Massachusetts Governor Uses Donut Holes To Explain The State Energy Crisis She Caused
The Democrat tendency to talk down to their constituencies as if they are children has become a mainstay of American political discourse in the past several years. This behavior is rooted in a simmering arrogance among the political class, but it also tends to expose their lack of understanding when it comes to some of the more basic economic and industrial concepts.
In other words, Democrats treat people as if people are dumb because they are, in fact, dumb.
I just signed an Executive Order to bring enough energy into Massachusetts to power 2 million homes — and save families and businesses $10 million.
So how does our all-of-the-above energy strategy actually lower your bills?
— Governor Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) April 6, 2026
Maura Healey, the Governor of Massachusetts, has been in office since 2023. A Democrat, she boasts of being the first woman and first “openly LGBT” person elected to the position. Her administration’s focus is dedicated to climate change issues, which plays a large part in the reasons why MA is currently facing record high power prices and an overall energy crisis.
As Attorney General and Governor, Healey has pursued a lawsuit against Exxon for “not disclosing” climate risks caused by their products to investors and consumers through marketing campaigns. Of course, there are no “climate risks” caused by Exxon’s products. Why would they disclose a risk that doesn’t exist?
In November 2024, Healey signed “Clean Energy” legislation which includes reforms to prevent natural gas expansion by limiting gas utility investments that conflict with climate change mandates. This disrupts the creation of new fossil fuel infrastructure in an attempt to “phase down” public reliance on gas and redirect focus toward green energy. Critics argue that these policies hinder gas reliability and raise long-term costs for citizens of MA.
Since Healey took office, gas heating prices in MA have risen by 35%-50% and electricity prices are listed among top five most expensive states in the US. Massachusetts already had high energy rates before Healey, but they surged after her climate change policies were implemented.
Green energy, as everyone knows, is far less efficient than oil, gas or coal (20% to 60% less efficient depending on the source). State programs that prioritize green tech while suppressing carbon based energy usually result in higher prices for everyone while also creating a bottleneck and shortages during weather related disasters or global supply chain disruptions.
When Healey holds up donut holes as a representation of Massachusetts’ limited energy resources, what she doesn’t mention is that, unlike donut holes, not all energy sources are the same. Wind power or solar power is far less reliable and efficient compared to natural gas. Electric vehicles often still rely on power generated by coal and natural gas. Around 75% of MA’s energy output comes from natural gas because it is by far the most reliable and affordable source.
Healey’s solution for storage (green tech, batteries, etc.) is far less practical and far more expensive. Natural gas storage is vastly superior in terms of cost and energy output. Massachusetts doesn’t have below ground storage for gas, but relying on storage in other states is still cheaper than the billions of dollars they would need to build battery-based storage in MA.
The Governor then, of course, goes on to blame Donald Trump’s opposition to green tech development as the cause of higher prices. Keep in mind, prices exploded in MA well before Trump took office in 2025. Furthermore, Trump’s criticisms are completely reasonable.
First, climate change theories are a sham. There is no concrete evidence of a causation relationship between carbon, human industry and global warming. None. In fact, the atmospheric carbon record for the past 400 million years doesn’t match the temperature record in the slightest.
And, temperatures today are far cooler than they have been in the past. That is to say, we are nowhere near record high temperatures for the Earth. Climate scientists make these claims based on records that only go back around 140 years, which is an extremely narrow time window.
Meaning, the pursuit of green tech in the name of saving the planet is pointless, and it’s causing economic suffering for the citizenry. Green energy might one day be efficient enough to supply ample power to the world, but for now it has hobbled legitimate energy production. Today, most financial resources should be put into oil, coal, gas and perhaps nuclear (nuclear plants take 6-10 years to build, plus another 5 years for approval).
Climate obsessed Democrats like Healey are the primary cause of high energy prices in blue states. It is undeniable.
