WATCH IRAN CONFLICT

“The post was deleted after many, including Trump supporters, criticized the imagery. Trump also said he won't apologize to to pope Leo after lashing out at the pontiff for his comments criticizing the war in Iran. Pope Leo called the president's threats last week to destroy Iranian civilization unacceptable.”

“The US Navy now restricting the movement of ships in and out of the Strait Of Hormuz, part of a blockade of Iranian ports announced by president Trump Sunday after peace talks with Iran produced no agreement. Iran has remained defiant, saying it will not surrender to threats from The US.”

“Democratic California congressman Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzalez are stepping down from their house seats, both bowing to pressure to leave congress or face expulsion following sexual misconduct allegations.”

“The defendant is alleged to having traveled across state lines with the intent to both target an individual and a major technology company. This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted, and extremely serious.”

“The NAR is revising its housing forecast down for the year. That's because the war with Iran has raised the cost of borrowing, and that sent mortgage rates up. The association went from rejecting a double digit increase in existing home sales to just 4%.”

“A war few expected to last this long is exposing how fragile global systems really are.”

“The Strait of Hormuz and how shifting power dynamics are reshaping global markets and strategy.”

“We're witnessing a temporary disruption or the end of a the U.S. unipolar era.”

“China’s quiet advantage is part of the shifting power dynamics we unpack.”

“Markets may be underestimating cascading global disruptions.”

“The United States is ultimately going to lose a conflict with Iran because it lacks the strategic depth required for that region.”

“Global power is managed by secret societies and structures that the average person never sees or understands.”

“The return of Donald Trump represents a fundamental shift in how the U.S. will interact with its global rivals.”

“Our current institutional framework is crumbling, and this collapse is the precursor to a massive systemic change.”

“The U.S. military is currently overextended, making it vulnerable to asymmetric threats from smaller nations.”

“The US military is blocking ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports absent a peace agreement. The blockade was due to take effect two hours ago. US central command says the action will not, quote, impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait Of Hormuz to and from non Iranian ports.”

“The Hungarian government under Orban has not been using the veto to protect Hungarian interest. It was using the veto to protect Russian interest. So that very clearly will need to stop.”

“Within hours of those reports, nearly all of his major endorsers abandoned him. On x, Swalwell apologized for mistakes in judgment but denies the allegations. He's now facing calls from fellow Democrats in California to resign his house seat.”

“So far, the average refund is about 11% higher than this time last year, about $350 more according to data from the IRS. Michael Pierce with Oxford Economics expects that average will go up. That's because higher income filers typically procrastinate on filing and seem to be benefiting more from the new tax changes.”

“World Cup tickets are getting even pricier. FIFA, the international governing body for professional soccer, is adding a more expensive tier. A ticket for a front category one seat at the US opener against Argentina in Los Angeles will cost as much as $5,470 according to the Associated Press.”

“The US military is blocking ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports absent a peace agreement. The blockade was due to take effect two hours ago. US central command says the action will not, quote, impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait Of Hormuz to and from non Iranian ports.”

“The Hungarian government under Orban has not been using the veto to protect Hungarian interest. It was using the veto to protect Russian interest. So that very clearly will need to stop.”

“Within hours of those reports, nearly all of his major endorsers abandoned him. On x, Swalwell apologized for mistakes in judgment but denies the allegations. He's now facing calls from fellow Democrats in California to resign his house seat.”

“So far, the average refund is about 11% higher than this time last year, about $350 more according to data from the IRS. Michael Pierce with Oxford Economics expects that average will go up. That's because higher income filers typically procrastinate on filing and seem to be benefiting more from the new tax changes.”

“World Cup tickets are getting even pricier. FIFA, the international governing body for professional soccer, is adding a more expensive tier. A ticket for a front category one seat at the US opener against Argentina in Los Angeles will cost as much as $5,470 according to the Associated Press.”

“If Iran does not fully open without threat, the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first. So he wrote that on Saturday night, which means that 48 hour clock expires tonight.”

