught Trump dozing in cabinet meetings and once with his eyes closed and head dropping while standing behind Hegseth. At The Villages on Friday, he told the senior crowd: “I don’t happen to be a senior. I’m much younger than you. Look at you old guys. Wouldn’t you like to be my age? Young, vital, vibrant.” He turns 80 in June.

• He also warned: “You get a guy who gets in there, he’s got a good line of crap. He gets in and all of a sudden you’re stuck with a man who’s a moron. This is not good.”

Two Mass Shootings: Amarillo Teens, Indianapolis Prom

• In Amarillo, Texas, a shooting at an apartment party around 1:58 a.m. Saturday left two teenagers dead and 10 injured. Ezekiel Rudy Almazan, 17, and an unnamed 16-year-old boy were killed. Police say a group asked to leave an earlier party followed attendees to the apartment and opened fire with rifle-style weapons. Two suspects remain at large.

• In Indianapolis, one woman is dead and three injured after a shooting at a post-prom party at a rental home early Sunday. Neighbor Jack Anderson: “Three houses down, I mean we could almost feel the vibration. It was probably 60-plus shots.”

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Good evening, everyone.

Today is the 60th day since strikes began on Iran. Under the War Powers Resolution, this is the deadline. Congress must authorize or the president must stop. Trump did neither. He sent letters to Congress declaring “the hostilities have terminated” while 50,000 troops sit in the Middle East and a naval blockade chokes the Strait of Hormuz. Then he called the entire War Powers Act unconstitutional.

That is not how the law works. That is not how any of this works. And a new poll today shows 61 percent of Americans AGREE: this war was a mistake. Gas hit $4.39. An 18th person died in ICE custody. Spirit Airlines is hours from shutting down. Louisiana canceled an election AFTER people already voted. And hundreds of thousands of Americans walked out of work and school for May Day.

It is a LOT. Let’s get into it.

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Now here is your Thursday evening briefing.

Trump Declares War “Terminated,” Calls War Powers Act Unconstitutional

• Today marks 60 days since the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on February 28, the deadline under the 1973 War Powers Resolution for the president to either get congressional authorization or end the war. Trump did neither. Instead, he sent letters to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley arguing the law no longer applies because of the April 7 ceasefire.

• “The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 have terminated,” Trump wrote. At the same time he warned that “the threat posed by Iran to the United States and our Armed Forces remains significant,” leaving the door wide open for further military action.

• Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump went further and called the entire law unconstitutional. “It’s never been used. It’s never been adhered to. And every other president considered it totally unconstitutional. And we agree with that,” he said.

• The U.S. continues to enforce a naval blockade against Iran, which began April 13, and still has more than 50,000 service members stationed across the Middle East.

• Sen. Susan Collins of Maine broke with her party Friday for the first time and joined Democrats voting for a war powers resolution. “The Constitution gives Congress an essential role in decisions of war and peace, and the War Powers Act establishes a clear 60-day deadline. That deadline is not a suggestion; it is a requirement,” she said.

• Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut put it bluntly on social media: “There’s no pause button in the Constitution, or the War Powers Act. We’re at war. We’ve been at war for 60 days. The blockade alone is a continuing act of war.”

New Poll: 61 Percent Say Iran War Was a Mistake

• A new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll out today finds 61 percent of Americans believe the decision to launch the Iran war was a mistake, while only 36 percent call it the right decision.

• The poll was conducted April 24 to 28 among 2,560 U.S. adults with a margin of error of about 2 points. Among Democrats, 91 percent call it a mistake, along with more than 70 percent of independents. Among Republicans, 79 percent still say it was the right decision.

• Only 19 percent of respondents call the war successful so far. CNN senior political reporter Aaron Blake noted the historical comparison: “In Iraq, it took more than three years to reach that high. In Vietnam, it took six years.”

• 52 percent said Israel had “too much” influence over the Pentagon’s decision to enter the war. More than half of all respondents believe the war has raised the chance of a U.S. recession, and over 40 percent say they have already cut back on driving and household expenses.

Cuban Man Becomes 18th ICE Death of 2026

• Denny Adan Gonzalez, 33, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, around 10:25 p.m. on April 28 and pronounced dead at 11:11 p.m. ICE described the suspected cause of death as suicide.

• Stewart is privately operated by CoreCivic. Immigration researcher Andrew Free, who first reported the death, said Gonzalez had been held in solitary confinement.

• Gonzalez is the 18th person to die in ICE custody in the first four months of 2026 and the fifth death by suspected suicide this year. Last year ICE recorded 31 detainee deaths, the highest figure in two decades.

• Dr. Katherine Peeler of Harvard Medical School and Physicians for Human Rights said in a statement, “As a physician, I am not surprised by this death, and that is precisely what makes it so devastating.” She added that solitary confinement places people at “significantly elevated risk of psychological deterioration and suicidal behavior.”

• ICE detention has grown from 40,000 people when Trump took office in 2025 to roughly 60,000 today, with budget documents projecting an annual average of 99,000 detainees in fiscal years 2026 and 2027. In March 2025, DHS shut down three internal oversight offices that had reviewed conditions inside detention facilities.

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Gas Prices Surge to $4.39 Wartime High

• The national average price of regular gasoline hit $4.39 per gallon today, the highest level since the war began and the biggest one-day jump since the April 7 ceasefire. Prices are up nearly 50 percent from the week before strikes on Iran began.

• The blockade is keeping the Strait of Hormuz almost completely shut. International benchmark Brent crude briefly topped $126 a barrel Thursday, a four-year high.

• Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said this week: “If people are concerned about the gas prices, they should call up Donald Trump.”

• Analysts at Kpler note the blockade will not actually impact Iranian oil revenues for three to four months, since cargoes typically take two months to reach buyers in northeastern China and another two months for payment.

Louisiana Voters Sue After Primary Halted Mid-Election

• Gov. Jeff Landry suspended the May 16 U.S. House primaries by executive order after the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s congressional map in Louisiana v. Callais on Wednesday. All other races, including the Senate primary, will proceed as scheduled.

• More than 100,000 absentee ballots had already been mailed to elderly voters, disabled voters, students, and active-duty military. In East Baton Rouge Parish alone, 4,300 mail-in ballots had already been returned.

• A federal lawsuit, Garcia v. Landry, was filed Thursday in the Middle District of Louisiana. Plaintiffs include Democratic candidate Lindsay Garcia and Baton Rouge voter Eugene Collins. “This is not a close call. You cannot cancel an election after people have already voted. The Constitution does not allow it, and federal law does not allow it,” counsel for the plaintiffs said in a statement.

• The complaint also alleges racial discrimination, arguing that “suspending only the U.S. House primary while leaving in place” all other races “supports a strong inference of intentional discrimination on the basis of race.”

• State Sen. Royce Duplessis, a Democrat from New Orleans, said: “This is going to cause mass confusion among voters, Democrats, Republicans, white, Black, everybody. What they’re effectively doing is changing the rules of the game in the middle of the game. It’s rigging the system.”

Alabama Calls Special Session to Redraw Maps

• Gov. Kay Ivey announced today she is calling the Alabama Legislature into a special session starting Monday to prepare new congressional and state Senate maps if courts lift the existing injunction.

• Alabama is currently under a federal court order requiring the existing two-Black-majority district map to remain in place through 2030, after years of litigation under Allen v. Milligan. Attorney General Steve Marshall filed emergency motions asking the Supreme Court to lift those injunctions.

• “By calling the Legislature into a special session, I am ensuring Alabama is prepared should the courts act quickly enough to allow Alabama’s previously drawn congressional and state senate maps to be used during this election cycle,” Ivey said. She added she expects lawmakers “to address this call in fast order and be completed within five days.”

• Birmingham state Rep. Juandalynn Givan called the move a “terrible day for the State of Alabama” and urged Republicans to “take a long, hard look before they move forward.”

Kemp Says Georgia Maps Wait Until 2028

• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced today his state will not redraw its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms but signaled new maps are coming for the 2028 cycle.

• “The Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Callais restores fairness to our redistricting process and allows states to pass electoral maps that reflect the will of the voters, not the will of federal judges. Voting is already underway for the 2026 elections, but it’s clear that Callais requires Georgia to adopt new electoral maps before the 2028 election cycle,” Kemp said in a statement.

• Georgia’s primary is May 19. Kemp’s term ends at the end of this year, so any 2028 redraw would happen under new state leadership unless he calls a special session before leaving office.

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Trump Hits European Cars With 25 Percent Tariff

• Trump announced on Truth Social today that he is raising tariffs on EU cars and trucks from 15 percent to 25 percent next week, citing alleged noncompliance with last summer’s Turnberry Agreement.

• “I am pleased to announce that, based on the fact the European Union is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal, next week I will be increasing Tariffs charged to the European Union for Cars and Trucks coming into the United States. The Tariff will be increased to 25%,” Trump wrote.

• The European Commission rejected the noncompliance claim. A spokesperson said, “We remain fully committed to a predictable, mutually beneficial transatlantic relationship,” and noted the bloc “will keep our options open to protect EU interests” if Trump does not honor the existing deal.

• The hardest hit automakers are likely Mercedes, BMW, and Volkswagen, which import a large share of their U.S. inventory from European plants. Hildegard Mueller, president of Germany’s VDA auto association, said tariff costs would “be enormous and would likely impact US consumers.”

Spirit Airlines Hours From Shutdown

• Spirit Airlines is preparing to wind down operations as early as 3 a.m. Eastern Saturday after talks with bondholders over a federal bailout failed.

• The Trump administration had offered a $500 million loan that could have given the government up to a 90 percent stake in the Florida-based carrier. Trump said today that the White House had given Spirit “a final proposal.” Trump said, “We’re looking at Spirit. If we can help them, we will, but we have to come first. If we could do it, we’d do it, but only if it’s a good deal.”

• Spirit lost $60 million in just the first two months of 2026, even before jet fuel prices surged from the Iran war. The airline employs roughly 17,000 people.

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy criticized the bailout idea, telling Reuters: “There’s been a lot of money thrown at Spirit, and they haven’t found their way into profitability. And so would we just forestall the inevitable and then own that?”

• American Airlines is implementing fare caps on main cabin tickets in Spirit markets where it has nonstop competition, and United and Frontier said they are preparing to absorb stranded passengers.

May Day Strong Floods Streets Coast to Coast

• Thousands gathered today across the country for “May Day Strong,” a coordinated day of walkouts, school strikes, and shopping boycotts organized under the banner “No Work, No School, No Shopping.”

• More than 500 labor unions, student groups, and community organizations took part. The Sunrise Movement said over 100,000 students were expected to walk out. In North Carolina, around 20 public school districts including Charlotte-Mecklenburg shut down because of staff absences.

• Cliff Smith, business manager of Roofers Union Local 36 in Los Angeles, said: “It’s important to show business leaders if they back an attempt by Trump to steal the elections that we will shut things down in this country. May Day will show them that we are serious in our threats.”

• Organizers describe the day as a rehearsal toward a full general strike. Across the Atlantic, the European Trade Union Confederation, representing 93 unions in 41 countries, said: “Working people refuse to pay the price for Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East.”

Ex-Congressman Convicted in Secret Maduro Lobbying Scheme

• A Miami federal jury today convicted former Republican Rep. David Rivera and consultant Esther Nuhfer on all counts, including failing to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

• Prosecutors said Venezuela’s state-run oil company hired Rivera in 2017 and 2018 to ease U.S. sanctions on Nicolas Maduro’s government. The contract was for $50 million, and they ultimately received about $20 million before it was terminated.

• Members of the lobbying group used code names: Maduro was “the bus driver,” Texas Rep. Pete Sessions was “Sombrero,” and millions of dollars were “melons.”

• Prosecutor Roger Cruz said in closing arguments, “As long as the money kept coming in, they didn’t care from where.” Cruz said the pair manipulated influential friends including Secretary of State Marco Rubio “like pawns on a chess board.”

• Rubio testified at trial that he would have been “shocked” had he known of Rivera’s ties to Venezuela. Judge Melissa Damian ordered Rivera taken into custody after the verdict, citing flight risk.

Maxwell’s Ex-Boyfriend Testifies in Epstein Probe

• Tech billionaire Ted Waitt, co-founder of Gateway Computers and former boyfriend of Ghislaine Maxwell, sat for a five-hour transcribed interview behind closed doors before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday. He is not accused of any wrongdoing.

• Waitt and Maxwell were in a romantic relationship for seven years starting in 2003. He appears hundreds of times in the Justice Department’s released Epstein files, mostly in emails between him and Maxwell.

• Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Virginia Democrat, said before the hearing: “I want to know what Ted Waitt knows about Ghislaine Maxwell, and it was clear that she was committing crimes even when they were dating. And so I’d like to know how much he knew about those crimes.”

• Committee Chair James Comer said Waitt came onto the committee’s radar through Bill and Hillary Clinton’s earlier depositions: “Bill Clinton mentioned Ted Waitt’s name several times. And no one’s accusing Ted Waitt of any wrongdoing. But we’re just trying to learn more about Maxwell, because one thing we all know is, is she was a very bad actor in all of this.”

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is scheduled to testify May 6, and Bill Gates is set for June 10.

Hundreds Protest Trump in The Villages

• Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the roundabout at Marsh Bend Trail and Central Parkway in The Villages, Florida, this morning ahead of Trump’s 3 p.m. event at The Villages Charter School Middleton Campus. The visit marks Trump’s first major public appearance since the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

• The protest was cosponsored by the Florida Democratic Party, the Democratic Club of The Villages, Central Florida Tri-County Indivisible, and Villagers4Democracy. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried joined the rally and said: “He’s underwater here in Florida. He’s down across the country. We’re all suffering from his domestic and foreign policies.”

• Mike Bullock, an Army veteran who joined in 1968, told reporters: “Anyone who can’t see the parallels to what Hitler did in Germany is either a Nazi themselves or doesn’t know history.”

Trump Brags About Dementia Test, Mocks Obama

• Trump went on a Truth Social posting spree Thursday demanding cognitive exams for all presidential and vice presidential candidates.

• He wrote: “Anybody running for President or Vice President should be forced to take a Cognitive Examination prior to entering the Race! By doing so, we wouldn’t be surprised at people like Barack ‘Hussein’ Obama, or Sleepy Joe Biden, getting ‘ELECTED.’ Our Country would be a much better place!”

• Trump added: “I took the Exam three times during my (’THREE!’) Terms as President, and ACED IT ALL THREE TIMES, An Achievement that, even on a single Exam, according to the Doctors, has rarely been done before!”

• The exam Trump references is the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, a 10-minute screening tool designed to detect dementia, not measure intelligence. Tasks include identifying drawings of animals like a lion or camel, drawing a clock, and connecting numbered dots. Trump’s two confirmed perfect scores came during his first term and in April 2025.

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• https://lailluminator.com/2026/04/30/louisiana-governor-ag-says-they-will-postpone-u-s-house-primaries-following-callais-decision/

• https://us.cnn.com/2026/05/01/politics/alabama-special-session-redistricting-voting-rights-act

• https://www.wsfa.com/2026/05/01/alabama-governor-call-special-session-redistricting/

• https://www.wbrc.com/2026/05/01/alabama-governor-call-special-session-redistricting/

• https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/alabama-calls-special-session-to-ram-thru-gerrymander-before-midterms/

• https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/alabama-governor-calls-special-session-move-primaries-redistricting-ge-rcna343125

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CENTCOM is briefing Trump on a renewed military campaign against Iran, including a possible ground operation to seize the Strait of Hormuz and a special forces mission to take control of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. This is the same commander who gave a strikingly similar briefing two days before the war started.

Meanwhile, the 25-year-old son of two diplomats who were just named in an Epstein corruption probe was found dead in Oslo. He and his twin sister were left $10 million in Epstein’s will. A sealed suicide note from Epstein himself, found by his cellmate in 2019, has been sitting in a federal courthouse this entire time, and the DOJ says it NEVER REVIEWED IT.

The Iran war is now more unpopular than Vietnam. Trump’s approval is at 34%. Inflation just hit a three-year high. And the Coast Guard is running stations on flashlights because Congress let DHS go unfunded for 75 days.

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Now here is your Thursday briefing.

CENTCOM Briefs Trump On “Short And Powerful” New Iran Strike Wave

• Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, is briefing Trump and the national security team Thursday on a renewed military campaign that includes a wave of strikes on Iranian infrastructure, a possible ground operation to seize the Strait of Hormuz, and a special forces mission to take control of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.

• Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine is in the room. Cooper gave a strikingly similar briefing on February 26, two days before the U.S. and Israel launched the war that has now defined the year.

• Trump has called the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports “100% foolproof.” CENTCOM says it has redirected 42 vessels and that 41 stranded tankers hold roughly 69 million barrels of unsellable Iranian oil.

Diplomats’ Son Found Dead Day After Epstein Probe Opens

• Edward Juul Rod-Larsen, 25, was found dead in Oslo on April 29 in an apparent suicide. He was the son of Norwegian diplomat Terje Rod-Larsen and former Jordan ambassador Mona Juul, who had just been named in a joint Norwegian and French corruption probe tied to their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

• Epstein left Edward and his twin sister Emma a combined $10 million in his will, the same amount he left Ghislaine Maxwell.

• His attorneys Skjelbred and Elden said in a statement that “suicide is always complex,” with no single cause. His mother resigned her ambassadorship in February.

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Sealed Epstein Note Found In Cell Was Never Reviewed By DOJ

• A purported suicide note from Jeffrey Epstein, found by his cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione weeks before his 2019 death, has been locked in a New York federal courthouse the entire time.

• The note, ripped from a yellow legal pad inside a graphic novel, reportedly read in part “time to say goodbye.”

• It was sealed by Judge Kenneth Karas as part of Tartaglione’s separate quadruple-homicide case, and the Justice Department has confirmed it never reviewed it. The New York Times has filed a petition to unseal it.

Iran War Now More Unpopular Than Vietnam

• Reuters/Ipsos polling on April 28 shows 61% of Americans now disapprove of the Iran war, up from 43% at its start. For comparison, disapproval of the Vietnam War peaked at 60%.

• Trump’s approval rating is at 34% (Reuters/Ipsos), 35% (Strength in Numbers/Verasight), 33% (AP-NORC), and 37% (NBC).

• A separate CNN analysis found his approval has dropped roughly 10 points since the war started.

Iran Calls Blockade “Doomed To Fail” As Brent Hits $126

• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a Persian Gulf Day statement that the U.S. blockade is “doomed to fail.”

• Brent crude briefly topped $126 per barrel overnight, the highest level since 2022. The U.S. national gas average is at $4.30.

• Trump told Axios he sees the blockade as “somewhat more effective than the bombing.” Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to protect the country’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

Hegseth Says Ceasefire Pauses 60-Day War Powers Clock

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday that a ceasefire effectively stops the constitutional clock for congressional war authorization.

• Sen. Tim Kaine pushed back, saying the statute does not allow the clock to pause and that the deadline likely runs out Friday.

• A Senate war powers resolution failed 47-50 earlier this week. Sens. Susan Collins and Rand Paul joined Democrats. John Fetterman was the only Democrat who voted no.

Trump Floats Pentagon Pullback From Germany

• Trump posted Tuesday that the U.S. is “studying and reviewing” possible troop reductions in Germany.

• The U.S. has roughly 36,000 troops at Ramstein, Grafenwoehr, and other bases. Pentagon officials told Politico no drawdown was planned and a recent military review supported maintaining levels. Politico said the move could derail a planned Tomahawk deployment.

• The threat follows Trump’s feud with Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said the U.S. had been “humiliated” by Iran. A senior German official said they wonder when “the adults in D.C. plan to step back into the spotlight.”

March PCE Hits 3.5%, Highest Inflation In Three Years

• Headline PCE inflation hit 3.5% in March and core PCE hit 3.2%, the highest readings since May 2023.

• The driver was energy. Gasoline rose 21% on the month. Real disposable income fell 0.1% for the second straight month and the personal saving rate dropped to a four-year low of 3.6%.

• Heather Long of Navy Federal Credit Union said households are paying about $70 more a month at the pump.

Scalise Tries To Sell $6 Gas Story, Kernen Won’t Buy It

• Rep. Steve Scalise told CNBC’s Squawk Box that gasoline was almost $6 per gallon two years ago and is now “in the 3s.”

• Joe Kernen pushed back, asking when prices were ever at $6 and noting that average gas in April 2024 was about $3.65.

• AAA’s April 30 figure has the national average at $4.30, well above the 2024 number.

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DOGE Paper Trail Shows Voter Data Pipeline To Outside Group

• Records obtained by Democracy Forward through FOIA show a Department of Government Efficiency staffer at the Social Security Administration signed a “Voter Data Agreement” on March 24, 2025 with an outside political group seeking, in their own words, to find evidence of voter fraud and overturn election results.

• Skye Perryman, Democracy Forward’s CEO, said the documents prove a coordinated effort. The Fourth Circuit has already described the conduct as “alarming.”

• The data at issue includes Social Security numbers and other sensitive records on millions of Americans.

Landry Cancels Louisiana’s House Primary Mid-Election

• Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order Wednesday suspending Louisiana’s May 16 closed and June 27 open House primaries, even though absentee ballots had already gone to overseas voters.

• Landry said allowing elections to proceed under what the Supreme Court ruled an unconstitutional map would undermine voter rights. The redrawn map could eliminate one of two majority-Black districts currently held by Reps. Cleo Fields and Troy Carter.

• House Speaker Mike Johnson backed the cancellation. Trump publicly thanked Landry on Truth Social. Senate races and other contests on the ballot proceed as scheduled. The special legislative session ends June 1.

Trump Says Tennessee Will Redraw Map For “One Extra Seat”

• Trump posted Wednesday that Gov. Bill Lee promised in a phone call to “correct” Tennessee’s congressional map, claiming the move would deliver Republicans an additional seat.

• Lee did not immediately confirm the call. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for governor, has been pushing a special session targeting Rep. Steve Cohen’s Memphis-based District 9.

• Hakeem Jeffries told Politico Democrats are now actively planning new maps in New York, Illinois, Maryland, and Colorado for 2028. He called the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling “illegitimate.” Rep. Terri Sewell told reporters she would “take 52 seats from California” and 17 from Illinois if it helped Democrats win nationally.

House Ends Record Shutdown With DHS Bill

• The House passed the Senate’s DHS funding bill by voice vote Thursday and Trump signed it, ending the longest partial shutdown in U.S. history at 75 days.

• The measure funds TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and Secret Service through September 30. ICE and CBP funding was deliberately stripped out, to be addressed later through a separate reconciliation bill.

• Speaker Johnson said Republicans pulled DHS off the package because they could not let Democrats “isolate and eliminate those two critical agencies.”

Coast Guard Goes Dark As Shutdown Hits Day 75

• Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday told CBS News in an exclusive interview that more than 6,000 utility bills totaling $5.2 million have gone unpaid.

• “It seems like a horror movie, but it’s actually happening,” Lunday said. Power was cut at Station Channel Islands in California and Station Port Huron in Michigan. Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii lost natural gas service. A St. Louis recruiting station ran on flashlights.

• The branch owes more than $300 million in unpaid obligations and has canceled 30 national security exercises, including pre-event training for the World Cup and America 250.

FISA 702 Gets 45-Day Extension

• The Senate cleared a 45-day extension of FISA Section 702 by voice vote Wednesday. The House followed Thursday with a 261-111 vote, extending authorities through June 12.

• The measure rejects the longer 8-month House version. Negotiators are still fighting over whether warrants should be required when accessing Americans’ communications inside the database.

Pope Leo XIV Beats Trump By 46 Points On Favorability

• An NBC News/Hart Research poll shows Pope Leo XIV at +34 net favorability vs. Trump at -12, a 46-point gap.

• A PRRI survey found Trump’s support among Latino Catholics has collapsed from 41% in November 2024 to 25% today. A YouGov poll April 17 to 20 found 48% of Americans agree with the Pope on the Iran war, vs. 28% with Trump and Vance.

• Pope Leo’s Easter address called on the world to “lay down your weapons.” Cardinal McElroy told 60 Minutes that in Catholic teaching, this is “not a just war.” Trump has called the pope “WEAK on Crime.”

WHCD Shooter Concedes Detention, Manifesto Released

• Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, conceded pretrial detention through his attorney Tezira Abe Thursday.

• Allen faces three federal charges including attempted assassination of the president, transporting a firearm interstate, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. A Secret Service officer was struck in the vest. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Allen “fired off that 12-gauge shotgun one time.”

• Allen’s manifesto, released by DOJ, is signed “Cole ‘coldForce’ ‘Friendly Federal Assassin’ Allen” and references his unwillingness to permit a “pedophile, rapist, and traitor” to act in his name. Allen earned a Caltech mechanical engineering degree in 2017 and a Cal State Dominguez Hills MS in computer science in 2025. Preliminary hearing is set for May 11.

E. Jean Carroll’s $83 Million Verdict Stands

• The Second Circuit denied Trump’s request for an en banc rehearing of the $83 million defamation judgment 5-3 on Wednesday.

• Judge Denny Chin wrote for the majority that Trump cannot substitute the United States as defendant fifteen months after final judgment. Judge Steven Menashi authored a 54-page dissent joined by Park and Livingston.

• Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan said Carroll, who first filed in 2019, is “eager for this case to be over so that she can finally obtain justice.” Trump can still ask the Supreme Court to take it up.

Israel Intercepts Gaza Aid Flotilla In International Waters

• Israeli forces intercepted at least 22 of 58 boats from the Global Sumud flotilla overnight Wednesday and Thursday near Crete, detaining roughly 175 to 211 activists.

• Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Israel was again violating international law in waters that did not belong to it. Turkey called the operation an “act of piracy.” Italy and Germany issued a joint statement urging restraint.

• Israeli FM Gideon Saar said the activists were being processed in Greece.

Casey Means Out As Surgeon General Pick, Saphier In

• Trump withdrew Dr. Casey Means’ nomination Thursday, replacing her with Dr. Nicole Saphier, a radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth and longtime Fox News contributor.

• Sen. Bill Cassidy, who chairs HELP, said Means “didn’t have the votes to pass.”

• Trump on Truth Social called Means a “MAHA Warrior” and said she would continue fighting despite Cassidy’s “intransigence.” Saphier authored a 2020 book titled “Make America Healthy Again.”

Trump Appeals RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Ruling

• The Justice Department on April 29 appealed Judge Brian Murphy’s March 16 ruling that blocked HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule.

• Murphy had ruled the changes to the CDC advisory committee were unlawful and stayed both the new schedule and 13 committee appointments. Kennedy had reduced the recommended vaccines from 18 to 11, dropping hepatitis A, hepatitis B, RSV, dengue, and two meningitis vaccines.

• The lawsuit was filed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. AAP attorney Richard Hughes told reporters the case may eventually reach the Supreme Court.

CBS Cut Trump’s Wildest Tangents From The 60 Minutes Interview

• An analysis from Decoding Fox News found CBS edited out Trump’s rants from his post-WHCD shooting 60 Minutes interview.

• The cut material included Trump comparing the No Kings movement to the KKK, claiming SPLC funded the Klan, looping into his old Charlottesville talking points, and falsely claiming CBS paid him $38 million when the actual settlement was $16 million.

• Confronted with the manifesto, Trump told CBS he is “not a pedophile.”

Trump Gives DOJ Lawyers A Vindictive Prosecution Gift

• After confronting Kaitlan Collins in the Oval Office, Trump posted overnight on Truth Social that “86” is a mob term meaning “kill him,” and that “86 47 means ‘kill President Trump.’”

• Comey’s attorney Patrick Fitzgerald told the magistrate Wednesday he would file a motion to dismiss on vindictive prosecution grounds.

• Acting AG Todd Blanche has said every threats case is different and that grand juries, not the DOJ, issue indictments.

Trump Boosts Another QAnon Account Overnight

• Trump posted late Wednesday a link to an AI-generated image of himself surrounded by lightning, with the slogans “The Storm is Coming” and “Nothing Can Stop What is Coming.”

• The original was posted by an account called “Spiritual Street Fighter,” whose bio includes “WWG1WGA,” the QAnon rally cry.

• Mike Rothschild, who has tracked QAnon for years, told reporters Trump is now boosting QAnon content so frequently that “nobody even comments on it anymore.”

House Democrats Open Probe Of FCC Chair Over ABC License Push

• Energy & Commerce Democrats are investigating FCC Chair Brendan Carr’s order requiring early license renewal for roughly 10 ABC-owned broadcast stations.

• Carr has insisted the action is based on “DEI conduct, not speech.” FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez called it the most egregious First Amendment violation the commission has taken to date.

• The probe targets Carr’s documents and decision-making process. The stations affected are owned-and-operated outlets in California, Illinois, New York, Texas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

Habba Faces The View, Loses The Room

• Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba sat for an extended interview on The View Wednesday.

• Habba claimed the DOJ “brings real cases” and is “not Jack Smith.” Sunny Hostin pressed her on the nearly $1 million sanction a federal judge ordered last year for a frivolous lawsuit against Comey, Hillary Clinton, and others. The judge described the case as “political grievances masquerading as legal claims.”

• Habba said she was proud of her conduct.

Trump Demands Cognitive Tests For Anyone Running For President

• On Truth Social Wednesday night, Trump wrote that anyone running for president or vice president should be forced to take a cognitive examination before entering the race.

• He named Barack “Hussein” Obama and “Sleepy Joe Biden” as people he claimed wouldn’t have been elected if such a rule existed.

• Trump is 79 and has previously said he aced the same Montreal Cognitive Assessment that screens for dementia.

Janet Mills Drops Out, Platner Now Faces Collins

• Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her Senate campaign Thursday, citing a lack of campaign funds.

• Mills had been recruited by Schumer and the DSCC. Oyster farmer and combat veteran Graham Platner had outraised her $4.1 million to $2.7 million in Q1 and led 64% to 26% in February polling.

• Platner now faces incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins. The DSCC has formally pivoted to back Platner. Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Ruben Gallego, and Martin Heinrich had endorsed him over Mills.

Sheriff Hutson Indicted On 30 Felonies Days Before Leaving Office

• A New Orleans grand jury indicted outgoing Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson on 30 felony counts Wednesday.

• Charges include malfeasance, obstruction of justice, falsifying public records, and conspiracy. Her CFO Bianka Brown was indicted on 20 similar counts.

• Louisiana AG Liz Murrill said Hutson did not personally open the doors for the 10 escapees but that her refusal to comply with basic legal requirements directly enabled their escape. Hutson’s bond was set at $300,000. Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork takes office Monday.

Camp Mystic Withdraws Application After 28 Children Died

• Camp Mystic withdrew its 2026 license application Thursday following a two-day legislative hearing.

• Twenty-eight children and counselors died in the July 4, 2025 Guadalupe River flood. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had publicly urged denial. The camp’s statement said no process should move forward while families “continue to grieve.”

• Cici and Will Steward, parents of 8-year-old Cile Steward who is still missing, said they were grateful no child would be in the Eastlands’ care this summer but that what was offered Thursday “was not accountability.”

Trump Reschedules Some Cannabis Products To Schedule III

• Acting AG Todd Blanche signed an order April 23 moving FDA-approved cannabis products and items regulated by state medical marijuana programs from Schedule I to Schedule III.

• The change does not legalize cannabis federally and does not touch recreational programs. It exempts medical operators from IRS Section 280E.

• An expedited DEA hearing on broader rescheduling is scheduled for June 29. Critics say the partial change has created confusion, particularly in states with combined medical and recreational programs, and that benefits flow disproportionately to larger licensed operators.

NZ Green Card Holder Detained Three Weeks At Adelanto

• Everlee Wihongi, 37, has been held at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California since April 10. She moved to the U.S. at age six and has held a green card for roughly 30 years.

• The trigger appears to be a 2014 Wisconsin THC possession conviction, dealt with more than a decade ago. Wihongi is sharing a room with 46 other detainees and confined for 22 hours a day.

• Her next court date is June 10. The New Zealand government has said it can provide consular support but cannot intervene.

May Day Economic Blackout Hits 3,000 Events Tomorrow

• More than 3,000 events are scheduled across over 600 cities for the May Day Strong / 50501 economic blackout on Friday.

• Organizers are calling on workers to skip work, school, and shopping. Stated demands include taxing the rich, ending ICE raids, ending the Iran war, and expanding democracy.

Senate Bans Members And Staff From Prediction Markets

• The Senate passed by unanimous voice vote Thursday a permanent ban on senators and staff trading on Polymarket, Kalshi, and similar prediction markets.

• Sen. Bernie Moreno led the effort and said serving in Congress is an honor, “not a side hustle.”

• The move follows the indictment of Army soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke for using classified information about a Maduro raid to win roughly $400,000 on prediction markets. Schumer called on Speaker Johnson to bring up the same rule in the House.

Infantino Confirms Iran At World Cup Despite Tensions

• FIFA President Gianni Infantino told the FIFA Congress in Vancouver Iran will participate in the 2026 World Cup, including in U.S. host cities.

• Iran opens the tournament against New Zealand in Los Angeles on June 15. Iran’s federation president Mehdi Taj was previously turned back at Toronto’s airport.

• Trump told reporters that if Infantino said it, then “let ‘em play.”

Trump Demands Jeffries Apologize For Calling SCOTUS Illegitimate

• Trump posted Wednesday on Truth Social that Jeffries is a “Low IQ individual” who should “withdraw the statement, IMMEDIATELY.”

• Jeffries had described the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling as the work of an “illegitimate” majority. Trump has previously called the same court’s tariff rulings “country-threatening.”

Amazon Eyes Apprentice Reboot With Don Jr. As Host

• The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Amazon executives have held internal discussions about reviving The Apprentice with Donald Trump Jr. as host.

• Amazon told Variety the show “is not in active development” and that any reporting on potential hosts is “purely speculative.”

• Amazon paid $40 million for Brett Ratner’s Melania documentary in January. The MGM-owned Apprentice catalogue arrived with Amazon’s 2022 acquisition.

Trump Compliments NASA Chief’s “Beautiful Ears” In Oval

• After a reporter asked about relocating NASA HQ from D.C. to Texas, Ohio, or Florida, Trump deferred to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman with the line “you heard that question with those beautiful ears of yours?”

• Trump added that the 43-year-old has “super hearing.” Isaacman replied, “Trick of the trade, sir.”

• Trump also asked whether a sitting president is “allowed to go up in one of these missions.” Washington Post reporter John Hudson posted afterward that he could not believe what had just happened.

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We are committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, reporting the truth, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda.