No Storybook Ending: Disney Plans Another Round Of Layoffs
Disney turned a new chapter earlier this year when Josh D’Amaro took over the century-old entertainment giant from Bob Iger as chief executive. But the closely watched succession has occurred against the troubling backdrop of recent reorganization and a questionable turnaround effort, leaving Wall Street analysts with mixed feelings.
The Wall Street Journal reports that D’Amaro is set to continue the layoffs that started under Iger’s watch, with a new round of approximately 1,000 workers that could be announced in the near term.
For those employees, there is no happy storybook ending to Disney’s next round of layoffs, which will impact the recently consolidated marketing department.
Iger, who returned to save the sinking Disney ship in 2022, launched major restructuring efforts that included the elimination of more than 8,000 jobs. Most of the cuts centered on entertainment, ESPN, and corporate units, while parks and cruise operations have largely remained untouched and continued to expand.
The report continued:
Disney has been consolidating long-siloed operations to cut costs and coordinate its efforts across divisions, particularly online. The company combined marketing for entertainment, experiences and sports under a single chief marketing officer, Asad Ayaz, for the first time, in January. Ayaz’s plan to unite the marketing group and reduce expenses is code-named Project Imagine, according to people familiar with the matter.
Disney is also combining the staff of its Disney+ and Hulu streaming services as it goes about merging both brands into one app. The company has been working with consultants from Bain & Co. to strategize its cost-cutting.
The decision to reduce headcount reflects broader pressure across Hollywood (death of Hollywood in charts), where traditional TV profits have softened, box-office returns remain muted, and streaming has become increasingly unprofitable. Disney is also trying to free up capital for faster-growing digital businesses.
The latest Bloomberg data shows Disney’s overall workforce consists of 231,000 full- and part-time employees.
Reshaping Disney to appease shareholders comes as the stock is down nearly 13% for the year (as of Wednesday’s closing). Shares trade at Covid lows and have been locked in a trough since mid-2022.
“This transition comes at a moment when the world is changing faster than ever. While that can feel daunting at times, it is also exciting,” D’Amaro said earlier this year in a statement.
Perhaps cutting all woke propaganda sneaked into entertainment under Disney brands to indoctrinate children would also be a start toward regaining the trust of households that have gravitated to other studios for media consumption.
Whether D’Amaro can stabilize Disney remains an open question.
Texas Pacific Land Crashes After Largest Shareholder Dies
Land-and-royalty company Texas Pacific Land Corp. crashed the most since early Covid after the head of its largest shareholder unexpectedly died.
Bloomberg reports that Murray Stahl, CEO of Horizon Kinetics and a TPL board member, died on Thursday, sending shares spiraling lower by 17% in late-afternoon trading.
This marked the largest intraday decline in the stock since early 2020.
Stahl was described as a longtime believer in TPL, one of the largest private landowners in Texas, with most of its acreage concentrated in the oil-rich Permian Basin of West Texas.
TPL generates revenue by owning land, collecting oil and gas royalties from activity on that land, and selling or managing water-related services tied to drilling and production.
“His firm, Horizon Kinetics, along with its predecessors, had been TPL’s largest shareholder for many decades. Murray believed in the Company when it was still a thinly-traded, little-known trust that simply owned some land in west Texas,” TPL CEO Ty Glover wrote in a press release.
Bloomberg data show that Horizon Kinetics is TPL’s largest shareholder, owning 10.3 million shares, or about 14.99% of the tradable shares outstanding.
The cause of death was not immediately released by the family or TPL’s CEO.
The plunge in TPL shares following the death of its largest shareholder likely reflects uncertainty about the company’s future direction, as well as the possibility that Horizon could eventually reduce its stake. The volatility may also result from TPL’s tight float and thin trading, which can amplify price swings when unexpected news hits.
Minneapolis city leaders are barreling ahead with plans to legalize adult bathhouses and sex venues where consenting adults can engage in sexual activity, scrapping a 38-year ban enacted during the AIDS epidemic.
The push, driven by activists, comes as the gay Somali community in Minneapolis has been clamoring to legalize bathhouses. City leaders are considering the proposal that would allow patrons to engage in sexual intercourse in the venues, the New York Post reports.
