Amid Iran War and Tensions with Neighbors, U.A.E. Goes Its Own Way
The United Arab Emirates announced it is leaving OPEC as Saudi Arabia hosted a Gulf summit, positioning itself to increase oil output independently. Abu Dhabi cited long‑term market needs and frustration with Saudi‑driven production quotas. The move underscores a widening political rift between the Emirates and Saudi Arabia amid the Iran‑U.S.-Israel war. Analysts see the decision as a broader shift toward autonomous regional policies.
FCC Orders a Review of ABC’s Licenses Amid Feud Between Trump and Kimmel
The Federal Communications Commission ordered a comprehensive review of all broadcast licenses owned by ABC, marking an unprecedented regulatory move. The review is officially linked to an investigation of ABC's diversity and inclusion policies but coincides with President Trump’s public...
King Charles Stresses Significance of U.S.-U.K. Ties
King Charles III delivered a speech to a standing‑ovation‑filled U.S. Congress, emphasizing the deep‑rooted partnership between Britain and America. The address, part of his first U.S. visit as monarch, highlighted reconciliation, renewal and a shared commitment to NATO and Ukraine’s...
China’s Economy Starts to Show Cracks From Iran War
Rising oil and natural‑gas prices from the Iran war are beginning to strain China’s manufacturing‑driven economy. Car sales fell in March and dropped further in April, while restaurants and hotels saw fewer patrons. In southern China, toy‑factory workers protested after...
Canada Says Its Gold Is Traceable and Clean. So We Traced It.
The Royal Canadian Mint says it can trace every ounce of its gold using a blockchain‑style platform called Bullion Genesis, promising a clean, ethically sourced supply. A New York Times investigation, however, linked gold from a Colombian mine controlled by the Clan...
The U.S. Started the War. The Rest of the World Is Feeling the Effects.
The United States’ initiation of an eight‑week war in Iran has rippled through the global economy, shutting textile mills in India and Bangladesh, grounding flights in Ireland, Poland and Germany, and prompting energy rationing in Vietnam, South Korea and Thailand....
Supreme Court Reviews Police Use of Cell Location Data to Find Criminals
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case on Monday challenging the use of geofence warrants, which allow police to collect location data from all cellphones near a crime scene. The case stems from a 2019 robbery of Call Federal...
A Year Later, Trump’s ‘Most Exclusive’ Memecoin Event Is a Lot Less Exclusive
A year after the inaugural Trump National Golf Club gathering, President Donald Trump staged a larger, self‑branded "Most Exclusive Conference In The World" at his Mar‑a‑Lago estate, inviting hundreds of $TRUMP memecoin investors. The token’s price has slumped about 80%...
Texas Can Arrest and Deport People Who Illegally Cross at Mexico Border, Court Says
A federal appeals court has lifted a 2024 injunction, allowing Texas to enforce its 2023 Senate Bill 4, which authorizes state and local police to arrest migrants who cross the Mexico border illegally. The Fifth Circuit ruled 10‑to‑7 that the...
New Taxes Helped Cool London’s Housing Market. Could That Happen in New York?
London’s aggressive luxury‑property taxes over the past decade have driven home values down more than 20% and pushed international buyers out of prime neighborhoods, while tightening supply has sent rents to record highs. New York City officials are proposing a...
Measles Is Back. What Comes Next Will Be Worse.
Measles cases in the United States have surged to over 1,700 this year, a stark rise from the roughly 70 annual cases seen in the early 2000s, and three children died last year. Health officials warn the outbreak signals broader...
The Town That Reveals All of Trump’s Bad Economic Ideas
The essay chronicles Hickory, North Carolina, a once-thriving furniture hub devastated after China joined the WTO in 2001, which triggered a surge in cheap imports and massive job losses. President Trump has used towns like Hickory to illustrate the failures...
DeepSeek’s Sequel Set to Extend China’s Reach in Open-Source A.I.
DeepSeek, the Chinese AI start‑up that sparked the 2025 “DeepSeek moment,” unveiled a preview of its next‑generation model, V4, on April 24, 2026. The company reiterated its commitment to open‑source by planning to release V4 under a permissive license, and early benchmarks...
War and Sanctions Accelerate China’s Currency Push
China is accelerating its long‑term effort to internationalize the renminbi as a way to sidestep U.S. sanctions. The wars in Ukraine and Iran have pushed Russia, Iran and other sanctioned economies toward yuan‑denominated trade, giving Beijing a foothold in de‑dollarization....
Iran War Has Drained U.S. Supplies of Critical, Costly Weapons
Since the Iran war began in late February, the United States has fired roughly 1,100 long‑range stealth cruise missiles—almost the entire stockpile—along with more than 1,200 Patriot interceptors and over 1,000 ATACMS and Precision‑Strike missiles. The Pentagon has been forced...
How the Iran War Is Morphing Into a Volatile Standoff in the Strait of Hormuz
The conflict between the United States and Iran has moved from aerial bombardment to a tense maritime standoff in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran claims its forces are concealed in sea caves, ready to strike, while President Trump has ordered...