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Sources

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• Axios Louisiana: https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2026/04/30/louisiana-halts-house-elections

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• The Hill Tennessee: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5857661-trump-redistricting-tennessee-congress

• Al Jazeera Tennessee: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/30/trump-says-tennessee-next-to-redistrict

• Democracy Docket VRA: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-democrats-vow-redistricting-pro-voting-laws

• New Republic cognitive test: https://newrepublic.com/post/209812/trump-cognitive-test-presidential-candidates-truth-social

• IBTimes UK cognitive test: https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/trump-proposes-cognitive-tests-presidential-candidates-1794571

• ABC News WHCD shooter: https://abcnews.com/US/white-house-correspondents-suspect-cole-allen-stay-custody/story

• NBC WHCD shooter: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/suspect-white-house-correspondents-association-dinner-shooting-court-rcna342852

• DOJ press release Allen: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-charged-attempt-assassinate-president

• The Hill war powers: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5858446-war-powers-resolution-iran

• CBS war powers: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war

• Spectrum News Maine Hegseth: https://www.spectrumlocalnews.com/me/maine/news/2026/04/30/hegseth-says-clock-paused

• CNBC Germany: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/30/us-reviews-cutting-troop-numbers-in-germany

• NPR Germany: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/30/g-s1-119480/germany-trump-troop-withdrawal

• Raw Story Germany: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-germany-2676837425

• Deadline FCC ABC: https://deadline.com/2026/04/fcc-disney-jimmy-kimmel-1236874587

• Hollywood Reporter Carr: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/fcc-chairman-abc-license-move-not-related-jimmy-kimmel-1236580959

• CNBC FCC: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/28/fcc-begins-review-of-disney-broadcast-licenses

• NBC DHS shutdown: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress-expected-end-record-75-day-partial-government-shutdown-rcna342903

• CBS DHS bill: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dhs-shutdown-house-vote

• CNN DHS: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/30/politics/dhs-shutdown-funding-bill-house-vote

• Spectrum May Day: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/us/snplus/politics/2026/04/30/may-day-2026

• The Real News May Day: https://therealnews.com/may-1-unions-community-orgs-economic-blackout

• Fox News May Day: https://www.foxnews.com/us/may-day-protests

• Roll Call prediction markets: https://www.rollcall.com/2026/04/30/senate-bans-prediction-market-trading-members-staff

• The Hill prediction markets: https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5857911-senate-bars-prediction-market-trading

• Washington Post prediction markets: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/30/senate-ban-prediction-markets

• NBC Casey Means: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-pulls-casey-means-nomination

• STAT Saphier: https://www.statnews.com/2026/04/30/trump-withdraws-casey-means-nomination-surgeon-general-taps-nicole-saphier

• Washington Post surgeon general: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/04/30/surgeon-general-nominee-means-saphier

• CBS Camp Mystic: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/camp-mystic-withdraws-application-2026-camp-license

• CNN Camp Mystic: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/30/us/texas-camp-mystic-camp-license

• NBC Camp Mystic: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/camp-mystic-withdraws-application-open-summer-rcna342947

• New Republic 60 Minutes: https://newrepublic.com/post/209590/trump-rants-edited-out-60-minutes-interview-cbs-shooting

• Hollywood Reporter 60 Minutes: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/donald-trump-60-minutes-interview-edited-cbs-lawsuit

• CBS 60 Minutes transcript: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-60-minutes-transcript

• AOL QAnon: https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-elevates-qanon-conspiracy-theory-103328097

• Meidas QAnon: https://www.meidasnews.com/news/trump-amplifies-qanon-image-on-truth-social

• The Hill Comey-Trump: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5856783-comey-indicted-social-media-threat

• CNBC Comey: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/29/james-comey-trump-threat-indictment-seashells.html

• ABC News Blanche: https://abcnews.com/US/blanche-asked-doj-now-prosecute-post-86-47

• Fox News Habba: https://www.foxnews.com/media/alina-habba-battles-view

• Daily Beast Habba: https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/the-view-hosts-school-trump-lawyer-alina-habba-in-heated-interview

• CNN PCE: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/30/economy/us-pce-fed-inflation-spending-march

• CNBC PCE: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/30/pce-inflation-rate-march-2026

• The Hill PCE: https://thehill.com/business/5856788

• NBC RFK appeal: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/trump-rfk-jr-appeals-ruling-blocked-vaccine-overhaul-rcna342816

• Bloomberg Law RFK appeal: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/health-law-and-business/rfk-jr-appeals-decision

• The Mirror polling: https://www.themirror.com/news/politics/eye-opening-graphic-shows-how-1814197

• Nate Silver polling:

Silver Bulletin

How popular is the Iran War?

🕒 The latest on the Iran War’s popularity…

Read more

2 months ago · 432 likes · 35 comments · Nate Silver and Eli McKown-Dawson

• CNN Trump approval: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/21/politics/trump-approval-rating-iran-war

• NBC Carroll: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/appeals-court-rejects-trumps-request

• CNN Carroll: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/29/politics/e-jean-carroll-trump-appeal

• ABC Carroll: https://abcnews.com/US/appeals-court-rehear-trumps-challenge

• Al Jazeera flotilla: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/29/israeli-military-speedboats-block-gaza-bound-aid-ship

• Al Jazeera flotilla reactions: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/30/act-of-piracy-world-reacts

• NPR flotilla: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/30/g-s1-119486/israel-intercept-gaza-aid-flotilla

• Joe.My.God Pope: https://www.joemygod.com/2026/04/polls-trumps-support-among-catholics-is-cratering

• Letters from Leo:

Letters from Leo — the American Pope & US Politics

Pope Leo XIV Buries Donald Trump in New Polling

Thank you for reading! Letters from Leo is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support this movement, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber…

Read more

2 months ago · 208 likes · 14 comments · Christopher Hale

• Axios Pope: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/21/pope-leo-higher-approval-than-trump-poll

• Al Jazeera FIFA: https://www.aljazeera.com/sports/2026/4/30/iran-confirmed-to-play-at-world-cup

• France 24 FIFA: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260430-infantino-confirms-iran-will-play-world-cup-games-in-us

• NBC Mills: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/maine-gov-janet-mills-suspends-senate-campaign-rcna342859

• CNN Mills: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/30/politics/janet-mills-maine-senate

• The Intercept Mills: https://theintercept.com/2026/04/30/maine-janet-mills-graham-platner-senate

• CBS Hutson: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/new-orleans-sheriff-indicted-after-investigation-into-escape-10-inmates

• ABC Hutson: https://abcnews.com/US/sheriff-indicted-30-felony-counts-after-2025-new/story?id=132512070

• Fox 8 Hutson: https://www.fox8live.com/2026/04/30/orleans-parish-sheriff-susan-hutson-indicted-30-felonies-related-2025-jailbreak

• CNBC cannabis: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/trump-administration-reclassifies-cannabis.html

• NPR cannabis: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/nx-s1-5797245/marijuana-rules-reschedule-medical-legalization

• Time cannabis: https://time.com/article/2026/04/24/trump-reclassification-medical-marijuana

• RNZ Wihongi: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/593725/kiwi-being-held-in-ice-detention-faces-another-6-weeks-in-facility-before-new-hearing

• NZ Herald Wihongi: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/locked-up-for-22-hours-a-day-what-life-is-like-for-new-zealander-everlee-wihongi-detained-in-ice-facility/5CLRPW2QZNGEJJNBAISFWI3X2U

• LiveNews NZ: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/04/28/locked-up-for-22-hours-a-day-what-life-is-like-for-new-zealander-everlee-wihongi-detained-in-ice-facility

• NBC Iran blockade: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/iran-trump-blockade-doomed-fail-oil-price-high-military-options-hormuz-rcna342831

• IBTimes Iran: https://www.ibtimes.com/iran-says-us-blockade-doomed-fail-oil-prices-remain-elevated-strait-hormuz-closed-3802175

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• NPR FISA: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/29/g-s1-119094

• CBS FISA: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-short-term-fisa-extension-deadline

• Mediaite Trump-Jeffries: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/shame-on-him-dan-abrams

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• Hollywood Reporter Apprentice: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/amazon-potential-apprentice-reboot-trump-1236580630

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• Mediaite NASA: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-points-out-nasa-chiefs-beautiful-ears-in-awkward-oval-office-moment-hes-got-super-hearing

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• The Mirror NASA: https://www.themirror.com/news/us-news/trump-awkward-moments-oval-office-1814998

The Voting Rights Act, the law that turned the promises of the Fifteenth Amendment into something real, was hollowed out this morning by six justices in Washington. Louisiana v. Callais came down 6-3. Justice Alito wrote for the majority. Justice Kagan dissented with what she called deep sadness. The decision arrives just in time for Republican legislatures to redraw the South before the 2026 midterms, and the implications go far beyond one congressional map in one state. Here is what happened.

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The Court Strikes Down Louisiana’s Second Majority-Black District

• The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Louisiana v. Callais on April 29, 2026, holding that Louisiana’s congressional map with two majority-Black districts is unconstitutional, according to the Supreme Court opinion.

• The majority opinion was authored by Justice Samuel Alito and joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.

• Justice Thomas filed a separate concurrence joined by Justice Gorsuch. Justice Kagan dissented, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

• Black residents make up roughly one third of Louisiana’s population, but the state’s 2022 map gave them an opportunity to elect a candidate of choice in only one of six congressional districts.

• A federal court found the original map likely diluted Black voting power, ordered a remedy, and the legislature drew SB 8 with a second majority-Black district. A group of self-described “non-African American voters” then sued, arguing the remedy itself was racial discrimination, according to the ACLU.

Alito Rewrites Section 2 to Require a Strong Inference of Intent

• Writing for the majority, Justice Alito recast Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act as imposing “liability only when circumstances give rise to a strong inference that intentional discrimination occurred.”

• That standard reverses more than four decades of doctrine. Since 1982, Section 2 has prohibited election practices that produce racially discriminatory results regardless of whether discriminatory intent could be proven, according to ABC News.

• The majority framed Section 2’s race-conscious remedies as in tension with the Equal Protection Clause, treating the act of correcting racial vote dilution as itself a constitutional violation.

• Although the Court did not formally strike down Section 2, legal observers describe the ruling as gutting its central enforcement mechanism for redistricting cases, with the statute remaining on the books in name only.

• Combined with the Court’s 2019 decision in Common Cause v. Rucho, which held that federal courts cannot police partisan gerrymandering, today’s ruling effectively renders nearly all gerrymandering immune from federal challenge.

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Kagan’s Dissent Accuses the Majority of Eviscerating the Law

• In dissent, Justice Kagan wrote that the majority’s reinterpretation of Section 2 would “eviscerate the law.”

• Kagan described what was happening to Black voters in Louisiana as “racial vote dilution in its most classic form,” writing that a politically and geographically cohesive minority community had been cracked apart so it would lose all electoral influence.

• The dissent argued that ignoring how racial discrimination actually operates in the world does not produce neutrality but instead entrenches existing inequality.

• Kagan was joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson, leaving the three liberal justices outnumbered two to one on a Court that has now systematically dismantled the federal voting protections built after the Civil War.

Roberts Completes a Decades-Long Project Against the Voting Rights Act

• The decision is the culmination of a campaign Chief Justice Roberts began as a young Reagan administration lawyer, when he wrote internal memos arguing that Section 2’s results-based standard exceeded what the Constitution required.

• In 2013, Roberts wrote the majority opinion in Shelby County v. Holder, which gutted the preclearance regime that had required states with histories of voting discrimination to get federal approval before changing election laws. The Court told the public Section 2 would remain as a backstop, according to ABC News.

• That backstop is now functionally gone. After Shelby County in 2013 and Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee in 2021, today’s ruling completes the dismantling of federal voting protections that defined the modern civil rights era, according to Vanderbilt Law School.

• The legal scholar writing for ABC News called Callais Roberts’ “signature achievement,” describing the opinion as the fulfillment of a project that has driven the Chief Justice’s career for forty years.

Up to Twelve House Seats Could Flip to Republicans Before the 2026 Midterms

• Analysts at the New York Times have estimated that without enforceable Section 2 protections, between six and twelve congressional seats currently held by Democrats could flip to Republicans through redistricting in the South, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

• An NPR analysis projected that as many as fifteen House districts currently represented by Black members of Congress could be at risk under a ruling like the one issued today, according to NPR.

• Estimates from Fair Fight Action and Black Voters Matter Fund put as much as eleven percent of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and close to two hundred Democratic-held state legislative seats at risk, with most of those seats representing majority-Black districts in the South.

• The ruling lands after Texas Republicans rammed through a mid-decade redistricting at President Trump’s urging that the Supreme Court greenlit in December 2025, and after similar GOP gerrymanders advanced in Florida and Indiana.

• The decision arrives too late to reshape November’s elections through new maps in most states, but Republican legislatures now have an open lane to redraw districts in the months ahead, locking in House control for what could be a generation.

The Ruling Could Threaten Civil Rights Statutes Beyond Voting

• The doctrinal logic of Callais reaches far past redistricting. Disparate-impact standards similar to Section 2’s also undergird Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and the Fair Housing Act.

• If the Constitution now forbids government responses to racial disparities absent proof of intent, civil rights enforcement frameworks in employment and housing could face the same fate as Section 2 in voting.

• Roughly half of all Section 2 cases since 1982 have challenged at-large elections used by cities, school boards, and counties, meaning the ruling threatens minority representation at every level of American government, not just Congress.

• The Texas Tribune characterized the decision as making it harder to bring voter discrimination claims against electoral maps, while stopping short of a full repeal of Section 2 from the books, according to the Texas Tribune.

• The Voting Rights Act was signed into law just weeks after civil rights marchers were beaten on Bloody Sunday in Selma. Sixty-one years later, six justices have unwound what those marchers walked for.

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Centered America is a 501(c)(4) organization founded to unite disillusioned Democrats, Republicans, overlooked communities, and everyday Americans to rebuild the United States of America into a country that truly represents the people.

We are committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, reporting the truth, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda.

To achieve this, we focus on reconnecting with open-minded voters, addressing their concerns directly, amplifying independent journalism, and providing resources that empower citizens to actively engage in protecting our democracy.

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Sources

• Supreme Court of the United States, Louisiana v. Callais (24-109), April 29, 2026: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-109_21o3.pdf

• Democracy Docket, “SCOTUS smothers Voting Rights Act, greenlighting racial discrimination and a rash of GOP gerrymanders”: https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/scotus-smothers-voting-rights-act-greenlighting-racial-discrimination-and-a-rash-of-gop-gerrymanders/

• ABC News, “5 things to know about the Supreme Court’s landmark decision on the Voting Rights Act”: https://abcnews.com/Politics/5-things-supreme-courts-landmark-decision-voting-rights/story?id=131396119

• Texas Tribune, “U.S. Supreme Court weakens key pillar of Voting Rights Act”: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/29/us-supreme-court-voting-rights-act-section-2-decision-texas-redistricting-maps/

• Brennan Center for Justice, “Supreme Court Hammers Away at Democracy”: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/supreme-court-hammers-away-democracy

• Brennan Center for Justice, “Louisiana v. Callais”: https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/louisiana-v-callais

• NPR, “A Supreme Court ruling could bring historic drop in Black representation in Congress”: https://www.npr.org/2026/01/08/nx-s1-5646525/supreme-court-voting-rights-congressional-black-caucus

• ACLU, “Supreme Court Arguments Conclude in Landmark Voting Rights Case”: https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/supreme-court-arguments-conclude-in-landmark-voting-rights-case

• NAACP Legal Defense Fund, “Louisiana v. Callais”: https://naacpldf.org/case-issue/louisiana-v-callais/

• Vanderbilt Law School, “Louisiana v. Callais and the Future of the Voting Rights Act”: https://law.vanderbilt.edu/louisiana-v-callais-and-the-future-of-the-voting-rights-act/

• Stanford Center for Racial Justice, “The Supreme Court Hears Second Set of Oral Arguments on Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais”: https://law.stanford.edu/2025/11/04/the-supreme-court-hears-second-set-of-oral-arguments-on-section-2-of-the-voting-rights-act-in-louisiana-v-callais/

• SCOTUSblog, “Louisiana v. Callais (Voting Rights Act)”: https://www.scotusblog.com/cases/case-files/louisiana-v-callais-2/

The shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is still rippling through Washington. The Iran war is at a breaking point. The Supreme Court took up two cases that could reshape American privacy and corporate liability law. And Trump is openly trying to rename ICE. Here is everything in one place.

The WHCD shooter has now been formally charged with attempting to assassinate the president. His manifesto targeted administration officials “from highest-ranking to lowest” but EXCLUDED Kash Patel by name. He wrote in his hotel room that he “expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo. What I got is nothing.” That is a DIRECT indictment of the Secret Service from the man who tried to kill the president.

Meanwhile Susie Wiles is catching heat for keeping Secret Service Director Sean Curran in his job despite repeated failures, Iran is offering to reopen Hormuz, Putin is hosting Iran’s top diplomat in St. Petersburg, and the Supreme Court is hearing a case that could decide whether the government can demand the identity of every phone in a geographic area at any time. That is not an exaggeration. That is what geofence warrants do.

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Now here is your Monday briefing.

Gunman Charged With Trying To Assassinate The President

• A federal magistrate charged 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California with attempting to assassinate the president of the United States, after he stormed a security checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night.

• President Donald J. Trump released security footage showing 31-year-old suspect Cole Thomas Allen attempting to breach law enforcement and U.S. Secret Service agents at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

• National security prosecutor Jocelyn Ballantine told the court, “On the 25th of April, he attempted to assassinate the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump.”

• Allen was carrying a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives. He fired between five and eight rounds, striking one Secret Service officer in a bulletproof vest. The officer was released from the hospital in good condition.

• A manifesto attributed to Allen by the FBI named administration officials as “targets, prioritized from highest ranking to lowest,” but explicitly excluded FBI Director Kash Patel.

• Norah O’Donnell at 60 Minutes read the manifesto in front of Trump.

• Allen had checked into the Washington Hilton the night before the dinner. In writings recovered from his room, he said, “I expected security cameras at every bend, bugged hotel rooms, armed agents every 10 feet, metal detectors out the wazoo. What I got is nothing.”

• According to Federal Election Commission records, Allen donated $25 to ActBlue for Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign. His family told investigators he had attended a “No Kings” protest in California.

GOP Pins Shooting On Democratic Rhetoric, Jeffries Fires Back

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt used Monday’s briefing to blame Democrats for political violence while leaving out remarks from Republicans and Trump himself.

• House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries pushed back hard, pointing out that Leavitt had attacked Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose own home was firebombed by an arsonist last year while his family was inside. “How can we take them seriously when they raise these partisan attacks, and completely ignore the fact that a lot of folks, including Gov. Shapiro, his home was attacked by an arsonist while he and his kids and his wife were there?” Jeffries said.

• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche also blamed “inflammatory and violent rhetoric” and said the media was partly responsible.

• Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker condemned the attack, saying, “We agree, in this country, to disagree and to take out our views in the ballot box and not at the point of a gun.”

• New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, “Political violence is unacceptable, and it should have no place in our country. And I am relieved that President Trump and everyone who attended the dinner is safe.”

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Susie Wiles Now Inside The Blame Game

• White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who oversees the Secret Service, has called an emergency meeting this week with senior administration officials, the Secret Service, and the Department of Homeland Security to review security protocols for upcoming presidential events.

• A former administration official told RealClear Politics that Wiles is responsible for keeping Secret Service Director Sean Curran in his job despite “numerous failures,” and added, “They’re about to fire Kash, and he had nothing to do with this when Susie oversees the Secret Service, and it’s failure after failure after failure, and she gets no blame.”

• The same source said, “The guy [Trump] is going to get killed, and everyone will keep their jobs.”

• Other insiders have argued the blame belongs not to Wiles but to Trump’s sons, who reportedly pushed for Curran’s appointment. Curran was on Trump’s personal detail during the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt in July 2024.

• The Washington Post reported that the administration did not give the WHCD the highest security designation, and that the Secret Service treated only the ballroom and its immediate perimeter as protected territory, not the rest of the hotel.

• Wiles is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, diagnosed in early March.

Patel Praises Trump’s “Courage Under Fire” While Dodging Pre-Attack Questions

• FBI Director Kash Patel opened his Fox & Friends appearance Monday by saying, “First and foremost, I want to remind your audience of President Trump’s leadership, literally courage under fire.”

• Fox host Lawrence Jones pressed Patel on whether the suspect had been on federal radar before the attack and whether prior chatter had been flagged. Patel deflected, saying, “All those questions will be answered in the criminal complaint that’s being presented. I just can’t get ahead of my partners at the Department of Justice, and especially can’t get ahead of the federal magistrate that it’s being presented to.”

• Jones also said directly to Patel, “The president of the United States is averaging an assassination attempt once a year. So who’s going to do the investigating of the procedures? Secret Service can’t investigate themselves because there are still people in leadership at the Secret Service that were responsible for Butler. How does that happen? It was a failure.”

• Patel acknowledged the failures of the Butler shooting but deferred future security planning to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

Trump Erupts At 60 Minutes Over Shooter’s Manifesto

• In an interview with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, Trump blamed online culture for radicalizing the shooter, saying, “The internet, I think maybe more than anything else, it’s radicalized some people. It’s made people mentally sick. It’s also a great thing. It’s a phenomenal thing. We’re the leader in it.”

• When O’Donnell read the line from Allen’s manifesto referring to “a pedophile, rapist, and traitor,” Trump exploded, saying, “I’m not a pedophile. You read that crap from some sick person?” and called O’Donnell “a disgrace.”

• Trump pushed for the dinner to be redone within 30 days with heavier security and tied the shooting to his $400 million White House ballroom project, claiming on Truth Social that the new ballroom “has every highest level security feature there is.”

• Trump told O’Donnell, “I do think that the hate speech of the Democrats much more so is very dangerous. I really think it’s very dangerous for the country.”

Iran Offers To Reopen Hormuz If U.S. Lifts Blockade

• Iran has delivered a new proposal to the U.S. through Pakistani mediators offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, while pushing nuclear negotiations to a later phase.

• Around a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz in peacetime. The waterway has remained largely shut since the war began on February 28, driving oil prices steadily upward.

• White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said, “These are sensitive diplomatic discussions and the U.S. will not negotiate through the press. As the president has said, the United States holds the cards and will only make a deal that puts the American people first, never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

• Trump told reporters Saturday that Iran sent a “much better” follow-up proposal after he canceled a planned trip to Pakistan by Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff.

• Trump met with his top national security advisors Monday in the Situation Room to debate next steps, including whether to resume the bombing campaign.

• Since the war began, at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,521 in Lebanon.

Putin Hosts Iran’s Top Diplomat In St. Petersburg

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in St. Petersburg on Monday.

• Putin told Araghchi, “We see how courageously and heroically the Iranian people are fighting for their independence and sovereignty,” and added that Russia “intends to maintain our strategic relations” with Iran.

• Putin also said Russia was prepared to do “everything that serves your interests, the interests of all the people of the region, so that peace can be achieved as soon as possible.”

• Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov also met Iran’s deputy defense minister Reza Talaei-Nik on Monday and pledged Moscow’s support for resolving the war “exclusively through diplomatic means.”

• Araghchi said Iran is reassessing how to proceed with talks, blaming what he called Washington’s “destructive habits,” including “unreasonable demands,” shifting positions, and threatening rhetoric.

Merz Blasts U.S. Strategy, Says Iran Is Humiliating Washington

• German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, speaking to students in the German town of Marsberg, said, “An entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership, especially by these so-called Revolutionary Guards. And so I hope that this ends as quickly as possible.”

• Merz also said, “The Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result.”

• Merz compared the situation to Iraq and Afghanistan, saying, “The problem with conflicts like this is always: you don’t just have to get in, you have to get out again. We saw that very painfully in Afghanistan for 20 years. We saw it in Iraq.”

• He added, “If I had known that it would continue like this for five or six weeks and get progressively worse, I would have told him even more emphatically,” referring to his early conversations with Trump.

• Merz said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz was costing Germany “a lot of money, a lot of taxpayers’ money and a lot of economic strength.”

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King Charles Refuses Audience With Epstein Survivors

• King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Washington Monday for a four-day state visit timed to the 250th anniversary of American independence. Charles will address a Joint Meeting of Congress on Tuesday, the first British monarch to do so since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991.

• Buckingham Palace confirmed Charles and Camilla will not meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein during the trip, despite a request from Rep. Ro Khanna for a private audience.

• A Buckingham Palace source told the BBC, “We fully understand and appreciate the survivors’ position, but can only reiterate that our position is clear that anything that could potentially impact on ongoing police inquiries and assessments, and any potential legal action that could result from that, would be to the detriment of the survivors themselves in their pursuit of justice.”

• Charles’ brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office over his ties to Epstein. Former UK ambassador Peter Mandelson was arrested days later for allegedly providing Epstein with market-sensitive information.

• The visit is going forward despite the WHCD shooting, with Buckingham Palace confirming “minor operational adjustments.”

Survivors Mark One Year Since Virginia Giuffre’s Death

• Family, advocates, and Epstein survivors gathered on the National Mall on Saturday for the “Butterfly Vigil,” marking the one-year anniversary of Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s death by suicide on April 25, 2025 at her home near Perth, Australia.

• Giuffre’s brother Sky Roberts told the crowd through tears, “We wear your butterfly pins, knowing it’s a piece of you with us, providing us with the strength to keep moving forward, the true metamorphosis of transitioning from victim to survivor. You’re my hero and you’re a hero to the world.”

• Epstein survivor Laura Blume McGee said, “As a survivor, Virginia’s bravery changed my life. Her courage gave me permission to be visible and to demand accountability and to reclaim my voice. Because of her, I believe justice is possible and our voice can spark real lasting change.”

• Rep. Jamie Raskin spoke at the vigil and recounted the well-documented evidence that the Justice Department had a 60-count indictment against Epstein ready in 2008, before then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta negotiated a plea deal.

• According to the U.S. Justice Department, Epstein victimized roughly 1,000 women and girls.

• The DOJ’s internal watchdog announced earlier this week it is opening a review of the Department’s handling of the Epstein file production, after survivors and members of Congress accused the agency of botching the release.

Trump Fires Entire National Science Board

• All 22 members of the National Science Board, the independent body that oversees the National Science Foundation, were dismissed by email Friday afternoon. The terminations were issued “on behalf of President Donald J. Trump,” with no reason given. Members typically serve staggered six-year terms to prevent complete turnover.

• Dan Reed, a University of Utah computer scientist and former NSB chair, said, “This action to dismiss the NSB is unprecedented. We need a vibrant, independent NSB, one representative of the broad science and engineering enterprise.”

• Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the ranking Democrat on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, said, “This is the latest stupid move made by a president who continues to harm science and American innovation. It unfortunately is no surprise a president who has attacked NSF from day one would seek to destroy the board that helps guide the Foundation.”

• The NSF has lost more than 30% of its staff since January 2025, ceded its headquarters to another agency in December, and faces another proposed budget cut of more than half.

• Last year the administration fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and eliminated 14 NSF advisory committees.

Mike Johnson Walks Into A “Nightmare Week”

• Speaker Mike Johnson is facing simultaneous fights this week over DHS funding, FISA Section 702 reauthorization, and a divisive farm bill. One GOP leadership aide told CNN, “We’ve got a nightmare week.”

• The Department of Homeland Security has been partially shut down for 72 days, the longest agency shutdown in U.S. history. The Secret Service agent shot at the WHCD on Saturday is technically working for a shuttered agency.

• Johnson said Monday, “We have to move DHS funding because it’s urgent. As the secretary of Homeland Security has said. We are out of money. He is out of money at the end of this week. Democrats have been playing games with this. It’s very dangerous as demonstrated Saturday night. We got to get the job done.”

• Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska told CNN, “Let’s stop doing the pretzel twister game with Republicans who never want to get to yes anyway. We are trying to accommodate 20 people. This is what is broken about Congress. These guys want to rule with just 218 and that gives power to 20 or 10 depending on the issue and that just ain’t right.”

• Section 702 expires Thursday night without an extension. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said, “If you’re not going to have warrants, I’m not going to play ball.”

• Democrats forced the DHS shutdown after the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota by federal immigration agents, demanding reforms including body-worn cameras for ICE.

Trump Endorses Renaming ICE To “NICE”

• Trump posted on Truth Social just after midnight Monday, “GREAT IDEA!!! DO IT. President DJT,” in response to a March 25 X post from a MAGA-aligned account suggesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement be renamed National Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or NICE.

• The original post said the goal was so “the media has to say NICE agents all day everyday.”

• A federal agency name change typically requires congressional action, though the Trump administration previously sought to rebrand the Department of Defense as the “Department of War” by executive order.

• House Democrats on the Homeland Security Committee posted on X, “Trump’s masked Secret Police have racially profiled, assaulted, and killed American citizens. The Trump Administration has offered zero reforms and has shown no intention of stopping ICE’s violence.”

• Through the first six months of fiscal year 2026, ICE has carried out 234,236 removals, roughly 74% more than at the same point the year before.

Blanche Could Run DOJ For Months Without A Senate Vote

• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche could remain head of the Justice Department for the rest of Trump’s term, even without Senate confirmation.

• Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, an acting head can serve 210 days, then continue indefinitely while a nomination is pending in the Senate. If Senate Majority Leader John Thune declines to bring a nominee to the floor, Blanche could stay indefinitely.

• David Super, a Georgetown Law professor, told Roll Call, “Senator Thune has his own political constituencies and vulnerabilities. And whether he’s willing to cooperate with a plan that structurally eliminates the Senate’s role, I think is questionable. There’s certainly potential for abuse here, but it’s not an unobstructed path for the president.”

• Blanche became acting AG on April 2 after Trump fired Pam Bondi, reportedly over her handling of the Epstein files. He has since opened or escalated investigations into John Brennan, Cassidy Hutchinson, ActBlue, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

• Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican on the Judiciary Committee, has already said he will not vote to confirm an attorney general nominee who has excused the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

Supreme Court Weighs Mass Cellphone Surveillance

• The Supreme Court heard more than two hours of arguments Monday in Chatrie v. United States, a case asking whether geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment.

• Geofence warrants compel companies like Google to identify every cellphone within a defined area at a specific time. The case stems from a 2019 Virginia bank robbery in which Google initially returned 19 user accounts within roughly three football fields of the crime, eventually leading to defendant Okello Chatrie.

• Chief Justice John Roberts pressed both sides, asking, “What’s to prevent the government from using this to find out the identities of everybody at a particular church, a particular political organization.”

• Chatrie’s lawyer Adam Unikowsky told the Court, “The technology may be novel, but the constitutional problem it presents is not. The Fourth Amendment was born of the Founders’ revulsion for general warrants and writs of assistance, instruments that allowed the government to search first and develop suspicions later.”

• The Trump administration is defending the warrants. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued Chatrie “took no steps to protect his location from disclosure, such as pausing the Location History feature he had enabled or adjusting, deactivating, or forgoing his cellphone during his crime.”

• Geofence warrants now make up more than a quarter of all U.S. law enforcement demands and were used to identify January 6 Capitol rioters.

Supreme Court Takes Up Roundup Cancer Liability Shield

• The Court heard a separate case Monday on whether Bayer can use federal pesticide regulation to block thousands of state lawsuits alleging Roundup weedkiller causes cancer. The Trump administration is backing Bayer.

• Bayer argues that because the Environmental Protection Agency approved a Roundup label without a cancer warning, state law claims requiring such a warning are preempted by federal law.

• Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson noted that the EPA reviews labels only every 15 years, a long stretch in scientific terms.

• Chief Justice Roberts pressed the company’s argument, asking, “Throughout that long process, in response to information that suggests there is a risk that’s not on the label, the states cannot do anything?”

• The administration’s position has split the MAHA movement aligned with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly said glyphosate, Roundup’s active ingredient, causes cancer. Dozens of MAHA supporters rallied outside the Court Monday at a “People vs. Poison” protest. A decision is expected by the end of June.

United-American Mega Merger Officially Dead

• United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby publicly confirmed Monday that he had approached American Airlines about a merger and that talks ended without a deal.

• Kirby said in a statement, “I approached American about exploring a combination because I thought we could do something incredible for customers together. The combined scale of United and American would be a better way to compete with foreign carriers.”

• American CEO Robert Isom rejected the proposal during the airline’s first-quarter earnings call last week, saying, “The idea of the two largest airlines in the world getting together, that is something that we’ve viewed as being anti-competitive and obviously everybody that has weighed in suggests the same thing.”

• Trump told CNBC’s Squawk Box last week, “I don’t like having them merge.” Trump said he was concerned a combined airline would become “lazy.”

• American formally stated in an SEC filing that a merger with United “would be negative for competition and for consumers, and therefore inconsistent with our understanding of the Administration’s philosophy toward the industry and principles of antitrust law.”

• Kirby said in his statement that “without a willing partner, something this big simply can’t get done.”

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OUR MISSION AT CENTERED AMERICA

Centered America is a 501(c)(4) organization founded to unite disillusioned Democrats, Republicans, overlooked communities, and everyday Americans to rebuild the United States of America into a country that truly represents the people.

We are committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, reporting the truth, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda.

To achieve this, we focus on reconnecting with open-minded voters, addressing their concerns directly, amplifying independent journalism, and providing resources that empower citizens to actively engage in protecting our democracy.

Donate to Centered America

Contact Us

Email us at info@centeredamerica.org.

⸻

Thank you for fighting.

Sources

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-suspect-court/

• https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/27/politics/live-news/correspondents-dinner-shooting-suspect-court

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• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-evacuated-white-house-correspondents-dinner-security-incident/

• https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/kash-patel-spared-whcd-shooting-1793720

• https://www.thedailybeast.com/susie-wiles-orders-major-review-amid-furious-shooting-blame-game/

• https://www.thedailybeast.com/pressure-builds-to-oust-susie-wiles-after-shooting-at-white-house-correspondents-association-dinner/

• https://www.joemygod.com/2026/04/patel-dodges-on-security-lapses-at-press-dinner/

• https://www.thedailybeast.com/keystone-kash-patel-cornered-on-what-fbi-knew-before-whcd-shooting/

• https://www.theblaze.com/news/kash-patel-grilled-over-security-failures-following-third-assassination-attempt-against-trump

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• https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/4515/000119312526162119/d357173dex991.htm

Hey everyone,

A man armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives charged a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner tonight and exchanged gunfire with agents. He had a manifesto. He called himself “The Friendly Federal Assassin.” Trump, Vance, Hegseth, Rubio, Patel, all of them were inside. A Secret Service officer was hit but saved by his vest.

The Hilton had no metal detectors before the ballroom level. No photo ID checks. No verified attendee list. Hotel guests had full access to most of the building. The shooter was one of those guests. He brought his weapons in like luggage.

Meanwhile, NBC has confirmed what many of us suspected: the damage Iran inflicted on U.S. bases is FAR worse than the Pentagon has admitted. We’re talking billions in repairs across seven countries. Runways destroyed. Radar systems destroyed. An Iranian fighter jet penetrated U.S. air defenses. And Congress says they can’t get answers.

Consumer sentiment just hit its lowest reading EVER recorded, going back to 1952. Below COVID. Below the financial crisis. Below everything. And Trump fired every single member of the National Science Board on the same day.

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Gunman Storms Correspondents’ Dinner In Plot To Kill Trump

• A 31-year-old California man named Cole Tomas Allen charged a Secret Service magnetometer checkpoint at the Washington Hilton on Saturday night armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives, exchanged gunfire with agents, and was tackled to the ground feet from breaking the perimeter, according to NBC News and CBS News.

  

• D.C. interim police chief Jeff Carroll said the suspect “was armed with a shotgun, a handgun and multiple knives,” that officers “exchanged gunfire” with him, and that he is believed to have acted alone. A Secret Service officer was hit by a round but was saved by his ballistic vest and has been released from the hospital, CBS News reports. Five to eight shots were fired in total.