This latest development underscores the deepening assimilation issues in a city long transformed by mass Somali immigration.
The Minneapolis City Council has referred a package of four proposed ordinances to staff for further development. These include creating licensing and business regulations for adult sex venues that facilitate sexual activity between consenting adults, updating zoning codes for sexually oriented businesses, revising health and sanitation standards related to contagious diseases, and adding exceptions to miscellaneous offenses provisions.
Activists from the Safer Sex Spaces Coalition have led the charge. They argue the 1988 ban, which targeted “high-risk sexual conduct” such as fellatio, anal intercourse, and vaginal intercourse in commercial settings, is outdated and stigmatizing.
“The Minneapolis Health Department and other public health organizations acknowledge this ordinance is no longer the tool needed to promote public health, “the coalition stated adding “Social science research tells us that commercial sex spaces, like gay saunas, are important for promoting safer sex practices, enhancing HIV prevention, and increasing access to testing and treatment. These spaces also enhance feelings of identity, camaraderie, authenticity, and belonging. They are spaces where people overcome isolation and develop a sense of community and pride.”
Creating a monkeypox epidemic wouldn’t be my first choice to distract attention from Minneapolis’s rampant fraud problem, but it just might work. pic.twitter.com/IbtZIKqjAK
— Thousands of Tiny Tyrants (@Tiny_Tyrants) April 8, 2026
Council Member Jason Chavez supported referring the measures, saying: “LGBTQIA+ gathering spaces, including bathhouses, have long been targeted by criminalization and policing, and our communities have paid a devastating price for that. That’s why we’re referring this to staff to begin building policy alongside community members and stakeholders.”
Council President Elliott Payne noted that such activities “already happen in the shadows, and we are trying to ensure that they are safe for patrons, especially when LGBTQ+ individuals are under attack by the federal government.” He pointed to potential regulations modeled on San Francisco, including condom availability and staff training on harm reduction.
A spokesperson for Mayor Jacob Frey indicated the mayor supports continued exploration of the issue.
Hardly surprising given that all he does is pander to Somalis.
The original 1988 ban drew backing even from within the LGBTQ+ community at the time, including the city’s first openly gay council member, Brian Coyle, who backed the measure before his death from AIDS-related complications in 1991. Activists now claim the rules disproportionately harmed same-sex partnerships and people with HIV/AIDS while driving gatherings into unsafe private spaces.
Recent coverage confirms the council delayed full debate on the ordinances this week but remains committed to directing staff research.
Critics view the effort as emblematic of misplaced priorities. While neighborhoods struggle with the social and economic fallout of rapid demographic change—including documented fraud schemes and parallel economies—the focus shifts to licensing orgy venues and updating “stigmatizing language” in city code.
Minneapolis—often called “Little Mogadishu”—has faced repeated exposure for hundreds of millions in Somali cash smuggling operations routed through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, in addition to an explosion of Somali related fraud scandals.
TSA whistleblowers who highlighted these schemes faced pushback, including accusations of racism and Islamophobia from figures tied to the Walz administration aimed at silencing concerns over Somali fraud.
Legalizing commercial sex spaces in a city already wrestling with smuggling networks and identity politics does not signal enlightened governance. It signals a leadership class more attuned to activist coalitions than to restoring order and cohesion.
Voters across the heartland have grown weary of cities that import unassimilated populations and then contort public policy around every resulting demand.
Minneapolis offers a cautionary tale of where such approaches lead—public health debates recycled from the 1980s, now layered atop deeper failures in border security and cultural integration.
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a criminal investigation into Cassidy Hutchinson, the former White House staffer who made a number of false claims about President Donald Trump before the January 6 Committee in June 2022.
The probe, led by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division under Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, began in early April 2026 after a criminal referral from Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.).
In December 2024, the House Administration’s Oversight Subcommittee, which is chaired by Loudermilk, released a 128-page interim report concluding that the J6 star witness had lied under oath and that the Select Committee knew her outrageous claims were false when they publicly promoted her.