Trump’s Dreams for a Battleship Led to His Navy Secretary’s Ouster
President Donald Trump demanded a new class of battleships that would be "the fastest, the biggest and 100 times more powerful" than any prior vessel, with the first ship slated for delivery by 2028. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan,...
To Iran, Trump Blinked First by Extending the Cease-Fire
President Donald Trump declared an indefinite cease‑fire with Iran, halting active hostilities while awaiting a response to U.S. demands. Iranian officials interpret the pause as a sign that Tehran can outlast the United States in a prolonged standoff, especially regarding...
Anthropic’s New Mythos A.I. Model Sets Off Global Alarms
Anthropic unveiled Mythos, an AI model that can uncover and exploit hidden software vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, prompting emergency alerts from central banks and intelligence agencies worldwide. The company limited access to 11 U.S. partners and the Bank of England,...
Pace of N.I.H. Funding Slows Further in Trump’s Second Year
NIH research spending has slipped about $1 billion behind historic levels, delaying thousands of projects. Instead of mass grant cancellations, the agency now vets proposals with a computational text‑analysis tool that flags terms like “racism,” “gender” and “vaccination refusal.” From October...
A $440,000 Breast Reduction: How Doctors Cashed In on the No Surprises Act and Arbitration
The No Surprises Act, passed in 2020 to shield patients from unexpected out‑of‑network bills, created a government‑run arbitration system that insurers must honor. Plastic surgeon Dr. Norman Rowe has leveraged that system to secure $440,000 payments for a single breast‑reduction surgery,...
Hoarding Is Driving Energy Prices Higher Everywhere
Global oil markets are tightening as wealthy nations—China, Japan, Europe, and the United States—scramble to secure supplies amid the Middle East conflict. Their aggressive purchasing and export restrictions are pushing energy prices higher worldwide and creating shortages in less affluent...
What Was the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal?
President Trump repeatedly denounced the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, calling it a security threat and a conduit for a nuclear weapon. He withdrew the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 2018, reinstating sanctions that prompted Iran...
Trump and Iran Face Off in Iran War Negotiations
President Trump’s hard‑line, short‑term coercive tactics are colliding with Iran’s patient, detail‑driven negotiation style as talks over a new nuclear framework intensify. Over the past six weeks, Trump has claimed Iran “agreed to everything,” a claim the Iranians publicly denied,...
The Touska, the Iranian-Flagged Ship Seized by U.S. Forces, Was Under Sanctions
The U.S. Navy has turned back 27 vessels attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports since a week‑old blockade around the Strait of Hormuz was imposed. On April 19, the Iranian‑flagged cargo ship Touska was disabled and seized in the...
With Trump Novices, Can the U.S. Win the ‘Art Olympics’?
The U.S. State Department has replaced its long‑standing museum‑led selection process for the Venice Biennale with a new commission led by Jenni Parido, a former pet‑food store owner who founded the nonprofit American Arts Conservancy. Parido, lacking professional museum experience,...
U.S. Installs a Trump Loyalist to Lead ‘Grand Conspiracy’ Case Into Trump Foes
Joseph diGenova, an 81‑year‑old former Trump campaign lawyer, has been named counselor to the attorney general and detailed to the Southern District of Florida to lead a grand‑jury inquiry overseen by Trump‑favored judge Aileen Cannon. The appointment follows the abrupt...
For Iran, Flexing Control Over Waterway Is New Deterrent
Iran has leveraged its control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of global oil passes, to create a new strategic deterrent amid ongoing US‑Israel hostilities. Despite heavy strikes on Iran’s leadership and missile facilities, Tehran’s ability to...
A Potent Threat in Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s ‘Mosquito Fleet’
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fields a “mosquito fleet” of tiny, high‑speed boats that can top 115 mph and launch missiles or drones at passing vessels. The guerrilla‑style flotilla operates separately from Iran’s regular navy and has become the primary...
Trump Extends Sanctions Exemption on Some Russian Oil as High Gas Prices Persist
The Treasury Department announced a one‑month extension of the sanctions exemption for certain Russian crude, now running through May 16, 2026. The move comes just two days after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the waiver would not be renewed, and follows...
Trump Is Urged to Move on Nuclear Site Thought to Be Beyond Reach of Bombs
U.S. airstrikes over the past year have crippled Iran’s primary nuclear facilities, yet a deep underground complex known as Pickaxe Mountain remains untouched and may be beyond the reach of America’s most powerful bunker‑buster bombs. Experts warn the unfinished site...
Prosecutor Withdraws From Trump Team’s Investigation of Ex-CIA Director John O. Brennan
A senior Miami federal prosecutor, Maria Medetis Long, withdrew from the Justice Department’s investigation of former CIA director John O. Brennan, citing concerns about the case’s legal footing. The probe, led by Trump‑aligned U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones, is being...
Xi Alludes to Trump’s Policies to Make a Case for Closer Ties to Vietnam
Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Vietnam’s President and Party General Secretary To Lam in Beijing, emphasizing shared communist ideology and mutual security interests. Xi invoked former President Trump’s tariffs and the Strait of Hormuz blockage to argue for protected trade routes...