• Allen sent his family what authorities are calling a manifesto roughly ten minutes before the attack. According to the CBS News review of the document, he referred to himself as “The Friendly Federal Assassin” and wrote that “Administration officials (not including Mr. Patel): they are targets, prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.” He also wrote, “I don’t expect forgiveness.”

• Allen lived in Torrance, earned a mechanical engineering degree from Caltech in 2017, completed a master’s in computer science at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2025, and worked part-time as a tutor and a self-employed video game developer, per NPR and CBS News. He purchased the shotgun used in the attack in August 2025 and a semiautomatic pistol in 2023.

• Acting AG Todd Blanche told Face the Nation that Allen traveled by train from Los Angeles to Chicago to D.C., checked into the Hilton in the days leading up to the dinner, and is not actively cooperating. He will be arraigned Monday in federal court on two counts: using a firearm during a crime of violence, and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said “many more charges” are expected.

• Trump, Melania, JD Vance, Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Kash Patel were all rushed out of the ballroom as attendees ducked under tables. Trump returned to the White House by motorcade and addressed reporters from the James Brady Press Briefing Room, named for Reagan’s press secretary who was shot at the same hotel in 1981, NPR reports.

• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the shooter “sought to assassinate the President and kill as many top Trump administration officials as possible,” and described Trump as “truly fearless.”

• The dinner was scrapped and will be rescheduled within roughly 30 days, Axios reports. WHCA president Weijia Jiang said the board will meet to decide next steps and that “last night’s shooting at the Washington Hilton was a harrowing moment for everyone in attendance.”

Lawmakers Demand Answers Over Glaring Security Holes

• Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who attended the dinner, wrote on X that there were no photo ID checks, no verified attendee list, “no real inspection of the tickets,” and “no magnetometers when entering the building or the first two levels,” and that hotel guests “had full access to much of the building.”

• Lawler said the breach was “deeply disturbing, especially after two public assassination attempts on the President” and called for a “complete and thorough after-action” review. He told the AP, “I think we live in a climate where everybody recognizes it’s a problem, but I don’t think people fully appreciate how much of a problem it really is.”

• The House Oversight Committee has formally requested a briefing from the Secret Service, CNN reports. Chairman James Comer wrote on X, “DHS, including Secret Service, has been unfunded for more than 70 days now. It’s time to stop the games & fund DHS.”

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RNC Chair And Pundits Pin Blame On The Left

• RNC Chair Joe Gruters issued a statement calling the attack “the inevitable result of a radicalized left that has normalized political violence.” He said Democrats “can issue all the hollow calls for ‘unity’ they want, but their actions tell the truth, they’ve repeatedly blocked funding for DHS and the very law enforcement agencies tasked with protecting Americans.”

• CNN’s Scott Jennings used a State of the Union panel to pin the rhetoric on Hakeem Jeffries, citing a “maximum warfare” comment, and accused Democratic candidates of campaigning with streamer Hasan Piker. Former Biden DOJ official Xochitl Hinojosa pushed back, saying “both the left and the right, there are loons on the right too. And if you’re going to sit here and tell me there are not, then that is just a disgrace.”

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Fox News Sunday that “violence is never the answer, whether it’s targeted at the right, the left or the center.”

CBS Anchor Presses Acting AG On Guns Across State Lines

• On Face the Nation, Margaret Brennan asked Blanche how Allen managed to bring multiple firearms across the country by train when fliers must declare weapons, and whether the federal government should re-examine train security. Blanche responded that “this isn’t about, in my mind, changing the law or making the laws more restrictive around possession of firearms” and called the question a discussion about “changing the laws,” which “isn’t something that we should be focused on right now in any way, shape or form.”

MAGA Accounts Push Trump’s Bulletproof Ballroom Project

• Pro-Trump social media accounts moved within hours of the attack to amplify the case for Trump’s $400 million East Wing ballroom project. Trump told Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich the ballroom is “ahead of schedule and right on budget” and was “designed in conjunction with the military and in conjunction with Secret Service” with “every single bell and whistle you can possibly have for security and safety,” with completion targeted for 2028.

Iran War Battered U.S. Bases Far Worse Than Pentagon Admits

• An NBC News investigation by Gordon Lubold and Courtney Kube reports that Iran’s retaliatory strikes after Trump’s Feb. 28 order caused damage across U.S. installations in seven Middle Eastern countries, with repairs expected to cost billions. Sources cite three U.S. officials, two congressional aides and a sixth person familiar with the assessment.

• Hit sites include Camp Buehring, Camp Arifjan and Shuaiba Port in Kuwait; Al Dhafra and Al Ruwais bases in the UAE; Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia; Muwaffaq Salti in Jordan; Al-Udeid in Qatar; and the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. Repairs to the Bahrain headquarters alone may exceed $200 million.

• Damage included runways, radar systems, dozens of aircraft, hangars, satellite communications gear, fuel storage and a base medical clinic. An Iranian F-5 fighter jet penetrated U.S. air defenses and struck Camp Buehring in the war’s first days. An American Enterprise Institute assessment cited by NBC put total repair costs in the multi-billion range.

• A congressional aide quoted by NBC said, “No one knows anything. And it’s not for lack of asking. We have been asking for weeks and not getting specifics, even as the Pentagon is asking for a record-high budget.”

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Trump Scraps Iran Peace Trip Mid-Mission

• Trump pulled the plug on Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner’s planned trip to Islamabad to meet with Iranian counterparts after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan, CNN reports.

• On Truth Social Trump wrote, “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their ‘leadership.’ Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”

• Speaking to Fox News by phone, Trump said, “I’d much prefer they use the telephone,” and complained about “an 18 hour flight to go there.” Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, he said, “I’m a very cost-conscious person.” He claimed Iran “gave us a paper that should have been better. And interestingly, immediately when I canceled it, within ten minutes, we got a new paper that was much better.”

• Araghchi met with Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif before departing Islamabad, then traveled to Muscat, Oman. He posted on X that the visit was “fruitful” but said he “yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy.”

Iran Warns Of “Decisive Response” To U.S. Blockade

• Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the country’s top operational military command coordinating between the regular army and the IRGC, issued a statement Saturday warning that “should the aggressor US military persist in blockade, piracy, and maritime robbery in the region, it can be certain that it will face a decisive response from Iran’s powerful armed forces.”

• The command said Iran’s forces are at “greater authority and readiness than ever before to defend national sovereignty, territory, and interests” and would inflict “even more severe losses” on what it called “American-Zionist enemies” in the event of renewed aggression.

• Two U.S.-sanctioned vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz overnight Friday into Saturday, according to MarineTraffic data analyzed by NBC News, including the tanker Ocean Jet, accused of helping finance Iran’s drone program, and the Lumina Ocean, classified as part of Iran’s “shadow fleet.” An Iranian cargo ship and a Russian yacht also transited.

Consumer Sentiment Crashes To Worst Reading In History

• The University of Michigan’s final April Consumer Sentiment Index landed at 49.8, the lowest reading on record going back to 1952, CNN Business reports. It is now below readings taken during the financial crisis, the COVID pandemic, and the post-Russia-Ukraine inflation spike.

• Survey director Joanne Hsu said in the release, “After the two-week ceasefire was announced and gas prices softened a touch, sentiment recovered a modest portion of its early-month losses.” Sentiment fell 6.6% from March and 4.6% year-over-year.

• Year-ahead inflation expectations jumped to 4.7% from 3.8%, the largest one-month increase since April 2025, when Trump rolled out his tariff package. Long-run inflation expectations climbed to 3.5%, the highest reading since October. Sentiment dropped across every income bracket, age group, education level and political party.

Patel’s FBI Exit Described As “Only A Matter Of Time”

• A senior White House official told Politico that FBI Director Kash Patel will likely be the next Trump cabinet-tier official forced out. The official said, “It’s only a matter of time,” describing the steady stream of negative coverage as “not a good look for a Cabinet secretary.”

• The Atlantic published a major April 17 report citing roughly two dozen current and former officials describing Patel’s drinking habits, unexplained absences, security team struggling to wake him, and concerns over delayed investigations. Patel has filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit calling the story a “hit piece.”

• A widely circulated video showed Patel celebrating with the U.S. men’s hockey team in Milan, banging tables and drinking beer. Trump, who does not drink, reportedly called Patel afterward to express displeasure. Patel has separately deployed an FBI SWAT team to provide security for his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, at an NRA convention performance.

Trump Fires Every Member Of National Science Board

• Trump dismissed all 24 members of the National Science Board on Friday via boilerplate emails from the Presidential Personnel Office, ending staggered six-year terms designed to insulate the board from political pressure, Science magazine reports.

• The termination notice, obtained by The Washington Post, read, “On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I’m writing to inform you that your position as a member of the National Science Board is terminated, effective immediately.”

• The NSB has statutory authority over the $9 billion National Science Foundation. Dismissed chair Victor McCrary said, “If the White House wants the golden age of science that Trump has promised, now is not the time to go backwards. Instead, we need to spend more.”

• Dismissed member Keivan Stassun, an astrophysicist at Vanderbilt, told Science he believes the board’s May 2025 public criticism of Trump’s proposed 55% NSF budget cut antagonized the administration: “Maybe one way to say it from the administration’s perspective is that this group of presidential appointees was advising the Congress to not follow the president’s wishes.”

• Rep. Zoe Lofgren, ranking Democrat on the House Science Committee, called it “the latest stupid move made by a president who continues to harm science and American innovation.”

DHS Trains Officers To Deny Green Cards Over Israel Criticism

• Internal DHS training materials reviewed by The New York Times and reported by Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post instruct USCIS officers to treat pro-Palestinian campus protest activity, criticism of Israel on social media, and U.S. flag desecration as “overwhelmingly negative” factors in green card decisions.

• The materials cite as examples a post reading “Stop Israeli Terror in Palestine” with the Israeli flag crossed out, an image of Israel’s map relabeled “Palestine,” and a post stating Israelis should “taste what people in Gaza are tasting.” Officers are told to “focus particularly on aliens who engaged in on-campus anti-American and antisemitic activities” after the October 2023 Hamas attack.

• The Supreme Court has held that flag burning is protected First Amendment expression. USCIS has also begun referring to adjudicators as “homeland defenders” in job postings, with the slogan “Protect your homeland and defend your culture.”

• Amanda Baran, a senior USCIS official under Biden, said, “Basing green card decisions on ideological screenings is fundamentally un-American and should have no place in a country built on the promise of free expression.” Green card approvals have fallen by more than half in recent months, per the Times.

ICE Plans Family Lockup On Most PFAS-Contaminated Site In U.S.

• ICE is planning a detention facility for migrant children and their families at the former England Air Force Base in Louisiana, now operating as England Airpark, where groundwater PFAS levels have been recorded at at least 41 million parts per trillion, per reporting sourced to the Guardian.

• Federal drinking water limits for several PFAS compounds range from 4 to 10 parts per trillion, meaning the levels at England are at least 575,000 times higher than the federal limit. The site is among the most PFAS-polluted military bases ever recorded.

• The base is also contaminated with TCE and other volatile organic compounds. PFAS exposure is linked to multiple cancers, liver damage, thyroid disease, decreased vaccine response and developmental issues in children, with kids especially vulnerable.

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Ballroom Builder Got Secret $17M No-Bid Fountain Contract

• Clark Construction, the Maryland firm Trump tapped to build the East Wing ballroom, received a quietly-awarded no-bid National Park Service contract in January for repair of two ornamental fountains in Lafayette Park, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, the New York Times reported.

• The Biden administration estimated the same job at $3.3 million in 2022. Trump’s NPS agreed to pay Clark $11.9 million initially, then added landscaping, benches and a kiosk, ballooning the total to $17.4 million. The agency invoked a rarely-used “urgency” exception meant for war or natural disasters.

• Stephen J. Kirk, the consultant who prepared the 2022 estimate, told the Times, “They just took the cover page of my estimate and just added a bunch of money onto it. I didn’t add those extra millions on there.”

• Interior Department spokeswoman Katie Martin defended the deal, saying, “The way this contract was awarded is above board. The urgency is to ensure this project is done well ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.” Unlike the privately-funded ballroom project, the fountain repairs are paid with taxpayer dollars. The contract was not publicly posted in federal databases despite a three-business-day reporting requirement.

Pope Leo Condemns Death Penalty Hours After DOJ Approves Firing Squads

• The Justice Department announced Friday it will authorize firing squads as a federally-permitted method of execution and reauthorize single-drug pentobarbital lethal injections, which the Biden DOJ had halted over evidence of pain and suffering, per NPR.

• Hours later, Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, released a video to DePaul University in Chicago marking the 15th anniversary of Illinois abolishing the death penalty. He said, “We affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed.”

• He said, “The Church teaches that the death penalty is inadmissible, because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” and offered “support to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around the world.”

• Federal executions rose from 25 in 2024 to 47 in 2025, with Florida accounting for 19 of those, per Death Penalty Information Center figures cited by NPR. Trump’s DOJ has moved to seek death sentences against 44 defendants.

Paramount CEO Hosts Lavish Trump Dinner Amid $111B Merger Review

• Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison hosted a private invitation-only dinner Thursday at the U.S. Institute of Peace, recently renamed the “Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace,” that the invitation described as “honoring the Trump White House,” Variety reported.

• Trump spoke for nearly an hour at the dinner. Attendees included Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who oversees the DOJ antitrust division reviewing Paramount’s pending $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, plus Marco Rubio, Stephen Miller, CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, former evening news anchor Norah O’Donnell, CBS News president Tom Cibrowski, chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford, chief White House correspondent Nancy Cordes, WHCA president Weijia Jiang, and Paramount chief legal officer Makan Delrahim.

• Sen. Chris Murphy posted, “Ellison and the information oligarchs should enjoy it while they can because when Democrats win power we are going to break these anti-consumer, anti-free speech media conglomerates into pieces.”

• The dinner came two days after Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved the sale. The Times reported that CBS News journalists expressed concern about a perception of coziness between the news division and the administration. Weiss has previously been criticized for spiking a 60 Minutes segment about a Salvadoran prison receiving deported migrants.

Hegseth’s Christian Nationalist Church Faces Renewed Scrutiny

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s church network, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, and its co-founder Doug Wilson, who identifies as a Christian nationalist, are drawing fresh attention as Hegseth uses religious framing to justify the Iran war, per PBS News.

• Many CREC leaders advocate for biblical law and a theocratic state structured on Christian patriarchy, and pastors have argued homosexuality should be criminalized. Wilson preached at the Pentagon in February at Hegseth’s invitation. CREC pastors have appeared at Hegseth’s monthly Pentagon worship services at least three times.

• At a Pentagon prayer service on March 25, Hegseth prayed, “Let every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation,” asking God to give military forces “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy.”

• Pope Leo XIV, in a Palm Sunday sermon, said “no one can use [Jesus] to justify war,” widely interpreted as a direct critique of Hegseth’s theology. House Democrats have filed six articles of impeachment against Hegseth over the Iran war.

Judge Says Trump Can’t Sue The IRS He Controls

• Florida District Judge Kathleen Williams, an Obama appointee, issued an order Friday questioning whether Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury over the leak of his tax returns can constitutionally proceed.

• Williams wrote, “Although President Trump avers that he is bringing this lawsuit in his personal capacity, he is the sitting president and his named adversaries are entities whose decisions are subject to his direction.” She added that the case raises “questions over whether the Parties here are truly antagonistic to each other.”

• She set a May 27 hearing in Miami and ordered both sides to brief by May 20 on whether a case and controversy actually exists. Trump’s lawyers and the IRS are simultaneously in talks to resolve the lawsuit, with Trump’s team asking for a 90-day pause for negotiations. Any settlement would mean Trump’s own administration paying him and his family.

• The suit stems from the 2023 leak by former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn, who was sentenced to five years in prison. The leak fueled the New York Times reporting that Trump paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and nothing for 10 of the previous 15 years.

Netanyahu Orders IDF To “Vigorously” Pound Hezbollah

• Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that “Hezbollah’s violations are, in practice, dismantling the ceasefire” and instructed the IDF to “vigorously” target the group, per Times of Israel.

• An IDF soldier was killed and six others wounded in a Hezbollah explosive drone strike in southern Lebanon. The IDF responded with airstrikes and artillery fire targeting Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure north of the Israeli-declared “yellow line.”

• The U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect April 16 and was extended Thursday by Trump for three weeks. Hezbollah responded that Netanyahu’s accusation was “meaningless” and said its actions are “a legitimate response to the enemy’s persistent violations of the ceasefire since the first day of the announcement of the temporary truce.” Lebanese state media reported six people killed in Israeli strikes Saturday.

Trump Baselessly Calls Virginia Election “Rigged”

• After Virginia voters approved a redistricting referendum that could give Democrats up to four additional U.S. House seats, Trump posted on Truth Social, “A RIGGED ELECTION TOOK PLACE LAST NIGHT IN THE GREAT COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA! All day long Republicans were winning, the Spirit was unbelievable, until the very end when, of course, there was a massive ‘Mail In Ballot Drop!’ Where have I heard that before.”

• The referendum passed 51.45% to 48.55%. According to the Virginia Department of Elections data, most Fairfax County votes that “broke late” were cast on Election Day at the polls (52.8%), not by mail (13.7%). Republican-leaning counties like Bedford and Hanover also reported late.

• Federal investigators have never produced evidence of widespread mail-in voter fraud. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said voters “pushed back against a President who claims he is ‘entitled’ to more Republican seats in Congress.”

Giuffre Family Urges King Charles To Meet Epstein Survivors

• The family of Virginia Giuffre held a vigil in Washington this weekend marking the first anniversary of her death, Prism News reports, and used the moment to publicly press King Charles to meet with Epstein survivors during his April 27-30 state visit.

• Sigrid McCawley, Giuffre’s lawyer, called it a “missed opportunity” if Charles does not meet with survivors. Sky Roberts said his sister had turned “pain into purpose.”

• Lawmakers including Rep. Ro Khanna have called on Charles to use the visit to advocate for the release of remaining sealed Epstein documents. Buckingham Palace has not committed to a meeting and has previously said the king cannot become involved while investigations remain ongoing. Charles’ brother Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his titles after Giuffre’s allegations and was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Chicago Officer Killed By Robbery Suspect Inside Hospital

• Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew, 38, was shot and killed Saturday morning at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, the Cook County Medical Examiner identified him Sunday. A 57-year-old, 21-year veteran officer remains in critical condition.

• The suspect was a robbery suspect already in custody whom officers had brought to the ER for treatment around 10:50 a.m. Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said, “We ask that you keep the families of these officers in your prayers. This is a lot to go through. These are the dangers of policing.”

• Hospital officials said the suspect was “wanded upon arrival” and “escorted by law enforcement at all times” but managed to obtain a gun and open fire. One source initially said the suspect disarmed an officer; another said police only realized he was armed when he was being stripped down. The suspect fled the hospital and was apprehended after a SWAT response and brief manhunt. Police recovered three weapons.

• Bartholomew, a 10-year veteran of the Albany Park (17th) District, was a husband, father and stepfather.

Teen Charged With First-Degree Murder In Mall Of Louisiana Mass Shooting

• Markel Lee, 17, turned himself in to Baton Rouge police Friday and was charged with one count of first-degree murder, five counts of attempted first-degree murder, and one count of illegal use of a firearm in connection with Thursday’s shooting at the Mall of Louisiana, NBC News reports.

• The shooting at about 1:30 p.m. in the food court killed Martha Odom, 17, a senior at Ascension Episcopal School in Lafayette, who was struck in the chest. Five others were injured, including Donnie Guillory, 43, who underwent surgery and remains in critical condition.

• Surveillance video appears to show Lee holding a semiautomatic pistol and pointing it toward the food court. License plate readers identified the white Honda Accord he fled in, registered to his grandmother’s address. The grandmother admitted transporting him to and from the mall, though police said there is no evidence she knew of his alleged actions.

• Police Chief T.J. Morse described possible motives as “social media beefs and maybe gang-related stuff.” Police are still searching for at least one additional suspect.

Ex-USF Student Charged In Killings Of Two Bangladeshi Doctoral Students

• Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, was charged Saturday with two counts of first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon in the deaths of his roommate Zamil Limon, 27, and Limon’s girlfriend Nahida Bristy, 27, both University of South Florida doctoral students from Bangladesh.

• Limon’s body was recovered on the Howard Frankland Bridge on Friday. Bristy is still missing. Investigators told Bristy’s family they believe she is also dead based on the volume of blood found at the apartment.

• Sheriff Chad Chronister said, “This is a deeply disturbing case that has shaken our community and impacted many who were hoping for a safe resolution. While the discovery of Zamil Limon’s remains is heartbreaking, I want the public to know that our detectives worked and are working tirelessly and relentlessly to uncover the truth.”

• Abugharbieh attended USF from Spring 2021 through Spring 2023 pursuing a B.S. in Management. He is also charged with unlawfully moving a dead body, failure to report a death, tampering with evidence, false imprisonment, and battery. He was arrested after a SWAT standoff at his family’s home. A 2023 protective order describes his brother alleging he “would start screaming in the middle of the night about how he is God and we should all bow down to him.” He is held without bond and will return to court Tuesday.

North Dakota Rep. Liz Conmy Killed In Minnesota Plane Crash

• North Dakota State Rep. Liz Conmy, a Fargo Democrat, and her pilot Joe Cass were both killed Saturday around 11:51 a.m. when their Beech F33A crashed and burned in Southbrook Park in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, shortly after takeoff from Crystal Airport. The NTSB and FAA are investigating.

• North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong said in a statement, “Liz served her state and community with care and compassion, from her service in the Legislature and on the state’s Human Trafficking Commission to her work on education, habitat and immigration.”

• State Sen. Tim Mathern, Conmy’s running mate, said, “Rep. Liz Conmy was my running mate and friend. She had a zest for life and a strong work ethic. Our democracy needs more like her. She will be missed by Democrats and Republicans alike.”

• House Minority Leader Zac Ista said, “We’re all just devastated. Liz Conmy was such a warm spirit. She had this joy around her that was infectious.” Armstrong has directed flags to be flown at half-mast on the day of her interment.

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Full Source List

WHCA Shooting & Cole Allen

• NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shooting-suspect-white-house-correspondents-dinner-cole-thomas-allen-rcna342146

• CBS News (suspect profile): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-suspect-cole-allen/

• CBS News (manifesto): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-correspondents-dinner-suspect-manifesto-details/

• NPR (Allen profile): https://www.npr.org/2026/04/26/g-s1-118826/cole-allen-suspected-white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooter-profile

• CNN (teacher background): https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/26/us/white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooter-teacher-invs

• CBS News live updates: https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-evacuated-white-house-correspondents-dinner-security-incident/

• NPR (scene): https://www.npr.org/2026/04/26/nx-s1-5800105/white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-scene-trump

• MS NOW: https://www.ms.now/news/trump-evacuated-after-security-incident-at-white-house-correspondents-dinner

• CNN live blog: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/25/politics/live-news/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner

• NBC live blog: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/live-blog/live-updates-suspect-custody-gunfire-white-house-correspondents-dinner-rcna342157

• Axios: https://www.axios.com/2026/04/26/trump-white-house-correspondents-dinner-reschedule

• Fox News (security): https://www.foxnews.com/politics/security-scrutiny-whcd-attendees-cite-inconsistent-screening-shooting

• News4Jax/AP: https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2026/04/26/trump-evacuated-after-security-incident-at-white-house-correspondents-dinner-no-sign-of-injuries/

• Washington Times (Gruters): https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/26/joe-gruters-rnc-chair-blames-radicalized-left-white-house/

• Mediaite (Jennings): https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/scott-jennings-infuriates-colleague-with-impassioned-take-down-of-left-wing-violence-just-a-disgrace/

• Jeffries press release: https://democraticleader.house.gov/media/press-releases/leader-jeffries-fox-violence-never-answer-whether-its-targeted-right-left-or

• Face the Nation transcript: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/face-the-nation-full-transcript-04-26-2026/

• CBS Blanche transcript: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/todd-blanche-acting-attorney-general-face-the-nation-transcript-04-26-2026/

• Fox News live blog: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/white-house-correspondents-dinner-shooting-04-26-26

Iran War & Diplomacy

• NBC News (base damage): https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/iran-caused-extensive-damage-us-military-bases-publicly-known-rcna331853

• The Hill: https://thehill.com/policy/international/5849646-iran-damage-us-military-bases/

• NBC live blog: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/live-updates-us-envoys-heading-pakistan-uncertainty-iran-talks-rcna342031

• CNN live updates: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/25/world/live-news/iran-war-israel-pakistan-talks

• Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/iran-war-trump-us-ceasefire-deal-strait-hormuz-pakistan-talks-april-25

• Mehr News (Khatam al-Anbiya): https://en.mehrnews.com/news/243973/Khatam-al-Anbia-warns-US-against-continuation-of-blockade

• Tribune India: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/iran/iran-vows-decisive-response-if-us-continues-its-blockade-piracy-maritime-robbery-in-gulf

• Iran International: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604251435

Israel/Hezbollah

• Times of Israel: https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-soldier-killed-in-south-lebanon-drone-attack-as-israel-hezbollah-trade-blame/

Economy

• CNN Business: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/24/economy/us-consumer-sentiment

• Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/consumer-sentiment-at-record-low-as-americans-feel-impact-of-war-in-iran-142920073.html

• Advisor Perspectives: https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2026/04/10/consumer-sentiment-plunges-to-lowest-level-on-record

National Science Board

• Science magazine: https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-fires-nsf-s-oversight-board

• Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2026/04/25/national-science-board-members-dismissed/

• House Democrats statement: https://democrats-science.house.gov/news/press-releases/ranking-member-lofgren-reacts-to-latest-trump-scheme-to-undermine-science

DHS Green Card Policy

• Haaretz: https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/2026-04-26/ty-article/u-s-reportedly-to-allow-green-card-denial-based-on-pro-palestine-views/0000019d-c54e-ded5-abdd-f56e724f0000

• Jerusalem Post: https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-894121

• RBC Ukraine: https://newsukraine.rbc.ua/news/trump-bans-green-cards-for-anti-american-1777153248.html

ICE PFAS Site

• ResetEra (Guardian summary): https://www.resetera.com/threads/ice-planning-facility-for-children-and-families-on-pfas-contaminated-site.1502104/

• Hill & Ponton: https://www.hillandponton.com/toxic-exposure/england-air-force-base/

Clark Construction

• Business Standard (NYT summary): https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/firm-building-trump-s-ballroom-got-secret-no-bid-contract-for-nearby-job-126042600144_1.html

• AOL/Independent: https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-rants-over-claims-administration-224531194.html

• Raw Story: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-white-house-2676814497/

Patel

• Daily Beast: https://www.thedailybeast.com/keystone-kash-patel-hit-by-damning-white-house-assessment/

• The Mirror: https://www.themirror.com/news/politics/donald-trump-fed-up-kash-1807879

• Bombay Samachar: https://english.bombaysamachar.com/international/only-a-matter-of-time-senior-white-house-official-says-fbi-director-kash-patels-exit-is-imminent/

Pope Leo & Death Penalty

• NPR: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/25/g-s1-118767/pope-leo-trump-death-penalty

• Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/pope-leo-attacks-death-penalty-as-american-firing-squads-reintroduced-11877342

Ellison Dinner

• Variety: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/david-ellison-party-honoring-donald-trump-cbs-news-bari-weiss-norah-odonnell-1236730156/

• Mediaite: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/ny-times-dishes-details-on-trump-ellison-dinner-attended-by-top-cbs-journos/

• The Wrap: https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/trump-ellison-dinner-speech-paramount-merger-approval/

Hegseth & CREC

• PBS News: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/pete-hegseths-christian-rhetoric-reignites-scrutiny-after-the-u-s-goes-to-war-with-iran

• The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/what-is-crec-and-how-does-it-shape-pete-hegseths-religious-rhetoric-279637

• Premier Christianity: https://www.premierchristianity.com/news-analysis/who-is-pete-hegseth-and-what-does-he-believe/21375.article

IRS Lawsuit

• CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/24/politics/judge-questions-trump-irs-treasury-lawsuit

• NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/federal-judge-questions-basis-trumps-10-billion-irs-lawsuit-rcna341984

• Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-10-billion-irs-lawsuit-hits-stumbling-block-11877252

Virginia Election

• CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/22/politics/trump-virginia-election-claim-rigged

• Cardinal News: https://cardinalnews.org/2026/04/23/trump-blasts-virginia-vote-as-rigged-because-of-mail-voting-hes-wrong-here-are-the-facts/

• Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/22/trump-calls-virginia-election-rigged-after-redistricting-referendum

Giuffre / King Charles

• Prism News: https://www.prismnews.com/news/giuffre-family-urges-king-charles-to-meet-epstein-survivors-during

• Al Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/4/giuffre-family-urges-uks-king-charles-to-meet-epstein-survivors-in-us

• CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/virginia-giuffre-family-urges-king-charles-to-visit-epstein-survivors-on-us-visit-9.7153325

Chicago Hospital Shooting

• Block Club Chicago: https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/04/26/chicago-police-officer-killed-in-swedish-hospital-shooting-identified-as-john-bartholomew/

• Chicago Sun-Times: https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/04/25/officers-reportedly-injured-shooting-chicago-swedish-hospital-lincoln-square

• WGN: https://wgntv.com/news/chicagocrime/2-officers-shot-at-north-side-hospital-police-sources-say/

• NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/two-police-officers-shot-chicago-hospital-one-critical-condition-rcna342077

Mall of Louisiana Shooting

• NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teen-arrested-louisiana-mall-shooting-killed-high-school-senior-rcna341839

• The Advocate: https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/mall-of-louisiana-markel-lee-video-arrest-brpd/article_46af09b7-31d7-4124-8728-0ba166c6e64c.html

USF Student Murders

• Hillsborough County Sheriff: https://www.teamhcso.com/News/PressRelease/bf0589a6-ba0a-4511-9ae2-904b1e8dab1d/26-77

• CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/24/us/usf-students-missing-dead

• CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/roommate-murder-charges-deaths-university-south-florida-doctoral-students/

• 10 Tampa Bay: https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/police-investigation-lake-forest-usf-tampa/67-8dcd9466-dd00-4836-ac06-9f3aee39e510

Liz Conmy Plane Crash

• InForum: https://www.inforum.com/news/fargo/north-dakota-lawmaker-liz-conmy-dies-in-minnesota-plane-crash

• Fox 9: https://www.fox9.com/news/north-dakota-rep-liz-conmy-dies-brooklyn-park-plane-crash-near-crystal-airport

• KSTP: https://kstp.com/kstp-news/top-news/plane-crashes-near-crystal-airport-in-brooklyn-park/

Leon Smith

• CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pennsylvania-leon-smith-2026-national-teacher-of-the-year/

• 6ABC: https://6abc.com/post/delaware-county-pennsylvania-high-school-history-instructor-leon-smith-named-2026-national-teacher-year/18934675/

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by Sharad Swaney, Director of Centered America

Hey everyone. Long day, big news cycle. We’re now two months into the Iran war, the Strait of Hormuz is a war zone, and the domestic chaos is somehow keeping pace with the international chaos.

Trump just ordered the Navy to “shoot and kill” any Iranian boat laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Those are his words. Posted to Truth Social. The IEA is now calling this the WORST ENERGY SECURITY THREAT IN HISTORY. Thirteen million barrels of oil per day have been wiped from the market. For context, each of the 1970s oil shocks removed about 5 million. We’re at 13. Europe used to get 75% of its jet fuel from Middle Eastern refineries. That number is now ZERO. And a classified Pentagon briefing told Congress it could take SIX MONTHS to clear the Iranian mines from the strait. Iran fired on three ships yesterday and seized two of them. Oil broke $100 a barrel.

Then Trump fired the Navy Secretary in the middle of a war. John Phelan had been on Capitol Hill that morning discussing the budget. He had no idea he was being fired. The ranking member of the Armed Services Committee called it “yet another example of the instability and dysfunction” at the Pentagon.

And because that’s not enough for one day: House Republicans are now OPENLY discussing whether Trump should pardon Ghislaine Maxwell. The DOJ Inspector General opened an audit of the Epstein files. The Gates Foundation commissioned an external review of Bill Gates’ Epstein ties. Eric Trump went on Fox Business to brag about landing a $24 million Pentagon robot contract. Tucker Carlson APOLOGIZED for supporting the war. Trump’s approval hit Carter-era lows. Kash Patel filed a $250 million lawsuit while Democrats demanded he take an alcohol test. And a condom manufacturer warned prices are going up 30% because of the war. You can’t make this stuff up.

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Now here is your Wednesday briefing.

Trump Tells Navy to Open Fire in the Strait of Hormuz

• President Trump posted on Truth Social that he has directed U.S. forces to destroy any Iranian vessel laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, writing, “I have ordered the United States Navy to shoot and kill any boat... that is putting mines in the waters of the Strait of Hormuz.”

  

• Trump said mine-clearing operations in the channel would be “tripled.”

• The order came one day after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard fired on three commercial ships in the strait and seized two of them.

  

• Trump also claimed Washington has “total control” of the waterway and that it is “sealed up tight” until Iran agrees to a deal.

“Biggest Energy Security Threat in History,” IEA Warns

• International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol told CNBC the world has lost 13 million barrels per day of oil supply because of the Iran war and the Hormuz shutdown.

  

• Birol said Europe used to get roughly 75% of its jet fuel from Middle Eastern refineries and that number is now effectively zero.

• He described the strait as operating under a “double blockade” because neither Iran nor the U.S. is letting ships in or out.

• Fortune notes that each of the two 1970s oil shocks removed about 5 million barrels a day from the market. We’re now above 13 million.

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Pentagon Warns Clearing Hormuz Mines Could Take Six Months

• A classified Pentagon briefing to the House Armed Services Committee estimated it could take six months to fully clear Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Washington Post.

  

• Lawmakers were told Iran may have deployed 20 or more mines, some of them GPS-floated and difficult to detect.

• Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have warned of a “danger zone” roughly 1,400 square kilometers wide where mines may be present.

  

• Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell pushed back, calling the leaked assessment “dishonest journalism” and saying a six-month closure is “completely unacceptable to the Secretary.”

Iran Pockets First Revenue From Hormuz Tolls

• Iran’s deputy parliament speaker Hamidreza Hajibabaei announced Tehran has received its first toll payments from ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz, with funds deposited in the central bank.

• The toll program charges transit fees to vessels in a waterway that, in peacetime, carries roughly a fifth of global oil and gas.

• Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called the U.S. naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, saying, “A full ceasefire only has meaning if it is not violated by a naval blockade.”

CENTCOM Says It Has Turned Back 31 Ships Near Iran

• U.S. Central Command confirmed that 31 vessels, most of them oil tankers, have been ordered to turn around or return to port under the blockade of Iranian ports.

  

• CENTCOM said the blockade operation involves more than 10,000 troops, 17 warships, and over 100 aircraft.

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the restrictions “an act of war” and a violation of the ceasefire.

Navy Secretary John Phelan Fired in Middle of Iran War

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth forced out Navy Secretary John Phelan “effective immediately,” making him the first confirmed service secretary ousted in Trump’s second term.

  

• Sources cited tensions over shipbuilding reform, the “Golden Fleet” initiative, and Phelan’s direct text-message relationship with Trump, with the Wall Street Journal reporting Hegseth felt undermined.

• Phelan spent the morning of his firing on Capitol Hill discussing the Navy budget and reportedly had no idea he was being fired.