In a December 17, 2024 press release, Loudermilk referred former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.) to the Department of Justice for an investigation into “potential criminal witness tampering based on the new information about her communication.”
Loudermilk accused Cheney of colluding with then-media darling Hutchinson without her attorney’s knowledge.
Hutchinson had testified that President Trump was aware that his supporters had weapons on the morning of January 6 but didn’t care because they weren’t there to hurt him.
She also falsely claimed that Trump tried to seize the wheel of the presidential limo and lunged at his former security detail when the Secret Service would not drive him to join protesters at the Capitol.
Loudermilk’s report concluded:
President Trump did not attack his Secret Service Detail at any time on January 6.
President Trump did not have intelligence indicating violence on the morning of January 6.
Cassidy Hutchinson falsely claimed to have drafted a handwritten note for President Trump on January 6.
Representative Cheney and Cassidy Hutchinson baselessly attempted to disbar Hutchinson’s former attorney.
Loudermilk’s report accused Cheney of “using the January 6 Select Committee as a tool to attack President Trump, at the cost of investigative integrity and Capitol security.”
As of now, the Justice Department has not announced any investigation into Cheney, and the report’s recommendations remain unacted upon by federal prosecutors.
Hutchinson’s allegations were so flimsy even anti-Trump Special Counsel Jack Smith didn’t believe her and refused to use her as a witness in his prosecution of Trump.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation will focus on whether she committed perjury during her “bombshell” televised testimony, particularly regarding claims that Trump encouraged violence on January 6 and attempted to seize the presidential limo’s steering wheel.
The assignment of the case to the Civil Rights Division is considered highly unusual, as perjury cases are typically handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., which is run by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
The investigation will examine claims from other witnesses and internal testimony that contradict Hutchinson’s account, particularly the Secret Service’s denial of the limo incident.
During a news conference Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that Trump has the “right” and “duty” to call for investigations into individuals he deems suspicious, including his former staffer turned anti-Trump fabulist.
Medicore 30Y Auction Has First Tail Since November
After a solid 3Y auction and a tepid 10Y auction earlier this week, moments ago the Treasury concluded the final coupon auction of the week, when it sold $22 billion in a 30 year reopening in what was another average auction.
The sale stopped at a high yield of 4.876%, virtually unchanged from 4.871% a month ago and the highest since last July. It also tailed the When Issued 4.871% by 0.5bps, the first tail since November.
The bid to cover was 2.385, down from 2.452 in March and the lowest since December ’25.
The internals were in line: Indirects were awarded 64.14%, up from 63.4% in March but below the six-auction average of 66.8%. And with Directs down to 24.23% from 27.23% (above the recent average of 22.9%), dealers were left holding 11.6%, the most since January.
Overall, this was a mediocre 30Y auction, with average stats resulting in the first tail for the tenor since last November, yet with markets still only focused on Iran there was virtually no little market reaction.
New Jersey Governor Sherrill Lifts 40-Year Nuclear Moratorium
Governor Mikie Sherrill signed legislation that scraps New Jersey’s 40-year de facto moratorium on new nuclear power plants, clearing the way for expanded baseload generation in a state long plagued by some of the nation’s highest utility bills.
The bill, S3870/A4528, amends the Coastal Area Facility Review Act to remove an outdated permitting roadblock tied to Nuclear Regulatory Commission waste-disposal rules that no modern project could satisfy.
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection can now approve permits based on proven, NRC-compliant storage methods that have maintained a 100% safety record.
Speaking after a tour of the Salem Nuclear Power Plant, Sherrill launched the state’s new Nuclear Task Force by executive order.
The group, which includes officials from PSEG Nuclear, labor unions, business groups, and environmental stakeholders, will focus on five priorities: financing, supply chains and technology, workforce development, regulatory streamlining, and public trust.
“For costs to come down, we need more energy supply,” Gov Sherrill said.
