Former Vice President Kamala Harris has openly teased the possibility of running for president again in 2028 – telling an audience at the National Action Network’s annual convention in New York City alongside Rev. Al Sharpton: “Listen, I might, I might. I’m thinking about it. I’m thinking about it.”

The crowd erupted into chants of “Run again!” as Harris spoke. “I served for four years being a heartbeat away from the presidency of the United States,” she told the audience. “I spent countless hours in my West Wing office, footsteps away from the Oval Office. I spent countless hours in the Oval Office, in the Situation Room. I know what the job is. And I know what it requires.” She added that recent travels across the country, especially in the South, had reinforced her view that “the status quo is not working, and hasn’t been working for a lot of people for a long time.”

This isn’t her first hint…

• October 2025 (BBC Interview): In her first UK interview after the election, Harris gave her strongest early signal yet. Asked if she could envision herself as president one day—and whether America would soon elect a female president—she replied “possibly.” She declared, “I am not done. I have lived my entire career as a life of service and it’s in my bones.”
• October 2025 (Kara Swisher Interview): On stage with journalist Kara Swisher, Harris shrugged off a question about 2028 with “Maybe. Maybe not,” drawing cheers from the crowd.
• February 2026 (Sharon McMahon Interview): While promoting her memoir 107 Days—which chronicles the intense final stretch of her 2024 campaign—Harris told author Sharon McMahon she “hasn’t decided” on another run but admitted, “I might,” when pressed on whether she was still thinking about it. McMahon noted the book left the impression that Harris “wants” to run again.

Odds of another run currently sit at 11%… watch this one: 

Harris’s 2024 bid as the Democratic nominee came after President Joe Biden stepped aside. She lost decisively to Trump but has remained an active voice in Democratic politics, criticizing the current administration’s foreign policy—particularly the war with Iran, which she has called a “choice” that “keeps me up at night.”

She is already scheduled to appear at Democratic events in multiple Southern states this month, keeping her profile high as the party looks ahead. While she leads many early 2028 primary polls among Democrats, the field is expected to be crowded, and some party insiders have expressed private concerns about a repeat candidacy.

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released its state-level real gross domestic product data on Thursday, revealing a sharply uneven economic landscape in the fourth quarter of 2025, with boom times in North Dakota contrasting with a sharp slowdown spreading across the Mid-Atlantic, especially in Washington, D.C.

“From a regional perspective, real GDP increased in 35 states in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the percent change at an annual rate ranging from 3.8 percent in North Dakota to –8.3 percent in the District of Columbia and remaining unchanged in Indiana and Maine,” BEA wrote in the report.

The fourth quarter coincided with a 43-day government shutdown from Oct. 1 through Nov. 12, a disruption that likely had an outsized effect on the Washington, D.C. economy given the metro area’s heavy reliance on federal workers, procurement, contracting activity, and the broader consumer spending tied to government. 

But let’s not forget that the D.C. economy is already dealing with a spending slowdown linked to the Trump administration’s move to clean up waste, fraud, and abuse. To this day, DOGE units are still operating in agencies and trimming the DEI fat.

Yesim Sayin, executive director of the think tank D.C. Policy Center, was quoted by the Washington Post late in 2025 as warning about recession risks in the D.C. economy.

“Death by a thousand cuts,” Sayin told WaPo. She said the significance of 2025 lies less in any single data point and more in the earthquake it has delivered to the very bedrock of the city’s long-term outlook.

“This isn’t just a blip,” Sayin said. “What this year has done is change the trajectory of the District’s economy.”

According to the Cato Institute, the 2025 federal workforce reduction was the largest peacetime reduction ever. That drop was 9% of the total workforce. 

D.C. Policy Center’s latest report warns that D.C. has entered a slower-growth era and can no longer rely on population gains, employment growth, and rising revenues to offset inefficiencies and soaring costs.

The think tank warned:

The city’s current fiscal framework was built during a period of steady growth, when rising population, expanding employment, and increasing property values supported reliable revenue gains. That environment has weakened but spending commitments have not adjusted at the same pace. Recent budgets reflect this tension clearly. In this fiscal year (FY 2026), roughly 10 percent of approved general fund spending—about $1.4 billion—is being financed with past savings rather than with recurring revenues. At the same time, the adopted financial plan assumes a reduction of $839 million in FY 2027 spending, a cut of more than six percent. [4] The District has not faced adjustments of this scale since the Great Recession.