• Senate Armed Services ranking member Jack Reed said the move “is yet another example of the instability and dysfunction” at the Pentagon.

• Undersecretary Hung Cao is now acting Navy secretary.

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House Republicans Openly Considering a Pardon for Maxwell

• House Oversight Chair James Comer told Politico his committee is “split” on whether Trump should pardon Ghislaine Maxwell in exchange for her cooperation on Jeffrey Epstein.

• Comer personally opposes the idea, saying, “Other than Epstein, she’s the worst person in this whole investigation.”

• Ranking member Robert Garcia said every Democrat on the committee opposes a pardon, and called it “a shameful way to treat survivors.”

• Survivor attorney Arick Fudali told NewsNation the idea is “offensive” to victims.

• Maxwell, serving 20 years, has invoked the Fifth Amendment and is demanding clemency.

DOJ Watchdog Opens Audit of Epstein Files Release

• The Justice Department Office of Inspector General announced Thursday it is auditing DOJ’s compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

• Acting Deputy Inspector General William Blier said the objective is “to evaluate the DOJ’s processes for identifying, redacting, and releasing records.”

• Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act last November; DOJ has since released around 3 million of an estimated 6 million pages.

• Survivors’ attorney Brittany Henderson told MS Now the audit will bring “a long-awaited sense of temporary relief.”

Massie Threatens Todd Blanche With Criminal Liability

• Rep. Thomas Massie, co-author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, warned Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that he could become “criminally liable for failure to comply” if the full files aren’t released.

• Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna have repeatedly clashed with Blanche over heavy redactions in the material that has been released.

• Blanche previously said the Epstein saga “should not be a part of anything going forward,” a comment that drew bipartisan criticism.

Gates Foundation Commissions External Review of Epstein Ties

• The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation confirmed CEO Mark Suzman has commissioned an external investigation of the foundation’s past engagement with Epstein.

• The review was triggered by Justice Department files showing photos of Gates with Epstein and with women whose faces were redacted.

• The foundation’s February statement said staff interacted with Epstein based on his claims “he could mobilize significant philanthropic resources.”

• Gates is scheduled to testify before the House Oversight Committee on June 10.

• The foundation also announced it is cutting roughly 20% of its global workforce by 2030.

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Eric Trump Brags About $24M Pentagon Deal on Fox Business

• Eric Trump appeared on Maria Bartiromo’s Fox Business show to celebrate Foundation Industries, where he serves as chief strategic adviser, landing a $24 million Pentagon contract for its “Phantom” humanoid battlefield robot.

• Asked how he got involved, Eric Trump said, “We better be winning this race in the United States of America.”

• Media Matters notes that the Bartiromo interview lasted more than 10 minutes and that the Trump family’s business dealings tied to the Pentagon dwarf the sum House Republicans tracked to the Biden family.

• The company’s CEO Sankaet Pathak acknowledged that some scenarios for Phantom would involve “almost no human-in-loop.”

Trump Approval Hits “Carter-esque” Lows

• A House Republican operative told Puck News: “Donald Trump’s approval ratings are at Carter-esque levels, and Republicans are now confronted with the fact that he’s in worse shape than Joe Biden ever was during his presidency.”

• The Drudge Report ran a banner this week reading “TRUMP APPROVAL RATING 32 PERCENT” and “MATCHING CARTER LOWS.”

• An NBC News Decision Desk poll found Trump at a second-term low, with Republican strong approval dropping from 58% to 52% since early this year.

• Economic anxiety and the Iran war are driving the slide, with 61% of Americans saying the U.S. should take no further military action.

Warner Bros Discovery Shareholders Approve $110B Paramount Deal

• Warner Bros Discovery shareholders voted to approve the $110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance in a preliminary vote Thursday.

• The deal values WBD at $31 per share and brings the Warner Bros film studio, HBO Max, and cable networks including CNN, TBS, and TNT under Paramount CEO David Ellison’s control.

• Shareholders overwhelmingly rejected the executive pay packages that would have given outgoing CEO David Zaslav up to $887 million if the sale closes.

• The deal now faces regulatory review in both the U.S. and Europe, with closing targeted for Q3 2026.

Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic for $250M, House Dems Demand He Take an Alcohol Test

• FBI Director Kash Patel filed a 19-page defamation complaint in D.C. federal court Monday, seeking $250 million over Sarah Fitzpatrick’s April 17 article “The FBI Director Is MIA.” The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg said the publication stands by its reporting.

• At a Tuesday press conference, Patel told reporters, “I’ve never been intoxicated on the job.”

• House Judiciary Democrats led by Rep. Jamie Raskin demanded Patel complete the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test under penalty of perjury by April 28.

• The letter from Raskin describes reports that Patel’s agents have had to fetch “SWAT-level breaching equipment” to wake him after bouts of heavy drinking.

Two Israeli Air Force Technicians Charged With Spying for Iran

• The IDF, Shin Bet, and Israel Police announced indictments against two Air Force technicians at Tel Nof Airbase for passing classified material to Iranian intelligence.

• One soldier is charged with aiding the enemy in wartime, providing information to an enemy, and facilitating contact with a foreign agent.

• Prosecutors allege the pair sent F-15 avionics information, base documentation, and a photo of a flight instructor to their handlers in exchange for money.

• The handlers also tasked them with gathering intelligence on former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

• Eight other soldiers on the base are suspected of knowing about the espionage without reporting it.

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Trump Moves Medical Marijuana to Schedule III

• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that the DOJ is immediately moving state-licensed medical marijuana and FDA-approved cannabis products from Schedule I to Schedule III.

• The move does not legalize marijuana federally and does not affect current incarceration, but it eases research restrictions and exempts licensed cannabis businesses from IRS Code Section 280E, giving them normal tax deductions and banking access for the first time.

• Anti-legalization activist Kevin Sabet reacted: “With this move, we are now confronted with the most pro-drug administration in our history.”

• Marijuana not distributed through a state medical program remains on Schedule I.

Senate Passes $70B ICE Funding Over Two GOP Defections

• Senate Republicans approved a budget resolution 50 to 48 that paves the way for a reconciliation bill providing $70 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection through 2029.

• Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul broke with their party. Paul argued ICE and Border Patrol already have over $100 billion in unobligated funding from last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

• Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Republicans should be working with Democrats to lower out-of-pocket costs.”

• DHS has been partially shut down since mid-February after Democrats demanded reforms following the ICE killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

DHS Quietly Pulls Back on Home Raids and Courthouse Arrests

• Two senior DHS officials and two immigration attorneys confirmed to NBC News that the department is rolling back its controversial policies of arresting migrants at courthouses and entering homes on administrative warrants.

• The pullback reverses guidance from a May 2025 Todd Lyons memo that had allowed warrantless home entries, which civil rights groups said violated the Fourth Amendment.

• ACLU attorney Spencer Amdur previously described the earlier policy as something that “flatly violates the Fourth Amendment.”

Warren Grills Fed Nominee Warsh, Tillis Blocks Him Over Powell Probe

• At the Senate Banking Committee hearing Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed Kevin Warsh on more than $100 million in undisclosed investments held in vehicles called “THSDFS LLC” and the “Juggernaut Fund.”

• Warren asked whether those funds were tied to Trump’s family, money laundering, Chinese-controlled companies, or “financing vehicles established by Jeffrey Epstein.”

• Warsh refused to answer and said only that he would sell the assets if confirmed.

• Sen. Thom Tillis, the deciding Republican, told Fox Business he will keep blocking Warsh over the DOJ’s ongoing investigation into Jerome Powell: “Let’s get rid of this investigation so I can support your confirmation.”

GOP Pressures DeSantis to Redraw Florida Map After Virginia Loss

• Speaker Mike Johnson, asked whether Florida should redraw its congressional maps before the midterms, told reporters, “Yes, absolutely.”

• Republicans are hoping to pick up as many as three seats, with a special session scheduled to begin Tuesday.

• No map has been publicly released and Florida’s congressional delegation says it has been kept in the dark, with one source close to DeSantis saying, “It doesn’t seem like anyone has a plan.”

• Some Republicans warn the push could backfire given the state’s anti-gerrymandering language.

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Israel Continues Burning and Demolishing Southern Lebanon

• Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that Israeli forces burned homes in Mais al-Jabal in the early morning hours and destroyed neighborhoods and infrastructure in Khiam.

• Bombing was also reported in Bint Jbeil, a key Hezbollah stronghold, Beit Lif, Shamaa, Tair Harfa, and Hanine.

• The IDF said in a statement its demolitions target Hezbollah, “not Lebanon or its civilians,” and that it “operates in accordance with international law.”

• UNIFIL spokesperson Tilak Pokharel said peacekeepers “have observed demolitions taking place in several areas” since the truce began.

• Al Jazeera reports Israel intends to maintain a “Yellow Line” military zone roughly 10km inside Lebanon.

White House Says Trump Saved 8 Iranian Women; Iran Calls It Fake

• Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump personally intervened to stop the scheduled executions of eight Iranian women protesters, with four to be released immediately and four receiving one-month sentences.

• Iran’s judiciary news agency Mizan responded that Trump had “fallen for” false claims and that no executions had been scheduled.

• The Iranian Embassy’s Hyderabad X account went further, accusing Trump of trying to save “AI women,” meaning women whose images had been generated artificially.

• Retired Lt. Col. Mike Nelson told NewsNation that Trump’s “premature proclamations” about Iran should be taken “with a grain of salt.”

Susie Wiles Grounds the Cabinet

• Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Cabinet officials at a February meeting at the Capitol Hill Club that international travel should be kept to a minimum and only taken when “absolutely necessary.”

• Wiles now personally signs off on all Cabinet-level international trips.

• The order came in response to complaints about Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ “aggressive international travel” last year through Vietnam, Japan, India, Peru, Brazil, and the UK.

• A source summarized the internal frustration: “It’s like, why is Brooke going to the U.K.?”

Kash Patel Denies Using FBI Against NYT Reporter

• The New York Times reported the FBI investigated reporter Elizabeth Williamson after her story on the security detail assigned to Patel’s girlfriend Alexis Wilkins.

• On Hannity, Patel flatly denied ordering the probe, saying, “Absolutely not. The reality is... this same reporter delivered a baseless story which caused a direct threat of life to my girlfriend.”

• Patel cited the arrest of Alden Welch Ruml, who allegedly threatened Wilkins’ life.

• The FBI told the Times that “while investigators were concerned about how the aggressive reporting techniques crossed lines of stalking,” it was not pursuing a case against Williamson.

DOJ Pays Carter Page $1.25 Million

• The Justice Department settled Carter Page’s PATRIOT Act lawsuit for $1.25 million.

• The settlement resolves Page’s claims against the government but leaves intact his case against former FBI officials including James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Kevin Clinesmith.

• A DOJ spokesperson said, “No American should ever face covert and unlawful surveillance based on their political views.”

• Page originally sought $75 million. The DOJ previously settled a similar suit with Michael Flynn for roughly $1.2 million.

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Trump Pushes Midnight SCOTUS Conspiracy Theory

• In seven posts late Wednesday night, Trump amplified a self-described conspiracy theorist’s claim tying Chief Justice John Roberts to former Obama ethics czar Norm Eisen.

• Trump called Eisen “a major Sleazebag.”

• Eisen responded, “There is a massive, people-powered resistance to Trump’s authoritarian agenda, and I’m proud to be part of it. It’s no surprise that Donald Trump is rattled.”

• The conspiracy originated with a Canadian X user known as “Liz Churchill” and referenced a Turley op-ed that never actually mentioned Eisen.

Trump Reposts Racist Savage Podcast Calling India, China “Hell-Holes”

• Trump shared a Michael Savage podcast segment attacking birthright citizenship on Truth Social.

• Savage’s transcript included the line: “A baby here becomes an instant citizen, and then they bring in their entire family from China, or India, or some other hell-hole on the planet.”

• Savage also claimed white men have no shot at jobs at California tech firms because “almost all the internal mechanisms are set up to run by Indians and Chinese.”

• Trump posted it a day after falsely telling CNBC that no other country offers birthright citizenship, even though roughly three dozen do, including Canada and Mexico.

Colorado CBP Officer Charged With Assault at ICE Protest

• The Sixth Judicial District Attorney charged CBP officer Nicholas Rice, 47, with third-degree assault and criminal mischief for his conduct at a protest outside the Durango ICE facility in October 2025.

• Protester Franci Stagi, 57, said, “He grabbed me by the hair, and he lifted me off the ground somehow, in a chokehold.”

• The protests were sparked when ICE agents arrested Fernando Jaramillo-Solano and his two children on their way to school, a case in which ICE later admitted Jaramillo-Solano had been misidentified.

• Acting AG Todd Blanche has warned local prosecutors they could face investigation for charging federal agents.

Tim Walz Vows Accountability for DHS Shooters

• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told reporters following the fatal DHS shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti that he intends to pursue the agents involved, saying, “We’re gonna bring them back and hold them accountable for what they did.”

• Walz has activated the National Guard and rejected DHS’s version of events, saying the federal narrative is “nonsense” and “lies.”

Judge Tosses Laura Loomer’s $150M Bill Maher Suit

• U.S. District Judge James S. Moody Jr. dismissed Loomer’s defamation suit on summary judgment, ruling that no “reasonable” viewer would have interpreted Maher’s 2024 joke as a statement of fact.

• Maher testified in a deposition: “I made a joke. I made a joke based on their sudden closeness in the news that week.”

• The judge noted Loomer’s own testimony showed her income increased in 2024 and that Trump “continues to solicit her opinions.”

• Loomer called the ruling “factually and legally wrong” and says she plans to appeal.

Megyn Kelly Unloads on Trump’s Character

• Speaking with Russell Brand, Megyn Kelly said of Trump, “There are aspects of his personality which are obviously not good... he’s not a moral man, he’s obviously not the greatest husband in the world, and he’s extremely petty and thin-skinned.”

• Kelly argued Trump is “turning on his most loyal supporters” over the Iran war and running to former NeverTrumpers.

• Kelly added, “There’s no loyalty in return ever from Trump. Ever.”

Ossoff Rules Out 2028 Presidential Bid

• Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff told MS NOW’s Jen Psaki, “I have zero interest in running for president in 2028.”

• Ossoff said the focus needs to stay on the midterms and warned, “If we do not restore checks and balances in these midterm elections, I don’t know that we have a free and fair presidential election in 2028.”

• Ossoff is the only Democrat seeking reelection in a state Trump carried in 2024, and is sitting on over $25 million in cash.

Trump Envoy Floats Replacing Iran With Italy at World Cup

• U.S. special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the Financial Times, “I confirm I have suggested to Trump and Infantino that Italy replace Iran at the World Cup.”

• Italian officials and media dismissed the proposal, noting Italy failed to qualify after losing to Bosnia on penalties, and that FIFA rules reserve replacement discretion to the governing body.

• FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last week Iran would play in the tournament “for sure.”

Gold Card Visa Has Approved Exactly One Person

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told the House Appropriations Committee that only one person has been approved for Trump’s $1 million “Gold Card” residency program since applications opened in December.

• Lutnick described the process as “an extraordinary vet” with a $15,000 DHS processing fee on top of the million-dollar fee.

• In February 2025 Lutnick had projected as many as 200,000 Gold Card sales. At current pace, that forecast is off by 199,999.

UGA Turning Point USA Chair Resigns, Citing “Blatant Dishonesty”

• Caroline Mattox, a political science, finance, and prelaw student, resigned as president of TPUSA’s University of Georgia chapter after an April 14 event with Vice President JD Vance drew a crowd that only filled about a quarter of the arena.

• TPUSA CEO Erika Kirk pulled out of the event at the last minute citing security concerns, though the Secret Service said there were no credible threats.

• In her resignation letter, Mattox wrote of Charlie Kirk: “Charlie spent his life fighting for truth, and I do not believe he would stand for the blatant dishonesty now being spread by the organization that he built.”

Condom Maker Warns of Iran-War Price Hike

• Karex CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters the world’s largest condom manufacturer will raise prices 20% to 30% because of Iran war supply chain disruptions.

• The comments sparked more than 60 million views of related hashtags on Weibo, with many users joking about stockpiling.

• One Chinese user posted, “A few dozen yuan for a condom is a hundred times more cost-effective than raising a child at a million yuan.”

• Karex produces over 5 billion condoms annually and supplies Durex and Trojan, among other brands.

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Full Source List:

• PBS NewsHour: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trump-orders-u-s-military-to-shoot-and-kill-iranian-small-boats-choking-strait-of-hormuz

• TIME: https://time.com/article/2026/04/23/trump-orders-us-navy-shoot-kill-boats-strait-hormuz-iran-war/

• ABC7 New York: https://abc7ny.com/live-updates/iran-war-straight-hormuz-ceasefire-trump-israel-lebanon/18927353/

• CNBC IEA: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/oil-markets-prices-fuel-shortages-iran-war-iea-chief.html

• TRT World: https://www.trtworld.com/article/1d6325c9b9f0

• Fortune IEA: https://fortune.com/2026/04/23/iea-fatih-birol-energy-crisis-iran-war-strait-hormuz-oil-barrels/

• Washington Post Hormuz mines: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/22/iran-hormuz-mines/

• Times of Israel Pentagon denial: https://www.timesofisrael.com/pentagon-denies-reported-assessment-that-de-mining-hormuz-will-take-six-months/

• France 24: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20260423-clearing-hormuz-strait-mines-could-take-six-months-report

• SBS News: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/pentagon-estimates-suggest-clearing-strait-of-hormuz-mines-could-take-six-months/rm3zrvai3

• NBC Live Blog Iran: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/live-updates-trump-iran-hormuz-blockade-ceasefire-talks-lebanon-israel-rcna341571

• Daily Sabah: https://www.dailysabah.com/world/mid-east/iran-official-claims-tehran-received-1st-hormuz-tolls-revenue

• NBC Ghalibaf: https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/live-updates-iran-trump-ceasefire-hormuz-attack-peace-talks-israel-rcna341361

• Business Standard CENTCOM: https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/31-ships-turned-back-as-us-enforces-blockade-against-iran-centcom-126042300118_1.html

• New Kerala: https://www.newkerala.com/news/a/us-military-says-31-vessels-turned-back-iran-439.htm

• ANI News: https://aninews.in/news/world/us/us-military-says-31-vessels-turned-back-iran-port-blockade-mostly-oil-tankers20260423074943/

• CNN Phelan: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/22/politics/john-phelan-navy-secretary-leaving

• MS NOW Phelan: https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/hegseth-navy-secretary-john-phelan

• NBC Phelan: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/navy-secretary-phelan-exits-administration-rcna341532

• Al Jazeera Phelan: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/23/who-is-john-phelan-the-us-navy-secretary-fired-by-pete-hegseth

• Daily Wire Maxwell: https://www.dailywire.com/news/powerful-republican-says-some-of-his-colleagues-want-to-pardon-ghislaine-maxwell

• New Republic Maxwell: https://newrepublic.com/post/209423/house-republicans-ghislaine-maxwell-pardon

• Oversight Democrats: https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/ranking-member-robert-garcia-statement-on-republicans-considering-a-pardon-for-ghislaine-maxwell

• NewsNation Fudali: https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/ghislaine-maxwell-potential-pardon-offensive-survivors/

• Mediaite Maxwell: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/house-oversight-committee-republicans-split-over-whether-convicted-child-sex-trafficker-ghislaine-maxwell-should-be-pardoned/

• CBS News OIG: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epstein-files-justice-department-inspector-general/

• NBC OIG: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-watchdog-probes-compliance-epstein-act-rcna341655

• The Hill OIG: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5845360-doj-ig-epstein-files-transparency/

• UPI OIG: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2026/04/23/justice-department-inspector-general-audit-epstein-files-release/7901776973145/

• The New American Massie: https://thenewamerican.com/video/deep-state/doj-must-release-all-epstein-files-or-face-criminal-liability-rep-massie-warns/

• Washington Examiner Massie: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/4452272/thomas-massie-todd-blanche-redactions-epstein-files-les-wexner/

• The Hill Blanche: https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/5814657-jeffrey-epstein-files-todd-blanche/

• Fortune Gates: https://fortune.com/2026/04/23/gates-foundation-epstein-files-bill-gates-ties-investigation-congress/

• 9News Gates: https://www.9news.com/article/news/nation-world/gates-foundation-external-review-of-ties-to-epstein/507-e18f105e-c8e1-4328-8482-984806899145

• Fox 13 Seattle Gates: https://www.fox13seattle.com/news/gates-foundation-reviewing-epstein-ties

• Breitbart Gates: https://www.breitbart.com/tech/2026/04/22/gates-foundation-cuts-20-of-staff-launches-external-review-of-bill-gates-ties-to-jeffrey-epstein/

• Mediaite Eric Trump: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/greatest-economy-in-the-world-eric-trump-hits-fox-to-take-a-victory-lap-for-one-of-his-companies-scoring-a-24m-pentagon-contract/

• New Republic Eric Trump: https://newrepublic.com/post/209419/eric-trump-brags-defense-department-contract

• Media Matters Eric Trump: https://www.mediamatters.org/fox-business/foxs-maria-bartiromo-celebrates-presidents-sons-company-winning-pentagon-contract

• Irish Star Eric Trump: https://www.irishstar.com/news/politics/eric-trumps-company-lands-24m-37060839

• NBC WBD: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/media/warner-bros-discovery-shareholders-approve-paramount-skydance-merger-rcna341529

• Al Jazeera WBD: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/4/23/warner-bros-shareholders-approve-paramounts-takeover

• Variety WBD: https://variety.com/2026/film/news/warner-bros-discovery-paramount-shareholder-approval-zaslav-pay-package-1236727798/

• NPR WBD: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/nx-s1-5793628/warner-bros-discovery-paramount-skydance-merger

• news.de Puck: https://www.news.de/politik/859548894/donald-trump-in-schlechterem-zustand-als-joe-biden-jemals-war-republikaner-alarmiert-schlechte-umfragewerte-fuer-us-praesidenten/1/

• The Hill Drudge: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5842863-matt-drudge-donald-trump-jimmy-carter-approval-ratings/

• NBC Decision Desk: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/poll-trumps-approval-rating-hits-second-term-low-economy-iran-war-rcna331462

• Yahoo News Cabinet: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/gop-senators-hope-quick-cabinet-084500154.html

• Raw Story Cabinet: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-bad-mood-politico-report/

• The Mirror US Gabbard: https://www.themirror.com/news/politics/trump-tells-tulsi-gabbard-must-1802784

• Daily Beast Wiles: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-ice-maiden-susie-wiles-lays-down-new-order-as-panic-sets-in/

• Raw Story Wiles: https://www.rawstory.com/susie-wiles-2676801850/

• Jezebel Wiles: https://www.jezebel.com/susie-wiles-told-the-cabinet-to-quit-traveling-abroad

• New Republic Wiles: https://newrepublic.com/post/209431/susie-wiles-donald-trump-advisers-travel-midterms

• Daily Beast Eisen: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-79-boosts-conspiracy-theorist-in-late-night-sleazebag-meltdown/

• AOL Eisen: https://www.aol.com/articles/donald-trumps-night-truth-social-145100920.html

• Ynet IDF: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1xkb2vpzx

• Times of Israel IDF: https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-idf-aircraft-mechanics-to-be-charged-with-spying-on-ben-gvir-ex-idf-chief-report/

• Jerusalem Post IDF: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-893988

• Defense News IAF: https://www.thedefensenews.com/news-details/Two-Israeli-Air-Force-Technicians-Charged-with-Espionage-for-Passing-F-15-Technical-Information-to-Iran/

• NPR cannabis: https://www.npr.org/2026/04/23/nx-s1-5797245/marijuana-rules-reschedule-medical-legalization

• CNBC cannabis: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/trump-administration-reclassifies-cannabis.html

• PBS cannabis: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-reclassifies-state-licensed-medical-marijuana-as-less-dangerous-drug

• CNBC ICE budget: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/23/us-senate-votes-to-advance-70-billion-funding-plan-for-ice-border-patrol.html

• NBC ICE vote: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republican-budget-funding-ice-border-patrol-democrats-rcna341445

• Fox News ICE vote: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/senate-gop-budget-reconciliation-ice-border-patrol-dhs-funding

• Al Jazeera ICE vote: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/23/us-senate-passes-70bn-funding-plan-for-ice-border-patrol

• The Hill Reconciliation: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5801213-reconciliation-iran-dhs-save-act/

• The Hill Reconciliation 2: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5815556-ice-funding-dhs-reconciliation/

• NBC Reconciliation: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-launch-reconciliation-america-act-iran-war-ice-rcna265091

• NBC ICE rollback: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/ice-tells-officers-curtail-court-arrests-stop-entering-homes-warrants-rcna332197

• NBC ICE home memo: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/ice-entering-homes-judicial-warrants-last-summer-sources-say-rcna255619

• CNN Florida: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/23/politics/florida-redistricting-virginia-referendum-ron-desantis

• KeyT Florida: https://keyt.com/politics/cnn-us-politics/2026/04/23/republicans-pressure-ron-desantis-to-redistrict-in-florida-after-virginia-democrats-win/

• The Hill Florida: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5842969-desantis-florida-republican-redistricting-risk/

• Naharnet Lebanon: https://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/319726-lebanon-decries-israeli-demolition-of-homes-in-areas-occupied-after-ceasefire

• Al Jazeera Yellow Line: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/19/does-israels-yellow-line-violate-the-lebanon-ceasefire

• Iran International 8 women: https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604225593

• Al-Monitor 8 women: https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2026/04/trump-says-eight-iranian-women-wont-be-executed-iran-disputes-entire-account

• WION 8 women: https://www.wionews.com/world/did-trump-save-8-ai-women-under-execution-in-iran-1776922696800

• NewsNation 8 women: https://www.newsnationnow.com/world/trump-says-iran-will-halt-eight-executions-at-his-request/

• The Hill Patel: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/5844807-fbi-investigates-new-york-times-journalist-patel-girlfriend-security/

• TheWrap Patel: https://www.thewrap.com/media-platforms/journalism/kash-patel-hannity-new-york-times/

• Daily Beast Patel: https://www.thedailybeast.com/keystone-kash-erupts-at-girlfriend-bombshell-with-bonkers-monologue/

• The Federal Savage: https://thefederal.com/category/international/trump-reposts-racist-rant-india-china-birthright-citizenship-hell-holes-240282

• The Week Savage: https://www.theweek.in/news/world/2026/04/23/who-is-michael-savage-trump-reposts-radio-hosts-hellhole-comments-on-india-and-china.html

• Asianet Savage: https://newsable.asianetnews.com/world/donald-trump-reposts-michael-savage-hellhole-slur-on-india-china-amid-us-birthright-citizenship-row-sparks-outrage-articleshow-spt1is8

• PBS Rice: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/cbp-officer-charged-with-assault-over-treatment-of-protester-outside-colorado-ice-facility

• CBS Colorado Rice: https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/customs-border-protection-agent-charged-assault-durango-colorado-protest/

• NBC Rice: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/immigration-officer-charged-assault-protest-colorado-ice-facility-da-s-rcna341509

• Colorado Newsline Rice: https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/federal-officer-charged-durango-ice-protest/

• Threads Walz: https://www.threads.com/@aaron.rupar/post/DXdhGDsiecJ/video-tim-walz-on-dhs-officers-who-shot-minnesotans-were-gonna-bring-them-back-and

• The Hill Walz: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5710161-walz-noem-minneapolis-shootings/

• Axios Walz: https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/01/24/tim-walz-investigation-border-patrol-shooting-minneapolis

• CBS Page: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-administration-settlement-carter-page-ex-trump-adviser/

• WaPo Page: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/22/trump-justice-department-russia-carter-page-settlement/a6ff9ee6-3e93-11f1-bb46-ed564688d953_story.html

• All About Lawyer Page: https://allaboutlawyer.com/carter-page-vs-doj-fbi-fisa-surveillance-lawsuit-2026/

• CNN Loomer: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/22/media/laura-loomer-bill-maher-hbo-defamation-lawsuit-dismissed

• Deadline Loomer: https://deadline.com/2026/04/laura-loomer-bill-maher-defamation-case-dismissed-1236868625/

• NBC Loomer: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/judge-dismisses-laura-loomer-defamation-suit-bill-maher-rcna341551

• Daily Beast Loomer: https://www.thedailybeast.com/laura-loomer-loses-lawsuit-against-bill-maher-over-trump-tryst-joke/

• Mediaite Kelly: https://www.mediaite.com/media/podcasts/not-a-moral-man-megyn-kelly-calls-out-trump-demons-including-being-thin-skinned-and-not-the-greatest-husband/

• BizPac Kelly: https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/04/23/megyn-kelly-gets-personal-in-trump-bashing-session-not-a-moral-man-1634331/

• Daily Beast Kelly: https://www.thedailybeast.com/megyn-kelly-takes-a-shot-at-trumps-marriage-not-a-moral-man/

• Euronews Italy: https://www.euronews.com/2026/04/23/trump-envoy-calls-on-fifa-to-replace-iran-with-italy-at-world-cup

• CNN Italy: https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/23/sport/world-cup-iran-italy-trump

• NBC Italy: https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/soccer/italy-underwhelmed-trump-envoys-suggestion-replace-iran-world-cup-rcna341576

• The Hill Ossoff: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5845768-ossoff-not-running-2028/

• Newsweek Ossoff: https://www.newsweek.com/jon-ossoffs-chances-of-beating-republicans-in-georgia-senate-race-11492055

• Bloomberg Gold Card: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-23/trump-gold-visa-granted-to-only-one-person-so-far-lutnick-says

• Investing.com Gold Card: https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/trumps-gold-card-visa-program-approves-just-one-applicant-93CH-4633534

• Newsweek TPUSA: https://www.newsweek.com/turning-point-usa-new-direction-criticized-resignation-letter-11867002

• CBS Atlanta TPUSA: https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/jd-vance-erika-kirk-university-georgia-turning-point-usa-rally-protests/

• Raw Story TPUSA: https://www.rawstory.com/erika-kirk-turning-point-exodus/

• The Standard Karex: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/china/article/330110/Warning-of-higher-condom-prices-goes-viral-in-China-stokes-stockpiling-talk

• CNN Karex: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/04/21/business/condom-karex-prices-iran-war

• Free Malaysia Today Karex: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/04/23/warning-of-higher-condom-prices-goes-viral-in-china

Hey everyone. I’ve been away for a few days but I am officially back and ready for the week ahead. It is a lot. Breathe. Here is what happened the past few days.

Iran just seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz and fired on a third. Oil broke $100 a barrel for the first time since the war started. Iran’s foreign minister is calling the U.S. naval blockade an “act of war.” Trump extended the ceasefire indefinitely but kept the blockade in place. None of this adds up.

The DOJ indicted the SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER on 11 counts. Wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering conspiracy. Todd Blanche stood next to Kash Patel and accused the SPLC of “manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose.” Prosecutors allege they paid over $3 million to informants tied to the KKK, neo-Nazis, and the Aryan Nations. The SPLC says it’s outraged and will fight every charge.

Tucker Carlson APOLOGIZED. On his own show. Sitting across from his brother. He said “I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people” and called the Iran war “the single biggest mistake” of Trump’s second term. His brother said “we’re implicated in this.” Trump called them both “Low IQs.”

Meanwhile, the third cabinet member resigned, Virginia voters flipped the redistricting map, Jeffries declared “maximum warfare” on Florida, Kash Patel filed a $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic while Democrats demanded he take an alcohol test, a gunman killed a Canadian tourist at the Teotihuacán pyramids on the Columbine anniversary, D4vd was charged with first-degree murder, and the Pentagon’s own intelligence chief testified that Iran STILL has thousands of missiles and drones, directly contradicting Trump and Hegseth’s claims that Iran’s military was “wiped out.”

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Now here is your Tuesday briefing.

Iran Seizes Two Ships, Oil Breaks $100, Blockade Holds

• Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy seized the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca and the Liberia-flagged Epaminondas in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday morning. State media said both vessels had been taken to Iranian ports. The IRGC said the ships “had endangered maritime security by operating without the required authorization and by tampering with navigation systems.”

• A third ship, the Greek-operated Euphoria, was fired on and left stranded on Iran’s shores. This is the first time Iran has seized ships since the war started February 28.

• Brent crude futures jumped above $100 a barrel (1.6 percent to $100.07), WTI rose 1.7 percent to $91.18, according to Offshore Engineer citing Reuters.

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi called the continuing U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports an “act of war.”

• Trump announced on Tuesday that the ceasefire would be extended indefinitely at the request of Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while keeping the blockade in place.

DOJ Indicts the Southern Poverty Law Center on 11 Counts

• A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Alabama returned an 11-count indictment against the SPLC: six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

• Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, standing next to Patel, told reporters the SPLC was “manufacturing the extremism it purports to oppose by paying sources to stoke racial hatred.”

• Prosecutors allege the SPLC paid at least $3 million to eight informants between 2014 and 2023, some tied to the Ku Klux Klan, United Klans of America, the National Socialist Party of America, and the Aryan Nations-affiliated Sadistic Souls Motorcycle Club.

• One informant reportedly received more than $1 million while affiliated with the neo-Nazi National Alliance. Another was the Imperial Wizard of the United Klans of America.

• SPLC interim CEO Bryan Fair said the organization is “outraged by the false allegations” and will “vigorously defend ourselves, our staff, and our work.”

• Patel had severed FBI ties with the SPLC in October, calling it a “partisan smear machine.”

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Tucker Carlson Apologizes on His Own Show

• Tucker Carlson, sitting across from his brother Buckley (a former Trump speechwriter), told his audience, “I want to say I’m sorry for misleading people. It was not intentional.”

• Carlson called the Iran war “the single biggest mistake” of Trump’s second term.

• Buckley Carlson added: “You wrote speeches for him, I campaigned for him. I mean, we’re implicated in this.”

• Trump responded on Truth Social by calling the Carlson brothers “Low IQs.”

Virginia Voters Pass Mid-Decade Redistricting, Jeffries Declares “Maximum Warfare” on Florida

• Virginia voters approved the constitutional amendment allowing Democrats to redraw congressional maps before 2030, bypassing the bipartisan commission. Governor Spanberger and Speaker Don Scott called it a night that reshaped the 2026 midterms.

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries responded with a direct warning to Ron DeSantis, who has called a Florida special session for April 28. Jeffries named eight Republican incumbents as targets: Mario Diaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar, Carlos Gimenez, Kat Cammack, Anna Paulina Luna, Laurel Lee, Cory Mills, and Brian Mast.

• Jeffries said on X: “Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.”

• The new Virginia map could give Democrats up to 10 of 11 House seats.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer Resigns as Labor Secretary

• The third cabinet member to exit Trump’s second term, and the third woman. Chavez-DeRemer had been under investigation by Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito over an alleged affair with a security team member, drinking on the job, and travel fraud by aides.

• Her husband Shawn DeRemer had also been banned from Department of Labor headquarters over sexual assault allegations (no charges filed).

• Her attorney Nick Oberheiden said the resignation was “not the result of legal wrongdoings. It is a personal decision.”

• Keith Sonderling will serve as acting secretary.

