Trump threatens Strait of Hormuz blockade
ISLAMABAD — President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that the U.S. Navy would commence a blockade of ships entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz following failed ceasefire negotiations with Iran.
Trump seeks to take control of the key waterway, which transported 20% of global oil shipping before the war began. Trump told Fox News on Sunday that other countries would be involved in the blockade, but has not named any yet.
Iran limited shipping in the strait when the conflict began, only allowing its own ships to pass. As a result, global oil prices increased by more than 50%. Trump ordered the blockade after Vice President JD Vance and the chief Iranian negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, met in Pakistan but did not reach a deal to reopen the strait or end the war.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Iranian officials expressed a lack of trust in American negotiators, but have not ruled out future negotiations.
Viktor Orbán loses Hungarian election for prime minister
BUDAPEST, Hungary — Incumbent Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat to opponent Péter Magyar on Sunday evening, ending his 16-year term in the office. The majority of votes were counted as of Sunday evening; projections indicate that Magyar’s Tisza party will likely hold a two-thirds majority over Orbán’s Fidesz party in Hungary’s parliament.
The Fidesz party’s loss in parliament and Orbán’s loss of his incumbent seat marks a shift in Hungary, with voters rejecting far-right populist ideology. Orbán is an ally of Vladimir Putin, and he has previously promoted authoritarian policies to reshape the structure of Hungarian courts and alter the nation’s constitution to help his party consolidate power. In his concession speech, he called the election results “painful.”
Five days prior to the Hungarian election, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Budapest to endorse Orbán’s campaign. Orbán openly endorsed President Donald Trump during his initial campaign in 2016.
Following the announcement of Orbán’s loss, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries argued in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that this defeat would not bode well for the Trump administration during the next U.S. election cycle.
“Far-right authoritarian Viktor Orbán has lost the election,” he wrote. “Trump sycophants and MAGA extremists in Congress are up next in November.”
Trump administration terminates civil rights settlements supporting transgender students
WASHINGTON — On April 6, the Department of Education announced its move to roll back civil rights protections for transgender students. The decision rescinds federal requirements for schools in five school districts across the nation and Taft College in California that held schools to standards — including faculty training and allowing students to use their preferred restrooms — that protect transgender students from discrimination in schools.
Officials from the Department of Education said there was no precedent for the federal government to terminate previously agreed on civil rights settlements with schools. Through the termination of these civil rights settlements, the Trump administration is attempting to implement an executive order that only recognizes a person’s assigned sex at birth.
Department of Education officials said the terminations repeal six settlements negotiated by the Obama and Biden administrations and revoke the federal government’s support for several school districts, including two in California: La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and Sacramento City Unified School District. Portions of a settlement with Taft College will no longer require training for faculty about respecting a student’s preferred name and pronouns. Some of the settlements had been in place for more than three years.
Artemis II lands off San Diego coast
SAN DIEGO — On Friday, NASA’s Artemis II splashed down on the Pacific Ocean, about 45 to 80 miles off the coast of San Diego. The mission’s spacecraft, named Orion, touched down at approximately 5:07 p.m. after 10 days in space, making history as the farthest humans have ever travelled from earth — 252,756 miles.
The astronauts aboard the flight included mission specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, commander Reid Wiseman, and pilot Victor Glover. Individual milestones were set by Koch, Glover, and Hansen. Koch became the first woman to travel far enough to look at Earth from beyond the moon. Similarly, Glover was the first Black man to achieve this milestone, and Hansen the first Canadian.
Artemis II marks the second successful crewed flight around the Moon and back since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
NASA and San Diego military teams retrieved the astronauts from the ocean and conducted a medical checkout.