This is a system under strain. Growth has not returned, as hoped, to ease these pressures, and as revenues flatten in real terms, the city faces increasingly constrained choices.

For years, the Mid-Atlantic economy rode a wave of federal spending that poured into local economies from Northern Virginia to Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Maryland, and into Delaware, helping sustain an unbalanced economy heavily tilted toward government.

Now, as growth slows and residents and businesses leave, the region’s political elites – ruled by Democratic Party queens and kings in their ‘DEI Kingdoms’ – are facing hard realities: higher taxes will only trigger a greater exodus and spark even more backlash from both sides of the political aisle. 

The road to political change in the Mid-Atlantic was accelerated by the Trump administration’s DOGE, which sought to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse across many agencies, including USAID.

We’ll leave you with a message from Dean Woodley Ball, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, a Policy Fellow at Fathom, and Visiting Fellow at Heritage Foundation…

My plan is to leave DC for Virginia before the next mayor is sworn in, or shortly after at the very least.

DC is incredibly vulnerable. It has the following major defects:

1. An incompetent and corrupt government that does not provide basic services effectively

2. A… https://t.co/n3gXenwrZX

— Dean W. Ball (@deanwball) April 10, 2026

“My plan is to leave DC for Virginia before the next mayor is sworn in, or shortly after at the very least.” 

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains largely limited, with transits over the past 24 hours consisting almost exclusively of ships “friendly” to Iran, including Chinese and Russian vessels. Meanwhile, those expecting the ceasefire to unblock Hormuz have actually seen the opposite: traffic through the strait, which ticked up at the weekend, has since slowed further. 

Several fully-laden supertankers have moved toward the waterway in the past two days, but haven’t made the crossing out of the Persian Gulf, despite a US-Iran ceasefire taking effect this week.

Unless anything changes, this weekend’s ceasefire negotiations will be very short: the US has said the truce is conditional on Iran unblocking Hormuz. Yet since Thursday morning, just nine ships out of the roughly 800 vessels trapped in the Persian Gulf, have been observed passing through the strait, with five heading out of the gulf and four going in the opposite direction.

Among the most important was the Suezmax oil tanker Tour 2, hauling about 1 million barrels of Iranian crude out of the waterway. The Russian flagged supertanker Arhimeda moved in the opposite direction toward Iran’s export terminal at Kharg Island.

In a sign of some modest optimism, several oil tankers inside the Persian Gulf are anchoring near the approach to the strait, likely in order to be among the first to get underway as soon as the waterway opens up. Yet even as the ceasefire has pushed shipowners to begin considering options, most say conditions are still too unclear to attempt an exit.

Two Japanese oil tankers – itching with anticipation to get the hell out – left the waters off Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura on Thursday to move closer to the strait. The Mayasan and Yakumosan, both very-large carriers each hauling around 2 million barrels of crude, began sailing east late Thursday from waters off Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia, where they have been since mid-March. The Sea Condor, a Greek-flagged products tanker that loaded in Kuwait, was also moving east in the direction of Hormuz.

Mayasan sailed into the gulf a few days before war broke out on Feb. 28, ship-tracking data show. It picked up crude from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in late February. It is indicating Tomakomai, a port in northern Japan, as its destination. Yakumosan entered the gulf in late February, and picked up a cargo of Qatari crude from a floating storage vessel in early March. It then soon took another load from Saudi Arabia’s Juaymah, before idling for a few weeks off Ras Tanura. It is signaling a mustering point off Das Island in the United Arab Emirates as its destination.

The Japanese ships sailing east on Friday have links to Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd., a major Japanese shipowner and key energy player. While the company extracted at least one vessel from the gulf before this week’s truce, President Jotaro Tamura said on Thursday the group would now need to scrutinize details and the implementation of the ceasefire before allowing its tankers to test the Strait of Hormuz. 

Mitsui owns Mayasan, while Yakumosan’s owner Phoenix Ocean Corp. shares MOL’s address. MOL said it could not comment on “the navigation status or operational measures of individual vessels,” adding its priority was the safety of seafarers, cargo, and vessels. 

The Japanese tankers follow a similar move by three fully-laden Chinese ships. On Thursday, the three Chinese VLCCs clustered at a spot approaching Iran’s Qeshm, the island that now serves as a gateway for Hormuz transits. Two of the ships are linked to China’s Cosco Shipping Corp., a giant and prudent state-owned player.