Kash Patel Sues The Atlantic for $250M, House Dems Demand He Take an Alcohol Test

• FBI Director Kash Patel filed a 19-page defamation complaint in D.C. federal court Monday, seeking $250 million over Sarah Fitzpatrick’s April 17 article “The FBI Director Is MIA.” The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg said the publication stands by its reporting.

• At a Tuesday press conference, Patel told reporters, “I’ve never been intoxicated on the job.”

• On the same day, House Judiciary Democrats led by Rep. Jamie Raskin demanded Patel complete the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test under penalty of perjury by April 28.

• The letter from Raskin describes reports that Patel’s agents have had to fetch “SWAT-level breaching equipment” to wake him after bouts of heavy drinking.

• If Patel refuses, Democrats say they will require him to appear in person under oath.

Warren Grills Fed Nominee Warsh, Tillis Blocks Him Over Powell Probe

• At the Senate Banking Committee hearing Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed Kevin Warsh on more than $100 million in undisclosed investments held in vehicles called “THSDFS LLC” and the “Juggernaut Fund.”

• Warren asked whether those funds were tied to Trump’s family, money laundering, Chinese-controlled companies, or “financing vehicles established by Jeffrey Epstein.”

• Warsh refused to answer and said only that he would sell the assets if confirmed.

• On whether Trump lost the 2020 election, Warsh told Warren the Senate “certified that election many years ago.”

• Sen. Thom Tillis, the deciding Republican, told Fox Business he will keep blocking Warsh over the DOJ’s ongoing investigation into Jerome Powell: “Let’s get rid of this investigation so I can support your confirmation.”

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D4vd Charged With First-Degree Murder of 14-Year-Old Celeste Rivas Hernandez

• Los Angeles DA Nathan Hochman filed charges against David Anthony Burke, the 21-year-old musician known as D4vd, in the killing of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

• Charges include first-degree murder with special circumstances, continuous sexual abuse, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor under 14, and mutilation of human remains. Enhancements cite lying in wait, financial gain, and murdering a witness.

• Her body was found in the trunk of his Tesla on September 25, 2025, at a Hollywood tow yard. Prosecutors say she was killed April 23, 2025, two days before his debut album “Withered” was released.

• Attorney Blair Berk said in a statement: “The actual evidence in this case will show that David Burke did not murder Celeste Rivas Hernandez.”

• He is being held without bail.

Gunman Kills Canadian Tourist at Teotihuacan Pyramids

• A gunman opened fire at the Pyramid of the Moon on Monday, killing a Canadian woman and injuring at least 13 others, including six Americans, before killing himself.

• Prosecutors identified the shooter as Julio Cesar Jasso Ramirez, a Mexican national.

• Authorities said he carried books, handwritten notes, and an AI-modified photo of himself alongside the Columbine shooters. The attack happened on the 27th anniversary of Columbine.

• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said: “What happened today in Teotihuacan deeply pains us.”

Pentagon Intelligence Chief Says Iran Still Has Thousands of Missiles and Drones

• Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Adams, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, testified to the House Armed Services Committee Thursday that Iran retains thousands of missiles and one-way attack drones “despite degradations” from coalition strikes during Operation Epic Fury.

• U.S. and allied forces struck more than 450 ballistic missile storage facilities and 800 drone storage facilities.

• This contradicts Trump’s and Hegseth’s public claims that Iran’s Air Force was “wiped out” and its Navy is “at the bottom of the sea.”

• Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell disputed earlier CNN reporting as “completely wrong.”

New DOJ Documents Show Harvard Faculty Stayed in Touch With Epstein

• The New York Times reported new DOJ documents reveal multiple Harvard professors maintained contact with Jeffrey Epstein after his 2008 conviction, including Stephen Kosslyn, Lawrence Summers, Alan Dershowitz, Elisa New, Lisa Randall, George Church, Andrew Strominger, and Martin Nowak.

• Kosslyn emailed Epstein “HI Jeffrey!” upon his 2009 release from jail.

• Martin Nowak is now on paid administrative leave. Harvard has launched a second internal review.

• Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig told the Times: “They wanted to minimise the embarrassment.”

Comer Uses Roundtables to Block Epstein Subpoenas, Dems Walk Out

• House Oversight Chairman James Comer has held six committee roundtables since last year (on AI, agriculture, military fitness) specifically to avoid subpoena votes on the Epstein files.

• Rep. Robert Garcia of California, leading Democrats out of the most recent one, said: “This is not a real hearing. It’s one that’s set up to appear like one.”

• Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania had forced an Epstein files motion last July. A March floor vote forced Bondi to comply with a subpoena, with five Republicans joining Democrats.

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Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns Minutes Before Ethics Sanctions Hearing

• The Florida Democrat resigned from Congress Tuesday, minutes before the House Ethics Committee was set to hand down sanctions on 25 ethics violations she was found guilty of in March.

• She was federally indicted in November 2025 for allegedly stealing about $5 million in FEMA funds to finance her 2021 campaign. Her criminal trial is set for February 2027.

• In her statement, she called the process a “witch hunt” and said: “I hereby resign from the 119th Congress, effective immediately.”

• Ethics Chairman Michael Guest said the committee “has now lost jurisdiction.”

Mace Files Motion to Expel Cory Mills

• Rep. Nancy Mace filed a privileged motion Sunday to expel Rep. Cory Mills over sexual misconduct, stolen valor, campaign finance violations, and federal contract allegations.

• Mace wrote on X: “The swamp has protected Cory Mills for far too long.”

• On Oct. 14, 2025, a Florida court issued a Final Judgment of Injunction for Protection Against Dating Violence against Mills.

• Mills countered on X: “Nancy wants you to believe she’s fighting for you, but she’s not.”

• Speaker Mike Johnson said he is not encouraging the expulsion effort. Mace herself remains under House Ethics investigation.

Two CIA Officers Killed in Mexico Crash, Sheinbaum Says She Was Not Told

• The two Americans killed in a vehicle crash in Chihuahua, Mexico, last week have been identified by the Washington Post and CNN as CIA officers. They died alongside two Chihuahua State Investigation Agency officials while returning from a drug lab raid in Morelos.

• Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said: “It was not an operation that the security cabinet was aware of.”

• Sheinbaum has called for an investigation into possible violations of Mexico’s Constitution and National Security Law.

SCOTUS Takes Catholic Preschool Case Against Colorado LGBTQ Rules

• The Supreme Court agreed to hear St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy next fall, after the 10th Circuit ruled against two Denver-area Catholic preschools (St. Mary in Littleton and Wellspring in Lakewood) that refuse to serve LGBTQ families.

• Colorado’s $349 million universal preschool program serves more than 40,000 children. The preschools were denied participation when they refused to comply with anti-discrimination rules.

• Argument is expected in Fall 2026.

Two Dead, Five Injured in Winston-Salem Park Shooting

• A planned juvenile fight near Jefferson Middle School and Leinbach Park Monday escalated into a mass shooting, killing Erubey Romero Medina, 17, and Daniel Jimenez Millian, 16, and wounding five others (ages 14 to 19, four of them female).

• WSPD Chief William Penn said adults who abetted the fight will face charges.

• Nearby Jefferson Middle and Mount Tabor High were placed on secure hold but were unharmed.

62 Veterans Arrested at Cannon Building Protesting the Iran War

• Veterans groups including About Face, Veterans for Peace, Common Defense, the Center on Conscience and War, Military Families Speak Out, and 50501 Veterans protested Sunday in the Cannon House Office Building rotunda. Police arrested 62 of them.

• They held red tulips for dead Iranians and folded flags for the 13 U.S. troops killed since the war began.

• Christina Sarson, an Army veteran from Pennsylvania, told reporters: “I personally am here for my sons.”

• Mike Prysner, an Iraq veteran and executive director of the Center on Conscience and War, was among those arrested.

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Starmer’s Office Pushed Mandelson Through Despite “Borderline” Vetting

• Former Foreign Office head Olly Robbins testified to the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office created an “atmosphere of pressure” to push through Peter Mandelson’s appointment as ambassador to Washington.

• Robbins said there was a “very, very strong expectation” Mandelson “needed to be in post and in America as quickly as possible.”

• The U.K. vetting agency called Mandelson’s clearance “borderline” and was “leaning toward recommending against” it. Robbins was fired last week.

• Starmer has admitted his judgment was “wrong.” Mandelson was fired in September 2025 over his Epstein ties, and arrested in February for misconduct in public office.

Air Force Extends the A-10 Warthog to 2030

• Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced on X that the A-10 fleet will be extended to 2030, with one active-duty squadron at Moody AFB in Georgia and one reserve squadron at Whiteman AFB in Missouri kept through 2030.

• A second Moody squadron will stay through 2029.

• Meink’s post: “This preserves combat power.”

• Hegseth replied: “Long live the Warthog.”

• The A-10 has been used in Operation Epic Fury strikes against Iran.

Tariff Refund Portal Opens for $166B Refund Pool

• Customs and Border Protection’s new CAPE portal went live Monday, letting importers file for refunds on tariffs collected under Trump’s IEEPA executive orders that the Supreme Court struck down in February.

• More than 330,000 importers paid across 53 million shipments. About 56,497 had registered as of April 14 for $127 billion in claimed refunds.

• Processing is expected to take 60 to 90 days. Only direct importers are eligible.

Hegseth Ends Mandatory Flu Vaccine for Troops

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released a video Monday ending the military’s flu vaccine mandate.

• Hegseth said: “Your body, your faith and your convictions are not negotiable.”

• Services have 15 days to submit exemption requests. More than 8,400 troops were previously ousted under the 2021 COVID vaccine mandate.

Pritzker Bans Illinois State Employees From Prediction Market Betting

• Governor JB Pritzker signed an executive order Monday barring state employees from using prediction markets including Kalshi, Polymarket, Robinhood, and Crypto.com.

• Pritzker told reporters: “This opens the door to insider trading and abuse of confidential information.”

• Illinois is the sixth state to issue restrictions. The CFTC has separately sued the state.

LAUSD Becomes First Major District to Require Screen Time Limits

• The Los Angeles Unified School District board voted 6-0 with one recusal Tuesday to restrict classroom screen time.

• The policy bans personal devices for first grade and younger, restricts use during lunch and recess, and requires the district to publish all existing classroom tech contracts.

• The policy must be finalized by June and will be rolled out for the 2026-27 school year.

• Board member Nick Melvoin, who wrote the measure, said the district has a responsibility to “draw a line in the sand.”

Roblox Settles With Alabama and West Virginia for $23M

• Roblox reached settlements Tuesday with Alabama ($12.2 million) and West Virginia ($11 million) over child safety failures.

• Alabama’s funds will fund School Resource Officers through AG Steve Marshall’s Safe School Initiative. West Virginia is putting $2.4 million over six years toward an internet safety specialist, $1.5 million into a three-year public safety campaign, and $500,000 into safety workshops.

• Roblox must add age verification via facial estimation and government ID, expand parental controls, block personalized ads for users under 16, and publish annual transparency reports.

• Nevada was the first state to settle, reaching a $12 million deal the week prior.

EU Ambassadors Approve 90 Billion Euro Ukraine Loan and 20th Russia Sanctions Package

• EU ambassadors approved the long-blocked 90 billion euro ($144 billion) loan to Ukraine and the 20th round of sanctions on Russia Wednesday, after Hungary and Slovakia quietly dropped their vetoes.

• The deal was unlocked after Ukraine restored Russian oil flow through the Druzhba pipeline, damaged by a Russian attack in January.

• Viktor Orban, who had been the main blocker, lost Hungary’s April 12 election to Peter Magyar.

• The interest-free loan covers two-thirds of Ukraine’s needs for the next two years (135 billion euros total). Ukraine only repays once Russia pays war reparations, potentially using the 210 billion euros in frozen Russian central bank assets held in the EU.

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ALA Says Half of U.S. Kids Breathe Failing Air

• The American Lung Association’s 27th annual State of the Air report found 152.3 million Americans (44 percent) live in counties with failing grades for ozone or particle pollution.

• 33.5 million children (46 percent of kids) live in areas failing at least one measure. 7.3 million kids (10 percent) live in areas failing all three.

• People of color are more than twice as likely to live in counties failing all three measures. Latinos are more than three times as likely.

• The data ends in 2024, before most of the Trump EPA rollbacks take effect.

Iran Executes Accused Mossad Spy Mehdi Farid

• Iran hanged Mehdi Farid on Wednesday after the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.

• State outlet Mizan said Farid was head of a civil defense committee at a sensitive organization, which rights groups identified as the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, and that he tried twice to infect internal networks with trojan malware.

• Iran Human Rights said Farid was originally sentenced to 10 years, then given the death penalty after a retrial.

• The civil society group Hengaw provides a different account, saying Farid was an IT student who voluntarily reported cooperation approaches to the Atomic Energy Organization’s security office.

• This follows the August 2025 execution of nuclear scientist Rouzbeh Vadi on similar charges.

Tehran Parades Missiles at Pro-Regime Rallies

• The IRGC paraded a Khorramshahr-4 ballistic missile through cheering crowds in Enghelab Square in downtown Tehran Tuesday night.

• At Vanak Square, masked men with assault rifles stood atop a truck-mounted launcher for a Ghadr ballistic missile as loudspeakers played “Death to America.”

• Chants included calls for IRGC aerospace chief Majid Mousavi to “plough Tel Aviv.”

Shreveport Man Charged for Gun Used in Mass Shooting That Killed Eight Children

• The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana charged Charles Ford, 56, with felon in possession of a firearm and making false statements to federal agents Tuesday.

• The Mossberg pistol used by Shamar Elkins, a former National Guardsman, to kill his seven children and a cousin (ages 3 to 11) and wound two women in Cedar Grove on April 19 traces back to Ford.

• According to the affidavit, a woman gave Ford the rifle while she was hospitalized last year. Ford had 2000 and 2011 convictions for robbery and domestic abuse battery.

• U.S. Attorney Zachary Keller: “Words fall short in the face of the acts Shamar Elkins perpetrated.”

• Ford faces up to 15 years on the weapons charge and up to five more for false statements. Elkins was killed by Bossier City police.

UN Says Iran War Costs $2 Billion a Day

• UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, speaking at Chatham House, said the war is costing $2 billion a day while the UN’s $23 billion global humanitarian plan for 87 million people could be fully funded in “less than a fortnight of this reckless war.”

• Fletcher warned that rhetoric about bombing countries “back to the stone ages” normalizes violence.

• OCHA is facing a 50 percent budget cut.

UAE Says Iran Has Launched Over 2,800 Missiles and Drones at Emirates

• UAE Minister of State Reem Al Hashimy said Iran has launched more than 2,800 missiles and drones at the UAE during the war, 90 percent aimed at civilian infrastructure.

• As of April 1, that totaled 438 ballistic missiles, 2,012 drones, and 19 cruise missiles, with six fatalities and 131 injuries among civilians of 12-plus nationalities.

• Emirates Global Aluminium was hit on March 28.

Southwest Flights Nearly Collide at Nashville

• Southwest Flight 507 (a 737 MAX 8 from Myrtle Beach) aborted its landing at Nashville International on Saturday and was turned by air traffic control into the path of Flight 1152 (a 737-700 departing for Knoxville).

• Both aircraft’s TCAS systems triggered alerts and both pilots took evasive action. Both landed safely.

• The FAA is investigating. Gusty winds contributed to the initial aborted landing.

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Round Two of Israel-Lebanon Talks Begins Thursday at State

• The U.S., Israel, and Lebanon will hold a second round of direct negotiations at the State Department Thursday, amid a 10-day ceasefire that began last week.

• U.S. delegation: Marco Rubio, Mike Huckabee, Ambassador Michel Issa, and State Department counselor Michael Needham. Israel is sending Ambassador Yechiel Leiter. Lebanon is sending Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

U.S. Cuts North Korea Intel Sharing to Seoul After Kusong Leak

• The Trump administration has restricted intelligence sharing with South Korea on North Korea since early April.

• South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young publicly identified the Kusong uranium enrichment site during a March 6 parliamentary session.

• Chung rejected leak claims as “deeply regrettable” and called the information publicly available. President Lee Jae Myung has backed Chung.

• Daily intelligence reports of 50 to 100 pages were reportedly cut for a week.

IDF Jails Two Soldiers for Smashing Jesus Statue in Lebanese Village

• The Israeli military jailed two soldiers for 30 days and removed them from combat duty after they smashed and photographed a Jesus statue in the Christian village of Debel in southern Lebanon.

• Six other troops “did not act to stop” the destruction and are being dealt with separately.

• Brigadier General Sagiv Dahan of the 162nd Division said: “The soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and values.”

• The IDF replaced the statue in coordination with the community. Netanyahu had apologized earlier.

Betty Yee Drops Out of California Governor’s Race

• Former state controller and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Betty Yee suspended her gubernatorial campaign Monday.

• She cited donor struggles, saying voters are not prioritizing experience and competence. Her exit follows Eric Swalwell’s departure over sexual misconduct allegations.

• Six leading Democrats remain: Becerra, Mahan, Porter, Steyer, Thurmond, and Villaraigosa, plus Republicans Hilton and Bianco.

Ghislaine Maxwell Files New Motion to Overturn Conviction

• Maxwell filed a new post-conviction habeas corpus petition in the Southern District of New York in December 2025, arguing “substantial new evidence” from civil actions and government disclosures shows constitutional violations at her trial.

• The 50-page motion, filed in seven detached segments, argues “no reasonable juror would have convicted her.”

• She has since been transferred from FCI Tallahassee to FPC Bryan, Texas. Maxwell’s reply is due by April 30, 2026.

• The Supreme Court declined to hear her case in October.

Growing List of GOP Bills to Honor Trump

• Republican House members have introduced legislation to carve Trump’s face into Mount Rushmore (Luna), rename Palm Beach International and Dulles after Trump, create a State Department “Trump Peace Prize,” make Trump’s birthday a federal holiday, award a Congressional Gold Medal, and direct the NIH to study “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

• Joe Wilson of South Carolina wants a $250 bill bearing Trump’s image. Brandon Gill of Texas has proposed a Golden Age Act to put Trump on the $100.

• Greg Steube of Florida has introduced a bill to defund WMATA unless it renames Metrorail “Trump Train.”

Trump Reads Bible in Oval Office for America Reads the Bible Day

• Trump participated in “America Reads the Bible” Day Monday, reading 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 from the Oval Office, an event organized by Bunni Pounds’s Christians Engaged and the Museum of the Bible with Pure Flix.

• The reading came one day after Trump deleted an AI-generated image of himself as Jesus.

• Other participants included Susie Wiles, Hegseth, Rubio, and Ben Carson.

Trump Claims He’d Take Venezuela in 45 Minutes

• In a CNBC Squawk Box interview Tuesday, Trump told the network: “I would’ve won Vietnam very quickly.”

• He also claimed: “I took it over in 45 minutes” (referring to Venezuela).

• On Iran, Trump said: “We totally control the strait.”

• On Truth Social, Trump wrote: “THE DEAL that we are making with Iran will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA.”

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All Sources

• Argus Media — Hormuz blockade and Araqchi quote

• NBC News — Iran ship seizures live blog

• Time — Iran seizes ships in Strait

• Offshore Engineer/Reuters — Brent above $100

• NPR — Iran Middle East war updates

• Al Jazeera — Trump extends ceasefire, blockade remains

• NPR — Trump extends ceasefire at Pakistan request

• Newsweek — Jeffries targets Florida GOP

• Florida Politics — Jeffries “maximum warfare”

• IBTimes UK — House Dems alcohol test letter

• NOTUS — House Judiciary Democrats Kash Patel AUDIT

• The Daily Beast — Dems probe Patel drinking

• Fox News — Dems demand Patel alcohol test

• HuffPost — Kash Patel drinking Atlantic lawsuit

• Boston Globe — Warren spars with Warsh

• CNN Business — Warsh confirmation hearing

• The New Republic — Warsh Epstein investments

• Newsweek — Warsh stalls as Tillis withholds

• The Hill — Tillis threatens to hold up Warsh

• Fox Business — Tillis vows to block Warsh

• CNBC — Warsh hearing takeaways

• PBS NewsHour — DOJ indicts SPLC

• NBC News — SPLC indicted over informants

• CNBC — SPLC fraud indictment

• NPR — SPLC charged with defrauding donors

• CBS News — DOJ charges SPLC

• CNN Politics — SPLC charged defrauding donors

• NBC News — Pentagon intelligence Iran capability

• Newsbytes — Iran still has thousands of missiles, drones

• Washington Times — DIA chief Iran military

• Mehr News — Mossad spy Mahdi Farid executed

• Euronews — Iran executes atomic agency employee

• Iran International — Farid execution former AEOI

• Al Jazeera — Iran’s leaders debate war after extension

• CNN — Iran parades ballistic missile Tehran

• CBS News — Teotihuacán shooting

• Al Jazeera — Gunman kills Canadian woman Teotihuacán

• CBC News — Canadian woman shot dead Mexico

• CNN — Canadian killed six Americans injured pyramid shooting

• NPR — Gunman Columbine materials

• KSLA — Charles Ford charged Shreveport mass shooting

• NBC News — Ford charged lying gun mass shooting

• IBTimes UK — GOP bills honor Trump Rushmore

• Newsmax — House Republicans pitch Trump measures

• Courthouse News — Maxwell habeas motion

• Scripps News — Maxwell new bid overturn conviction

• Morningstar — ALA State of the Air 2026

• American Lung Association — State of the Air key findings

• Inside Climate News — ALA toxic air report

• CBC News — EU approves Ukraine loan

• Al Jazeera — Ukraine restarts Russian oil

• Kyiv Independent — EU envoys back 90B Ukraine loan

• Irish Times — EU provisionally approves 90B loan

• Euronews — EU launches procedure unblock Ukraine loan

• EUobserver — Hungary and Slovakia drop veto

• NBC News — Roblox Alabama settlement

• Fox Business — States secure $23M from Roblox

• Courthouse News — Roblox Alabama $12.2M settlement

• Alabama AG — Marshall announces Roblox settlement

• Today/NBC — LAUSD screen time limits

• NBC News — LA first district require screen time limits

• LAUSD — Melvoin resolution press release

• Prism News — LA Unified curbs student screen time

Hey everyone. A lot hit at once today. The war’s got its own gravity now, and the fallout from this weekend reached all the way inside the West Wing.

The Wall Street Journal just reported that senior military advisers DELIBERATELY kept the President of the United States out of the situation room during the rescue of a downed American airman inside Iran. They didn’t trust his temperament. That’s the reporting. His team briefed him only at “key moments” because “his impatience wouldn’t be helpful.” When he was told the jet had been shot down, he spent HOURS screaming at aides in a mostly empty West Wing, fixated on how the hostage crisis destroyed Jimmy Carter. Then, hours after the airman was safely extracted, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell. Praise be to Allah.” On Easter Sunday morning.

Eight children are dead in Shreveport. Ages one to fourteen. A man shot them across three homes in what police say was a domestic dispute. He was the father of some of them. Police Chief Wayne Smith said it was “unlike anything most of us have ever seen.” The Gun Violence Archive has already logged 119 mass shootings in the U.S. this year, with 79 of the 117 dead being children.

Trump’s approval just cratered to 37 percent in the new NBC poll. Two-thirds disapprove of his handling of inflation AND the war. Only 32 percent approve of how he’s handling cost of living. Even Republican strong approval dropped 6 points. His FBI Director went on Fox and promised arrests over the 2020 election are “coming soon” while simultaneously threatening to sue The Atlantic for reporting he drinks on the job. The Energy Secretary admitted sub-$3 gas might not happen until 2027. And an Oklahoma principal who got shot tackling a school shooter was crowned prom king by his students.

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Now here is your Sunday evening briefing.

Aides Locked Trump Out of Command Room During Iran Rescue

• According to a new Wall Street Journal report, cited by The Jerusalem Post and The Times of Israel, senior military advisers deliberately kept President Trump out of the situation room during the U.S. operation to recover a downed American airman inside Iran earlier this month.

  

• A senior administration official told the Journal that Trump’s team believed “his impatience wouldn’t be helpful” during the high-risk rescue, and opted to brief him only at major moments instead of giving him live tactical updates.

• After Iran shot down the F-15E, Trump reportedly spent hours screaming at aides in a mostly empty West Wing, fixated on the political parallels to Jimmy Carter. He privately told staff, per the Journal, “If you look at what happened with Jimmy Carter... it cost them the election.”

• Hours after the second airman was extracted, Trump fired off a profane Truth Social post reading, “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” signing off with “Praise be to Allah.”

• The Washington Post and Military.com reported earlier that the mission faced serious battlefield trouble: aircraft got stuck in the sand after landing, forcing U.S. forces to execute a contingency plan with smaller aircraft and destroy the stranded planes to keep sensitive equipment out of Iranian hands. The downed airman had spent nearly 48 hours evading Iranian forces in mountainous terrain, treating his own wounds, before the recovery.

• The Journal also reported Trump refused to authorize a proposed operation to seize Kharg Island, through which roughly 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports move, telling aides “They’ll be sitting ducks” over concerns about American casualties.

Eight Children Slain in Shreveport Domestic Massacre

• Eight children between the ages of one and fourteen were shot and killed early Sunday morning in Shreveport, Louisiana, in what police described as a mass shooting that began as a domestic dispute, according to ABC News, NPR, and local station KSLA.

• Two women were also shot. KSLA reports one is in life-threatening condition, believed to have been shot in the head. She is thought to have been in a relationship with the suspect. Police believe the gunman was the father of some of the children.

• Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith told reporters, according to ABC News, that the scene extended across multiple homes. “This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” Smith said.

• The shooter stole a car fleeing the scene and was killed by Shreveport police following a pursuit into Bossier City. No officers were hurt.

• Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux called it “a tragic situation, maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had in Shreveport.”

• House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose district includes Shreveport, called it a “heartbreaking tragedy.” Governor Jeff Landry said he and his wife were “heartbroken.”

• Not including this weekend’s shooting, the Gun Violence Archive has logged at least 119 mass shootings in the U.S. so far in 2026, with 79 of the 117 deaths being children, per Al Jazeera.

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Trump Approval Collapses to 37 Percent as War Deepens

• A new NBC News Decision Desk poll puts Trump’s approval at 37 percent, with 63 percent disapproving, a second-term low for the president, according to NBC News, Newsweek, and The Washington Examiner.

  

• Of those who disapprove, 50 percent say they strongly disapprove. Two-thirds of Americans disapprove of his handling of both inflation and the Iran war. Only 33 percent approve of his management of the war and only 32 percent approve of his handling of inflation and cost of living.

  

• Support has softened inside his own party. Republican approval dropped four points since late January to 83 percent, and strong approval among Republicans slid from 58 percent to 52 percent, per The Washington Times.

• Among voters under 30, a group that swung toward Trump in 2024, only 24 percent now approve, down from 32 percent in late February, per Newsweek.

• The poll surveyed 32,433 adults from March 30 to April 13 with a margin of error of 1.8 percentage points.

Kash Patel Vows to Sue The Atlantic Over Drinking Report

• FBI Director Kash Patel told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that he plans to file a defamation suit against The Atlantic on Monday over a Friday report alleging he has repeatedly been too intoxicated to function on the job, according to CNBC, The Hill, and MS NOW.

• The Atlantic piece, by reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick, alleges that on multiple occasions in the past year members of Patel’s FBI security detail had trouble waking him because he appeared intoxicated, and that colleagues have grown alarmed at his unexplained absences.

• Patel told Bartiromo that he would be filing suit “for defamation” and blasted what he called the “fake news mafia.” He said: “We are not going to take this laying down. You want to attack my character? Come at me, bring it on. I’ll see you in court.”

• Patel’s attorney, Jesse Binnall, posted on X a pre-publication warning letter he says he sent to reporter Fitzpatrick and editor Jeffrey Goldberg identifying specific details the magazine planned to publish. Binnall said the claims were “categorically false and defamatory.”

• The Atlantic is standing by the reporting. Goldberg has publicly expressed confidence in the story, and Fitzpatrick said she stands by “every word.”

Patel Promises Coming Arrests Over “Rigged” 2020 Election

• In the same Bartiromo interview, Patel told viewers the FBI has gathered enough evidence to pursue arrests over what he described as a coordinated effort to sabotage Trump’s political career, according to Mediaite and Crooks and Liars.

• Patel said on-air: “We’ve got all the evidence. I can announce on your show that we’ve got all the information we need. We’re working with our prosecutors at the Department of Justice and the Attorney General, Todd Blanche. And we are going to be making arrests and it’s coming and I promise you it’s coming soon.”

• Bartiromo pushed back, asking whether Patel actually has information backing Trump’s repeated claim that the 2020 election was rigged. Patel first pivoted to Russia investigation grievances before apologizing and saying he had “misheard” the question.

• When pressed a second time, Patel told Bartiromo: “We have the information that backs President Trump’s claim, but I can’t get ahead of the DOJ. President Trump speaks truthfully when he says that.”

• Courts, election officials, and Trump’s own first-term Justice Department have rejected claims of widespread 2020 election fraud. Patel did not name who would be arrested or for what.

Tapper Confronts Stefanik Over Trump’s Call to Wipe Out Iran

• CNN’s Jake Tapper and Rep. Elise Stefanik got into a tense on-air clash on “State of the Union” Sunday over Trump’s earlier threat that all of Iran “can be taken out” in one night, according to HuffPost, Mediaite, and The Hill.

• Tapper reminded Stefanik that she had condemned college students chanting “from the river to the sea” as a call for genocide, then asked why the same standard didn’t apply when Trump threatened to obliterate Iran’s entire civilization.

• Stefanik replied: “President Trump didn’t call for genocide, Jake. You are putting those words in his mouth. He is engaging in diplomatic back-and-forth.”

• Tapper continued to press, noting the contrast. Stefanik responded: “He is targeting the Iranian terrorist regime. Everyone seems to understand that Jake, except for CNN.” She added: “Shame on CNN for saying that.”

• Tapper replied: “I just think a call for genocide on a college campus and a call for genocide made by the president of the United States, like, they’re both bad, right?”

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Trump Threatens to Pulverize Iranian Power Plants and Bridges

• On Easter morning, Trump escalated his threats against Iran in an expletive-laced Truth Social post, warning he would strike Iranian civilian infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened by his deadline, per Al Jazeera and the Washington Post.

• Trump wrote: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy b*******, or you’ll be living in Hell, JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

• At a Monday press conference, Trump doubled down and claimed: “The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.”

• Multiple international law experts have said such attacks could constitute war crimes. Amnesty International’s Erika Guevara Rosas told The Guardian that even when dual-use power plants arguably qualify as military targets, “a party still cannot attack power plants if this may cause disproportionate harm to civilians.”

• Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei accused the U.S. of threatening war crimes and said such attacks would amount to “collective punishment.”

Iran Rejects EU Demand to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open

• Iran’s foreign ministry flatly rejected a European Union call from foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open and toll-free, according to Middle East Eye, the Jerusalem Post, and Tabnak.

• Kallas had written on X: “Under international law, transit through waterways like the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free of charge.”

• Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei responded by accusing the EU of hypocrisy: “Spare the sermons. Europe’s chronic failure to practice what it preaches has turned its ‘international law’ talk into peak hypocrisy.”

• Baghaei argued Iran has the right under international law to take “necessary measures” to prevent the strait from being used militarily against it, and accused the EU of ignoring the legality of the U.S. and Israeli campaign against Iran.

• Tehran’s Deputy Communications Director Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei said the strait will only reopen after reparations are paid for war damages, and floated a new “legal regime” of transit fees for ships passing through.

Energy Secretary Walks Back Promise of Sub-$3 Gas

• Energy Secretary Chris Wright conceded on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday that gas prices may not drop below $3 per gallon until 2027, a sharp reversal from his own forecast six weeks ago that relief was a matter of weeks, per Bloomberg, The Washington Times, and CNBC.

• Jake Tapper pressed Wright on his earlier timeline. Wright replied: “I don’t know, that could happen later this year, that might not happen until next year, but prices have likely peaked.”

• Wright added: “Under $3 a gallon is pretty tremendous in inflation-adjusted terms. We had that in the Trump administration, but we hadn’t seen that in inflation-adjusted terms for quite a long time. We’ll get back there for sure.”

• Gas prices have jumped more than a dollar a gallon since the war began, with the national average climbing from around $2.98 a month before the war to around $3.70 per gallon, according to NewsNation.

• The U.S.-Iran ceasefire is currently set to expire April 21.

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Oklahoma Principal Crowned Prom King After Stopping Shooter

• Pauls Valley High School principal Kirk Moore was crowned prom king Friday night, eleven days after he tackled and disarmed an armed former student inside the school, per NBC News, Mediaite, and KTEN.

• On April 7, Victor Lee Hawkins, 20, walked into the school lobby carrying two semiautomatic handguns, told everyone to hit the ground, and tried to shoot a student before his weapon jammed. Moore, 60, ran out of a nearby office and tackled him, getting shot in the leg in the process.

• An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation affidavit states Hawkins told investigators he planned to kill students, faculty, Moore, and himself in a mass shooting “like the Columbine shooters did.”

• Pauls Valley Police Chief Don May told Scripps News: “It doesn’t surprise me the actions that he took, but it is amazing, the actions that he took. There’s not a doubt in my mind that he saved kids’ lives.”

• Moore, a 35-year district employee, released a statement crediting active shooter training and said: “I am grateful that my instincts and training, as well as God’s hand, were available to me.” Hawkins is being held on $1 million bail on multiple felony charges.

• Viral footage shows students cheering as Moore was crowned to Nickelback’s “Hero.”

Pancreatic Cancer Vaccine Keeps Patients Alive After Six Years

• A personalized mRNA vaccine for pancreatic cancer is showing lasting protection six years after treatment in a small Phase 1 trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering, according to NBC News and NBC Chicago.

• Of 16 patients who received the vaccine after surgery to remove their tumors, eight mounted a strong immune response, producing T cells that attack cancer cells. At the six-year follow-up, nearly all of those responders are still alive.

• Dr. Vinod Balachandran, the lead researcher, told NBC News: “This is one of the hardest cancers to generate any immune response, let alone such a potent one.” The initial results, published in Nature last year at the 3.2-year mark, had already shown the vaccine-induced T cells persisting in the body.

• Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, with fewer than 13 percent of patients surviving five years after diagnosis.

• Researchers caution the trial is small and early. Larger studies are now underway to determine which patients benefit and why.

Dhillon Rises Inside a Gutted DOJ Civil Rights Division

• Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general running the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, is reportedly being floated for promotion to associate attorney general, the third-ranking position at the Justice Department, according to Democracy Docket, Salon, and Bloomberg Law.

• Since Dhillon was sworn in April 3, 2025, more than 200 attorneys have left the division, and over two-thirds of its roughly 380-lawyer staff has been reassigned or resigned, according to Bloomberg Law.

• Dhillon has redirected the Civil Rights Division, traditionally focused on voting rights, housing discrimination, and police oversight, toward targeting diversity programs, “anti-Christian bias,” and what she describes as discrimination against white Americans and conservatives.

• Dhillon told the Washington Examiner: “Since we’re an executive branch agency, our priorities are the president’s priorities.” She has also canceled police reform consent decrees in Minneapolis and Louisville reached after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

• Her division sent a letter to Texas demanding mid-decade congressional redistricting, providing the legal cover for a GOP gerrymander later ruled an unconstitutional racial gerrymander by a federal three-judge panel before the Supreme Court let the map stand for 2026.