“By lifting outdated barriers and bringing together leaders across government, industry, and labor, we’re setting the stage for our state to pursue new advanced nuclear power.”
Existing reactors at Salem and Hope Creek already supply more than 40 percent of the state’s electricity and roughly 80 percent of its pollution-free power.
A 2020 Brattle Group analysis found those plants save ratepayers more than $400 million annually while running at 90-95 percent capacity on just 740 combined acres.
The FBI arrested a former Fort Bragg civilian contractor April 7 for allegedly providing top secret details about the Delta Force special forces unit to a journalist who later published the information in an article and book.
Courtney Williams, 40, of Wagram, North Carolina, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with violating the Espionage Act in connection to the alleged transmission of classified national defense information to the journalist in violation of federal law.
“Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests,” FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X.
“This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm’s way.”
Officials say Williams worked for a Special Military Unit from 2010 to 2016 supporting top-level military warfighters. During that time, she held a top secret, sensitive compartmented information security clearance, according to prosecutors.
Williams allegedly had daily access to a wide range of classified information, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
As a clearance holder, Williams was trained to know about proper handling, safeguarding, and storage of classified information, prosecutors said. She also allegedly signed a nondisclosure agreement that confirmed she understood that disclosing it could constitute a criminal offense.
Investigators allege Williams repeatedly communicated with a journalist by phone and through text messages between 2022 and 2025. The two had over 10 hours of phone calls and exchanged more than 180 messages, according to prosecutors.
In one message, the reporter identified himself as a journalist and said he was seeking information about the unit to support an upcoming article and book, according to prosecutors.
After the communications, the journalist published a book and article that named Williams as a source and attributed specific statements to her, per court documents.
Prosecutors didn’t name the journalist in the complaint, but Seth Harp, an investigative reporter and foreign correspondent, published a Politico article on Williams on Aug. 12, 2025.
The article was an excerpt from his New York Times best-selling book, “The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces.”
Harp didn’t immediately return a request for comment about Williams’s arrest but posted statements about it on X.
“The FBI is incapable of solving real crimes, like all the murders on Fort Bragg involving elite soldiers trafficking drugs, so they settle for retaliating against courageous whistleblowers like Courtney Williams, whose only ‘crime’ was telling the truth about Delta Force,” Harp wrote.
The article names Williams and describes her decision to take a job as a contractor at Fort Bragg after ending a four-year enlistment in the Army, where she had served as an interrogator and Arabic linguist.
Her position in Southern Pines, North Carolina, was in mission support and was run by former members of Delta Force, the Army’s component of Joint Special Operations Command. Williams told Harp the job was to create and maintain fictitious cover identities for Delta Force operators to use on clandestine missions.
She also described her grievances about the unit, claiming she was discriminated against and sexually harassed. She lost her security clearance after a dispute with leadership in 2016, according to the article.
Williams and her husband allegedly burned through their savings defending herself in the dispute before settling with the unit’s lawyers and retiring from the position, she told Harp.
FBI Special Agent in Charge of the North Carolina Field Office Reid Davis said Williams faced serious charges.
“The tradecraft, tactics, and techniques used by the U.S. military unit in this case are classified and should be shared only with those with proper clearances and a need to know in order to protect American lives and safeguard classified National Defense information,” Davis said in a press release.
“These are serious accusations. Anyone divulging information they vowed to protect to a reporter for publication is reckless, self-serving and damages our nation’s security.”
More Iran Truce Optimism: Israel To Open Ceasefire Negotiations With Lebanon After Trump Pressures Netanyahu, Oil Drops
Summary:
Bibi says pursuing Lebanon ceasefire after reports of Trump pressure. Over 250 killed and 1,000+ wounded in Lebanon from Wednesday surprise attack by Israel’s military. UAE, Pakistan, and even EU (Kallas) condemn.
WH confirms Vice President Vance will lead Kushner-Witkoff delegation in Pakistan, seen as positive in Tehran and Islamabad.
Trump warns of more military action if Iran doesn’t uphold ‘real’ ceasefire deal, after disagreement over Lebanon truce status as part of deal.