The Cospearl Lake, a very-large crude carrier linked to China’s state-owned Cosco Shipping Corp., and He Rong Hai, owned by a smaller entity, appeared to be traveling east early on Thursday morning at near-top speeds, according to ship-tracking data, before coming to a virtual halt. Another Cosco-linked VLCC, the Yuan Hua Hu, began its eastward journey a few hours later. All three are signaling Chinese ownership on their tracking systems, a move typically done for safety during Iran-approved transits (and in this case they aren’t lying).

The Chinese ships are already notable for their cargoes. Two are carrying Iraqi crude, and the other Saudi. While Iran has referred to “brotherly” Iraq, most other transits have been granted to friendly nations. Iraq has told traders and refiners that vessels carrying the country’s oil are now able to transit the Strait of Hormuz thanks to an Iranian exemption.

Cospearl Lake’s and Yuan Hua Hu’s passages would also mark the first such attempt by a Cosco oil tanker in the six-week war. The company, like other large shipping firms, tends to be conservative, and its crude carriers have been trapped since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began, prompting Iran to all but close Hormuz in retaliation

Sea Condor, the Greek-flagged ship, also moved into the gulf at around the same time and picked up Kuwaiti fuels in early March. Its owner is Turandot Marine Co. which shares the same contact details as its manager, Pantheon Tankers Management, in Athens. 

The tankers are part of a growing armada amassing at the entrance to the strait, off the United Arab Emirates. A Saudi Arabian-flagged VLCC, the Jaham, has moved east toward a nearby holding area off Dubai. They join other ships including two Indian-flagged, fully-laden supertankers that have been in the area since late March – the Desh Vibhor, which is off Ras Al Khaimah, and the Desh Vaibhav, which is near Dubai.

Shipowners are not only concerned about the safety of crew and cargo, but also about the need to manage Iranian demands to secure safe passage, including payments which could expose companies to sanctions risks. Trump, who announced a complete opening of Hormuz along with the ceasefire earlier this week, said on Thursday he was optimistic, only to then chastise Iran for doing a “very poor” job of allowing oil through.

Meanwhile, all transits observed in the past day passed through a narrow northern corridor of the Strait between the Iranian islands of Larak and Qeshm, which is the only passage permitted by Iran’s military. 

Observed Transits

According to Bloomberg, since Thursday morning, two Iran-linked oil tankers, two bulkers and a single container ship have been observed leaving the Persian Gulf. The Greek oil tanker Serengeti, which appeared on automated tracking systems off Sri Lanka on Thursday, is estimated to have made the outbound crossing on April 1.

From the other side, two tankers sanctioned by the US for their involvement in the Iranian oil trade – one of which was the Arhimeda – were observed entering the Gulf on Thursday. A small bulk carrier also made the inbound transit. On Friday morning, the only vessel seen heading into the Persian Gulf was a Chinese-linked bulk carrier.

By Elwin de Groot, head of macro strategy 

As another volatile week comes to an end, investors and market participants appear to be clinging to the hope that the two‑week ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which began on Wednesday, will not unravel entirely – at least until a direct, face‑to‑face exchange and clarification of key demands can take place during the planned talks in Islamabad this weekend. Near‑dated Brent crude edged up by $2 to $97, equity markets posted modest declines in Europe, whilst US stocks rose. European bond yields rose by 3–5 basis points, as UST yields dropped a few. This suggests that the powerful risk‑on move seen on Wednesday has been dented but not broken. Experts continue to stress the fragility of the ceasefire, but markets are showing slightly greater confidence than the underlying geopolitical reality might warrant.

Compared with the first day of the ceasefire – which saw Israel launch its largest‑ever strike on Hezbollah, the UAE carry out a large‑scale operation against Iran’s oil and petrochemical assets in the Gulf, and Iran respond with ballistic missile and drone attacks – yesterday’s developments were notably more contained. There were no confirmed direct US‑Iran strikes. That said, Hezbollah did fire rockets into northern Israel, and Iran formally accused the United States of violating the ceasefire due to Israel’s continued strikes in Lebanon. Kuwait also accused Iran and its proxies of launching drone attacks.

