Scoop: Dems' Foreign Policy Group Prepping for 2028
Senior Democrats are reviving National Security Action (NSA), the foreign‑policy think‑tank that helped shape the party’s 2020 messaging and staffed President Biden’s national‑security team. Maher Bitar, former senior adviser to Sen. Adam Schiff and NSC intelligence coordinator, will lead the group as it gears up for the 2028 presidential cycle. NSA plans to host retreats, conduct polling, and act as a hub for progressive foreign‑policy ideas. The effort comes amid deepening Democratic divides over Israel, China, tariffs and AI, testing the group’s ability to forge consensus.
Trump Says New Strikes Possible if Iran "Misbehaves"
President Donald Trump warned that he could order new military strikes against Iran if the regime "misbehaves," even as both sides exchange drafts of a 14‑point framework to end hostilities. The Iranian proposal sets a one‑month deadline to negotiate reopening...
AI Is Changing How We Write and Speak
Researchers at USC and the Max‑Planck Institute found that large language models are nudging writers toward a narrower, more uniform style. After ChatGPT’s launch, sentence structure and vocabulary diversity fell sharply across scientific papers, news articles and social media. The...
Iran Offers New Response on Draft Peace Deal, Trump "Not Satisfied"
Iran delivered a diplomatic response to the latest U.S. amendments to the draft peace plan via Pakistani mediators. President Trump said he was not satisfied, describing Iran’s leadership as disjointed and questioning the feasibility of a deal. The U.S. amendments...
AI Just Killed Your Last Excuse for Not Starting a Business
Artificial intelligence has turned startup formation into a weekend project, eliminating the traditional need for costly legal, design, and research teams. In March 2026, 580,612 new businesses were registered—a 14% year‑over‑year rise—and solo‑founder ventures now represent 36.3% of startups, up...
Pentagon Calls Timeout on War Powers
Senate Republicans are pressing the Trump administration for a formal explanation of how it is applying the War Powers Act’s 60‑day clock to the ongoing military campaign against Iran, which began with strikes on Feb. 28. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth...
What a Weakened Voting Rights Act Means in Today's America
The Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision narrows Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, curbing federal oversight of racially discriminatory gerrymandering. The ruling arrives as the United States has become far more diverse—white share has dropped from about 85% in...
AI Labs Can't Stop Leapfrogging Each Other
The AI landscape is in constant flux, with market leaders swapping places every few months. OpenAI’s early dominance with ChatGPT was challenged by Google’s Gemini models, then overtaken by Anthropic’s enterprise revenue surge, only for OpenAI to rebound with GPT‑5.5...
Exclusive: Data Center Firm Inks Carbon Removal Deal as AI Demand Surges
NTT Data, a global data‑center operator, has signed a carbon‑removal agreement with Swiss startup Climeworks, marking the first such deal for a major AI infrastructure company. The partnership could deliver several hundred thousand tons of CO₂ removal over a decade,...
Scoop: White House Workshops Plan to Bring Back Anthropic
The White House is drafting an executive action that would let federal agencies bypass the supply‑chain risk label placed on Anthropic, opening the door to its newest model, Mythos. Senior officials, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Treasury Secretary...
Senate Rejects Curb on Trump Military Action in Cuba
The Senate voted 51-47 to block a resolution that would have required congressional approval before any U.S. military action against Cuba. The measure failed despite bipartisan support from Republicans Susan Collins and Rand Paul, with only Democrat John Fetterman opposing...
Exclusive: OpenAI, Anthropic Meet with House Homeland Security Behind Closed Doors on Cyber Threats
OpenAI and Anthropic briefed the House Homeland Security Committee staff in classified sessions about their new cyber‑capable AI models—OpenAI’s tiered‑release GPT‑5.4‑Cyber and Anthropic’s Mythos Preview, which remains unreleased due to exploit risks. Both firms are granting federal agencies direct access...
Trump Admin Revives COVID Origins Debate with Indictment
The Justice Department has indicted David Morens, a former senior adviser at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on conspiracy and record‑tampering charges for allegedly deleting emails and routing communications to a personal account to hide information about...
How Carbon Removal Tech Is Adapting to Trump's Energy Agenda
The carbon removal sector is rebranding to fit President Trump’s energy‑dominance agenda, securing Department of Energy approval for two major hubs in Louisiana and Texas. Originally buoyed by Biden‑era climate laws, the industry endured a year‑long review and a pause...
Iran Offers U.S. Deal to Reopen Strait but Postpone Nuclear Talks
Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi offered the United States a deal to immediately reopen the Strait of Hormuz and extend the cease‑fire, while postponing nuclear negotiations to a later stage. The proposal was delivered through Pakistani mediators amid a stalemate...
Trump Lashes Out at "60 Minutes" For Asking About Gunman Manifesto Allegations
President Donald Trump lashed out at CBS journalist Norah O'Donnell during a "60 Minutes" interview, calling her "disgraceful" after she asked about alleged references to him in the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooter’s manifesto. Trump denied any connection to the...