“Oil prices at the $100 mark now for a while. There's concern that could go up to $150, $170 a barrel. Over the weekend, United Airlines CEO says they're preparing for that scenario and you see a lot of companies adapting to a scenario where we could have high oil prices for a while.”

“Now to those massive, sometimes 6-hour TSA lines at some US airports over the weekend. As this partial DHS shutdown nears its 40-day mark, ICE agents are set to arrive to help speed things up at some airports today.”

“To the AI economy, where real estate developers are now spending more on data centers than office space. And is it time to call a boomer? Public phones in Boston and Nevada are connecting generations. We'll explain.”

“Helium plays a very important role in a number of industrial processes. Also, fertilizer, that's raising prices for farmers around the world, including here in the US. The fertilizer price goes up because there's a lack of fertilizer. Well, the prices for farmers go up and then food prices go up for consumers.”

“If Iran does not fully open without threat, the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first. So he wrote that on Saturday night, which means that 48 hour clock expires tonight.”

“Oil prices at the $100 mark now for a while. There's concern that could go up to $150, $170 a barrel. Over the weekend, United Airlines CEO says they're preparing for that scenario and you see a lot of companies adapting to a scenario where we could have high oil prices for a while.”

“Now to those massive, sometimes 6-hour TSA lines at some US airports over the weekend. As this partial DHS shutdown nears its 40-day mark, ICE agents are set to arrive to help speed things up at some airports today.”

“To the AI economy, where real estate developers are now spending more on data centers than office space. And is it time to call a boomer? Public phones in Boston and Nevada are connecting generations. We'll explain.”

“Helium plays a very important role in a number of industrial processes. Also, fertilizer, that's raising prices for farmers around the world, including here in the US. The fertilizer price goes up because there's a lack of fertilizer. Well, the prices for farmers go up and then food prices go up for consumers.”

“President Trump said on Truth Social that dozens of planes took part in the operation to save the airmen after his F-15 fighter jet was hit over western Iran on Friday. The plane's pilot was quickly rescued, but the weapons officer, an Air Force colonel, had to go into hiding. Trump wrote, quote, This brave warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran.”

“President Trump warned Iran today in a profane written post on social media that the US will attack key Iranian economic and infrastructure installations Tuesday. This, if no deal, is agreed to before then to keep open the key strait of Hormuz.”

“The president and Secretary Hegseth's rhetoric about no mercy, no quarter, death from above, the bombing of the Stone Ages, this kind of rhetoric is really dangerous because the likelihood of having downed pilots or others who are captured in a war like this is very high. And if you send the message that there's no quarter for the folks on the other side, that really encourages them to mistreat our folks.”

“The governor of Russia's northwestern Leningrad region said Ukrainian drones caused a fuel leak at the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, the latest in a series of attacks that have slowed shipments of oil out of one of Russia's largest export hubs. Separately, authorities in the Nizhny Novgorod region to the east of Moscow reported Ukrainian drone strikes caused a massive fire at one of Russia's largest oil refineries.”

“The uptick in attacks comes as part of a wider Ukrainian effort to limit Russia's financial windfall from the US and Israel's decision to attack Iran. That war has brought soaring global energy prices and new customers for Russian oil and gas at a moment when Russia's economy had been struggling due to Western sanctions.”

“President Trump said on Truth Social that dozens of planes took part in the operation to save the airmen after his F-15 fighter jet was hit over western Iran on Friday. The plane's pilot was quickly rescued, but the weapons officer, an Air Force colonel, had to go into hiding. Trump wrote, quote, This brave warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran. US rescue aircraft came under fire, but managed to reach the airmen and fly them out of the country.”

“On this Easter Sunday, President Trump went on Truth Social this morning to threaten Iran. In a profanity-laden post, he said Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day, repeating his threat to strike Iran's critical infrastructure if Iran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Monday deadline. Trump ended the post with, praise be to Allah.”

“Easter services are mixed with funerals as Israel bombs Lebanon's south and demolishes homes there. In the Christian village of Dibil, resident Maroun Yassif tells NPR, They're under siege and being shelled. United Nations peacekeepers say they've lodged a formal protest after Israeli soldiers destroyed security cameras outside a UN base in southern Lebanon. Three UN peacekeepers were killed last month and several have been wounded.”