Crucially, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted, with only a handful of Iran‑linked and/or Chinese vessels transiting the waterway. Iran indicated that it would allow no more than 15 ships per day to pass under the ceasefire agreement – hardly meaningful given that an estimated 800-900 vessels are still waiting to exit the strait. More fundamentally, the move underscores Iran’s effective control over the waterway, a message reinforced by the publication of “two safe shipping routes” by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization.

As reported earlier this week, shipowners are still grappling with whether – and under what conditions – it is safe to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Insurance is only part of the equation; the security of crews is equally critical. This raises the risk that even once ships can leave the strait to deliver cargoes to Asia and Europe, owners may remain reluctant to re‑enter the area to load new shipments. This reinforces our view that even if the war were to end – a point that remains far from certain – normalisation would not be immediate. A temporary ceasefire, clearly, is not a sufficient condition for a return to business as usual.

On that note, German Chancellor Merz has told President Trump that Germany would back a mission to secure the Strait, but that such an operation would ideally be conducted under a mandate from the UN Security Council. We’ll have to see if the US administration sees any merit in this, as it would imply Russia and China will get a clear say in the matter as well.

Following his meeting with NATO Chef Rutte – which only further exposed the rift in the alliance – Trump has demanded that countries provide concrete, operational support to US military actions – specifically through access to bases, airspace, logistics, and naval participation – rather than limiting themselves to political backing or neutrality. Trump did not issue a formal ultimatum in the meeting, but officials and media reports suggest the administration is considering concrete penalties for uncooperative allies, including redeploying or withdrawing US troops from certain NATO countries, or – more extreme – reassessing US commitments to the alliance as a whole.

Summary: 

• Iran makes clear Lebanon fighting must end or else Pakistan talks “meaningless” – as its delegation arrives in ‘locked down’ Pakistan. Speculation abounds related to ongoing Pentagon transport flights into Mideast region.

• Trump threatens more military action if Iran doesn’t ‘comply’, says Iran has ‘no cards’ – also as Israel-Lebanon talks scheduled in Washington next week. US delegation headed by Vance en route to Islamabad. But parliament speaker makes fresh demands on Lebanon.

• Lloyd’s: “The Iranians are willing to negotiate with certain countries to secure voyages, but only on a case-by-case basis.” A handful of mostly Iranian/China-linked tankers have passed in last 24 hours.

• After days of search and rescue, Lebanon death toll stands at over 300 following the Wednesday ‘surprise’ Israeli strikes. Sporadic IDF attacks continue on south and east.

*  *  *

Trump Claims Iran has ‘No Cards’

…but does the White House actually believe this? He suggested that if the Iranians hadn’t agreed to negotiate, they would be dead (cue wiping out entire “civilization” threat from earlier).

On the question of leverage, this is Fox News from days ago:

⛔️Fox News just admitted that Donald Trump’s ceasefire made clear that he accomplished none of his objectives in Iran. ‼️ pic.twitter.com/WbsXUFEf3Y

— Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. (@drhossamsamy65) April 8, 2026

Trump Warns Attack on Iran Will Continue if Tehran Doesn’t Comply

President Trump has confirmed to the NY Post that he’s preparing the US military for what would likely be a bigger Iran operation should Tehran not comply, and should Pakistan talks fail.

“We’re going to find out in about 24 hours. We’re going to know soon,” Trump told the Post when asked if he thinks the talks will be successful.

Already there’s a lot of back and forth over the 10-point plan on the eve of the summit, and with both sides now in Islamabad. A main point of contention remains whether Lebanon is part of the two-week ceasefire agreement.

There’s also been much speculation that all of this is just ‘cover’ for a bigger build-up of Pentagon forces in the region. Also, Iranian forces are no doubt using the opportunity to regroup.

Ghalibaf Demands Attacks on Lebanon Cease Or Else…

Iran Parliament spokesman Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, considered the official who is likely running the country day-to-day, says there will be no negotiations before the following:

1) ceasefire in Lebanon

2) release of Iran’s blocked assets: “release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations.”

Oil jumped on the news. This as some sporadic Israeli bombings of Lebanese territory have persisted into Friday, despite talk of an Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, with talks expected in Washington next week. It’s unclear whether Tehran and its negotiating team which just touched down in Pakistan will hold to this or not.

