Gallup: “Americans’ approval of Congress has fallen to 10%, barely above its all-time low of 9%, while disapproval has climbed to 86%, tying the record high for the institution.”
Iran Seizes Two Ships in the Strait of Hormuz
“Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had seized two container ships on Wednesday in the area of the contested Strait of Hormuz, Iranian news media reported, hours after President Trump announced that he was extending a cease-fire,” the New York Times reports.
Trump Gives Iran Days to Return to Talks
President Trump is giving Iran’s warring factions a short window to unify behind a coherent counter-offer — or the ceasefire he extended Tuesday ends, Axios reports.
Said one U.S. source: “Trump is willing to give another three to five days of ceasefire to allow the Iranians to get their shit together. It is not going to be open-ended.”
Trump’s Approval at 36%
President Trump’s approval rating held at 36%, the lowest of his term as many Americans questioned his temperament amid the Iran war and a feud with Pope Leo, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.
Only 26% of Americans said they consider Trump “even-tempered.”
Republicans were divided on this question, with 53% considering him to be so and 46% saying he is not, while a handful declined to answer the question.
Most Americans Want Trump Impeached
A new Strength In Numbers/Verasight poll finds 55% of U.S. adults say the House should vote to impeach Trump. 37% oppose, and 8% are unsure.
That net +18 verdict puts Trump in the neighborhood of the numbers Richard Nixon saw at the peak of the Watergate scandal in August 1974.
Nunes Ousted from Trump’s Social Media Company
Former Rep. Devin Nunes is out as CEO of Trump’s social media company in a major shake-up, Politico reports.
Trump Seeks to Punish Certain NATO Allies
The White House has developed something akin to a “naughty and nice” list of NATO countries, as the Trump administration looks for ways to punish allies who refused to back the Iran war, Politico reports.
Republicans Lost the Redistricting Wars
Punchbowl News: “It’s fair to say that, at this point, Republicans have lost the redistricting wars that they started last year in Texas at Trump’s urging. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is the winner.”
Said Jeffries: “I told Mike Johnson in July of last year that, ‘If you go down this road, it’s not going to work out for you.’”
More Jeffries on his warning to Johnson: “And at the end of the day, his best-case scenario was that he would net zero seats, but force at least 10 Republicans, who are incumbent members of his conference, into premature retirement. And that is exactly what has happened.”
Playbook: “Important caveat: This isn’t (quite) over yet. The Virginia decision could yet be nullified by the state Supreme Court in the coming weeks — though even plugged-in Republicans admit the chances are slim.”
Virginia GOP Points Fingers After Gerrymandering Loss
“After a narrow loss in Virginia, Republicans are pointing fingers as President Donald Trump’s national gerrymandering fight slips into a stalemate,” Politico reports.
“Multiple Republicans say the party should’ve spent much more, much earlier to have a better shot at blocking Democrats’ Virginia map, which could give the party as many as four more House seats. And pressure is now growing on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to make up for Democrats’ gains with a GOP-led redistricting effort in his state, as soon as next week.”
Lifetime Smoking Ban to Become Law in Britain
“Britain aims to raise a ‘smoke-free generation’ by permanently banning the sale or supply of tobacco and vape products to anyone born in 2009 or after, with a bill that was approved by Parliament on Tuesday,” the New York Times reports.
“The bill applies to people currently 17 years old or younger and aims to keep them from ever picking up the habit in their lifetime. The proposal is expected to soon go into law after the final formality of approval by King Charles III.”
Global Energy Markets Are on the Verge of Disaster
The Economist: “Fifty days into the Iran war the world has lost 550 million barrels of Gulf crude—nearly 2% of last year’s global output. Every month Hormuz stays closed, the world misses out on 7 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), worth 2% of its annual supply. Yet in Western countries, which host the largest futures markets, pain remains limited. Petrol is a bit pricier, but most households can still afford to drive. Trucks keep trucking. Planes continue to fly. Fuel stocks remain close to pre-war levels.”