Virginia Votes Tuesday on Mid-Decade Congressional Redistricting

• Virginia holds a special statewide referendum Tuesday, April 21, on a constitutional amendment that would let the Democratic-controlled General Assembly redraw the state’s congressional map for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections, per Ballotpedia, VPAP, and The Washington Times.

• If approved, the new map drawn by Democrats would favor their candidates in 10 of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts.

• Democrats framed the measure as a direct response to Texas, Ohio, and other GOP-led mid-decade redistricting pushes triggered by Trump. Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi said the referendum is a chance “to defend the integrity of our elections with a temporary measure.”

• Opponents argue it undermines the bipartisan redistricting commission Virginia voters approved in 2020. Sen. Mark Peake, a Lynchburg Republican, warned on the Senate floor that letting the legislature redo maps opens the door to redrawing “the House of Congress, the House of Delegates, and the state Senate” too.

• Early voting turnout has been close. As of last Thursday, Republican-leaning districts had logged 565,062 votes compared to 534,586 in Democratic-leaning districts. The amendment would sunset after the 2030 census.

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Buttigieg Calls Trump’s Iran War a “War of Choice”

• Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Navy veteran who deployed to Afghanistan, has been using his military background to attack Trump’s handling of the Iran war across television, podcasts, and his Substack, per The Hill and Yahoo News.

• On the “MeidasTouch” podcast, Buttigieg spoke about the anxiety of deployment: “When you get ready to deploy, you of course are constantly thinking about the worst case scenario, and the scenario that you pray hard is never going to happen is that your loved ones get the knock on the door. That has now happened to six families that we know of.”

• In a Substack post, Buttigieg tied the Iran war to the Iraq war: “This nation learned the hard way that an unnecessary war, with no plan for what comes next, can lead to years of chaos and put America in still great danger.”

• He has also argued the war is draining resources from domestic priorities. Buttigieg wrote on X that Trump’s new budget “adds an extra $500 billion to fund wars abroad, about $3,700 more for every household in America, while cutting health, jobs, housing, and education.”

• According to Yahoo News’ recap of his CNBC exchange, the war has cost at least 13 U.S. service members and more than 2,000 Iranian lives so far.

Trump Declares Israel a “Great Ally” That “Knows How to Win”

• Trump posted a public endorsement of Israel on Truth Social Sunday morning, praising the country’s performance during the Iran war, per the Jerusalem Post, Israel National News, and the Cleveland Jewish News.

• Trump wrote: “Whether people like Israel or not, they have proven to be a GREAT Ally of the United States of America. They are Courageous, Bold, Loyal, and Smart, and, unlike others that have shown their true colors in a moment of conflict and stress, Israel fights hard and knows how to WIN!”

• The Jerusalem Post noted the opening caveat, “Whether people like Israel or not,” as an acknowledgement that Israel’s standing has eroded, and pointed out Trump framed the alliance around performance rather than shared values.

• U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee echoed the post on X, writing: “What @POTUS says is what I see every day representing the USA in Israel.”

• The post came days after Trump publicly told Israel it was “PROHIBITED” by the U.S. from further bombing Lebanon, a directive that caught Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his team off guard according to Axios reporting.

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Sources:

• https://www.jpost.com/international/article-893485

• https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/wsj-trumps-iran-war-decisions-social-media-posts-are-improvised-he-screamed-at-aides-for-hours-when-jet-shot-down/

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/04/us-pilot-rescue-iran-f15-crash/

• https://www.military.com/daily-news/headlines/2026/04/06/very-hostile-trump-details-airman-rescue-inside-iran.html

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• https://www.npr.org/2026/04/19/nx-s1-5790483/mass-shooting-eight-children-louisiana-shreveport

• https://www.ksla.com/2026/04/19/eight-shreveport-children-dead-after-what-began-domestic-dispute-police-say/

• https://abc7chicago.com/post/shreveport-louisiana-shooting-today-8-children-between-ages-1-14-are-dead-mass-police-say/18920277/

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/19/eight-children-killed-in-mass-shooting-in-louisiana-us-media-reports

• https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/19/kash-patel-atlantic-lawsuit-alcohol.html

• https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5838453-kash-patel-atlantic-lawsuit/

• https://www.ms.now/news/fbi-director-kash-patel-sue-the-atlantic-drinking

• https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/foxs-maria-bartiromo-battles-kash-patel-on-trumps-rigged-election-claims-our-audience-wants-to-know-why-theres-never-any-accountability/

• https://thehill.com/homenews/5838055-fbi-director-kash-patel-bashes-media-over-atlantic-story-threatens-lawsuit/

• https://www.foxnews.com/media/kash-patel-doubles-down-lawsuit-against-atlantic-slams-outlet-fake-news-mafia

• https://crooksandliars.com/2026/04/kash-patel-claims-arrests-are-coming-over

• https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/poll-trumps-approval-rating-hits-second-term-low-economy-iran-war-rcna331462

• https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-sees-worst-polling-second-term-youth-vote-sours-11850670

• https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4534935/trump-approval-low-iran-war-economy/

• https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-gets-absolutely-smoked-in-new-nbc-poll-showing-him-at-37-approval-with-nearly-70-disapproving-on-iran-and-inflation/

• https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/19/trump-approval-slides-americans-sour-economy-iran-war-poll-finds/

• https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cnn-jake-tapper-elise-stefanik-trump-iran_n_69e4f21ee4b0b6f552ba6a90

• https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/jake-tapper-grills-elise-stefanik-on-trumps-call-for-genocide-in-fiery-cnn-showdown-he-said-the-entire-iranian-civilization-will-die/

• https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5838558-jake-tapper-elise-stefanik-clash/

• https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/oklahoma-high-school-principal-saved-kids-lives-tackling-gunman-shot-rcna331866

• https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/watch-high-school-principal-shot-while-tackling-student-shooter-is-crowned-prom-king/

• https://www.kten.com/community/pauls-valley-principal-kirk-moore-crowned-prom-king/article_fe629cb6-b54f-4fe5-a660-c8857769293d.html

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pauls-valley-principal-crowned-prom-085015434.html

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/5/trump-threatens-hell-for-iran-over-hormuz-strait-as-deadline-approaches

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/05/trump-iran-strait-hormuz-easter-threat/

• https://www.cfr.org/articles/trump-escalates-threats-to-iranian-infrastructure-amid-strait-of-hormuz-impasse

• https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-iran-war-crime-threats-hormuz-deadline

• https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-trump-israel-lebanon-ceasefire-hezbollah-strait-hormuz/

• https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/iran-rejects-eu-call-keep-hormuz-open

• http://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-893429

• https://www.tabnak.ir/en/news/7337/iran-rejects-eu-claims-on-strait-of-hormuz

• https://www.kyivpost.com/post/73419

• https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-04-19/us-energy-chief-says-gasoline-may-not-dip-below-3-til-next-year

• https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/19/trump-administration-pumps-brakes-promise-sub-3-gas-iran-war-drives/

• https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/19/gas-prices-drop-until-next-year-wright.html

• https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-energy-goon-slapped-with-receipts-over-gas-price-lies/

• https://www.newsnationnow.com/business/your-money/energy-sec-gas-prices/

• https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/gas-prices-stabilize-amid-iran-conflict-1792507

• https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/reports-doj-civil-rights-chief-harmeet-dhillon-to-be-promoted-amid-department-shakeup/

• https://www.salon.com/2026/04/12/the-next-attorney-general-could-be-an-anti-civil-rights-warrior/

• https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/doj-leader-calls-for-civil-rights-paradigm-shift-after-exodus

• https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/3463289/harmeet-dhillon-civil-rights-division-rebuilt-cultural-shift-trump/

• https://civilrights.org/2026/04/07/harmeet-dhillon/

• https://ballotpedia.org/Virginia_Use_of_Legislative_Congressional_Redistricting_Map_Amendment_(April_2026)

• https://www.vpap.org/redistricting/2026/

• https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/17/virginias-redistricting-referendum-no-slam-dunk-democrats-despite/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Virginia_redistricting_amendment

• https://www.iheart.com/content/2026-01-16-virginia-lawmakers-pass-redistricting-amendment

• https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5772190-buttigieg-criticizes-trump-iran-war/

• https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/pete-buttigieg-dismantles-pro-trump-pundit-205537670.html

• https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/26/04/51650280/pete-buttigieg-criticizes-trump-budget-for-prioritizing-foreign-wars-over-domestic-needs-making-lif

• https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-893539

• https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/425697

• https://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/jns/trump-praises-israel-as-great-ally-of-united-states/article_f8d7df2e-fe49-551a-9143-7f66130e6bdb.html

• https://www.nbcnews.com/health/cancer/pancreatic-cancer-mrna-vaccine-shows-lasting-results-early-trial-rcna331969

• https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/national-international/pancreatic-cancer-mrna-vaccine-lasting-results-early-trial/3924989/

Hey everyone. A LOT of ground to cover today. The Hormuz story is moving by the hour and the White House bunker revelations keep getting stranger.

Iran just reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic. Trump’s response? He RENAMED it. Posted on Truth Social in all caps: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” Just rebranding one of the most important waterways on Earth in real time. Oil immediately crashed 10%, markets hit all-time highs. But the naval blockade stays in place for Iran. So the strait is “open” but also still blockaded. Make it make sense.

Meanwhile, Trump casually revealed on Air Force One that the military is building a “MASSIVE COMPLEX” underneath the White House ballroom. The ballroom itself is apparently just “a shed” for what’s being built below it. CNN is reporting that the original WWII-era bunker where Cheney was evacuated on 9/11 has been dismantled and replaced with a larger facility. Trump says it includes bomb shelters, secure communications, a hospital, and “biodefense all over.” The full cost will likely never be public because taxpayers are footing the bill for the underground portion while private donors cover the ballroom above.

And then there’s the D4vd story. The 21-year-old singer was arrested for the murder of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez after LAPD found her dismembered remains in a cadaver bag in the trunk of his impounded Tesla. She had been reported missing since 2024. They had matching tattoos. This is horrific.

Oh, and the U.S. is negotiating a $20 BILLION cash-for-uranium deal with Iran, the House collapsed at 2 a.m. over FISA, the ICE chief resigned, an 85-year-old French widow was finally flown home after ICE detention, Trump said he doesn’t know what a corner store is, Hannity went after the Pope, a progressive flipped a New Jersey House seat, and Navy families say sailors are GOING HUNGRY while mail service is suspended to 27 military ZIP codes.

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Now here is your Tuesday briefing.

Iran Reopens Hormuz as Trump Thanks “Strait of Iran”

• Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on X that the waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil is shipped was now fully open to commercial vessels, framing the move as tied to the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

• Trump posted on Truth Social: “IRAN HAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE STRAIT OF IRAN IS FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE. THANK YOU!” rebranding the waterway in real time.

  

• He simultaneously announced the U.S. naval blockade stays in place, writing that “THE NAVAL BLOCKADE WILL REMAIN IN FULL FORCE AND EFFECT AS IT PERTAINS TO IRAN, ONLY, UNTIL SUCH TIME AS OUR TRANSACTION WITH IRAN IS 100% COMPLETE.”

• Oil markets reacted instantly: U.S. crude plunged roughly 10% to near $85 per barrel, Brent fell more than 8% to around $90, and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq set new all-time highs at the opening bell.

U.S. Weighs $20 Billion Cash-for-Uranium Deal With Tehran

• According to Axios reporting citing two U.S. officials and additional sources, the U.S. and Iran are negotiating a three-page plan to end the war that includes releasing about $20 billion in frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Tehran surrendering its stockpile of enriched uranium.

• One official told Axios: “Iran clearly wants the $20 billion, and a lot more. They clearly want to sell oil at free-market rates without sanctions. They want to participate in the global financial system. But they also want to have this nuclear weapons program.”

• Axios reports the U.S. earlier floated $6 billion for humanitarian goods, Iran demanded $27 billion, and the current compromise sits at $20 billion.

• Trump pushed back on Truth Social after the story published, writing that “no money will change hands,” though he didn’t specifically address the frozen-funds mechanism.

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Trump: Military Is “Building a Massive Complex” Under White House

• Trump revealed the military is “building a massive complex” beneath the new $400 million East Wing ballroom, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that the ballroom itself “actually becomes a shed for what’s being built” underneath.

• Per CNN’s reporting, the original Presidential Emergency Operations Center, the WWII-era bunker where Cheney was evacuated on 9/11 and Trump was moved during the 2020 protests, has been dismantled and is being replaced with a larger, modernized facility.

• Trump described the project’s features as including bomb shelters, secure communications systems, and “very major medical facilities,” including a hospital. He added: “We have biodefense all over.”

• The ballroom itself is being financed by private donors, but any subterranean security infrastructure will ultimately be paid for by American taxpayers, and the full cost will likely never be public.

• Judge Richard J. Leon ordered construction halted without congressional authorization, writing in his ruling: “Unless and until Congress blesses this project through statutory authorisation, construction has to stop!” The National Capital Planning Commission approved the plan 8-1 anyway.

Singer D4vd Arrested in Murder of 14-Year-Old

• Los Angeles police arrested 21-year-old David Anthony Burke, known as d4vd, on suspicion of murdering Celeste Rivas Hernandez, whose remains were found inside his impounded Tesla.

• Officers were called to Hollywood Tow because of a foul odor coming from the vehicle, and inside a black cadaver bag in the vehicle’s trunk, officers found a decomposed head and torso. A second bag held dismembered body parts.

• LAPD posted on X: “Detectives from Los Angeles Police Department, Robbery-Homicide Division have arrested David Burke, a 21-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for the murder of Celeste Rivas. Burke is being held without bail.”

• Rivas Hernandez was from Lake Elsinore, California, reported missing in 2024, and her body was found a day after what would have been her 15th birthday. Her mother stated that her daughter had a boyfriend named “David,” and Rivas and Burke had matching tattoos.

• The case goes to the LA County District Attorney’s office Monday for filing consideration. His attorneys maintain his innocence.

House Revolts, Passes 10-Day FISA Patch at 2 A.M.

• After a chaotic overnight session, the House passed a short-term extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act until April 30 by unanimous consent shortly after 2 a.m. Friday.

• A broad coalition of Republicans voted down the rule, blocking a longer-term renewal pushed by Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson. About 20 Republicans joined most Democrats to sink both a five-year extension and an 18-month fallback.

• Johnson told reporters after the collapse: “We were very close tonight.” Rep. Jim McGovern hit back on the floor: “Are you kidding me? Who the hell is running this place?”

• Rep. Ro Khanna claimed credit on X: “We just defeated Johnson’s efforts to sneak through a 5-year FISA authorization tonight. Now, they will have to fight in daylight.”

• Trump had pressured Republicans via Truth Social, writing: “I am asking Republicans to UNIFY, and vote together on the test vote to bring a clean Bill to the floor. We need to stick together.” They did not.

ICE Chief Todd Lyons Resigns Amid Deportation Backlash

• Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons submitted his resignation Thursday to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin. He will remain in the role until May 31 to help with the transition process.

• His tenure faced intense scrutiny over the January shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers in Minneapolis, which Democrats have cited as grounds for refusing DHS funding.

• Lyons oversaw the enormous expansion of ICE, which said in January it had hired roughly 12,000 officers and agents in less than a year, and signed a memo giving agents sweeping power to enter homes without judicial warrants.

• Lyons also recently defended agents’ ability to wear masks during public operations despite criticism that unidentifiable officers pose public safety risks.

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85-Year-Old French Widow Flown Home After ICE Detention

• Marie-Therese Ross, the French widow of a U.S. military veteran who was arrested by ICE in Alabama on April 1 for overstaying her 90-day visa, arrived back in France on Friday morning.

• French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters in Montpellier: “She returned to France this morning, this is a satisfaction for us.”

• Barrot also criticized the detention practices, saying some ICE methods are “not in line” with French standards and “not acceptable to us,” referring to “violence that raised our concerns” without elaborating.

• Her son described the arrest to French media: “They handcuffed her hands and feet like she was a dangerous criminal. Our priority is to get her out of this detention center and repatriate her to France. Given her health, she won’t last a month in such conditions of detention.”

• Ross moved from Brittany in 2025 to marry William “Billy” Ross, a retired Army officer she first met in the 1950s at a NATO base in Saint-Nazaire. He died in January before her green card application cleared. Local police told her stepson the day before her arrest that she would be detained, and texted him one hour before it happened, after a probate dispute over Billy’s estate.

Trump Trashes Own DoorDash Stunt as “Tacky” and “Embarrassing”

• Speaking at a tax roundtable in Las Vegas Thursday, Trump ridiculed the Monday photo-op where DoorDash driver Sharon Simmons delivered McDonald’s to the Oval Office. He admitted: “It was a little bit of a, you know, I mean, to be honest, it was a little tacky,” and called these political stunts “a little embarrassing.”

• DoorDash public affairs official Julian Crowley later acknowledged the delivery was coordinated, posting on X: “No one is claiming it was a real delivery. It was clearly and obviously a planned event to mark a new policy starting. To claim Sharon is a prop, plant or an actor is totally wrong and off base.”

• Simmons had previously spoken publicly for the “No Tax on Tips” policy at a July 2025 Ways and Means Committee field hearing in Nevada, a fact the White House did not disclose.

• Trump tipped Simmons with a $100 bill only after a reporter asked if the White House was a good tipper, and he then pushed her on political questions. When he asked about transgender athletes in women’s sports she replied: “I really don’t have an opinion on that.” Asked if she voted for him, she said: “Um, maybe.”

Trump: “What’s a Corner Store? I’ve Never Heard That Term”

• At the same Las Vegas event, Trump paused his prepared remarks on tax deductions for small businesses to interrogate his own speech: “What is a corner store? I’ve never heard that term. I know what a quarter store is, but I’ve never heard it described. A corner store. Who the hell wrote that, please?”

• The audience laughed. The quip lands badly for a president who spent seven decades in New York City real estate. The New Republic noted that Trump “grew up in New York City, can’t possibly claim to not know what a corner store is, unless he actually forgot.”

• Independent reporting noted Trump also called the war-driven inflation “fake” at the event. The national average cost for a gallon of gasoline stands at $4.09, up from $2.92 before the Iran war broke out, according to AAA. In Nevada, prices are pushing $5 a gallon.

• Earlier in the day at the White House, Trump told reporters: “They’re not very high” when asked about gas prices.

Hannity Takes Swing at Pope Leo, Invokes Axelrod and Pritzker

• On his Thursday Fox News broadcast, Sean Hannity escalated his attack on Pope Leo XIV, suggesting the pontiff had “totally lost sight of the true meaning of the bible and its teachings.”

• Hannity asked on air: “Why is the pope twisting religion to specifically attack only President Trump and the U.S.? Why did he recently meet with top Obama advisor David Axelrod and far left governor of Illinois J.B. Pritzker? It’s because he’s a run of the mill Trump hating Democrat that lacks radical clarity about radical Islam?”

• Axelrod publicly pushed back, posting on X: “To be clear, I was gratified and honored that Pope Leo XIV granted my request for an audience and thrilled to spend a some time with him last week. It was scheduled months ago and unrelated to any prospective meeting with President Obama.”

• The feud sits downstream of Pope Leo’s April 10 post on X, in which he wrote: “God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

Progressive Mejia Flips NJ-11 Seat, Narrows GOP Majority

• Democrat Analilia Mejia decisively defeated Republican Joe Hathaway in Thursday’s special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, filling the seat vacated by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. The AP called the race seven minutes after polls closed.

• Mejia, a progressive activist backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, entered the contest as the favorite.

• Her platform includes abolishing ICE, universal health care, and higher taxes on the wealthy. She has been sharply critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, accusing it of genocide.

• When Mejia is sworn in, the partisan breakdown will stand at 217 Republicans, 214 Democrats, one independent and three seats vacant, meaning Speaker Johnson can afford just one GOP defection on party-line votes.

• Mejia told the crowd at Montclair Art Museum: “In November, when I jumped into this race, the odds were stacked against us. But you know, we did the impossible, and we won.”

Trump Torches Mamdani Over “Tax the Rich” Plan

• After months of an uncharacteristically cordial relationship, Trump unloaded on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Truth Social: “Sadly, Mayor Mamdani is DESTROYING New York! It has no chance! The United States of America should not contribute to its failure. It will only get WORSE. The TAX, TAX, TAX Policies are SO WRONG. People are fleeing. They must change their ways, AND FAST. History has proven, THIS ‘STUFF’ JUST DOESN’T WORK.”

• The trigger: a new pied-a-terre tax targeting owners of second homes valued above $5 million who don’t live full-time in New York. Mamdani announced the policy saying: “When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich. Well, today, we’re taxing the rich.”

• Mamdani’s office projects the tax will raise $500 million a year, which would help close the city’s estimated $5.4 billion fiscal deficit through the next fiscal year.

• On Friday, Mamdani responded calmly, saying: “The president and I both want the city to succeed. This is how you do it.”

Navy Families: Sailors Going Hungry While Mail Stops

• Families of U.S. service members aboard the USS Tripoli and USS Abraham Lincoln say their loved ones are rationing food and running out of hygiene supplies while postal service to 27 military ZIP codes remains suspended.

• A 63-year-old Marine veteran identified as Dan F. shared his daughter’s lunch photo from the USS Tripoli. He told the outlet: “We have the strongest military in the world. You shouldn’t be running out of food, and you shouldn’t not be able to get mail on the ship.”

• A Texas mother’s son aboard the same ship sent a message on March 11: “Morale is going to be at an all-time low.” She has spent around $2,000 on care packages that never arrived.

• 3,500 sailors and Marines are aboard the Tripoli, along with two accompanying warships, currently on a mission to enforce the U.S. blockade on ships leaving Iranian ports. The USS Gerald Ford broke the Cold War-era record for longest carrier deployment on April 15, at 295 days.

• Army spokesperson Major Travis Shaw said there is currently no scheduled end date for the postal disruption despite the ceasefire.

Baristas at First Starbucks Launch Union Drive

• Workers at the original Starbucks flagship in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, the 1971 birthplace of the company, have formally announced they are organizing with Starbucks Workers United.

• The store’s announcement declared: “Let us be clear: We are forming a union because we care deeply about every single one of our coworkers, and believe that everyone deserves to have what they need to thrive at work.”

• Workers are demanding three-worker minimum staffing, higher pay for lowest-paid baristas, better schedules, and resolution of hundreds of pending labor violations.

• The effort comes after Starbucks and Workers United completed 33 tentative agreements during 2024 bargaining before talks stalled, and as the union points out the NLRB’s current general counsel comes from Morgan Lewis, a major corporate union-busting firm.

Johnson-Thune Clash Deepens as DHS Shutdown Drags

• Senate Republicans remain frustrated with Speaker Mike Johnson’s rejection of a bipartisan DHS funding deal, even as the shutdown now stretches past 44 days, eclipsing the previous federal government shutdown record.

• TSA acting administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told lawmakers at a hearing on Wednesday that absences are as high as 40% in some airports and more than 480 TSA officers have quit during the shutdown. She said: “We are really concerned about our security posture and what the long term impacts of this shutdown is going to have on the workforce and our ability to carry out this mission.”

• Johnson dismissed the Senate-passed bill to fund TSA, the Coast Guard, and FEMA, telling reporters: “This gambit that was done last night is a joke.”

• OMB Director Russell Vought warned the department is “disintegrating” without funding. Johnson and Thune have since announced a two-track plan: pass the Senate bill for most of DHS, then use reconciliation to fund ICE and Border Patrol separately.

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OUR MISSION AT CENTERED AMERICA

Centered America is a 501(c)(4) organization founded to unite disillusioned Democrats, Republicans, overlooked communities, and everyday Americans to rebuild the United States of America into a country that truly represents the people.

We are committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, reporting the truth, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda.

To achieve this, we focus on reconnecting with open-minded voters, addressing their concerns directly, amplifying independent journalism, and providing resources that empower citizens to actively engage in protecting our democracy.

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Thank you for fighting.

by Sharad Swaney, Director of Centered America

Hey everyone. Happy Monday. I genuinely don’t know how to summarize what just happened over the last 48 hours.

Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself dressed as JESUS CHRIST on Truth Social. Healing a sick man. Bald eagles. Fighter jets. The whole thing. Marjorie Taylor Greene called it “an Antichrist spirit.” Riley Gaines said “God shall not be mocked.” Daily Wire’s Megan Basham called it “OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy.” Even Milo Yiannopoulos turned on him. When the MAGA base is calling you blasphemous, you have lost the plot. And when reporters asked Trump about it? He said he thought it was “me as a doctor” and “had to do with Red Cross.” The post has since been deleted.

Then, because apparently that wasn’t enough, Trump went after Pope Leo XIV on Truth Social, calling him “WEAK on Crime” and “terrible for Foreign Policy,” claiming credit for Leo becoming Pope because he’s American, and saying he prefers the Pope’s brother because “Louis is all MAGA.” The Pope responded from his papal flight: “I have no fear of the Trump administration.” The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said the Pope “is not his rival” and “is the vicar of Christ.” House Speaker Jeffries called it a “shameful attack on His Holiness.”

Meanwhile, the Hormuz blockade is now ACTIVE and not a single NATO ally will participate. Britain, France, Spain, Turkey all said no. France is organizing its own multinational defensive mission. Spain called the blockade something that “makes no sense.” And Iran’s parliament called it a “bluff” and warned that if Iranian ports are threatened, “no port in the Persian Gulf will be safe.”

Oh, and Orban got demolished in Hungary, Swalwell dropped out, a federal judge tossed Trump’s $10 billion Epstein lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, the UN says this war could push 32 MILLION people into poverty, Bernie Sanders launched a new labor movement, and a cardinal called out the White House for turning real war footage into video game content. ALL OF IT. TODAY.

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Now here is your Monday briefing.

Trump Posts AI Image of Himself as Jesus, Sparks Rare Conservative Revolt

• Late Sunday evening, Trump posted an apparently AI-generated photo of himself dressed as Jesus on Truth Social, depicting him healing a sick man as doctors and members of the military watched with a U.S. flag, bald eagles, the Statue of Liberty, and fighter jets in the background.

  

• By late Monday morning, the post was no longer accessible on Trump’s Truth Social page.

• Trump told reporters Monday he thought the image was “me as a doctor” and “had to do with Red Cross,” adding, “Only the fake news could come up with that one.”

• Former MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned the image in multiple posts across her X accounts, writing, “It’s more than blasphemy. It’s an Antichrist spirit.”

• Conservative influencer Riley Gaines posted, “Seriously, I cannot understand why he’d post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this? Either way, two things are true. 1) a little humility would serve him well 2) God shall not be mocked.”

• Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham wrote, “I don’t know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy.”

  

• Conservative activist Brilyn Hollyhand, 19, called it “gross blasphemy,” saying, “Faith is not a prop. You don’t need to portray yourself as a savior when your record should speak for itself.”

• Far-right influencer Milo Yiannopoulos wrote, “We tolerated this kind of meme against our better judgment because he promised to save America and only when it was clear he didn’t actually think he was the Messiah.”

• One Truth Social user demanded Trump take down the photo and urged him to “offer an apology to Christians for this mockery,” a comment that received over 9,000 likes.

  

Trump Launches Attack on Pope Leo, Pope Fires Back: “I Have No Fear of the Trump Administration”

• Trump posted a lengthy broadside on Truth Social Sunday night calling Pope Leo “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” and demanding he “stop catering to the Radical Left.”

• Trump told reporters, “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess. He’s a very liberal person.” When asked if he would apologize, Trump said no.

• Trump also claimed credit for Leo’s election to the papacy, writing, “He wasn’t on any list to be Pope, and was only put there by the Church because he was an American. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”

• Trump added that he preferred the Pope’s older brother, Louis Prevost, writing, “I like his brother Louis much better than I like him, because Louis is all MAGA.”

• Pope Leo responded aboard his papal flight to Algeria Monday, saying, “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the Gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what the church is here to do.”

• “We are not politicians, we don’t deal with foreign policy with the same perspective he might understand it,” Leo continued. “But I do believe in the message of the Gospel, as a peacemaker.”

• Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, rebuked Trump’s criticism: “Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is the Pope a politician. He is the vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

• House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries responded: “Donald Trump shamefully attacked His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. People of faith will never worship a wannabe King.”

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U.S. Military Launches Blockade of Iranian Ports as NATO Allies Refuse to Join

• CENTCOM announced the blockade would begin at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, targeting all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, but clarifying that ships traveling between non-Iranian ports would not be impeded.

• As the deadline passed, Trump warned Iran’s “fast attack ships” not to approach, writing on Truth Social, “If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is quick and brutal.”

• The blockade followed the collapse of marathon face-to-face peace talks in Islamabad, Pakistan, where Vice President JD Vance led the U.S. delegation through more than 21 hours of negotiations with Iranian and Pakistani counterparts.

• Iran’s parliamentary spokesman Ebrahim Rezaei called the blockade threat a “bluff,” writing on X that “such a move would be considered an act of war and we would respond.”

• Iran’s military warned that “if the security of the ports of the Islamic Republic of Iran is threatened, no port in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will be safe.”

• NATO allies including Britain and France declined to participate in the blockade. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told BBC radio, “We are not supporting the blockade,” adding that the UK “is not getting dragged in” to the conflict.

  

• French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans for a multinational conference to create a defensive mission to restore navigation in the strait, saying on X, “This strictly defensive mission, distinct from the belligerents, will be deployed as soon as the situation allows.”

• Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles called the blockade something that “makes no sense,” saying, “It’s one more episode in this whole downward spiral into which we’ve been dragged.”

• Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the strait should be reopened through diplomacy and called for NATO to reset its ties with Trump at a summit in Ankara in July.

Orban Ousted: Peter Magyar Wins Landslide in Hungary, Ending 16 Years of Authoritarian Rule

• Peter Magyar’s centre-right Tisza party secured 138 seats in the 199-seat parliament with 53.6% of the vote, while Viktor Orban’s Fidesz took just 55 seats with 37.8%.

• The result gives Tisza a two-thirds supermajority, enough to amend Hungary’s constitution and potentially reverse institutional changes made during Orban’s rule.

• Voter turnout exceeded 77%, the highest in Hungary’s post-Communist history.

• Magyar told tens of thousands of supporters along the Danube River in Budapest, “Tonight, truth prevailed over lies. Today, we won because Hungarians didn’t ask what their homeland could do for them; they asked what they could do for their homeland.”

• Orban conceded, saying “the election result is painful for us, but clear.”

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, “Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together we are stronger.”

• Former President Barack Obama praised the result, writing, “The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world.”

• Orban’s defeat is expected to have major implications for the EU, potentially unblocking a 90 billion euro loan to war-battered Ukraine and releasing frozen EU funds to Hungary. It also deprives Russian President Vladimir Putin of his main ally in the EU.

Swalwell Suspends California Governor Campaign After Sexual Assault Allegations

• Rep. Eric Swalwell announced Sunday he was withdrawing from the California governor’s race, posting on X, “I am suspending my campaign for Governor. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made, but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”

• A former staffer told CNN that Swalwell raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and left her bruised and bleeding, saying, “I was pushing him off of me, saying no. He didn’t stop.”

• The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office confirmed it is investigating the allegation. The Alameda County DA is also evaluating whether criminal conduct occurred within its jurisdiction.

• Swalwell denied all accusations in a video posted to social media, saying, “These allegations of sexual assault are flat false. They did not happen. They have never happened.”

• Within hours of the reports, key allies including campaign chair Rep. Jimmy Gomez and Sens. Ruben Gallego and Adam Schiff pulled their endorsements.

• Fifty-five former congressional and campaign staffers signed a public letter calling on Swalwell to drop his bid and resign from Congress. Rep. Ro Khanna said, “There must be accountability with both House Ethics and law enforcement about the sexual assault, and Eric Swalwell should resign.”

• Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that the allegations “must be respected and heard” and that it is “clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.”

• His name will remain on the ballot due to election deadlines. It is unclear whether he will remain in the U.S. House.

Federal Judge Throws Out Trump’s $10 Billion Defamation Lawsuit Against Wall Street Journal Over Epstein Story

• U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles dismissed Trump’s defamation lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal on Monday, ruling that Trump failed to plausibly allege the newspaper acted with “actual malice.”

• The case centered on a July 2025 WSJ article reporting that a letter bearing Trump’s signature was included in an album compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday, described as containing “several lines of typewritten text framed by the outline of a naked woman.”

• The judge wrote that Trump’s complaint came “nowhere close” to the court’s standards for claiming defamation as a public figure, noting that by including Trump’s denials, the Journal allowed readers to judge for themselves.

• The dismissal was without prejudice, giving Trump’s lawyers until April 27 to file an amended complaint.

• A spokesperson for Dow Jones said they stood behind the Journal’s reporting. Trump’s legal team said the president would refile the “powerhouse lawsuit.”

• The ruling continues Trump’s losing track record in defamation cases against media companies during his second term.

UN Warns Middle East War Could Push 32 Million People Into Poverty Worldwide

• A new UNDP report warns that the economic fallout from the Iran war could plunge more than 32 million people worldwide into poverty under the worst-case scenario, with developing countries hit hardest.

• The report describes a “triple shock” involving energy, food, and weaker economic growth.

• UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said, “War is development in reverse. Conflict can undo in weeks what countries have built over years.”

• De Croo added that “the crisis forces impossible trade-offs between stabilizing prices today and funding health, education, and jobs tomorrow.”

• An earlier regional assessment found the conflict could cost Arab economies $120 to $194 billion, equivalent to 3.7 to 6% of collective GDP, exceeding all regional GDP growth achieved in 2025.

• The EU’s Ursula von der Leyen said Monday that the EU is coordinating oil stock releases and energy measures, calling the situation in the Strait of Hormuz critically damaging.

Cardinal Cupich Condemns White House for Turning Real War Into Video Game Content

• Cardinal Blase Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, blasted White House social media videos that spliced real combat footage from the Iran war with clips from action movies and video games like Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat.

• In a statement titled “A Call to Conscience,” Cupich wrote, “A real war with real death and real suffering being treated like it’s a video game, it’s sickening.”

• “The object, with regard to a video game, is a hit. But in the case that we have here, it’s not just a hit. It’s a grieving family that has lost children, as we have seen in the bombing of that school,” Cupich said.

• Cupich warned that “we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military. We become addicted to the ‘spectacle’ of explosions.”

• He said the moral crisis extends beyond the war itself to how observers view violence: “War now has become a spectator sport or strategy game.”

• Cupich called on the White House to take the videos down, saying they never should have been released.

Sanders and NYC Mayor Mamdani Launch “Union Now” Movement at Manhattan Rally

• Sen. Bernie Sanders headlined the “Union Now: Building the Labor Movement” rally Sunday at Terminal 5 in Manhattan alongside NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Association of Flight Attendants-CWA president Sara Nelson.

• Sanders warned, “Unless we fundamentally transform our economic and political systems, the worst is yet to come. If the middle class of this country is going to survive, we must understand that status quo politics and status quo economics is no longer good enough.”

• He told the crowd, “The truth is that the 1%, the people on top, people running this country have never, ever had it so good. But the sad reality is that for these people, all that they have is not good enough. They want more and more and more.”

• Mayor Mamdani, marking 100 days in office, warned, “AI and robots are coming for human jobs. Worker protections are being eroded. There are companies that think that exploitation is a viable business model. They are wrong.”