Likely at the very least the talks could start in ‘indirect’ format amid these fresh Iranian demands. Trump had also the day prior warned that Iran better not be collecting tolls for Hormuz Strait passage. Some of the latest:

THE IRANIAN DELEGATION WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS TOMORROW DESPITE THE IRANIAN STATEMENTS ABOUT LEBANON – SOURCES

THE AMERICAN AND IRANIAN TECHNICAL DELEGATIONS ARRIVED IN PAKISTAN THIS MORNING – SOURCES

TIGHT-LIPPED ON INFORMATION ABOUT THE ARRIVAL OF THE IRANIAN DELEGATION TO PAKISTAN – SOURCES

Two of the measures mutually agreed upon between the parties have yet to be implemented: a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release of Iran’s blocked assets prior to the commencement of negotiations.

These two matters must be fulfilled before negotiations begin.

— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) April 10, 2026

Are Talks Cover for Bigger Pentagon Build-Up, Future Attack?

Some pundits say that Washington needed more time to get large contingencies of Marines and Airborne units in place, possibly for some kind of risky island campaign towards reopening the strait. This could be the case, as it’s also very evident to all that the demands of each side remain far apart, which means the chances for a breakthrough deal which finally ends the war are distant.

With a two week timeline in place to reach a deal, is this interim period merely for rearming and regrouping of forces on each side? Clearly, the US wasn’t prepared for the fierce, sustained Iranian counter-attack on American regional bases and Gulf allies.

Open-source data of military logistics flights between the US, Europe, and the Mideast region suggests there is indeed an ongoing build-up and posturing of forces happening on the eve of the Pakistan summit.

Sporadic Fighting Persists in Lebanon

A big question remains: will Israel and Lebanon actually formally start the ceasefire negotiations that Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered his cabinet to prepare for? Negotiations are tentatively expected to begin next week at the State Department in Washington. The massive Israeli strikes from earlier this week have threatened to derail the Iran ceasefire deal before it really gets off the ground.

Senior Iranian security sources suggests should Israel strike Beirut again, the US-Iran negotiations will be terminated: Press TV

For now, Israel has continued attacking Lebanon on Friday, also as Hezbollah has continued firing missiles on northern Israel. Wednesday saw some 70 rockets fired from Lebanon, after the earlier massive Israeli surprise attacks which killed over 300 Lebanese and over 1,150 wounded. There may be some ground fighting in the south too, amid ongoing IDF aerial attacks on southern Lebanon. Al Jazeera says that an Israeli airstrike hit the town of al-Tayri in southern Lebanon, and another targeted the town of Sahmar in the western Bekaa region of eastern Lebanon. Heavy Israeli strikes in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon have also been reported Friday.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has vowed in a statement carried by AI Mayadeen that the Iran-aligned group will “remain steadfast” as “resistance will continue until our last breath.” He praised Hezbollah for thwarting a ground invasion, saying “the enemy was surprised by the methods of resistance, the flexibility of the Mujahideen movement, and their defensive capabilities.” He vowed, “We will not accept a return to the previous situation, and we call on officials to stop offering free concessions,” while denouncing the “bloody criminality on Wednesday.”

Iranian Delegation Arrives in Pakistan

As the US and Iran prepare for talks in Pakistan, the Lebanon crisis is still a closely watched sticky issue which could escalate before it gets better. Pakistani media has reported that the Iranian delegation has arrived for negotiations, which are set to proceed Saturday, also pending the arrival of the US team headed by Vice President JD Vance – and including Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

US team headed by Vance en route to Pakistan…

JD Vance departs for peace talks with Iran in Pakistan:

We’re looking forward to the negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive.

If the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith and extend an open hand, that’s one thing.

If they’re going to try to play us, they’re… pic.twitter.com/gBK06pia8c

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 10, 2026

However, there’s been no official confirmed info about the arrival of Iranian Parliament Speaker and the Foreign Minister, but we can at least assume that Abbas Araghchi will be there in person. Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf is likely there too.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed/developing chatter of division within Iranian negotiating ranks:

THE IRGC COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF AHMAD VAHIDI IS SEEKING TO CURB THE AUTHORITY OF MOHAMMAD BAGHER GHALIBAF AND FOREIGN MINISTER ABBAS ARAGHCHI IN THE TALKS. || VAHIDI HAS ALSO PUSHED FOR THE INCLUSION OF MOHAMMAD BAGHER ZOLGHADR, SECRETARY OF THE SUPREME NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL, IN THE NEGOTIATING TEAM — A MOVE OPPOSED BY CURRENT MEMBERS, WHO CONSIDER HIM LACKING EXPERIENCE FOR STRATEGIC NEGOTIATIONS. – SOURCES