“This comforting picture is deeply misleading. By April 20th the last few oil tankers to cross Hormuz before the war began reached their destinations, in Malaysia and California. There is no buffer left to protect the world from the supply shock, at a time of the year when demand from holiday drivers starts to pick up.”
Thune Nudges Trump to ‘Wrap Up’ Fed Probe
“Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is pressing the Trump administration to end the GOP staring contest over Kevin Warsh’s confirmation as Fed chair,” Axios reports.
“Frustration inside the Senate GOP conference is mounting over the own goal they see President Trump making on issues central to their political survival: spurring economic growth and taming inflation.”
Trump Bolsters Gulf Force
“President Trump’s scope to escalate military action against Iran is set to widen within days, as a third aircraft carrier and thousands of elite US troops approach the region,” the Financial Times reports.
“While the president said on Tuesday he would extend his ceasefire with Iran, the US military has been pressing on with deployments to the Middle East that significantly expand its capabilities.”
“Trump said on Tuesday that the US and Israel had used the pause in their weeks-long air campaign against Iran to restock and that he was ‘ready to go’ if the attempts to broker an end to the war collapsed.”
Why Trump Extended the Truce with Iran
CNN: “At the White House, Trump’s top aides believe a main reason they didn’t hear back was fractures within the current Iranian leadership, their understanding based partly on dispatches from the Pakistani intermediaries, according to the three officials. The administration’s sense is that the Iranians don’t have consensus on their position or how much to empower the negotiators on uranium enrichment and the country’s current stockpile of enriched uranium — a major sticking point in the peace talks.”
“Part of that complicating factor, the US believes, is whether the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is giving his subordinates clear directions — or if they’re simply having to guess what he wants without specific instruction.”
Wall Street Journal: “During the meetings, aides told Trump that Iran’s government wasn’t a unified entity, with hardline factions in Tehran unwilling to bend to the president’s demands. Questions were raised at the White House about whether Iran was really even in a position to negotiate and stick to any commitments.”
Two Ships Attacked After Trump Extends Ceasefire
“Two ships came under attack in the Strait of Hormuz as tensions flared in the waterway, after President Trump said the U.S. would extend its ceasefire with Iran and continue its blockade until Tehran presents ‘a unified proposal,’” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“An Iranian gunboat fired on a containership northeast of Oman, before a second vessel reported being fired at off the coast of Iran. The two incidents within hours of each other demonstrate that while the aerial war between the U.S. and Iran is on pause, the fight for control of the strait continues.”
Four Virginia House Seats Shift Towards Democrats
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Virginia voters on Tuesday evening approved a new Democratic U.S. House gerrymander.”
“As a result, we are moving four House ratings in favor of Democrats.”
“The new Virginia map is not completely set, though, as the Supreme Court of Virginia could still revert to the old map if it finds that Virginia Democrats did not follow proper procedure in presenting this constitutional amendment to voters.”
Virginia Approves Early Redistricting
“Virginia voters approved a referendum to draw new congressional districts that could add as many as four Democratic seats to the House of Representatives, awarding Democrats an advantage in the national redistricting war begun by Republicans,” the Washington Post reports.
New York Times: “The victory by Democrats in Virginia brings the national redistricting war roughly to a draw, effectively blunting the advantage Republicans built last year when they redrew maps for a partisan edge in Texas and other states.”
“Beyond the red-versus-blue calculations, the vote is likely to further buoy Democrats as they seek to capitalize on President Trump’s low approval ratings and the unpopular war with Iran.”
Court Allows Ten Commandments in Texas Classrooms
“An appellate court ruled Tuesday that Texas may require that public school classrooms display the Ten Commandments, a significant win for the conservative campaign to break down the legal walls between church and state and inject more religion into the public square,” the Washington Post reports.
“The ruling came from the conservative 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The case is widely expected to head next to the Supreme Court, where the conservative majority has been steadily removing restrictions on government support for religion.”
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