The Pope Moves to Police AI
The Vatican is rapidly establishing AI governance, issuing one of the first state‑level AI frameworks and formal guidelines that demand transparency, ethics, and human dignity. Pope Leo XIV has prohibited priests from using AI to write homilies or chase social‑media...
Scoop: GOP Called Howard Lutnick to Reverse Crypto PAC's Texas Move
A newly formed crypto super PAC, Fellowship PAC, indicated in an FEC filing that it intended to spend $1.75 million to back Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the GOP primary runoff. Senior Republican officials called Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who recently...
Exclusive: OpenAI Briefs Feds and Five Eyes on New Cyber Product
OpenAI has begun briefing U.S. federal agencies, state governments, and Five Eyes allies on its new GPT‑5.4‑Cyber model, a large‑language‑model designed for advanced cybersecurity tasks. The company demonstrated the tool to about 50 cyber‑defense practitioners in Washington, D.C., and announced...
Hands-On with ChatGPT's Powerful New Image Engine
OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT Images 2.0, introducing a new "thinking" mode that adds built‑in reasoning for paid subscribers while keeping a standard version free for all. The update supports a broader set of aspect ratios and can produce personalized cards,...
Scoop: Trump Mulls Jones Act Waiver Extension to Lessen Iran War Oil Shock
President Trump issued a 60‑day waiver of the Jones Act on March 18 to alleviate oil‑shipping bottlenecks caused by the Iran conflict. The exemption has allowed 40 foreign‑flagged tankers to move roughly 9 million barrels of crude between U.S. ports, expanding...
Thune Nudges Trump to "Wrap Up" Fed Probe
Senate Majority Leader John Thune is urging the Trump administration to end the Department of Justice investigation into Fed Chair Jerome Powell so that Kevin Warsh can be confirmed as the next Fed chair. The confirmation is stalled because Senator...
Apple Enters Post-Cook Era Chasing Its Next Hit
Apple announced that longtime CEO Tim Cook will step down, handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus while remaining as executive chairman. The transition also elevates chip architect Johny Srouji to chief hardware officer, signaling a focus on retaining...
Anthropic Bites Back in the Compute Wars with Amazon Partnership
Anthropic is deepening its alliance with Amazon, committing more than $100 billion over the next decade to secure up to 5 gigawatts of compute power for training and operating its Claude models. Amazon will front $5 billion immediately, with an option to add...
Trump's Energy Boss: Gas May Stay Above $3-per-Gallon Into 2027
U.S. average gasoline prices have hovered around $4 per gallon, with a recent high of $4.16, according to AAA data. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNN that prices likely peaked and could dip below $3 per gallon, but not until...
The Red State Gold Rush: Why some Lawmakers Are Pushing Precious Metals
A wave of legislation in several red states, led by Georgia, seeks to make gold and silver legal tender and to allow state‑level gold reserves. The proposals would let consumers pay with precious metals, potentially via prepaid debit cards offered...
Trump-Branded AI Data Center Megaproject Stalls, CEO Departs
The Trump‑branded Fermi America AI data center, billed as the world’s largest, stalled after CEO Toby Neugebauer abruptly departed, sending shares lower following a 75% decline over six months. The project still lacks an anchor hyperscaler tenant and faces cooling‑system...
"Digital Fantasy"; AI Hair, Makeup Put Perfection Further Out of Reach
AI-generated hair and makeup images are reshaping client expectations in the beauty industry. Stylists like Angelina Murphy and Gloss Beauty founder Mehry Schmitt report that up to half of bridal inspiration now originates from AI, creating unrealistic standards. Professionals must...
Iran Mediators Meet in Turkey to Discuss Peace Push
Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia convened on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum to coordinate a third "quad" effort aimed at ending the U.S.-Iran war. Pakistan continues to act as the primary mediator, while Egypt...
Scoop: Inside the Historic U.S.-Cuba Negotiations in Havana
U.S. State Department officials traveled to Havana for the first U.S. government flight since President Obama’s 2016 visit, meeting with Cuban officials including Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, the grandson of Raul Castro. The delegation offered to restore internet access via...
Sam Altman's "Proof of Human" Company Pushes Into Mainstream Services
World, the identity‑verification startup co‑founded by Sam Altman, announced a wave of new integrations with Zoom, DocuSign, Tinder, Okta, Shopify and VanEck. The company upgraded its World ID protocol, open‑sourced it for any app, and launched a standalone app for...
Trump Tells Axios He Expects Iran Deal "in a Day or Two"
President Trump told Axios he expects a U.S.-Iran peace agreement within a day or two after weekend talks, citing significant progress on a three‑page plan. The draft includes releasing roughly $20 billion of frozen Iranian funds in exchange for Tehran ending...
Scoop: Democrats Eye New Strategy After Iran War Powers Fail
House Democrats are debating a tactic to force a vote on an Iran war powers resolution every day the House is in session, hoping persistent votes will eventually pass or force a shift in U.S. operations. The idea emerged at...