“Egypt said today that its foreign minister, Badr Abdel-Ati, had had phone conversations with his regional counterparts, as well as US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arakchi to discuss proposals to de-escalate the Iran war. The phone conversations follow Egypt's participation last weekend in talks with Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia on the Iran conflict, which has also triggered a rise in global fuel costs.”

“Hollywood studios and screenwriters reached an agreement yesterday on a new contract. It's for four years, a year longer than usual. The precise terms have not been disclosed. The Writers Guild issued a statement that the contract protects health care gains that were reached in 2023. The current contract expires June 30th. The swift resolution of negotiations comes in stark contrast to the last round, when Hollywood writers went on strike for months.”

“The pilot was quickly recovered, but his weapons officer or colonel spent again two days evading Iranian militia and Revolutionary Guard forces. He was eventually plucked from a crevasse in a mountain some 7,000 feet high. I'm told by a US official, he's in stable condition, though no detail on his wounds.”

“Meanwhile, in a profanity-filled post on social media, President Trump threatened Iran again today over opening the Strait of Hormuz. Israeli attacks have killed at least 39 people across Lebanon today. And Piers-Lauren Freire reports, one of the biggest attacks targeted Beirut's southern suburbs, where Iran-backed Hezbollah has offices.”

“Residents posted this video to social media showing people covered in gray dust, ferrying the wounded out of a collapsed building on slings made of blankets. Israel often issues evacuation orders, but this attack in Beirut's coastal area of Jenach came without warning. Hitting a dense residential area near a public hospital, health officials say a four-year-old girl was among those killed.”

“Russia attacks Ukrainian cities with hundreds of Shaheds a day, and Ukraine's military has learned how to intercept them. Zelensky is offering to trade this anti-drone expertise for systems that shoot down Russian ballistic missiles. Joanna Kekesis, NPR News, CAVE.”

“The Screenwriters Union and Hollywood Studios have reached a tentative four-year agreement after weeks of negotiation. Details of the agreement between the Writers Guild of America West and the Alliance of Motion Picture and TV Producers hasn't been released. But the Union was asking for better health care plans and protections against artificial intelligence.”

“A US. Air Force officer who, along with another crew member ejected from a jet shot down in Iran on Friday, was rescued by US forces Sunday morning. Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard, says at least five people were killed by US and Israeli forces involved in the operation. President Trump announced the rescue on social media, calling it, quote, one of the most daring search and rescue operations in US history.”

“On this Easter Sunday, President Trump went on Truth Social to threaten Iran. In a profanity-laden post, he said Tuesday will be Power Plant Day and Bridge Day. Repeating his threat to strike critical infrastructure, if Iran doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by tomorrow, Trump ended the post with, praise be to Allah. The Strait of Hormuz carries about one-fifth of the world's oil supply, and gasoline prices have spiked since the war began.”

“Assuming there's actually a ceasefire and that Iran is interested in respecting it, it's going to be at least a couple of months. Reopening of the Straits will be slow because it may have been mined. Also, the logistics of getting all the ships that are trapped in out and the ones that are out in will be slow. Repair, there's been a lot of damage to infrastructure. We don't know how bad. It takes time to get the crew in. There's also restart. A lot of the oil fields have been damaged.”

“President Trump's executive order calls for his administration to create lists of adult US citizens in each state. It also calls for banning the US Postal Service from delivering mail-in-balance to anyone not on those lists. In their lawsuits, Democrats, voting rights groups, and almost two dozen states argue that Constitution gives state legislatures and Congress, not the president, the power to set rules for federal elections.”

“Dymast and the National Rural Letter Cares Association says the order would weaponize the Postal Service to determine a voter's eligibility. It's going to cause confusion and could cause further delays in the daily handling of the mail and the daily routine and work of a postal worker. Trump says his order is trying to stop illegal voting by non-citizens in federal elections, a problem that numerous studies have shown is incredibly rare.”