Despite some last-minute shots in Lebanon by Israel, bombs go largely silent across Gulf and Middle East.
Hormuz Strait still effectively controlled by Iran: only a few vessels had passed on Wednesday. TASS reporting only 15 ‘vetted’ tankers per day to be let through.
Bibi: We are Opening Direct Negotiations With Lebanon
Huge development per Axios:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: In light of Lebanon’s repeated calls to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the Cabinet yesterday to open direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible. The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon. Israel appreciates the Lebanese Prime Minister’s call today to evacuate Beirut
This after NBC News just reported that President Trump has requested that Israel reduce its bombing of Lebanon. There are some caveats: a senior Israeli official has said the negotiations will begin in the “coming days” and is not yet happening. Also, per Newsquawk (and via “Now 14”), the negotiations will take place “under fire” – meaning there could be continued strikes unleashed on Lebanon.
Oil dumps and stocks spike on the news…
15 ‘Vetted’ Vessels Per Day To Be Allowed Through Hormuz: TASS
The Associated Press has emphasized Thursday, “Iran’s approval system for ships granted safe passage – after vetting by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps – remains unchanged despite US President Donald Trump’s demand for the strait to be reopened.”
“Last week was the busiest week since the start of the war with 72 passages, still 90% below normal volumes, Lloyd’s said,” the AP report continues. “Most of the vessels allowed through are connected to Iran, although some Indian vessels have gotten through with diplomatic intervention by the Indian government.” There are currently few indicators revealing Iran’s intent for what comes next, and it could be that much gets determined on whether Israel will cease its attacks on Lebanon. Tehran has threatened to renew its ballistic missile attacks of Israel’s anti-Hezbollah actions and massive airstrikes on Beirut persist.
Russia, which is an ally of Iran, has in its media published Iranian sources saying that Iran will allow no more than 15 vessels per day through Hormuz. As for Iran’s protocol for allowing passage, which reportedly could include up to a $2 million fee per vessel payable in cryptocurrency, Lloyd’s list outlines the following on where things stand:
Vessels transiting the chokepoint must coordinate with the IRGC Navy
Iran’s latest guidance explicitly warns of anti-ship mines in the main traffic zone of the strait
IRGC Navy continues to vet all traffic passing through the strait on the basis of geopolitical affiliation
Optimism: Bombs Largely Go Quiet
Asia One journalist Anas Mallick writes that “To my understanding, By tomorrow, first break of light, is when both delegations of US and Iran will be in Islamabad to hold talks.”
There’s some optimism regarding the US-Iran ceasefire holding, as it’s been relatively quiet in the Middle East overnight into Thursday, despite Israel getting some final shots on Lebanon in. On this, Iran’s president has made clear Tehran’s position that Israel’s renewed incursion into Lebanon and against Hezbollah violates the ceasefire, warning that these actions could make talks moot before they even begin.
Reuters observes, “Even as the U.S. and Iran seek to cement a ceasefire, Israel is seizing more territory from its neighbors in preparation for a long, drawn-out conflict across the Middle East. Israel’s creation of ‘buffer zones’ in Gaza, Syria and now Lebanon reflects a strategic shift after the attacks of October 7, 2023, one that puts the country in a semi-permanent state of war.”
Still, Gulf countries like the UAE have stated that no air threats have been detected or are inbound in the past hours, which is a rare positive development. There has been a decline in Iranian attacks across Arab states in the Persian Gulf region. Also, Israeli society has begun to return to normalcy, with emergency and shelter in place measures lifted across most parts of the country, and Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv having resumed operations as of midnight.
The reality of who actually controls the Hormuz Strait, told in one awkward WH press exchange:
Q: As of today, who controls the Strait of Hormuz?
LEAVITT: We expect that the strait will be opened immediately
But the reality remains that on Wednesday – the first day of the fragile ceasefire – a mere few tankers were allowed passage through the Strait of Hormuz before Iran shut down traffic again, citing the heavy Israeli attacks on Lebanon, which were the largest and deadliest of the war to date.