China’s G.D.P. Stronger Than Expected, Led by Infrastructure Spending
China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported that GDP expanded 1.3% quarter‑over‑quarter in Q1 2026, implying an annualized growth rate of about 5.3%, slightly above the 4.8% consensus. The modest gain was driven by an 8.9% year‑over‑year jump in infrastructure spending,...
Trump’s Portrayal of the War in Iran Collides With Reality
President Trump is framing the ongoing Iran war as a finished "regime change" victory, claiming the new leadership is "pretty reasonable." Analysts, however, argue that the conflict has actually bolstered the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and left the new supreme...
Prosecutors Make Surprise Visit to Fed as Pirro Defends Investigation
The Justice Department, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, conducted an unannounced inspection of the Federal Reserve’s $2.5 billion renovation site, intensifying a criminal probe into Chair Jerome Powell. The probe coincides with President Trump’s campaign to replace Powell, naming Kevin...
Rubio Hosts Israel and Lebanon for Rare Meeting Shadowed by U.S.-Iran War
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted a rare in‑person meeting between Israeli and Lebanese officials at the State Department on April 14, 2026. The two sides discussed a shared objective of disarming Hezbollah, though no concrete agreements were reached and Israel...
Israel and Lebanon Talk, but Fighting Continues
Israeli and Lebanese officials held their first direct talks in decades, agreeing to continue negotiations aimed at ending hostilities with Hezbollah. Despite the diplomatic overture, both sides launched strikes, highlighting Lebanon's limited control over the Iran‑backed militia. The broader Middle...
Israelis Don’t Feel Much Like Victors in War With Iran
The 40‑day conflict between Israel and Iran, alongside ongoing fighting with Hezbollah, ended without achieving the strategic goals set by Israeli leaders. While senior Iranian officials and military targets were eliminated, Tehran’s regime remains intact, its nuclear program only delayed,...
Mamdani Plans to Open First City-Owned Grocery Store in East Harlem
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that New York City will build a city‑owned grocery store at La Marqueta in East Harlem, allocating roughly $30 million for the project. The store is the first of a promised network of five public supermarkets—one in...
What Now? Vance Leaves Iran Talks Without a Deal.
Vice President JD Vance ended a 21‑hour negotiation with Iran without securing a nuclear agreement, leaving the Trump administration without a clear path forward. The White House now confronts two stark choices: resume protracted talks or restart military strikes that...
Navy Warships Cross Strait of Hormuz to Clear Mines, U.S. Says
U.S. Navy destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz, destroyed an Iranian surveillance drone, and began a mine‑clearing operation. The maneuver coincided with high‑level U.S.–Iran negotiations on an extended cease‑fire. Officials say the action demonstrates the waterway can be safely transited...
Judges Fired After Blocking Deportations of Pro-Palestinian Students
The Justice Department dismissed two immigration judges, Roopal Patel and Nina Froes, after they ruled against high‑profile deportation cases involving pro‑Palestinian students Rumeysa Ozturk and Mohsen Mahdawi. The firings, part of a broader purge of dozens of judges, underscore the...
U.S. Intelligence Shows China Taking a More Active Role in Iran War
U.S. intelligence agencies say China may have shipped shoulder‑fired MANPADS missiles to Iran and is allowing firms to export chemicals, fuel and components usable in weapons production. While the shipment has not been definitively confirmed and no evidence shows the...
USPS Is Running Out of Money. Here’s How It Could Affect Your Mail.
The United States Postal Service announced a 5% increase in stamp prices and a temporary halt to payments to a government retirement fund as it faces a looming cash shortfall. Postmaster General David Steiner warned that without drastic action the...
How Lu Xun, a Famous Chinese Writer, Became a Cute Communist Mascot
China’s most celebrated modern writer Lu Xun, once a fierce critic of tradition and imperialism, is being recast in his hometown Shaoxing as a friendly Communist mascot. Plastic souvenir magnets, cartoon murals and other merch depict him in a softened, approachable...
Why Opening the Strait of Hormuz Won’t Immediately Lower Gas Prices
The New York Times explains that even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens, gasoline prices will not fall right away. While the waterway carries roughly 20% of global oil shipments, damage to dozens of Gulf refineries, pipelines and export terminals...
Iran War Drives Deeper Oil Shock Than Prices Reveal
The Iran‑Israel conflict has pushed the physical spot price of crude to a record $145 a barrel, more than double the level before the Feb. 28 attacks, while the widely quoted Brent futures linger around $109. The widening gap between futures...
Why Investing in Wind and Solar to Avoid Gas Shocks Hasn’t Added Up for Some
Europe’s aggressive rollout of wind and solar has not uniformly shielded countries from soaring gas‑driven electricity prices. Germany now boasts more renewable capacity than Spain, yet its wholesale power costs still surge when natural‑gas prices spike. By contrast, Spain’s electricity...
‘I’m Fed Up.’ Frustrated With Trump, Starmer Embraces Other Allies.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is pivoting away from a strained U.S. relationship, intensifying ties with European allies and Gulf states. After a fragile cease‑fire in the Iran conflict, he embarked on a three‑day tour of Saudi Arabia, the United...