Trump agrees to extend ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request

President Trump has agreed to extend the ceasefire with Iran. The president says the United States is extending the ceasefire at the request of Pakistani officials. He writes on social media that the U-S military will not attack Iran as its leaders “come up with a unified proposal” to end the war. In the meantime, however, the president says the U-S will continue its blockade of all Iranian ports.

Democrat congresswoman resigns before ethics panel punishment

Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is leaving Congress before the House Ethics Committee made a final decision on her punishment. Members of the panel found the Florida Democrat committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards, leading to calls for her expulsion. The congresswoman also faces federal criminal charges accusing her of stealing 5 million dollars in coronavirus disaster relief funds. Cherfilus-McCormick denies any wrongdoing.

Pentagon wants to triple spending on drone technology

Trump surprised by Wall Street’s performance during Iran war

President Trump says he thought the Iran war was going to hit U-S financial markets a lot harder. The president told CNBC that he’s pleasantly surprised by Wall Street’s performance after nearly 8 weeks of war against Iran. He thought the stock market would be “down 20 percent,” but it has rebounded. The president also said he expected oil prices would be much higher. The price of gasoline, however, remains above 4 dollars a gallon according to Triple-A.

Trump predicts “great deal” ahead of talks with Iran

Ahead of more peace talks with Iran, President Trump is predicting a “great deal” to end the war.
believes Iran has no choice but to reach an agreement to end the war. The president believes Iran “has no choice” but to reach an agreement with the United States. He tells CNBC that he doesn’t want to extend the ceasefire which expires Wednesday and he expects a “great deal.” At the same time, the president continues to threaten more fighting and more bombs if negotiators fail to end the war, saying the military is “ready to go.”

Trump’s Labor Secretary departs amid misconduct investigation

President Trump’s Labor Secretary is leaving the Cabinet amid multiple allegations of misconduct. The White House announced the departure of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the third Trump Cabinet member to be removed in the last few weeks. Chavez-DeRemer has been under investigation for a series of allegations, including having an affair with a subordinate and drinking alcohol on the job. At least four other Labor Department officials have already been forced from their jobs during the internal investigation.

FBI Director Patel sues The Atlantic for article alleging excessive drinking

FBI Director Kash Patel is suing The Atlantic over an article that alleged excessive drinking. The 250-million dollar lawsuit against the magazine and its reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick contends the article was a “malicious hit piece.” The Atlantic says it stands by Fitzpatrick’s reporting and that it would defend itself against the “meritless lawsuit.” In the lawsuit, filed in district court here in the nation’s capital, Patel denied the excessive drinking allegations and criticized the magazine for relying on anonymous sources.

Trump: fighting will restart if Iran ceasefire ends without deal

President Trump is threatening more military action against Iran if there’s no agreement to end the war. The president told Bloomberg News that he’s “highly unlikely” to renew the two-week ceasefire that expires soon. He also extended the ceasefire by one day, saying it will now expire “Wednesday evening Washington time.”And the president said fighting will restart absent a deal, telling PBS that “lots of bombs” will be dropped on Iran if the ceasefire ends without an agreement.

Trump says U.S. Navy seized Iranian-flagged ship

The U-S blockade of Iranian ports has led to the seizure of a foreign ship and could threaten more peace talks. President Trump said the U-S seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz. He wrote on social media that the U-S Navy blew a hole in the engine room of the vessel and that Marines took custody of the ship. It was the first such interception since the U-S started blockading Iranian ports last week. Iran called the U-S seizure an act of piracy.

Michigan refuses DOJ demand for 2024 election ballots

Michigan officials are refusing to turn over Detroit-area ballots and other materials related to the 2024 election. Last week, the Justice Department sent a letter to the clerk in Wayne County, Michigan, demanding ballots, ballot receipts, and ballot envelopes. Wayne County is home to Detroit. On Sunday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel pushed back, accusing the Trump administration of trying to cast doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections. In a joint statement with Michigan’s governor and secretary of state, Nessel called the DOJ request “absurd” and “baseless.”

Trump refuses to end criminal probe of Fed Chair Powell

President Trump’s refusal to end a criminal investigation of Jerome Powell is delaying the confirmation of his nominee to replace the Fed chairman. GOP Senator Thom Tillis is blocking confirmation of Kevin Warsh until the Justice Department drops its criminal investigation into Jerome Powell’s renovation of the Fed ‘s DC headquarters. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other Republican allies of the president are also calling for an end to the probe. But this past week, the president doubled down and said the investigation will continue. Powell contends that the president is trying to intimidate him over inter

House Republicans revolt on FISA, rejecting Trump’s demand

Some House Republicans stood up to President Trump in a vote to renew a controversial surveillance program without any changes. Members of the conservative Freedom Caucus demanded better protections for Americans whose communications could get swept up in warrantless surveillance by U-S spy agencies. But President Trump demanded Republican unity in supporting the law’s renewal without revisions. A middle-of-the-night attempt by House Speaker Johnson to push the bill through failed. In the end, the House approved a temporary, two-week extension of FISA, which was supported by the Senate.