Trump Announces 10-Day Ceasefire Between Israel and Lebanon
President Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10‑day ceasefire beginning Thursday at 5 p.m. ET. The deal was brokered after a flurry of behind‑the‑scenes calls involving Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and...
Trump's Border Wall Lurches Closer to Schedule
U.S. Customs and Border Protection reports that the $46 billion Trump‑era border wall is now ahead of schedule and under budget, having completed roughly 50 miles of primary wall, 5.5 miles of buoy barriers and 13.2 miles of secondary fencing. Construction is averaging about...
House Hands Trump a Win with Failed Iran War Powers Vote
House Democrats failed a war‑powers resolution aimed at limiting President Trump’s ability to engage Iran, losing 213‑214 in a tightly contested vote. The measure, pushed by Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Greg Meeks, marked the third unsuccessful Democratic attempt to...
Kennedy Returns to Capitol Hill with Clout Diminished
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear before the House Ways and Means and Appropriations committees for the first time in six months, signaling a sharp drop in his political clout. Lawmakers will grill him on a controversial overhaul...
Scoop: U.S. Suggests Cuba Complicit in Helping Russia Fight Ukraine
The State Department briefed Congress that up to 5,000 Cuban nationals are fighting for Russia in Ukraine and that Havana has offered diplomatic support, though it lacks proof of an official dispatch order. The five‑page unclassified report cites “significant indicators”...
Women Snatch MAGA's Megaphone
Conservative women are filling the void created by infighting in the MAGA media ecosystem. Candace Owens’ podcast has become the fastest‑growing right‑wing show for two consecutive quarters, while Megyn Kelly’s podcast entered the U.S. top‑20 and amassed 323 million YouTube views...
Scoop: Senate Plans to Grill Six Cabinet Officials on Trump's Budget
Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R‑Maine) will summon six Trump Cabinet secretaries for hearings on April 22, aiming to push a full‑year appropriations package through before the Sept. 30 fiscal deadline. The lineup includes Treasury, Health and Human Services, Commerce, Interior,...
Scoop: U.S. Eases Bank Sanctions Amid Venezuela's Economic Woes
The U.S. Treasury announced on Tuesday that it is easing sanctions on Venezuela's state‑run banking system, allowing key institutions to transact in U.S. dollars and receive billions from oil sales. The move follows weeks of public‑sector wage protests, where workers...
The First AI-Era War Is a "Slopaganda" Battle to Control Memes
AI‑driven "slopaganda"—low‑cost, viral content such as LEGO war videos and Trump memes—is proliferating amid the Iran conflict, experts say. Generative models enable rapid, cheap production of persuasive imagery that spreads faster than traditional propaganda. Iran leverages pop‑culture aesthetics while the...
The Work AI Boom Is Outrunning Oversight
Survey of 950 senior leaders by Grant Thornton finds AI adoption outpacing governance, with nearly 80% of executives believing their firms would fail an AI audit. Companies fully integrating AI report nearly four times higher revenue growth than those still...
U.S. Asked Iran to Freeze Uranium Enrichment for 20 Years, Sources Say
The United States told Iran it must accept a 20‑year moratorium on uranium enrichment as part of weekend talks in Islamabad, while Tehran countered with a request for a single‑digit‑year freeze. The proposal also includes a demand that Iran remove...
Americans Hate the 2026 Economy
Despite solid macro indicators—4.3% unemployment, 3.3% inflation, flat S&P 500 and steady GDP growth—Americans remain overwhelmingly negative about the economy. A preliminary April 2026 University of Michigan consumer sentiment index fell to its lowest level since the survey began in...
Trump Pitches Iran Blockade as Boon to U.S. Oil
President Trump used the Iran‑related Strait of Hormuz blockade as a sales pitch, urging nations—especially China—to buy more U.S. oil. He claimed empty tankers were heading to American ports, but the United States exports only about 3.5‑4.5 million barrels of crude...
Why Inflation Is the Economic Problem of the Decade
Inflation has re‑accelerated, highlighted by a 21.2% jump in gasoline prices in March—the largest monthly surge since the 1960s. The overall CPI rose 3.3% year‑over‑year, its highest level in almost two years, while a Fed‑preferred inflation gauge showed a 4.1%...
What AI CEOs Still Don't Get About Washington
AI CEOs, led by OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, are championing sweeping governance proposals ranging from tax reform to model transparency. OpenAI’s new industrial‑policy paper likens AI’s impact to the Industrial Revolution, while Anthropic pushes internal audits, export...
House Republicans Quash Democrats' Long-Shot Attempt to Hamstring Trump on Iran
House Republicans halted a Democratic‑led war powers resolution that sought to curb President Trump’s authority to restart hostilities with Iran. The measure, introduced by Rep. Glenn Ivey, was blocked during a pro forma session when Rep. Chris Smith, presiding, dismissed...
Netanyahu Announces Negotiations with Lebanon After U.S. Pressure
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his cabinet will launch direct negotiations with Lebanon, a move prompted by recent pressure from President Trump and White House envoy Steve Witkoff. While Israel plans talks, an Israeli official confirmed the country...