Sky News reports that at least 254 people were killed by the Israeli strikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, citing government health authorities. In Beirut alone, at least 91 people were killed, amid ongoing rescue efforts and treatment of the wounded in area hospitals. Over 1,000 Lebanese were wounded and injured. The Lebanese government has declared a day of mourning.
Trump To Renew Attacks if Tehran Fails in ‘Real’ Ceasefire Deal, Oil Rises
Meanwhile President Trump in a Truth Social message issued overnight says that “all US ships, aircraft, and military personnel” will remain in place around Iran until the “real agreement” on a ceasefire “is fully complied with” – warning of more US military action to come if not.
The renewed threats have pushed WTI back above $100…
Here’s president Trump’s full Truth Social statement wherein he warns that the shooting can start again “bigger, better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before”:
Iran’s leadership has meanwhile been insistent on Lebanon being part of the Iran ceasefire, and has on this basis accused Washington of already violating at least three clauses of the ten point plan. It too has serious cards to play – especially while still de facto controlling Hormuz, and with the ability to renew attacks on energy sites in Gulf states.
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 9, 2026
Iran on Lebanon Violations: ‘Choose War or Ceasefire, You Can’t Have Both’
Iran’s deputy foreign minister Saeed Khatibzadeh has told CBS News Israel’s attacks on Lebanon Wednesday were “a grave violation” of the ceasefire agreement, and emphasized the US must choose “between war and ceasefire – you cannot have it both at the same time.”
“You cannot ask for a ceasefire and then accept terms and conditions, accept areas the ceasefire is applied to, and name Lebanon, exactly Lebanon in that, and then your ally just start a massacre,” Khatibzadeh said.
Netanyahu’s message has remained that Israel can strike Hezbollah whenever and “wherever” it chooses. “In Beirut, we eliminated Ali Youssef Kharshi, the personal secretary of Hezbollah terror organization Secretary-General Naim Qassem and one of the people closest to him. At the same time, overnight, the IDF struck a series of terror infrastructures in southern Lebanon: crossings used to transfer thousands of weapons, rockets, and launchers, as well as weapons depots, launchers, and Hezbollah headquarters,” Netanyahu said.
“Our message is clear: Whoever acts against Israeli civilians will be struck. We will continue to strike Hezbollah wherever required, until we restore full security to the residents of the north.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Saar: “In the last 40 days, Hezbollah has fired approximately 6,500 missiles, rockets, and drones at Israel.”
Pakistan Welcomes Vance Heading up US Delegation
WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made clear Wednesday that Vice President JD Vance will head up talks for the US side in Pakistan, leading Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Tehran had previously expressed its disdain for the latter two, accusing them of lying and being deceptive the first go-round before Iran suffered surprise US-Israeli attack. The pair are also accused of lacking technical know-how when it comes to talking about the nuclear issue.
Al Jazeera also freshly reports that the choice of Vance heading the US delegation is “being viewed very positively in Pakistan.” Pakistan’s former Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi says, “Politicians know the art of the possible, and therefore I think it’s a good decision by the Trump administration to have Vance lead the talks.”
Vance has stressed that Trump is “impatient to make progress” with Iran and warned that if Iranian officials don’t engage in good faith “they’re going to find out that President Trump is not one to mess around with.” The US has clamed Iran ‘begged’ for ceasefire while Tehran insists it was the other way around.
More Geopolitical Headlines
via Newsquawk…
US President Donald Trump posted: “All U.S. Ships, Aircraft, and Military Personnel….will remain in place in, and around, Iran, until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with”.
US President Donald Trump posted: “NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN. REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!”.
The Trump administration is considering a plan to penalize NATO members viewed as unhelpful during the Iran war by relocating US troops to more supportive countries, with potential base closures in Europe, including in Spain or Germany, according to WSJ.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told President Trump that most European nations provided support.