• Sara Nelson announced Union Now as a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit that would directly support workers who are organizing, striking, or fighting for fair contracts.

X Slashes Payments to Clickbait Accounts by 60%, Targets “BREAKING” Spam

• X head of product Nikita Bier announced Saturday that all aggregator accounts had their payouts reduced to 60% this cycle, with another 20% reduction planned for the next pay period.

• Bier said the platform will also be reducing payments for “habitual bait posters” who overuse phrases like “BREAKING” on every post.

• “It became abundantly clear: flooding the timeline with 100 stolen reposts and clickbait everyday crowded-out real creators and hurt new author growth,” Bier wrote, adding, “X will never infringe on speech or reach, but we will not compensate for manipulation of the program or our users.”

• Several conservative news accounts reported receiving emails from X notifying them that their accounts had been demonetized.

• A community note was added to one prominent account, linking to 91 times the user had used the word “BREAKING” in the past week.

TikToker Appeals $10 Million Defamation Verdict After Falsely Accusing Professor in Idaho Murders

• Ashley Guillard, a Texas-based TikTok user, filed a notice of appeal on April 6 in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after an Idaho jury ordered her to pay $10 million in damages to University of Idaho professor Rebecca Scofield.

• Following a three-day trial in February, a jury found Guillard made repeated false statements on TikTok, accusing Scofield of being responsible for the 2022 killings of four University of Idaho students: Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Ethan Chapin, and Xana Kernodle.

• The jury awarded $6.5 million in damages related to the murder claims and $3.5 million for false statements implying Scofield had an inappropriate relationship with a student.

• Guillard, who described herself as clairvoyant, testified at trial, “We work with intuition, not facts. The facts are the job of law enforcement, not a psychic.”

• Bryan Kohberger, who was a graduate student at nearby Washington State University, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the murders and was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences without parole.

• Scofield said after the verdict, “The $10 million verdict reinforces the judge’s decision and sends the clear message that false statements online have consequences in the real world for real people.”

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OUR MISSION AT CENTERED AMERICA

Centered America is a 501(c)(4) organization founded to unite disillusioned Democrats, Republicans, overlooked communities, and everyday Americans to rebuild the United States of America into a country that truly represents the people.

We are committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, reporting the truth, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda.

To achieve this, we focus on reconnecting with open-minded voters, addressing their concerns directly, amplifying independent journalism, and providing resources that empower citizens to actively engage in protecting our democracy.

Donate to Centered America

Contact Us

Email us at info@centeredamerica.org.

⸻

Thank you for fighting.

Sources:

Variety: Trump Deletes Post With Image Depicting Himself as Jesus After Backlash

NBC News: Image Depicting Trump as Christ-Like Savior Removed

Axios: Trump’s Post Depicting Him as Jesus Stirs Christian Backlash

The Daily Beast: Even MAGA Recoils at Trump Cosplaying as Christ

Newsweek: Donald Trump Deletes Jesus Photo After Conservative Fury

CBS News: Trump Calls Pope Leo “WEAK on Crime, and Terrible for Foreign Policy”

CNN: Trump Criticizes Pope Leo’s Stance on Iran War

NBC News: Pope Leo Says He Has ‘No Fear’ After Trump Labels Him ‘Weak’

Time: Pope Leo Responds to Attack by Trump

Al Jazeera: Pope Leo Says He Does Not Fear Trump

EWTN News: U.S. Bishops’ President ‘Disheartened’ by Trump Attack on Pope Leo

CNBC: Trump Says U.S. Will Blockade Strait of Hormuz

NPR: The U.S. Military Says It Will Blockade Iranian Ports

CNBC: U.S. Begins Blockade in Strait of Hormuz

CBS News: Live Updates on U.S. Military Blockade

CNN: Live Updates on Iran-U.S. War and Hormuz

Al Jazeera: US Military Threatens to Blockade All Iranian Ports

Reuters via Jerusalem Post: NATO Allies Refuse to Join Trump’s Blockade

Al Jazeera: Starmer Says UK Will Not Support US Blockade

NPR: Iran War Updates, France and UK Reactions

Al Jazeera: Peter Magyar Wins Hungary Election

NPR: Hungary’s Viktor Orban Concedes Defeat

CNN: Hungary Election Results

Al Jazeera: World Reacts to Peter Magyar Defeating Orban

CNN: Eric Swalwell Ends Bid for California Governor

NBC News: Eric Swalwell Drops Bid for California Governor

Time: Eric Swalwell Suspends Campaign Amid Misconduct Allegations

CalMatters: Democrat Swalwell Drops Bid for California Governor

CNN: Judge Tosses Trump’s WSJ Defamation Lawsuit

CNBC: Judge Dismisses Trump $10B Lawsuit Against WSJ and Murdoch

Al Jazeera: US Judge Dismisses Trump’s $10B Lawsuit Against WSJ

Axios: Judge Tosses Trump’s Lawsuit Against WSJ

Variety: Judge Dismisses Trump’s Defamation Lawsuit Against WSJ

UNDP: Military Escalation Could Push More Than 30 Million Into Poverty

Asharq Al-Awsat: UN Says Iran War Could Plunge 32 Million Into Poverty

Al Jazeera: One Month of War Cost Arab Countries Up to $194B

ABC7 Chicago: Cardinal Cupich Condemns White House War Videos

National Catholic Reporter: Cardinal Cupich Condemns White House Video

Vatican News: Cardinal Cupich Issues “A Call to Conscience”

HuffPost: Chicago Archbishop Condemns White House’s ‘Horrifying’ Video

Common Dreams: Sanders Leads Launch of ‘Worker Power’ Movement

PoliticsNY: Sanders and Mamdani Back Launch of Union Now Nonprofit

amNewYork: Sanders and Mamdani Back Union Now

TechCrunch: X Says It’s Reducing Payments to Clickbait Accounts

Techweez: X to Penalize Creators Using “BREAKING” as Clickbait

KTVB: TikToker Appeals $10M Judgment in Idaho Murders Defamation Case

KREM: TikToker Appeals $10M Verdict in Idaho Murder Case

Oxygen: Ashley Guillard Ordered to Pay $10 Million

Hey everyone. Where do I even begin.

The peace talks collapsed. After 21 hours of face-to-face negotiations in Islamabad, the U.S. and Iran walked away with nothing. Trump’s response? A FULL NAVAL BLOCKADE of the Strait of Hormuz starting tomorrow. He posted on Truth Social that any Iranian who fires at American forces “will be BLOWN TO HELL.” He told Fox News the blockade is “all in and all out,” no exemptions, not even for allies. Senator Mark Warner went on CNN and said he has “no idea” how Trump plans to get the strait reopened. This is an escalation on top of an escalation on top of a war that didn’t need to happen in the first place.

Meanwhile, Viktor Orbán just got DEMOLISHED. After 16 years in power, Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party won a supermajority in Hungary’s parliament, 138 out of 199 seats. Orbán conceded. Crowds along the Danube chanted “Russians go away.” JD Vance had literally just been there campaigning for Orbán days earlier. Trump promised to bring “economic might” to Hungary if Fidesz won. They lost in a landslide. Ursula von der Leyen posted: “Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight.”

And then there’s Swalwell. The Manhattan DA has now opened a CRIMINAL PROBE into the sexual assault allegations. A former staffer told CNN she woke up to him having sex with her and said “I was pushing him off of me, saying no. He didn’t stop.” Four women total have come forward. Anna Paulina Luna says she’s filing a motion to expel him from Congress this week.

Oh, and someone shot up a Chick-fil-A in New Jersey, the Pope called out the “delusion of omnipotence” driving this war, John Brennan is calling for the 25th Amendment, Cuba’s president says he’ll die defending his country, Canada just cut off U.S. military spending, and Trump wants to paint the Eisenhower Building with “magic paint.” ALL IN ONE DAY.

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Now here is your Sunday briefing.

Trump Orders Full Naval Blockade of Strait of Hormuz After Iran Talks Collapse

• President Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. Navy will enforce a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, after more than 21 hours of face-to-face talks in Islamabad between the U.S. delegation led by Vice President JD Vance and Iranian negotiators ended without a deal.

• Trump posted on Truth Social that he had also instructed the Navy to intercept any vessel in international waters that has paid a toll to Iran, and that U.S. forces would begin clearing mines placed by Iran in the strait.

• Trump wrote: “Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!”

  

• In an interview on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” Trump described the blockade as “all in and all out,” stating no country would be exempt, including allies. He said: “It won’t be a percentage. It won’t be a friend of yours, like a country that’s your ally or a country that’s your friend. It’s all or nothing.”

• The U.S. military said the blockade of Iranian ports would begin Monday at 14:00 GMT, while allowing ships not bound for Iranian ports to pass through.

• The talks collapsed over Iran’s refusal to abandon its nuclear ambitions. Tehran’s demands reportedly included control of the Strait of Hormuz, war reparations, and a regional ceasefire covering Lebanon.

• Iran had been allowing its own oil exports through the strait while charging some vessels tolls of up to $2 million per ship in Chinese yuan for passage, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence analysts.

• Senator Mark Warner expressed confusion about the strategy, telling CNN: “I have no idea... how he’s going to get it reopened.”

• The United Kingdom denied it would participate in the blockade, despite Trump’s claims. A U.K. spokesperson said: “We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.”

• Iran’s deputy parliament speaker Ali Nikzad responded, saying that in 40 days of war, the U.S. has learned that victory “is determined by the will of nations and superiority on the battlefield, not by rhetoric on social media.”

• Iranian lawmaker Mahmoud Nabavian, who was part of the negotiating team, declared that the strait “will not be opened” and that the world would experience “a new form of management” in the waterway.

Orbán Ousted in Historic Hungarian Election After 16 Years in Power

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat on Sunday after Péter Magyar’s center-right Tisza Party won a landslide victory. With 97% of precincts counted, Tisza secured 138 seats out of 199 in parliament on 53.6% of the vote, while Orbán’s Fidesz took just 55 seats with 37.8%.

• Orbán told supporters the result was “clear” and “painful,” saying: “The responsibility and possibility of governing was not given to us.” He added that Fidesz would serve Hungary from opposition.

• In a victory speech to tens of thousands gathered along the Danube River, Magyar declared: “Tonight, truth prevailed over lies.” He said his party had received 3.3 million votes, the most any Hungarian party has ever received.

• The result is a supermajority for Tisza, giving Magyar’s party the power to amend Hungary’s constitution and potentially reverse many of Orbán’s structural changes.

• U.S. Vice President JD Vance had visited Hungary days before to campaign alongside Orbán, and Trump had promised to bring U.S. “economic might” to Hungary if Fidesz won.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen celebrated the result, posting on X: “Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight. Hungary has chosen Europe.”

• Crowds in Budapest sang traditional Hungarian songs and chanted “Russian go away.” One supporter waving an EU flag told reporters: “This election was about a clash of civilizations. Either you belong in a Western-type democracy or an Eastern-type dictatorship.”

• Magyar, a former Orbán loyalist who broke with the party in 2024, campaigned against corruption and on everyday issues like health care and public transport, pledging to rebuild Hungary’s ties with the EU and NATO.

Manhattan DA Opens Criminal Probe Into Eric Swalwell Sexual Assault Allegations

• The Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced Saturday it is investigating a sexual assault allegation against Rep. Eric Swalwell, the leading Democratic candidate for California governor, after a former staffer accused him of having sex with her when she was unable to consent.

• The most serious accusation comes from the former staffer, who told CNN that Swalwell raped her in April 2024 after a night of heavy drinking in New York City. She described waking up to him having sex with her, saying: “I was pushing him off of me, saying no. He didn’t stop.”

• The same woman described a prior incident in 2019, when she was a 21-year-old employee in his district office, alleging she woke up naked beside Swalwell in a hotel room with no memory of what occurred.

• Four women total have now made accusations against Swalwell, including allegations that he sent unsolicited explicit photos and messages.

• Swalwell denied all allegations in a video posted to X, saying: “They are absolutely false. They did not happen. They have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have.”

• An unsigned statement from Swalwell’s senior staff said they were “horrified” by the reporting and declared: “The behavior detailed in these reports is abhorrent, beneath the dignity of those serving in public office.”

• Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she discussed with Swalwell that the investigation would be “best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign.” Senator Adam Schiff immediately withdrew his endorsement.

• Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna announced she would file a motion to expel Swalwell from Congress this week.

Epstein Files Deepen: Zampolli, Ungaro, and the Melania Connection

• Amanda Ungaro, a 41-year-old Brazilian former model and ex-partner of Trump ally Paolo Zampolli, has given interviews detailing how she was detained by ICE and deported to Brazil during a bitter custody battle with Zampolli over their teenage son.

• Ungaro first arrived in the U.S. around age 16 or 17, flying to New York on a plane owned by Jeffrey Epstein. Her modeling agent at the time was Jean-Luc Brunel, who later died in a French jail in 2022 while awaiting trial on charges related to procuring young women for Epstein.

• Ungaro described being arrested at her Florida home in June 2025 on fraud charges after an anonymous tip. She was placed in a cell with “child murderers” and spent three and a half months in immigration detention before being deported. She described overcrowded, windowless conditions.

• According to a New York Times investigation, Zampolli contacted David Venturella, a senior ICE official, to inform him that Ungaro was in the country on an expired visa. Venturella reportedly told ICE’s Miami office the case was important to someone with ties to the White House.

• Zampolli, who is Trump’s special envoy for global partnerships, denied asking ICE to detain Ungaro or requesting any favors. DHS officials also said her detention and deportation were based on an expired visa and fraud charges.

• Zampolli acknowledged having a professional relationship with Epstein but denied any close ties, telling the Daily Beast: “For me, Jeffrey Epstein was a financial partner of Victoria’s Secret. I had to deal with him. We never get along, thank God.”

• Zampolli and Ungaro both held UN ambassadorial roles, attended Trump’s first inauguration, and sat at Melania’s table during the dinner, according to multiple reports. Zampolli is widely credited with introducing Donald and Melania Trump.

• Ungaro has posted on social media threatening legal action against the Trumps and claiming she has damaging information. She wrote: “I will tear down your corrupt system, even if it’s the last thing I do in my life.”

One Dead, Six Injured in Mass Shooting at New Jersey Chick-fil-A

• A mass shooting at a Chick-fil-A in Union Township, New Jersey, left one person dead and six others wounded on Saturday evening. The Union County Prosecutor’s Office said police responded to the restaurant on Route 22 near Gelb Avenue around 9 p.m.

• A father of one of the Chick-fil-A employees told ABC that his son called him in a panic, saying multiple suspects wearing masks had entered the establishment.

• Dispatchers captured the chaos in 911 audio obtained by CBS News: “I got an unconscious witness. I’ve got one shot in the face... and I have at least two in the leg.”

• The Union County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement: “The preliminary investigation reveals this does not appear to be a random act of violence and that there is no immediate ongoing threat to the general public.”

• New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill said she had been briefed, stating: “New Jersey stands with the Union Township community.”

• No arrests have been made as of Sunday. The investigation remains active.

Pope Leo XIV Delivers Strongest Condemnation Yet of Iran War

• Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced what he called a “delusion of omnipotence” driving the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, presiding over an evening prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Basilica.

• The Pope declared: “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!”

• He called prayer a way to “break the demonic cycle of evil” and build a Kingdom “in which there is no sword, no drone, no vengeance, no trivialization of evil, no unjust profit.”

• He warned that “even the holy Name of God, the God of life, is being dragged into discourses of death,” an apparent reference to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has invoked his Christian faith to cast the U.S. as a Christian nation vanquishing its foes.

• While Leo did not mention Trump or the U.S. by name, his remarks appeared directed at U.S. officials who have boasted of military superiority. Earlier in the week, he called Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable.”

• The archbishop of Tehran, Belgian Cardinal Dominique Joseph Mathieu, was among those in the pews.

Former CIA Director Brennan Calls Trump “Clearly Unhinged,” Demands 25th Amendment

• Former CIA Director John Brennan said Trump’s rhetoric and conduct during the Iran war raise serious questions about his fitness to remain commander-in-chief, arguing that the 25th Amendment was designed for situations like this.

• Brennan stated: “This person who clearly is unhinged and who I think the 25th Amendment was written with Donald Trump in mind, because allowing someone like this to continue to be the commander-in-chief and to control the tremendous capabilities of the U.S. military, including our nuclear weapons capability... we really are in very, very troubling times.”

• Brennan pointed specifically to Trump’s threats to eliminate “a whole civilization” as evidence of the danger of unchecked executive power.

• More than 70 Democratic members of Congress have now publicly supported invoking the 25th Amendment, according to NBC News. Even former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene and media personality Alex Jones have made similar calls.

• However, removal under the 25th Amendment requires action from Vice President Vance and a majority of the cabinet, making it practically impossible under the current administration.

• Brennan himself is currently under active criminal investigation by the DOJ, widely viewed as part of Trump’s campaign against perceived political enemies.

Cuba’s President: “I Have No Fear. I Am Willing to Give My Life”

• Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel told NBC’s Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” that he is prepared to die defending Cuba against any U.S. military aggression, in his first-ever American broadcast interview.

• When asked if he feared being killed or arrested by the U.S., Díaz-Canel answered: “I have no fear. I am willing to give my life for the revolution.”

• He warned: “An invasion to Cuba would have costs... It would affect the security of Cuba, the United States and of the region. If that happens, there will be fighting, and there will be a struggle, and we will defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we’ll die, because as our national anthem says, ‘Dying for the homeland is to live.’”

• The interview comes after Trump asserted “Cuba is next” during a speech in Miami last month, and following the U.S. removal of Venezuelan President Maduro and the ongoing war with Iran.

• When Welker asked if he would step down to avoid conflict, Díaz-Canel joked: “Is that a question from you or is it coming from the State Department?” He then asked if she had “ever asked that question to any other president in the world.”

• Díaz-Canel blamed the U.S. blockade for crippling Cuba’s economy, saying the country lacks financing for food, medicine, and energy repairs.

Canada’s Carney Declares End to U.S. Military Spending Dependence

• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared at the Liberal Party’s national convention in Montreal that “the days of our military sending 70 cents of every dollar to the United States are over,” drawing a standing ovation from delegates.

• Carney announced the Canadian government would implement a “Buy Canadian Products” policy for all federal spending, saying: “We will build a strong Canada with Canadian steel, Canadian aluminum, Canadian wood, and most importantly, Canadian workers.”

• According to Reuters, nearly 70% of Canada’s military capital spending currently goes to U.S. suppliers. Carney framed this reliance as no longer sustainable amid shifting global dynamics.

• The shift comes amid growing trade frictions with Washington, including tariffs imposed by Trump, which Carney described as the primary immediate threat to Canadian sovereignty.

Dan Patrick Warns Republicans Will Have “Tough Time” Holding Texas House

• Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick warned that Republicans are “going to have a tough time” holding their majority in the state House this fall, speaking at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s annual conference.

• Patrick stressed that the loser of the Republican Senate primary runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton must unite behind the winner to face Democratic nominee James Talarico. He told them: “Get over it and come together as one.”

• He pointed to warning signs including the 2018 midterms when Democrats flipped 12 Texas House seats, and a recent special election where a Democrat won a traditionally Republican Texas Senate district that Trump carried by 17 points in 2024.

• Republicans currently hold 88 of 150 seats in the Texas House and have controlled the chamber since 2003. Democrats need to flip at least 14 seats.

• State Rep. Christina Morales, who chairs House Democrats’ campaign arm, responded: “Dan Patrick is telling Republicans they’re in trouble in November, and for once, he’s telling the truth.”

Israel Continues Strikes on Lebanon as Ceasefire Dispute Rages

• Israeli forces launched Operation Eternal Darkness on April 8, targeting over 100 sites across Lebanon within ten minutes in what Israel called its largest coordinated strike since the war began. The attacks killed at least 357 people.

• The massive bombardment came hours after a ceasefire was announced in the Iran war, despite Pakistan’s assertion that Lebanon was included in the truce. Netanyahu denied that the ceasefire covered Lebanon.

• Israeli forces have reportedly demolished entire villages in southern Lebanon using large-scale detonations, displacing residents and destroying homes and infrastructure. Rights groups have warned the widespread destruction may constitute unlawful “domicide.”

• Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2 have killed more than 1,400 people, including 126 children, and displaced over 1.2 million, according to Lebanese authorities.

• Strikes on the town of Tuffahta in southern Lebanon killed eight people and injured nine others, with five in critical condition, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. A separate strike on Qana killed five people, including three women, and injured 25.

Appeals Court Lets White House Ballroom Construction Continue

• A federal appeals court ruled Saturday in a 2-1 decision that construction on Trump’s planned White House ballroom can continue through April 17, temporarily overriding a lower court order that had blocked the project for lacking congressional approval.

• The administration began demolishing the White House East Wing in October to make room for the neoclassical ballroom, which is expected to seat 1,000 guests and cost at least $300 million.

• Trump has argued the ballroom is necessary for national security, citing a secure bunker being built underneath it. He told reporters: “The military is building a big complex under the ballroom.”

• Justice Department lawyers argued the project “advances critical national-security objectives,” citing “missile-resistant steel columns, drone-proof roofing materials, and bullet, ballistic, and blast proof glass windows.”

• The National Trust for Historic Preservation brought the lawsuit, arguing the project requires congressional approval. Its president, Carol Quillen, said the group “remains committed to honoring the historic significance of the White House.”

Experts Warn Trump’s “Magic Paint” Plan Could Permanently Damage Historic Building

• Trump has privately advocated for painting the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the ornate 1888 Gilded Age structure next to the White House, with what he called “magic paint with silicate” to make it bright white.

• A panel of 25 experts assembled by preservation groups concluded that mineral silicate paints “are not suited for use on granite,” explaining the stone does not chemically bond with this type of paint. They warned that priming the granite would cause “permanent damage.”

• The building, completed in 1888, originally housed the State, War, and Navy departments and features 553 ornately gilded rooms, bronze stair balusters, and stained glass rotundas.

• The DC Preservation League and Cultural Heritage Partners have filed a lawsuit arguing the administration cannot proceed without standard environmental and historic preservation reviews.

• The Commission of Fine Arts, now stacked with Trump appointees, will review the plans on Thursday.

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Sources:

CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/12/trump-iran-war-strait-of-hormuz.html CBS News (Hormuz): https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-strait-of-hormuz-blockade-iran/ NBC News (Iran): https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/live-updates-us-iran-fail-reach-deal-peace-talks-day-negotiations-rcna315918 Al Jazeera (Hormuz): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/12/trump-announces-strait-of-hormuz-blockade-after-us-iran-peace-talks-end NPR (Iran): https://www.npr.org/2026/04/12/nx-s1-5782538/u-s-iran-peace-talks-islamabad-collapse CNN (Hormuz business): https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/12/business/strait-of-hormuz-blockade Al Jazeera (Hungary): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/12/hungary-election-early-results-show-magyars-tisza-ahead-of-orbans-fidesz NBC News (Hungary): https://www.nbcnews.com/world/hungary/hungary-parliamentary-election-results-rcna273661 CNN (Hungary): https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/12/world/live-news/hungary-election-orban-magyar CBC (Hungary): https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/hungary-election-viktor-orban-9.7160781 TIME (Hungary): https://time.com/article/2026/04/12/viktor-orban-election-loss-trump/ Daily Beast (Ungaro): https://www.thedailybeast.com/melania-trumps-party-pal-spills-on-hellish-ice-ordeal/ Newsweek (Ungaro): https://www.newsweek.com/who-is-amanda-ungaro-what-we-know-as-melania-trump-speaks-out-on-epstein-11813227 IBTimes (Zampolli): https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/transatlantic-custody-dispute-political-controversy-1791243 Yahoo News (Ungaro): https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/amanda-ungaro-arrived-u-jeffrey-190403529.html CNN (Swalwell): https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/11/politics/manhattan-da-investigation-eric-swalwell TIME (Swalwell): https://time.com/article/2026/04/12/eric-swalwell-sexual-misconduct-allegations/ NBC News (Swalwell): https://www.ms.now/news/former-staffer-accuses-rep-eric-swalwell-of-sexual-assault-report-says ABC7 (Swalwell): https://abc7.com/post/rep-eric-swalwell-manhattan-district-attorney-investigating-sexual-assault-allegations-made-former-staffer/18872326/ CBS News (Chick-fil-A): https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/union-township-nj-chick-fil-a-shooting/ ABC News (Chick-fil-A): https://abcnews.com/US/shooting-inside-chick-fil-new-jersey-leaves-people/story?id=131969730 Newsweek (Chick-fil-A): https://www.newsweek.com/chick-fil-a-shooting-new-jersey-union-township-11816869 NPR (Pope): https://www.npr.org/2026/04/11/g-s1-117150/pope-leo-us-iran-war-israel-denounce Fox News (Pope): https://www.foxnews.com/world/pope-leo-calls-delusion-omnipotence-fueling-iran-war-vigil-peace-st-peters-basilica Newsweek (Brennan): https://www.newsweek.com/john-brennan-25th-amendment-trump-iran-11815906 Axios (25th): https://www.axios.com/2026/04/08/25th-amendment-remove-presidents-trump NBC News (Cuba): https://www.nbcnews.com/world/cuba/diaz-canel-invasion-trump-nbc-news-interview-rcna273638 Mediaite (Cuba): https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/cubas-president-defiant-amid-trump-threats-if-we-need-to-die-well-die/ Newsweek (Cuba): https://www.newsweek.com/cuban-presidents-defiant-response-us-threats-willing-give-life-11817118 Outlook India (Carney): https://www.outlookindia.com/international/canada-to-end-70-cents-to-us-defence-spending-model-carney Kyiv Post (Carney): https://www.kyivpost.com/post/73773 Texas Tribune (Patrick): https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/08/texas-house-dan-patrick-gop-majority-2026-midterms-cornyn-paxton/ Al Jazeera (Lebanon): https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/8/hundreds-of-casualties-across-lebanon-after-israel-says-it-hit-100-sites NBC News (Lebanon): https://www.nbcnews.com/world/lebanon/lebanon-israel-attack-iran-ceasefire-hezbollah-rcna267260 NPR (Ballroom): https://www.npr.org/2026/04/11/nx-s1-5782084/dc-appeals-court-trump-ballroom-bunker CNN (Ballroom): https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/11/politics/trump-ballroom-construction-judge-continue CNN (Eisenhower): https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/11/politics/eisenhower-executive-office-building-paint-trump FOX 5 DC (Eisenhower): https://www.fox5dc.com/news/trump-plans-use-magic-white-paint-cover-white-house-office-building

Hey everyone. Happy Saturday. What a week.

Two U.S. Navy destroyers just forced their way through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since this war started six weeks ago. Iran responded by threatening to DESTROY any American warship that crosses within 30 minutes. Then Iran denied the crossing even happened. Then the U.S. denied receiving the threat. Nobody agrees on what just happened in the most important waterway on Earth while peace talks are literally happening in the next room.

Meanwhile, CNN is reporting that China is preparing to ship shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles to Iran DURING THE CEASEFIRE. The same kind of weapon that may have shot down that F-15 last week. Beijing is routing them through third countries to hide the origin. This is a massive escalation and nobody is talking about it enough.

And then Eric Swalwell. A former staffer told CNN he raped her. Three more women came forward with sexual misconduct allegations. His own campaign chair resigned. Pelosi, Schiff, and Gallego all pulled their endorsements. House Democratic leadership told him to end his campaign immediately. His governor’s race is over.

Oh, and Melania gave a surprise speech from the White House denying Epstein ties, Kamala said she’s “thinking about” 2028, the Artemis II crew splashed down after humanity’s first trip around the Moon in 50 years, Trump is promising to pardon everyone who’s been within 200 feet of the Oval Office, and someone threw a Molotov cocktail at Sam Altman’s house. ALL IN ONE DAY.

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Now here is your Saturday briefing.

U.S. Navy Forces Through the Strait of Hormuz for First Time Since War Began

• Two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, marking the first time American warships have transited the strait since the beginning of the war six weeks ago, according to Axios and the Wall Street Journal.

• The operation was described as a freedom of navigation mission and was not coordinated with Iran. The destroyers passed from east to west into the Persian Gulf, then back through to the Arabian Sea.

• Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. had started “clearing out” the strategic waterway, calling it a “favor” to countries like China, Japan, and France.

• Trump claimed Iran is “LOSING BIG,” saying their navy, air force, and anti-aircraft capabilities have been destroyed, and that the only remaining threat is Iranian sea mines.

  

• Separately, Trump said warships are being reloaded with “the best ammunition” to resume bombing Iran if peace talks fail, indicating a decision could come within 24 hours.

• He also said a “good deal” with Iran would primarily mean preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, which he called “99% of the objective.”

Iran Threatens to Destroy U.S. Destroyer Within 30 Minutes

• Iranian state television reported that security forces issued a direct warning to a U.S. destroyer sailing from the port of Fujairah toward the Strait: “Any US military vessel crossing the Hormuz Strait will be attacked within 30 minutes.”

• The warning was reportedly passed through Pakistani mediators during the ongoing negotiations in Islamabad.

• Iran claimed the U.S. destroyer turned back after receiving the threat. U.S. officials denied receiving any such warning.

• A senior Iranian military official then denied the reported crossing on state television, creating wildly conflicting accounts from all sides.

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U.S.-Iran Talks Begin in Islamabad With Sky-High Stakes

• The highest-level U.S.-Iran talks since the 1979 Islamic Revolution kicked off in Islamabad, Pakistan on Saturday.

• The U.S. delegation includes Vice President JD Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner. Iran sent Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

• Iran set several hardline preconditions before formal talks could begin: control over the Strait of Hormuz, release of frozen assets, war reparations, and a full ceasefire including an end to Israeli operations in Lebanon.

• A senior Iranian source told Reuters the U.S. had agreed to unfreeze up to $6 billion in Iranian assets held in Qatar, calling it a sign of Washington’s seriousness. The funds were originally frozen in 2018, briefly released in a 2023 prisoner swap, then re-frozen after the October 7 attacks.

• A White House official responded to the report with a single word: “False.”

• Vance met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and both sides expressed hope the talks could lead to lasting peace.

U.S. Intelligence: China Preparing to Ship Weapons to Iran During Ceasefire

• According to three people familiar with recent intelligence assessments, China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran within the next few weeks, CNN reported.

• The weapons are shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs, which pose a serious threat to low-flying U.S. military aircraft.

• U.S. intelligence indicates Beijing is working to route the shipments through third countries to mask their true origin.

• The move would mark a major escalation in Chinese support for Iran. Previously, Chinese companies sold Iran dual-use technology, but this would represent the Chinese government directly transferring weapon systems.

• Trump indicated in a press conference that an F-15 fighter jet shot down over Iran last week may have been hit by a shoulder-fired heat-seeking missile. It remains unclear if that system was Chinese-made.

• A Chinese Embassy spokesperson denied the claims, stating: “China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue.”

Eric Swalwell’s Campaign Implodes Over Sexual Assault Allegations

• Rep. Eric Swalwell, a top Democratic candidate for California governor, is facing a total collapse of his campaign after a former staffer told CNN that Swalwell raped her when she was heavily intoxicated and that it was the second time he had nonconsensual sexual contact with her.

• The San Francisco Chronicle first reported the former staffer’s account. CNN then reported that three additional women described sexual misconduct, including unsolicited explicit photos and unwanted advances.

• Swalwell denied all allegations: “These allegations are false and come on the eve of an election against the front-runner for governor.”

• House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries, Katherine Clark, and Pete Aguilar called on Swalwell to “immediately end his campaign.”

• Sen. Adam Schiff, Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, and Sen. Ruben Gallego all pulled their endorsements. Swalwell’s own campaign chair, Rep. Jimmy Gomez, resigned, saying the allegations were “the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable.”

• The California Teachers Association unanimously rescinded its endorsement. A major independent expenditure committee backed by $2 million from Uber suspended all activities.

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Melania Trump Blindsides White House With Surprise Epstein Denial

• First Lady Melania Trump delivered a rare public statement from the Grand Foyer of the White House on Thursday, denying she had close ties to Jeffrey Epstein and calling on Congress to allow victims to testify. She stated: “I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump.”

• She addressed a 2002 email she sent to Epstein’s convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, calling it nothing more than “casual correspondence.”

• The statement came one day after the DOJ said former Attorney General Pam Bondi would not comply with a House Oversight subpoena related to Epstein documents.

• Several of her own aides did not know what she was going to say beforehand, and the move reportedly caught the West Wing off guard.

• Bipartisan lawmakers immediately rallied behind her call for a hearing. Rep. Robert Garcia urged the committee chair to “schedule a public hearing immediately.” Rep. Nancy Mace echoed the request.

• Epstein survivors reacted with mixed feelings. Survivor Alicia Arden told NPR she “hopes we get to testify before Congress,” while another survivor, Marina Lacerda, questioned whether hearings would produce meaningful results.

Kamala Harris Says She’s “Thinking About” Running for President in 2028

• Former Vice President Kamala Harris gave her clearest indication yet that she may pursue a third presidential bid, telling Rev. Al Sharpton at the National Action Network convention: “Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it.”

• She cited her experience as vice president: “I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States. I spent countless hours in my West Wing office, footsteps away from the Oval Office... I know what the job is, and I know what it requires.”

• Harris received the only standing ovation of any 2028 prospect at the conference, with the crowd chanting “Run again!”

• She took direct aim at Trump’s foreign policy, calling the war with Iran “a choice” and criticizing his treatment of NATO allies.

• Other potential 2028 contenders present at the conference included Govs. Josh Shapiro, Wes Moore, JB Pritzker, and Andy Beshear, as well as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

NASA Completes Historic Artemis II Moon Mission

• NASA’s Artemis II crew splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on Friday, April 10, completing humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than 50 years.

• The 10-day mission launched April 1 and carried astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen around the Moon aboard the Orion spacecraft.

• On April 6, the crew reached 248,655 miles from Earth, surpassing the farthest distance ever traveled by humans, a record previously set by Apollo 13 in 1970.

• All four crew members are in good health and were set to return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center on Saturday.

• The mission is widely seen as a milestone in the race with China to return humans to the lunar surface. NASA aims to land astronauts on the Moon in 2028 under the Artemis III mission.

• However, the success is overshadowed by proposed Trump budget cuts to NASA’s space science programs, which critics say could undermine future exploration.

Trump Promises Mass Pardons for Everyone Near the Oval Office

• According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump told staffers in a recent meeting: “I’ll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval,” drawing laughs from attendees.

• The radius has been expanding. Another person who met with Trump earlier this year said the president quipped about pardoning anyone who had come within 10 feet.

• In a separate conversation in the dining room next to the Oval Office last year, Trump said he would hold a news conference and announce mass pardons before leaving office.

• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded: “The Wall Street Journal should learn to take a joke, however, the President’s pardon power is absolute.”

• Trump has already issued roughly 1,600 clemency grants during his second term, far outpacing his first term’s fewer than 250.

• Former pardon attorney Liz Oyer said the pledges could embolden officials to act more aggressively, noting: “It seems like he previewed many times his intent to use the pardon power to bail out those who carry out his agenda faithfully.”

Abrego Garcia Case May Be Dismissed Over Todd Blanche’s Comments

• Human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly deported to El Salvador’s CECOT mega-prison, could be dismissed because of public comments made by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.