Lawyers trying to resolve Trump’s $10B lawsuit against IRS

Lawyers for Donald Trump are trying to resolve the president’s 10 billion dollar lawsuit against the IRS.
According to a federal court filing, the president’s legal team and the IRS are having talks and trying to reach a settlement. Trump’s lawyers asked a judge to pause the case for 90 days while the two sides seek a resolution. Earlier this year, the president filed a lawsuit against the very government he oversees. He’s seeking 10 billion dollars in damages over the leak of his tax information to news outlets between 2018 and 2020.

U.S. and Iran say Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” to vessels

The United States and Iran say the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open to commercial vessels. The announcement came from both President Trump and Iran’s foreign minister. Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is “completely open” in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon and that it would stay open for the remaining period of the ceasefire. The president said the strait is “ready for business and full passage.” However, he said the U-S naval blockade of Iranian ports “will remain in full force and effect” until a peace agreement with Iran is finalized.

House Republicans reject Trump’s call to renew FISA without changes

A group of House Republicans rejected President Trump’s request to renew a controversial surveillance program without revisions to the law. The president wanted a clean 18-month extension of FISA, which U-S spy agencies use to collect and analyze communications without a warrant. Several Republicans pushed for greater protection for Americans and voted down the measure. They also rejected a middle of the night compromise from the House Speaker, which some GOP lawmakers said wasn’t strong enough. In the end, the House approved a temporary, two-week renewal of FISA.

Trump invites Israeli, Lebanese leaders to White House for talks

President Trump has extended a White House invitation to the leaders of Israel and Lebanon. After announcing a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, the president invited the Israeli and Lebanese leaders to Washington for, what he said ,would be their “first meaningful talks” since 1983.Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948.

Pentagon widens efforts beyond blockade of Iranian ports

The U.S. military has widened its efforts beyond the blockade of Iran’s ports. The Pentagon says it’s allowing its forces around the world to stop any ship tied to Iran or those suspected of carrying supplies that could help its government. Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine says the U.S. would be targeting vessels in other areas, like the Pacific, that had left before the blockade began earlier this week. The military also detailed a long list of goods it considers contraband, declaring that it will board, search and seize them from merchant vessels “regardless of location.”

Trump taps former deputy surgeon general to lead CDC

President Trump has nominated a former deputy surgeon general to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The top post at the CDC has been a revolving door the past few months as Donald Trump’s first nominee withdrew and the second was fired after less than a month on the job. Erica Schwartz is the president’s latest nominee. In addition to being a former deputy surgeon general, Schwartz also served as Chief Medical Officer for the U.S. Coast Guard. She holds both medical and law degrees. The Atlanta-based CDC is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats.

Trump says Israel, Lebanon agree to 10-day ceasefire

President Trump says Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. The president’s announcement came after Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades this week here in Washington hosted by Secretary of State Rubio. For more than a month, Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group have been at war. The president wrote on social media that he had “excellent” conversations with Lebanon’s president and Israel’s prime minister and that he’ll be inviting them for talks in Washington.

U.S. warns of more combat operations if no peace deal with Iran

The United States is warning Iran that combat operations will resume if there’s no peace deal. Even as the U-S engages in discussions with Iran about further peace talks, the Pentagon says the military is poised to resume its attacks. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said “if Iran chooses poorly, then they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy.” At the same briefing, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine said U-S forces were “ready to resume major combat operations at literally a moment’s notice.”

Trump travels to Nevada to highlight tax policy, economy

President Trump heads to Nevada today [THU PM] to highlight “no tax on tips” and other tax policies. On this day after Tax Day, the president will use a visit to Las Vegas to promote his economic agenda, especially “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime.” Given the number of service workers in Nevada, “no tax on tips” is an especially popular policy. The president’s upbeat economic message, however, will be competing with ongoing uncertainty in the financial market and sharply higher gas prices caused by the war in Iran.

Treasury Secretary Bessent predicts $3 gas by end of summer

The Treasury Secretary is predicting lower gas prices by the end of the summer. Once the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, Scott Bessent believes gasoline will get cheaper. At a White House briefing, the Treasury Secretary was asked if people’s tax refunds would go toward today’s high gas prices. He said the public can spend its money however it wants. Triple-A says gas prices are currently up about a dollar-a-gallon over last year.

U.S. says peace talks with Iran are ongoing

The White House says peace talks with Iran are ongoing. The 14-day ceasefire is now in its second week and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the U.S. has not “formally requested an extension” with Iran. She says there are “discussions” about more talks being held in person “but nothing is official until you hear it” from the White House.

White House touts bigger refunds on Tax Day

The Trump administration is touting bigger tax refunds for American families and small businesses. In a Tax Day White House appearance, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the IRS has smoothly handled tax returns and Americans have benefited from President Trump’s tax policies. Last year, the president signed into law a bill that included no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and other provisions.