SENIOR IRANIAN OFFICIALS ARE LOCKED IN A DISPUTE OVER THE COMPOSITION AND AUTHORITY OF THE DELEGATION SET TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE UNITED STATES IN ISLAMABAD, ACCORDING TO INFORMATION RECEIVED BY IRAN INTERNATIONAL. – SOURCES

Islamabad is said to be under effective lockdown while hosting the high stakes summit. President Trump previously expressed concern over the security situation, related to sending Vance. One outlet observes, “Pakistan has ramped up security in Islamabad ahead of high-stakes direct talks between the United States and Iran, with the federal capital administration declaring a two-day public holiday on Thursday and Friday.”

⚡️Nabatieh pic.twitter.com/qarGQEKHIo

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) April 10, 2026

A Pakistani official has told The Guardian, “Our priority is that the talks go smoothly. We don’t want to be seen as a spoiler. Our role is as a facilitator and mediator. We will leave it to both parties, Iran and the US, to share any developments with the media if they want.”

Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has made clear Iran’s position that any peace negotiations would be “meaningless” if they took place while Israeli bombs continue to fall on Lebanon.

Washington Post reports the Trump admin intends to request the release of Americans detained in Iran as part of the negotiations.

Hormuz Status Update: ‘No Option’ but to Negotiate Passage with Iran

As a reminder, President Trump has stated that Iran is “doing a very poor job” of allowing oil to flow through the Strait of Hormuz and warned Tehran against imposing tolls on vessels transiting the waterway. An Iranian lawmaker stated earlier that some ships are being charged as much as $2 million for passage through the strait.

Reuters highlights that the majority of ships that have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past day were linked to Iran, per fresh tracking data. The majority of vessels, however, are still not risking passage with the waterway still under threat.

“Three tankers – a crude supertanker that can carry 2 million barrels of oil, a bunkering tanker and a smaller oil ship – all left Iranian waters in the past 24 hours, based on separate data analysis from Kpler and Lloyd’s List Intelligence platforms,” Reuters notes. “Four dry bulk ships – including one that loaded iron ore from Iran bound for China – also sailed in the past day, the data shows.”

📸 IRGC Navy’s destroyed Shahid Mahdavi floating base ship following U.S. airstrikes. pic.twitter.com/BsmMZ3doB4

— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 10, 2026

On the evening of Islamabad talks, Iran holds the Hormuz leverage. “The Iranians are willing to negotiate with certain countries to secure voyages, but only on a case-by-case basis,” said Bridget Diakun, a senior risk and compliance analyst at Lloyd’s List Intelligence, to the NY Times. “The Trump administration is forcing its allies to negotiate with Iran because there is no other option.”

* * *

President Trump has made clear that American forces will still be “hanging around” the Persian Gulf area with an eye on Iran, while demanding that the Strait of Hormuz be opened to global energy transit once again. 

Trump has vowed to keep troops positioned for a fight “until such time as the REAL AGREEMENT reached is fully complied with.” As direct US-Iran talks are set for Islamabad Saturday morning, there’s been an avalanche of speculation that the ceasefire could be ‘cover’ for a greater Pentagon force build-up and bigger impending operation.

Some pundits say that Washington needed more time to get large contingencies of Marines and Airborne units in place, possibly for some kind of risky island campaign towards reopening the strait.

This could be the case, as it’s also very evident to all that the demands of each side remain far apart, which means the chances for a breakthrough deal which finally ends the war are distant.

With a two week timeline in place to reach a deal, is this interim period merely for rearming and regrouping of forces on each side?

Clearly, the US wasn’t prepared for the fierce, sustained Iranian counter-attack on American regional bases and Gulf allies.

Open-source data of military logistics flights between the US, Europe, and the Mideast region suggests there is indeed an ongoing build-up and posturing of forces happening on the eve of the Pakistan summit.

Still, it’s clear that Trump needs an offramp, or else face the kind of endless military quagmire which would likely inevitably lead to the GOP getting decimated in next fall’s midterm Congressional elections.

