IRAN UPDATES

Tehran says no date set for US talks, Hormuz Strait closed: Iran reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz Saturday, warning that it would continue to block transit as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. The British military says a cargo vessel was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz, damaging containers on board. The attack is the second on Saturday, after two gunboats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards opened fire on a tanker transiting the key waterway. AP

Photos Show Shocking Meals Being Served to US Troops in Iran War: Images obtained by USA Today of poor-quality meals being served to U.S. service personnel in the Iran war have sparked alarm. The images have highlighted concerns about the welfare of service members and the food being served to them while they are deployed. NEWSWEEK

Senate votes against restraining Trump on Iran after Fetterman crosses Democrats once again: The Senate on Wednesday voted down a Democrat-led effort to restrict President Donald Trump from launching further military operations in Iran without congressional approval, the latest failure of such a measure and a sign of the Republican caucus’ continued loyalty to the White House. THE INDEPENDENT

$30m an hour: big oil reaping huge war windfall from consumers, analysis finds: Climate action blockers including Saudi Arabia, Russia and major fossil fuel firms set to make extra $234bn by end of 2026. THE GUARDIAN

US wholesale prices surged 4% last month after the war in Iran sent energy prices flying: The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers — rose 0.5% from February and 4% from March 2025. The year-over-year gains was the biggest in more than three years. Energy prices surged 8.5% from February. AP

NATIONAL

For Second Year in a Row, Trump Budget Seeks to Slash WIC Fruit and Vegetable Benefits for Millions: For 30 years, Presidents and members of Congress from both parties have adhered to a bipartisan commitment to provide enough funding for the WIC program so that all eligible families who apply receive full food benefits. Congress reaffirmed this commitment in November 2025 when it fully funded WIC for fiscal year 2026 in appropriations legislation. Yet for the second year in a row, President Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget calls for sharply reducing the fruit and vegetable component of WIC’s food benefits for new and expecting parents and young children. CBPP

Government Workers Say They’re Getting Inundated With Religion: On Easter Sunday, US Department of Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins sent out an email titled “He has risen!” to the entire agency. In the email, Rollins calls the story of Jesus Christ the “greatest story ever told, the foundation of our faith, and the abiding hope of all mankind.” The email sparked an internal complaint to the Office of Special Counsel by USDA employee Ethan Roberts. In his complaint, Roberts, who is also the president of a local union for federal employees, alleged that the email “eroded the separation of church and state.” WIRED

DESI NEWS

How Gangs Connected To India Are Terrorizing A California Immigrant Community: The method is straightforward: a gang member calls a victim and demands money. If they refuse, a criminal network threatens or carries out attacks against their relatives, families, or businesses — whether in the United States or back in India. CALMATTERS

SCIENCE, HEALTH, AND SAFETY?

Global warming is making the strongest hurricanes stronger: The dangers posed by one of humanity’s greatest scourges – the tropical cyclone – are being significantly increased by human-caused global warming. In fact, one of the more confident predictions about how climate change will affect these great storms  is that the winds of the strongest ones will get stronger. CLIMATE CONNECTIONS

Critical Atlantic current significantly more likely to collapse than thought: Scientists called the new finding “very concerning” as a collapse would have catastrophic consequences for Europe, Africa and the Americas. THE GUARDIAN

FDA to weigh easing limits on unproven peptides favored by RFK Jr. and other MAHA figures: The Food and Drug Administration will hold a meeting this summer to consider easing restrictions on more than a half dozen peptide injections, a group of unapproved therapies that have become popular among wellness influencers, fitness gurus and celebrities. AP

U.S. marshals waived training rules for Musk's armed DOGE security: Members of Elon Musk’s private security team were deputized as federal agents last year even though some of the billionaire’s guards lacked the required training and law enforcement experience, according to newly released government emails. NBC

CORRUPTION ALERT

Trump, IRS in talks to settle US president's $10 billion lawsuit: Lawyers for Donald Trump ​and the Internal Revenue Service are in talks to settle the U.S. president's $10 billion lawsuit against the tax ‌collection agency for leaking his tax returns to the media in 2019 and 2020. Trump is suing his own government. Justice Department lawyers report ​ultimately to the president, while the IRS and the Treasury Department, which is also a defendant, are part of the executive ​branch. Trump's adult sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization are also plaintiffs.(Tldr: Your tax money is going to enrich Trump personally) REUTERS

Inside Trump’s Effort to “Take Over” the Midterm Elections: In advance of this year’s midterm elections, President Donald Trump has systematically demolished federal guardrails that prevented him from overturning the 2020 election. PRO PUBLICA (support this independent investigative news organization)

How the Trump family's business deals could open the door for future presidents to profit from office: The family real estate business is undergoing the fastest overseas expansion since its founding a century ago, each deal potentially shaping everything from tariffs to military aid. Led by Eric, and his brother, Donald Jr., the family business has expanded into cryptocurrencies with ventures that brought in billions of dollars but raised questions about whether some big investors received favorable treatment in return. NPR

GOOD NEWS

Federal judge blocks 'unserious' RFK Jr. trans care ban: A federal judge in Oregon on Saturday forcefully struck down Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s attempt to impose far-reaching restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, ruling the policy unlawful and blocking its enforcement in the states that challenged it. ADVOCATE

An unabashed progressive dominates in New Jersey, another midterm warning sign for Republicans: Democrats continued their domination of special elections Thursday, when New Jersey voters overwhelmingly elected progressive organizer Analilia Mejia to Congress. Mejia, a former top Bernie Sanders presidential campaign staffer led Republican Joe Hathaway by almost 20 points Friday with 94 percent of the vote counted, despite being called a “radical socialist” by Republicans. POLITICO

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