Iran offers to open Strait of Hormuz if US ends blockade and war

On April 27, Iran offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz on the condition that the U.S. lifts its naval blockade of Iranian shipping ports and ends the current conflict. If accepted, the proposal would postpone discussions between the U.S. and Iran on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.

President Donald Trump told Axios on Wednesday that he rejected this offer, vowing to continue the naval blockade as leverage until a proposal that addresses Iran’s nuclear capabilities is agreed upon. In a statement to Fox last Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained his opposition to Iran’s proposal. 

“We can’t let them get away with it,” he said. “We have to ensure that any deal that is made, any agreement that is made, is one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

Iran expressed intentions of protecting the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and missile capabilities on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. The U.S. and Iran entered a Pakistan-mediated two-week ceasefire on April 7. Trump extended this truce on April 21.

Report alleges California will disclose driver’s license information to outside organization

California plans to share information of driver’s license holders, including that of unauthorized immigrants, with an outside organization, according to a CalMatters report on Tuesday. 

Following a recent briefing with the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the Office of Gov. Gavin Newsom, those in favor of the move believe that if state officials do not share the data, the Department of Homeland Security may refuse to accept California licenses and IDs at airports. State authorities also say the disclosure is meant to comply with the Real ID Act of 2005.

Newsom denied this report on X, formerly known as Twitter, later the same day, claiming that “CalMatters published inaccurate reporting with a 100% FALSE headline.” The post included a photo of CalMatters’ weekday newsletter, WhatMatters, where the original report was summarized under the headline “CA ready to share protected immigrant info nationwide.”

Representatives from advocacy groups opposing the data sharing told CalMatters that the information would include “whether a person has a Social Security number, meaning it could be used to identify people in the country without authorization.” 

These advocates say the sharing of information “breaks a promise the state made a decade ago when it began issuing licenses to unauthorized immigrants” and that “more than 1 million people may face higher risk of deportation.”

Should California state officials agree to share the information, it will be provided to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, which will then enter the organization’s state-to-state verification system and the State Pointer Exchange Services. SPEXS is an AAMVA-operated national database that allows states to verify whether individuals applying for a new license already have one in another state.

Trump administration finalizes limitations on graduate student loans 

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education finalized federal student loan limits for graduate and professional degrees, which will take effect on July 1. 

Previously, both graduate and professional programs were allowed a $20,500 annual loan and a $138,500 lifetime loan, including any loans for undergraduate study. When students reached this base limit, they were able to use Grad Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students for up to their entire costs of attendance. The Grad PLUS program has now been eliminated for new borrowers. 

Under the new regulations, most graduate students are limited to borrowing $20,500 per year, with an aggregate cap of $100,000. Students in qualifying professional programs can borrow up to $50,000 per year, with a total cap of $200,000.

The department narrowed the list of “professional degree programs” that would qualify for the $50,000 annual and $20,000 aggregate loan limit to 11 doctorate programs: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology, and clinical psychology.

The overhaul was initially introduced in President Donald Trump’s Working Families Tax Cut Act, also known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which was signed into law in July. Further details and changes can be found in the Federal Register.

Mali destabilizes as separatists and Al-Qaeda-linked militants make gains

Over the past few days, violent separatists and militants associated with the terror group Al-Qaeda have dealt blows to Mali’s military junta and its Russian mercenary allies. 

Fighters from the Azawad Liberation Front, as well as their allies in Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, an Al-Qaeda-affiliated extremist group, have seized territory in Mali. The areas the rebels claim to have captured include a critical gold-mining site in Intahaka and multiple military bases in Sévaré and Gao. 

In addition, the rebels have carried out strikes in Bamako, the capital city, instituting a blockade of some of its roads and highways. This comes shortly after the rebels assassinated Defense Minister Sadio Camara in a suicide bombing.

Residents of Bamako have expressed worries about their safety. One butcher from Bamako commented in a Washington Post article, “Today, we are all afraid because there are no more men who can guarantee our security.”

On top of that, the military government has recently shown signs of turbulence. A public prosecutor working for the Military Court of Bamako has alleged that Malian military officers, as well as some politicians, coordinated with the rebels in their recent series of attacks.

These actions are taking place in the context of a struggling alliance between Mali and Russia. Though Moscow has reiterated its commitment to coordinating with Mali’s military junta, its reputation as a reliable military partner remains uncertain following the recent attacks. Coupled with a string of Russian military defeats and the retreat of Russia’s Africa Corps from the city of Kidal, some speculate that the military partnership between Bamako and Moscow is weakening.