• Federal Judge Waverly Crenshaw wrote in a prior ruling that “Deputy Attorney General Blanche directly linked the Maryland lawsuit to the investigation of criminal behavior by Abrego,” suggesting the prosecution may have been retaliatory.

• If the judge does not dismiss the charges, he could summon Blanche to Nashville to testify under oath about the DOJ’s motivations.

• Abrego Garcia was deported in error in March 2025 and eventually returned to the U.S. in June after the Supreme Court ordered the government to facilitate his return. Federal prosecutors then charged him with human smuggling stemming from a 2022 traffic stop.

• His lawyers argue the charges were brought only after he successfully sued over his wrongful deportation.

Automatic Military Draft Registration Takes Effect in December

• Starting in December, all male U.S. citizens and immigrants between the ages of 18 and 26 will be automatically registered for the military draft, under a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act signed by Trump in December 2025.

• Men are already required to self-register with the Selective Service System, but the new policy automates the process nationally. Automatic registration is already in place in 46 states and territories.

• The measure was passed with bipartisan support and has no direct connection to the ongoing war with Iran.

• A draft would still require separate congressional authorization. If activated, a lottery system would determine service order, with 20-year-olds called first.

• White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt previously said Trump “keeps his options on the table” when asked about the possibility of a draft.

Trump Unveils 250-Foot “Triumphal Arch” Near Arlington Cemetery

• The Trump administration released official architectural renderings of a planned 250-foot triumphal arch to be built at Memorial Circle near the Arlington Memorial Bridge.

• The design by Harrison Design features a statue of Lady Liberty sitting atop the massive arch, which includes the phrase “One Nation Under God” written in gold, flanked by two 24-foot eagles and four golden lions at its base.

• The arch would be more than twice as high as the 99-foot tall Lincoln Memorial and would be the tallest triumphal arch in the world.

• Trump said: “It will be like the one in Paris but to be honest with you it blows it away.”

• American taxpayers will help fund construction, with $2 million in special initiative funds and $13 million in matching grants reserved for the project through the National Endowment for the Humanities.

• Vietnam War veterans and a historian filed a lawsuit in February to block the project, arguing it would obstruct views meant to symbolize national unity after the Civil War. Judge Tanya Chutkan declined to issue a preliminary injunction but is requiring 14 days’ notice before construction begins.

Molotov Cocktail Thrown at Sam Altman’s Home, Suspect Arrested at OpenAI HQ

• A 20-year-old man was arrested after allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood around 4 a.m. Friday.

• The device caused a fire to an exterior gate but no one was injured. Security guards on the property extinguished the fire.

• About an hour later, the same suspect appeared at OpenAI’s Mission Bay headquarters threatening to burn the building down. Police recognized him and arrested him immediately.

• The suspect was identified by the San Francisco Standard as Daniel Alejandro Moreno-Gama, booked on suspicion of attempted murder, arson, and possession of an incendiary device.

• Altman responded with a blog post sharing a photo of his family, writing that he hoped it would “dissuade the next person from throwing a Molotov cocktail at our house, no matter what they think about me.”

• The FBI confirmed it is aware of the incident and working with San Francisco police.

Over 100,000 Rally in Budapest to Oust Orban Ahead of Elections

• Two days before Hungary’s parliamentary elections, over 100,000 people filled Heroes’ Square and adjacent avenues in Budapest for a seven-hour anti-government concert organized by the Civic Resistance Movement.

• Over 50 bands played one song each, all performers who had used their music to oppose Viktor Orban’s nationalist-populist government.

• The crowd, largely young people, chanted “Ruszkik haza!” or “Russians go home!”, a slogan from Hungary’s 1956 anti-Soviet revolution that has taken on new significance given Orban’s ties to Moscow.

• Orban’s Fidesz party is trailing the center-right Tisza party led by Peter Magyar in polls. A survey by 21 Research Center found that 65% of voters under 30 support Tisza, while only 14% support Orban.

• Galaxisok frontman Benedek Szabo told the AP that Hungary’s ties to Moscow amounted to “selling out the EU allies to Russia.”

• Separately, Trump said his administration is prepared to use the full economic power of the U.S. to support Hungary under Orban’s continued leadership.

Explosives Found Near Serbia-Hungary Gas Pipeline Suspected as False Flag

• Two backpacks containing roughly 4 kilograms of plastic explosives with detonators were found near a gas pipeline in Kanjiza, northern Serbia, close to the pipeline that carries Russian gas to Hungary.

• Hungarian officials tried to link Ukraine to the incident. Ukraine flatly denied involvement. Spokesman Herhii Tykhyi called it “most probably, a Russian false-flag operation as part of Moscow’s heavy interference in Hungarian elections.”

• Tisza leader Peter Magyar suggested the incident was staged to help Orban: “Several people have publicly indicated that something will ‘accidentally’ happen at the gas pipeline in Serbia at Easter, a week before the Hungarian elections. And so it happened.”

• Analysts noted the explosives, while described as having “devastating power” by Serbian President Vucic, may not have been sufficient to severely damage the pipeline, leading to speculation the intent was political rather than operational.

Husband Arrested in Bahamas After Wife Vanishes at Sea

• Brian Hooker, 59, was arrested by the Royal Bahamas Police Force in connection with the disappearance of his wife, 55-year-old Lynette Hooker, during a boat trip near Elbow Cay in the Abaco Islands.

• Hooker told police his wife fell overboard from their 8-foot dinghy Saturday evening with the boat keys, causing the engine to shut off. He said strong currents carried her away.

• He paddled back to shore, arriving at Marsh Harbor Boat Yard at 4 a.m. Sunday, where he reported the incident.

• Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, expressed serious doubts: “I feel like this was probably pre-planned, if anything, like, it doesn’t seem like just some accident.” She described the couple’s relationship as “rocky” with a history of domestic conflict.

• The U.S. Coast Guard has opened a criminal investigation. Hooker’s attorney said her client was questioned about “causing harm which resulted in her death,” though no body has been recovered.

• Hooker denies all wrongdoing. His attorney described him as “completely heartbroken and deeply distressed.”

UNICEF Warns “No Safe Place” Remains in Lebanon

• UNICEF warned that there is no longer a safe place in Lebanon amid ongoing Israeli airstrikes that have expanded to areas previously untouched, including Beirut.

• Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed multiple people, including a paramedic and a member of the Lebanese Civil Defense. Strikes hit residential buildings in multiple towns in the Nabatieh district.

• Amnesty International reported that civilians in southern Lebanon are struggling to access food, water, and humanitarian aid due to Israeli restrictions and ongoing fighting with Hezbollah.

• Hezbollah said it fired rockets into Israel in response to the strikes.

Pope Leo XIV Condemns Iran War, Calls Violence Unjustifiable

• Pope Leo XIV spoke forcefully against the war involving Iran, telling Eastern Catholic bishops that “God does not bless any conflict” and criticizing leaders who justify violence and bombing.

• He emphasized that no cause can justify the killing of innocent people and called for a clear moral stance against the war.

• His remarks came as Amnesty International warned that aid deliveries to southern Lebanon have nearly stopped and urged safe passage for civilians.

Democrat Requests Cognitive Exam for Trump

• A senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee formally requested that the White House physician conduct a cognitive examination of Donald Trump.

• The lawmaker cited Trump’s recent public statements, social media posts, and behavior at events as evidence of possible cognitive decline, pointing to concerns raised by experts about signs consistent with dementia.

• The request is the latest in a series of Democratic efforts to raise questions about the president’s fitness for office.

California Man Charged With Massive Warehouse Arson

• Chamel Abdulkarim has been charged with multiple counts of arson after allegedly setting fires that destroyed a large Kimberly-Clark Corporation warehouse in Ontario, California.

• Prosecutors say he filmed himself starting the fires, posted the videos online, and expressed anti-capitalist motives including complaints about wages.

• The blaze caused estimated damage in the hundreds of millions of dollars. No injuries were reported.

• Abdulkarim reportedly compared himself to Luigi Mangione. He faces both federal and state charges carrying potentially decades in prison.

EU Says It Won’t Follow U.S. in Cutting Off China

• European Industry Commissioner Stephane Sejourne said the EU will not follow Washington in fully decoupling from China economically, describing Europe’s approach as “de-risking” rather than outright separation.

• The EU is considering stricter rules on Chinese access to public procurement and large investments but emphasized the importance of maintaining dialogue with Beijing and remaining open to foreign investment.

U.K. Hosts New Round of Strait of Hormuz Talks

• The U.K. is hosting another round of talks with 41 countries focused on restoring safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz following the ceasefire.

• Discussions will focus on practical measures including sanctions coordination and cooperation with maritime organizations.

• The U.K. opposes any tolls on ships passing through the strait, warning it could set a dangerous global precedent.

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OUR MISSION AT CENTERED AMERICA

Centered America is a 501(c)(4) organization founded to unite disillusioned Democrats, Republicans, overlooked communities, and everyday Americans to rebuild the United States of America into a country that truly represents the people.

We are committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, reporting the truth, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda.

To achieve this, we focus on reconnecting with open-minded voters, addressing their concerns directly, amplifying independent journalism, and providing resources that empower citizens to actively engage in protecting our democracy.

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Sources: Axios, CNN, NPR, NBC News, Wall Street Journal via multiple outlets, Reuters via Yahoo, CNBC, AP via multiple outlets, PBS, CBS News, CalMatters, Space.com, NASA, Time, Military Times, Raw Story, Fox News, The Daily Beast, Mediaite, Euronews, Al Jazeera

Hey everyone. There is way, way too much happening right now for any one person to keep up with.

Inflation just hit 3.3%. Gas prices surged 21% in a SINGLE MONTH, the largest monthly increase in six decades. Gas was $2.98 the day before the war started. It’s $4.15 today. And the chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union says it’s going to get a LOT worse, even if the war ends tomorrow. This is what happens when you start a war that shuts down 20% of the world’s oil supply.

The ceasefire is falling apart. Israel killed over 300 people in Lebanon the DAY AFTER the deal was announced and called it “Operation Eternal Darkness.” Iran says Lebanon was part of the agreement. The U.S. and Israel say it wasn’t. Diplomats told CBS that Trump initially DID include Lebanon and Israel initially agreed. Now both sides are lying about it. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again.

And then there’s Melania. She gave a surprise speech from the White House denying any Epstein ties. Hours later, the Daily Beast published audio of Epstein himself saying Trump first slept with Melania on his private jet. The president says he didn’t know she was going to make the statement. You can’t make this stuff up.

Oh, and Trump attacked Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones in a single post, called them “NUT JOBS” with “Low IQs,” and then posted an unedited video of a woman being murdered with a hammer. On Truth Social. While the Forest Service is being dismantled and a judge had to block his $400 million White House ballroom.

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Now here is your Friday afternoon briefing.

Inflation Explodes to 3.3% as Gas Prices Post Largest Monthly Surge in Six Decades

• Consumer prices rose 3.3% year-over-year in March, up sharply from 2.4% in February, marking the fastest annual pace in nearly two years, according to new Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday.

• Prices rose 0.9% month-over-month, triple the 0.3% pace seen in February. Gasoline prices surged a record 21.2% during the month, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the overall monthly increase.

• Gas prices averaged $4.15 a gallon nationwide on Friday, up from $2.98 the day before the Iran war began, an increase of nearly 40%, according to AAA.

  

• Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, told CNN: “It’s going to get a lot worse before there’s any relief. Even if the war on Iran ends in two weeks, and there’s magically an agreement, inflation will continue to rise for months to come.”

• Core prices, which strip out food and energy, rose 2.6% annually, up from 2.5% in February. Investors now do not expect the Fed to cut rates until late 2027.

• A growing number of Fed officials are now willing to consider hiking rates instead if core inflation does not cool noticeably.

Israel Kills 300+ in Lebanon, Ceasefire on the Verge of Collapse

• On April 8, shortly after the announcement of a two-week ceasefire to the Iran war, Israel launched massive attacks across Lebanon, killing at least 303 people in what Lebanon has called “Black Wednesday.” Israel dubbed the operation “Operation Eternal Darkness.”

• The Israeli army carried out more than 100 airstrikes within 10 minutes across Lebanon, including densely populated areas of Beirut, in what Israel described as its most powerful attacks on Lebanon since the war began.

• Iran insists Lebanon is part of the ceasefire, and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who brokered the deal, specifically mentioned Lebanon when announcing the truce. But the U.S. and Israel say Lebanon is not included.

• Vice President JD Vance told reporters the U.S. “never made that promise” and called it a “legitimate misunderstanding” on Iran’s part. However, CBS News reported that diplomats agreed Trump had initially included Lebanon in the ceasefire, and that Israel had initially agreed to those terms as well.

• Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the “US must choose between a ceasefire or continued war via Israel. It cannot have both.” Andreas Krieg, a professor at King’s College London, called Lebanon the “Achilles heel” of the ceasefire, warning it could force Iran to retaliate to maintain its credibility.

• Despite the ceasefire announcement, more than 100 ships remained effectively stalled in the Strait of Hormuz a day later, and Iran reportedly closed the waterway again in response to the Lebanon strikes.

• A new statement attributed to Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared that Iran won the war and demanded compensation for the damage and casualties caused. His message came as supporters marked the 40th day of mourning for his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes at the start of the war.

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Melania Trump Denies Epstein Ties in Surprise Speech, Tapes Directly Contradict Her

• First Lady Melania Trump delivered a six-minute statement from the White House on Thursday denying any friendship or relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, calling on Congress to hold a public hearing for survivors. “The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect.”

• She stated: “I am not Epstein’s victim. Epstein did not introduce me to Donald Trump. I met my husband, by chance, at a New York City party in 1998.”

• She addressed a 2002 email she sent to Maxwell, in which she praised a New York Magazine story, complimented a photo of Maxwell, and signed off “love, Melania.” Maxwell replied by calling her “sweet pea.” Melania called the exchange nothing more than “casual correspondence.”

• However, in audio recordings obtained by the Daily Beast, Epstein described himself as Trump’s “closest friend for 10 years” and claimed that the first time Trump slept with Melania was on his private plane, the “Lolita Express.”

• President Trump told MS NOW in a phone call that he did not know about his wife’s statement before she delivered it. A White House official told MS NOW that many White House staffers were caught off guard.

• A group of survivors and family members of the late Virginia Giuffre said in a statement that asking them to do more “is a deflection of responsibility, not justice.” They added: “First Lady Melania Trump is now shifting the burden onto survivors under politicized conditions that protect those with power.”

• Two of Epstein’s accusers, Maria and Annie Farmer, said: “What we want is accountability, transparency, and justice.”

• The statement came one day after the DOJ said former Attorney General Pam Bondi would not comply with a subpoena to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding her handling of Epstein documents. Author Michael Wolff, who is being sued by Melania over Epstein-related claims, told NBC he was “totally caught out of the blue” by her statement.

Trump Attacks Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens, and Alex Jones in Vicious Tirade

• In a 482-word Truth Social post Thursday, Trump laid into four prominent conservative commentators, calling them “NUT JOBS,” “TROUBLEMAKERS,” and “stupid people” with “Low IQs” who host “Third Rate Podcasts.” Trump asserted, without evidence, that Carlson, Kelly, Owens, and Jones “think it is wonderful” for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.

  

• He called Tucker Carlson a “broken man” who “couldn’t even finish College” after being fired from Fox News, suggesting he “should see a good psychiatrist.” (Carlson graduated from Trinity College in 1991, according to The Hill.)

• He mocked Candace Owens, saying the French First Lady Brigitte Macron is “a far more beautiful woman than Candace, in fact, it’s not even close!”

• He called “Bankrupt Alex Jones” someone who “says some of the dumbest things, and lost his entire fortune, as he should have, for his horrendous attack on the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims.”

• Owens responded on X: “It may be time to put Grandpa up in a home.” Jones called for the 25th Amendment, saying on his show: “How do we 25th Amendment his ass?” Owens also called for removal, writing: “The 25th Amendment needs to be invoked. He is a genocidal lunatic. We are beyond madness.”

• Megyn Kelly said: “The coalition that got Trump elected is completely fractured and in smithereens.”

Trump Posts Unedited Video of Woman Being Killed With Hammer on Truth Social

• President Trump posted a graphic, unedited surveillance video Thursday night showing a man smashing an SUV outside a Florida gas station with a hammer and then bludgeoning a woman who exited the store to confront him.

• WARNING: This video contains graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.

• The suspect, Rolbert Joachin, a 40-year-old Haitian national, has been charged with second-degree murder. The victim was identified as Nilufa Easmin, a gas station clerk from Bangladesh and a mother of two.

• Trump said he felt an “obligation” to share what he called a “brutal slaying,” using the incident to attack Biden-era immigration policies. DHS said Joachin entered the U.S. in 2022, was ordered removed, but was granted Temporary Protected Status that expired in 2024.

• The post was one of many in a late-night Truth Social spree that also included attacks on conservative media figures and complaints about the Strait of Hormuz.

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Fetterman Breaks With Democrats Again, Will Oppose Iran War Powers Resolution

• Sen. John Fetterman said he will vote against a Democratic war powers resolution that Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday. The resolution would require Trump to receive congressional approval before continuing the war against Iran.

• “We have to stand [with] our military to allow them to accomplish the goals of Epic Fury,” Fetterman told Fox News. “I’m old enough to remember we used to root for our military, and we would all agree that Iran is the world’s leading terrorism underwriter.”

• “If you want to talk about a war crime, you know, Iran is a 47-year-old war crime,” Fetterman said on Hannity.

• Previous war powers resolutions from Sens. Kaine, Booker, and Murphy all failed, with Fetterman the lone Democrat to vote against and Sen. Rand Paul the lone Republican to support them.

Judge Finds Pentagon Violated Court Order on Press Access

• U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman ruled Thursday that the Defense Department is violating his earlier order to restore access to the Pentagon for reporters, siding with The New York Times for the second time in a month.

• “Suppression of political speech is the mark of an autocracy, not a democracy,” Friedman wrote, blasting the department for attempting an end-run around his previous ruling.

• After Friedman’s March 20 ruling voided parts of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s restrictive press policy, the Pentagon quickly implemented even tighter rules, closing the Correspondents’ Corridor where journalists had worked for decades and requiring all reporters to be escorted at all times.

• “The Department cannot simply reinstate an unlawful policy under the guise of taking ‘new’ action and expect the court to look the other way,” Friedman wrote. The Pentagon plans to appeal.

Trump Administration Orders Dismantling of the U.S. Forest Service

• The Trump administration announced the most sweeping overhaul of the U.S. Forest Service in its 121-year history, relocating headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Salt Lake City, shuttering all 10 regional offices, and closing more than 50 research facilities across 31 states.

• Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the move will bring leaders closer to the landscapes they manage. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said: “Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground, where forests and communities are found.”

• Environmental groups condemned the move. Taylor McKinnon of the Center for Biological Diversity called it “a costly bureaucratic reshuffle” that will empower corporations and states to log, mine, and drill public lands. “National forests belong to all Americans,” he said.

• Utah Governor Spencer Cox celebrated it as “a big win for Utah and the West.” Critics note that Salt Lake City is the center of the anti-public-lands movement and home to Sen. Mike Lee, who has spent years pushing to transfer federal land to state control.

• More than 50 research and development facilities will be consolidated into a single location in Fort Collins, Colorado, wiping out decades of place-based ecological studies that cannot be relocated.

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Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s $400 Million White House Ballroom

• U.S. District Judge Richard Leon blocked Trump from moving ahead with construction of a massive new $400 million ballroom on the former site of the White House East Wing. “The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” Leon wrote.

• Leon concluded that Trump had not received congressional approval for the project, as required by federal law. He suspended enforcement for 14 days to allow for appeal.

• The Trump administration is now arguing the project is essential for national security, citing bomb shelters, missile-resistant materials, a hospital, and other security features. Trump told reporters the ballroom’s roof is “droneproof” and includes “bio-defense all over” and “secure telecommunications.”

• The project began when Trump demolished the East Wing in October. The ballroom was originally estimated at $200 million but has since doubled in cost. It is designed to hold 999 people across 90,000 square feet.

EPA Proposes Gutting Coal Ash Disposal Rules, Threatening Drinking Water

• The Trump EPA proposed weakening rules for the disposal of coal ash, which can contain hazardous heavy metals like mercury and arsenic that contaminate groundwater.

• The proposal would ease standards for monitoring and protecting groundwater near coal ash sites, roll back requirements to clean up entire coal properties, and make it easier for states to grant exemptions from national standards.

• EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the proposal reflects the agency’s “commitment to restoring American energy dominance.”

• “Opening the door to leaving ash in groundwater undermines one of the central protections of this rule, and that’s essentially what this does,” said Nick Torrey, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.

• “The Trump administration just took a sledgehammer to the health protections in place for toxic coal pollution,” said Lisa Evans, senior counsel at Earthjustice. “This is yet another handout to the coal power industry at the expense of our health, water, and wallets.”

• The EPA first began regulating coal ash after a dike failure in Tennessee in 2008 spread ash over 300 acres, forcing a massive cleanup. Workers involved said the exposure caused cancers.

DOJ Finalizing Report Accusing Biden Administration of Anti-Christian Bias

• The Trump Justice Department is finalizing a report that casts the Biden DOJ as anti-Christian, focusing on its enforcement of laws protecting abortion clinics and Covid-era regulations, according to details viewed by NBC News.

• The report stems from a DOJ task force created after an executive order Trump signed in February 2025 to “eradicate anti-Christian bias.” A final version is expected in the coming weeks. It carries no legal authority.

• A nearly 60-page draft seeks to justify Trump’s pardons of two dozen defendants convicted of blockading abortion clinics under the FACE Act, arguing their prosecutions were motivated by targeting people “with traditional Christian views.”

• An analysis by the Interfaith Alliance found no evidence of widespread anti-Christian bias, stating: “In reality, it will weaponize a narrow understanding of religious freedom to legitimize discrimination against marginalized groups.”

• Former assistant attorney general for civil rights Kristen Clarke said the Biden DOJ “enforced the law even-handedly and put public safety at the center” of its work.

USDA Secretary Faces Formal Complaint Over Religious Easter Email to 100,000 Employees

• Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins sent an email to nearly 100,000 USDA employees on Easter reading: “Happy Easter ... He is Risen indeed!” She called the holiday “the foundation of our faith” and wrote that “sin has been destroyed. Jesus has been raised from the dead.”

• A formal complaint was filed with the Office of Special Counsel by Ethan Roberts, president of a local federal employees union, who said the email was a “pro-Christianity sermon” that violated the First Amendment’s establishment clause.

• Roberts told CNN the references to “sin” and “Hell” made him “feel as if that was my fate if I did not treat Easter as holy as Secretary Rollins does.”

• The Freedom from Religion Foundation said it received complaints from nearly 30 USDA employees, describing the message as “inappropriate and insulting,” and sent a formal letter demanding she stop “promoting your personal religious beliefs through official communications.”

• A USDA spokesperson said: “The Secretary is within her rights to send a message to employees and the public on the Easter holiday. Just like Secretaries of Agriculture and Presidents have in the past.”

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OUR MISSION AT CENTERED AMERICA

Centered America is a 501(c)(4) organization founded to unite disillusioned Democrats, Republicans, overlooked communities, and everyday Americans to rebuild the United States of America into a country that truly represents the people.

We are committed to upholding constitutional and democratic principles, fighting oligarchy and fascism, promoting activism, reporting the truth, and resisting the Trump administration’s dangerous agenda.

To achieve this, we focus on reconnecting with open-minded voters, addressing their concerns directly, amplifying independent journalism, and providing resources that empower citizens to actively engage in protecting our democracy.

Donate to Centered America

Contact Us

Email us at info@centeredamerica.org.

⸻

Thank you for fighting.

Sources:

CNN Inflation | NBC Inflation | NPR Inflation | Al Jazeera Lebanon | NBC Ceasefire | CBS Ceasefire | NPR Ceasefire | PBS Lebanon | NPR Melania | White House Statement | CBS Melania | NBC Melania | CNN Melania | Daily Beast Tapes | Fox News Melania | Boston Globe/AP | Rolling Stone Trump | Variety | NBC Trump | The Hill Trump | NBC Murder Video | Newsweek Murder Video | The Hill Fetterman | Fox News Fetterman | CNN Pentagon | Military.com | Hatch Forest Service | AP Forest Service | CNN Ballroom | UPI Ballroom | AP Coal Ash | NBC DOJ | CNN Rollins

Hey everyone. A lot happened today and over the last 48 hours. Too much, honestly.

The soldiers who survived the Kuwait drone strike are speaking out for the first time, and what they’re saying is DEVASTATING. Hegseth told the country that “one squirter squeaked through” a fortified position. The soldiers say that’s a lie. They had no defenses. They had taken their helmets off. One survivor put it bluntly: “I would put it in the none category.” These are the people we sent to war, and the Pentagon is lying about how they died and how they were protected.

Meanwhile, Israel killed over 250 people in Beirut HOURS after the ceasefire was announced. They called it “Operation Eternal Darkness.” Fifty fighter jets. 160 munitions. No warning. Trump says Lebanon isn’t covered by the deal. Iran says it is. The ceasefire is already falling apart. And while all of this is happening, newly created Polymarket accounts made hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on the ceasefire HOURS before Trump announced it. Someone knew. The Strait of Hormuz is still effectively closed: five ships crossed on day one, down from 110 per day before the war.

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Now here is your Wednesday afternoon briefing.

Republicans Gavel Out on War Powers Vote as Democrats Scream “Shame”

• House Democrats tried to force a vote on a war powers resolution during a pro forma session today, but the Republican lawmaker presiding, Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, gaveled out without calling on Rep. Glenn Ivey, who was there to push the resolution by unanimous consent. Democrats howled in protest, with some shouting “Shame!”

• Senate Democrats will launch a more serious attempt to rein in Trump when Congress returns next week, with Sens. Tim Kaine, Cory Booker, Chris Murphy and others announcing they will force a vote on their own war powers resolution.

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a letter to colleagues that the two-week ceasefire is inadequate. Sen. Andy Kim posted a video on Tuesday from inside a train he was taking back to Washington, urging fellow members to return, saying Trump’s statements were “unacceptable” and “absolutely unhinged.”

• The House and Senate have failed repeatedly to approve limits on the president’s military authority in Iran since the war started on February 28. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has been the only Republican to consistently vote for war powers resolutions.

Kuwait Strike Survivors Contradict Pentagon, Say Their Unit Was “Unprepared” and Exposed

• Survivors of the March 1 Iranian drone strike in Kuwait that killed six U.S. servicemembers have spoken publicly for the first time, telling CBS News that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s characterization of the attack was false.

• Hegseth had described the drone as a “squirter” that slipped through a fortified unit’s defenses. One injured soldier told CBS News directly: “Painting a picture that ‘one squeaked through’ is a falsehood. I want people to know the unit was unprepared to provide any defense for itself. It was not a fortified position.”

  

• When asked about the degree of fortification, one soldier responded: “I mean, I would put it in the none category.”

• Troops had removed their helmets and returned to their desks in a wood and tin workspace after an all-clear alert sounded about 30 minutes before the strike hit. One soldier described the aftermath: the ears ringing, dust and smoke everywhere, head wounds, heavy bleeding, perforated eardrums, and shrapnel injuries across people’s bodies.

• Separately, The Intercept reported that the Pentagon continues to undercount U.S. casualties, with the Defense Casualty Analysis System listing 13 deaths but omitting at least one servicemember, Maj. Sorffly Davius, who died of sudden illness while deployed to Camp Buehring, Kuwait.

New Polymarket Accounts Make Hundreds of Thousands Betting on Ceasefire Hours Before Announcement

• At least 50 newly created accounts on Polymarket placed substantial bets that a U.S.-Iran ceasefire would happen on April 7, hours before Trump announced the deal, despite the president having escalated his rhetoric sharply that morning.

• One wallet created around 10 a.m. Tuesday placed roughly $72,000 in bets at an average price of 8.8 cents and cashed out for a profit of $200,000. Another joined a day earlier and won $125,500. A third wallet, created just 12 minutes before Trump’s post, earned an estimated $48,500.

• Rep. Blake Moore, who has introduced legislation to regulate prediction markets, said in a statement: “It’s highly unlikely that these are good-faith trades; it’s much more likely that these are insiders with access to information ahead of the public.”

• The pattern mirrors earlier episodes on the platform, including newly created accounts that placed large wagers before the January capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and profited from well-timed bets on military actions involving Iran.

Israel Kills 250+ in Deadliest Day of Lebanon Conflict, Ceasefire Thrown Into Chaos

• Israeli strikes hit busy commercial and residential areas in central Beirut without warning on Wednesday, hours after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire was announced. Lebanon said at least 182 people were killed and hundreds were wounded, making it the deadliest day in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war. The Lebanese Civil Defense later raised the toll past 250.

• Israel dubbed its attacks “Operation Eternal Darkness” and said it hit over 100 targets within ten minutes using fifty fighter jets and about 160 munitions.

• Adam Nsouli, a 25-year-old nurse at the American University Hospital in Beirut, described the aftermath to NBC News: “The smell, the smoke, you can barely see, the fire, the sound of the screams. All the destruction, it’s like a Hollywood movie.”

• Trump told PBS NewsHour that Lebanon was not included in the deal, calling the fighting “a separate skirmish.” Iran, Pakistan, and France all insist Lebanon is covered by the ceasefire.

• Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Israeli strikes on Lebanon violate the ceasefire agreement and would render negotiations meaningless, adding that Iran would not abandon the Lebanese people.

• Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that continued Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon would bring “explicit costs and STRONG responses,” insisting that Lebanon is “an inseparable part” of the ceasefire.

Trump Issues NATO “Ultimatum” to Deploy Warships to Hormuz or Face Consequences

• President Trump has given European allies a matter of days to commit warships or other military assets to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Der Spiegel report. The demand came during a closed-door meeting at the White House with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

• European diplomats characterized the request as an “ultimatum,” saying the Trump administration made clear that vague “political pledges” are no longer sufficient.

• In a Truth Social post following his meeting with Rutte, Trump wrote: “NATO wasn’t there when we needed them, and they won’t be there if we need them again.”

• White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump believes NATO was “tested, and they failed” during the Iran war.

• Der Spiegel also reported that Trump is compiling a list categorizing European NATO allies based on whether they supported or opposed the war, with Spain expected to be a primary focus. Trump intends to withdraw U.S. troops from countries that prove uncooperative.

Strait of Hormuz Still Effectively Closed Despite Ceasefire

• Only five ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on the first day of the ceasefire, according to data firm Kpler. All five were bulk carriers. None were oil or gas tankers. Before the war, around 110 ships were passing through the strait every day.

• The UAE’s industry minister Sultan Al Jaber wrote on LinkedIn: “This moment requires clarity. So let’s be clear: the Strait of Hormuz is not open. Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled.”

• Iran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told the BBC that Iran will allow ships to pass in accordance with international law once the U.S. ends its “aggression” and Israel stops attacking Lebanon.

• Hapag-Lloyd communication chief Nils Haupt told CNBC that returning to normal for the shipping industry is “weeks away” and the company is “currently refraining” from transiting the Strait.

• Semiofficial news agencies in Iran have suggested that forces have mined the Strait of Hormuz, adding to uncertainty even during the ceasefire.

UK Exposes Month-Long Russian Submarine Operation Near Critical Undersea Infrastructure

• UK Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that a Russian Akula-class attack submarine and two specialized submarines from GUGI, Russia’s Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research, conducted covert operations near critical British undersea infrastructure over the past month.

• The Royal Navy deployed HMS St Albans and RAF P8 aircraft alongside allies, including Norway, to monitor the submarines around the clock. The Akula was determined to be a distraction while the GUGI vessels surveyed cables and pipelines.

• All three submarines have now retreated. Healey addressed Putin directly: “We see you, we see your activity over our cables and pipelines. And you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated, and will have serious consequences.”

• Over 500 British personnel were involved in the response. The RAF flew over 450 hours during the operation. The UK has seen a 30% increase in Russian vessels threatening UK waters over the last two years.

FBI Arrests Former Fort Bragg Employee, Journalist Calls Her a “Brave Whistleblower”

• Courtney Williams, 40, a former U.S. Army Special Operations Command employee, was arrested by the FBI and charged with transmitting classified national defense information to journalist Seth Harp over a period spanning several years.

• Williams held top secret security clearance for her work with a Special Military Unit at Fort Bragg from 2010 to 2016. Harp’s book, “The Fort Bragg Cartel,” and an accompanying Politico article detailed alleged sexual harassment, drug trafficking, and unsolved deaths involving personnel at the base.

• Harp called Williams “a brave whistleblower and truth-teller,” saying: “Former Delta Force operators disclose ‘national defense information’ on podcasts and YouTube shows every day, but the government is going after Courtney for the sole reason that she exposed sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the unit. This is a vindictive act of retaliation, plain and simple.”

• FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X after the arrest: “Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests.”

• In a conversation with her mother, Williams reportedly said: “I might actually get arrested, and I don’t even get a free copy of the book.”

Italy’s Meloni Distances Herself From Trump as Political Pressure Mounts

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, once Trump’s closest European ally, has been distancing herself from the president as the Iran war drives up energy prices and tanks her domestic approval.

• In a parliamentary address to the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Meloni affirmed that freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is a vital interest, reiterated her opposition to the U.S. decision to wage war on Iran, and called on Israel to end military operations in Lebanon.

• During a visit to Gulf countries, she stated plainly: “When we don’t agree, we must say it. And this time, we do not agree.”

• Italian polls show the proportion of those who hold a positive view of Trump has plunged from 35 to 19 percent since the war. Voters last month rejected a Meloni-backed referendum on judicial reform by large margins, particularly among younger voters.

Melania Trump Gets VIP Access to Kristi Noem’s $70 Million Luxury ICE Jet

• The Trump administration is proceeding with the acquisition of a $70 million Boeing 737 Max 8 that former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem had leased during her tenure, with the Wall Street Journal reporting it will now be used by select Cabinet secretaries and First Lady Melania Trump.

• The jet features a bedroom with a queen-sized bed, showers, a kitchen, four large flat-screen TVs, and a bar. It was originally justified as part of the mass deportation effort.

• The Daily Beast’s PunchUp Substack reported that the true cost of the aircraft is actually $108 million, roughly $40 million above the publicly stated price tag.

• A DHS spokesperson said: “This new plane will serve dual missions, both as ICE deportation flights and for cabinet level travel. This plane flies at 40% cheaper than what the military aircraft flies for ICE deportation flights.”

• The jet has not yet been used for any deportation operations.

Automatic Military Draft Registration Will Begin in December

• Eligible men will automatically be registered into the military draft pool by December, as part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act signed by Trump in December 2025.

• The change transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to the Selective Service System through integration with federal data sources, rather than requiring each man to sign up within 30 days of turning 18.

• The Selective Service System submitted its proposed implementing rule to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30, 2026. The change was driven by declining registration rates, which fell to 81% in 2024 from 84% the year before, after the FAFSA form removed its Selective Service checkbox in 2022.

• The U.S. has not had a draft since the Vietnam War, with military service being voluntary since 1973. Women are still ineligible for the draft despite repeated legislative attempts to include them.

Emperor Penguins Officially Declared Endangered Species