Case in point: More than 70 transport planes landed in the Middle East within 24 hours of the ceasefire taking effect. That scale suggests possible preparation for a ground offensive, solidifying suspicion that Trump is using the truce to regroup: https://t.co/MHlFQjz1Tk pic.twitter.com/S3DzRMgOo2

— Bashkarma🇺🇸🌏🇷🇺 (@Karmabash) April 9, 2026

A bigger longer war, or ground conflict, would also damage the chances of a future Vance presidency.

As for Vance, the Associated Press writes, “But the arrival of Vance for negotiations marks a rare moment of high-level U.S. government engagement with the Iranian government. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, the most direct contact had been when President Barack Obama in September 2013 called newly elected Iranian President Hassan Rouhani to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.”

A Pentagon build-up in the region might also be Trump’s way of signaling powerful leverage for more potential major attacks on Iran to come, in order to gain more from negotiations. As yet, Iran holds the key economic leverage given its de fact Hormuz control.

Authored by Tom Gantert via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI, filed a lawsuit on April 9 over a Colorado law it claims makes AI developers endorse “Colorado’s views on diversity, equity, and inclusion or face significant compliance costs and civil fines.”

The company, whose flagship product is the chatbot Grok, named Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser as the defendant. The lawsuit states that the law’s provisions “prohibit developers of AI systems from producing speech that the State of Colorado dislikes, while compelling them to conform their speech to a State-enforced orthodoxy on controversial topics of great public concern.” The lawsuit says the Colorado law violates the First Amendment.

Weiser didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

The lawsuit questions the use of the term “algorithmic discrimination” in the law, calling it vague.

The text of the law defines it this way: “Algorithmic discrimination means any condition in which the use of an artificial intelligence system results in unlawful differential treatment or impact that disfavors an individual or group of individuals on the basis of their actual or perceived age, color, disability, ethnicity, genetic information, limited proficiency in the English language, national origin, race, religion, reproductive health, sex, veteran status, or other classification protected under the laws of this state or federal law.”

The bill, SB24-205, was introduced in April 2024, passed the next month, and will take effect on June 30, 2026.

Colorado Senate Democrats said during debate that “algorithmic discrimination has been shown to make biased determinations in cases involving hiring practices, housing applications, financial services, and health care coverage.”

“AI systems are evolving faster than we can write and pass policy on them—which is why we need to act now,” Sen. Robert Rodriguez, a Democrat whose district spans southern Denver, said in a statement. “Many systems’ algorithms have biases baked in and can easily result in discriminatory outcomes when it comes to housing applications, hiring practices, and more.”

xAI said in its lawsuit that Grok is not biased.

“xAI has designed and developed Grok to answer to only evidence and reason, without regard to political correctness, ideological biases, or anything that might distort objective truth,” the lawsuit said.

“This unwavering commitment ensures that Grok discharges its fundamental mission—assisting humanity in understanding the universe. But the State of Colorado now seeks to force xAI to abandon its disinterested pursuit of truth and instead promote the State’s ideological views on various matters, racial justice in particular.

“It is instead an effort to embed the State’s preferred views into the very fabric of AI systems. Its provisions prohibit developers of AI systems from producing speech that the State of Colorado dislikes, while compelling them to conform their speech to a State-enforced orthodoxy on controversial topics of great public concern.”

Authored by Luis Cornelio via HeadlineUSA,

President Donald Trump minced no words in a lengthy and fiery rebuke of podcast hosts Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Candace Owens and Alex Jones amid their criticisms over the U.S.’s military operations in Iran. 

“They’re stupid people, they know it, their families know it, and everyone else knows it, too! Look at their past, look at their record. They don’t have what it takes, and they never did!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

His comments come as part of a 482-word takedown that directly accuses Carlson, Kelly, Owens and Jones of seemingly stirring controversy for views engagement. 

“They’ve all been thrown off Television, lost their Shows, and aren’t even invited on TV because nobody cares about them, they’re NUT JOBS, TROUBLEMAKERS, and will say anything necessary for some ‘free’ and cheap publicity,” Trump added. 

pic.twitter.com/S08mFUxUmR

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 9, 2026

His comments follow some of these hosts taking issue with Trump’s warning to Iran that a “whole civilization will die tonight” over Easter weekend if the Islamic regime did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

“Now it’s time to say no, absolutely not, and say it directly to the president, no,” Carlson said, for instance. 

Trump targeted each individual with personalized criticism, saying that Carlson “couldn’t even finish college” and was a “broken man when he got fired from Fox.” 