US officials stated they do not rule out resuming fighting in Iran and confirmed Trump will not offer major concessions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warning Iran’s demands could trigger renewed conflict.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister stated that the speaker of parliament will lead Iran’s delegation in upcoming talks, with communication continuing through Pakistan, according to Al Jazeera.
Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan stated the delegation will arrive in Islamabad on Thursday night for “serious talks” based on Iran’s 10-point proposal.
The IRGC Navy announced alternative shipping routes to bypass potential sea mines, according to ISNA.
The IRGC stated that shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed sharply and then stopped following what it described as an Israeli ceasefire violation in Lebanon, according to CNN.
Iranian lawmaker Ibrahim Azizi stated: “Once again, you have proven that you do not know the meaning of a ceasefire” and “Only fire will discipline you…so wait for it”.
Saudi Arabia and Iran discussed de-escalation during a call, according to SPA.
A Pakistani Foreign Ministry source indicated the US has backed away from including Lebanon in the ceasefire with Iran, according to Al Arabiya.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated Israel will continue striking Hezbollah, with the IDF targeting infrastructure in southern Lebanon overnight.
Israel’s Ministry of Energy ordered the resumption of operations at the Karish gas platform after a shutdown during the war, according to Channel 12.
Hezbollah stated its attacks on Israel will continue until aggression stops and launched rockets citing ceasefire violations, according to Fars News Agency.
A missile was fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, according to Fars News Agency.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon continued despite the ceasefire with Iran, according to Anadolu Agency.
French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and US President Donald Trump, stating their decision to accept the ceasefire was the best course of action.
Russia launched 119 drones at Ukraine overnight, according to Ukrainian media.
South Beirut Sees Mass Exodus Amid Diplomatic Scramble To Ward Off Israeli Raids
Israel has on Thursday warned civilians in south Beirut to evacuate their homes and neighborhoods, amid fears of a fresh impending aerial assault, after IDF strikes across Lebanon and the capital the day prior led to at least 250 Lebanese deaths and over 1,400 people wounded. These were the heaviest strikes of the war.
“Just a short while ago, the Israeli military issued new forced evacuation orders, warning of air strikes this time for the southern suburbs, expanding the area where it says strikes may be conducted, including the Jnah neighborhood, which is south of a previously evacuated area,” Al Jazeera reports. Panic and a mass exodus is being reported:
The effected area is densely populated with civilians and lies adjacent to Beirut’s lone international airport. People who fled Wednesday’s strikes on central Beirut in some places came to the Jnah area.
If Israeli bombs on Lebanon start flying again, this could re-trigger Iranian attacks on Israel. The Houthis in Yemen have also threatened to act, and all of this could collapse the fragile US-Iran ceasefire, amid impending talks expected to begin in Pakistan on Saturday.
Hezbollah now says it is engaged in ground clashes with the Israeli military in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil area, per Al Jazeera, which lies a mere 3 miles from the Israeli border. Israel is seeking to de facto annex the area, Lebanon believes.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz has meanwhile stated the operations have dealt a “very strong blow to Hezbollah’s face, leaving it stunned and confused by the depth of the penetration and the scope of the blow.” Meanwhile:
TRUMP ASKED NETANYAHU TO REDUCE BOMBING IN LEBANON TO AID SUCCESSFUL IRAN NEGOTIATIONS, ACCORDING TO NBC REPORTS.
Referencing hundreds of ballistic missiles which were sent on Israel in the last weeks, Katz said the IDF is “prepared and ready to act forcefully if Iran fires at Israel.” Hezbollah had also by mid-March joined the fight.
Currently, Lebanese hospitals are said to be overwhelmed while treating victims of the latest Israeli air raids, and are said to be in short supply, also seeking blood donations.
Reuters details, “Some of Lebanon’s hospitals could run out of life-saving trauma medical kits within days as supplies near depletion following mass casualties from large-scale Israeli strikes over the past day, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.” The WHO outlined that “The life-saving trauma kits include bandages, antibiotics and anaesthetics to treat patients who sustained war-related injuries.”