Trump also targeted Kelly, saying she “nastily asked me the now famous ‘Only Rosie O’Donnell,’” and then slammed Owens as “‘crazy.” 

Trump also referenced the past controversy surrounding Owens’ dubious claims that French First Lady Brigitte Macron is transgender. 

“Actually, to me, the First Lady of France is a far more beautiful woman than Candace, in fact, it’s not even close!” Trump continued. 

Trump also criticized Jones, calling him “Bankrupt Alex Jones” and saying he “says some of the dumbest things, and lost his entire fortune, as he should have, for his horrendous attack on the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims, ridiculously claiming it was a hoax.” 

“These so-called ‘pundits’ are LOSERS, and they will always be!” Trump said. 

While the March UMich sentiment survey was completed before and after the start of the Iran War (with only modest impacts on sentiment and inflation expectations), today’s preliminary April data survey period was all in the war with expectations for a notable drop in sentiment and sizable jump in inflation expectations.

It turns out the expectations were right in direction but underestimated the scale as headline sentiment plunged from 53.3 to 47.6 (far worse than the 51.5 exp) with Current Conditions (50.1 vs 53.4 exp vs 55.8 prior) and Expectations (46.1 vs 50.2 exp vs 51.7 prior)…

Source: Bloomberg

That is a record low for the headline sentiment and Current Conditions and lowest print for Expectations since 1980.

Demographic groups across age, income, and political party all posted setbacks in sentiment, as did every component of the index, reflecting the widespread nature of this month’s fall.

One-year expected business conditions plunged about 20% and is now 6% below last April.

Assessments of personal finances declined about 11%, with consumers expressing a substantial increase in concerns over high prices and weaker asset values.

Year-ahead inflation expectations surged from 3.8% in March to 4.8% this month, the largest one-month increase since April 2025, but longer-term expectations rose only modestly…

Of course, it’s Democrats that are ‘panicans’ once again at inflation (Dems +4.8%, Reps +1.0%)…

One thing of note in that chart – how is the overall inflation expectation screaming higher (to equal Democrats’ view) with the actual breakdown by political cohort showing no huge rise?

Finally, on the potential bright side, UMich Surveys of Consumers Director Joanne Hsu notes that “98% of interviews were completed prior to the April 7th announcement of a temporary cease-fire. Economic expectations will likely improve after consumers gain confidence that the supply disruptions stemming from the Iran conflict have ended and gas prices have moderated.“

In a huge and very positive development, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has announced a 32-hour ceasefire for Orthodox Easter, or Pascha, which is this weekend. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has immediately confirmed that Ukraine will honor the holiday truce. 

“We proceed on the basis that the Ukrainian side will follow the example of the Russian Federation,” the Kremlin then further confirmed in a statement.

Based on regional media reporting of the rare ceasefire, the pause in fighting will begin at 4pm Moscow time (13:00GMT) on Saturday and run until midnight on Sunday.

This will cover the whole period of Pascha celebrations in both countries, which is done according to the Julian calendar and thus typically comes a weekend or two later that Western Easter (on the Gregorian calendar). The overwhelming majorities of both countries are adherents of the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Typically in orthodox churches there is a long Saturday morning service, and then the main liturgy comes at midnight – going into the early Sunday morning hours, followed by feasting and breaking the Lenten fast. And then late Sunday morning or early after noon there is another service, after which there is more celebratory feasting.

Russian media reports that Defense Minister Andrei Belousov has instructed Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov to halt Russian military operations during the period; however, just like in past short truces Russia says it will respond immediately to any ‘violations’ observed.

Zelensky meanwhile confirmed that “Ukraine has repeatedly stated that we are ready for reciprocal steps. We proposed a ceasefire during the Easter holiday this year and will act accordingly.”

“People need an Easter without threats and a real move towards peace, and Russia has a chance not to return to attacks even after Easter,” he added.

Such a holiday truce has been tried in the past, but is typically marred by frontline ‘violations’ and tit-for-tat accusations and denunciations.

But this year, after well over four years of brutal fighting which has taken likely hundreds of thousands of lives, there is a good chance the Easter truce will hold given the sheer exhaustion and war-weariness on each side.

What’s more is that if there is success, it could provide the basis for something more lasting, as both sides say they are still interested in hammering out a permanent end to the war. But for Moscow, this will require that Ukraine cede much of the east and give political recognition too, including over Crimea.