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STRAIT FLUSH?
JD Vance is personally heading up a high-stakes mission to end the Iran war for good. What could go wrong?
Great news, everybody: President Donald Trump’s A Team for International Peace is jumping into action. With these pros on the case, how could they fail? We’re talking about Trump’s son-in-law, his billionaire golf buddy [ [link removed] ], and his Diet Mountain Dew-loving veep [ [link removed] ]. They’re all jetting off to Pakistan today to negotiate an end to this war in Iran, after the ceasefire crumbled like a hard shell taco.
Hours before talks kick off on Saturday morning, Americans got a reminder of what this war means to their wallets — and of the cost of failing to wrap it up. Inflation in the United States tripled last month due to rising oil prices, according to new federal data released [ [link removed] ] this morning. It’s the highest rate in two years. What’s more, consumer sentiment is at its lowest level since the years after World War II, a new survey found [ [link removed] ].
“The big thing that’s different right now, I think, is that in many periods in American history … you have inflation, and then the administration does things to reduce it,” former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told CNBC [ [link removed] ]. “Right now, we have the administration actively making prices higher.”
Vice President JD Vance, regardless, acted like the U.S. has the decisive upper hand. “If they’re gonna try and play us, then they’re gonna find that the negotiating team is not that receptive,” he told reporters.
If Trump’s team doesn’t strike a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, the economic damage could get much worse.
The war proved that Iran has immense power over the global economy. It can choke off one-fifth of the world’s oil supply via the Strait of Hormuz, even with a military that’s decimated and a change in leadership. Now, Iran is reportedly planning to charge ships passing through the strait — essentially a tollbooth at sea — in what could prove to be a multi-billion dollar bonanza [ [link removed] ] for the Iranian regime.
Trump is acting like Iran’s control over the waterway is NBD. “The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short term extortion of the World by using International Waterways,” he wrote on social media today.
But without a peace deal, Iran has little incentive to open the strait. Real talks can only begin if Israel stops bombing Lebanon, and if the U.S. releases blocked Iranian assets, according to [ [link removed] ] Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. Those are hefty demands — before the negotiations even begin.
If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for the foreseeable future, I wouldn’t bet on Trump getting prices back down, the way he promised.
WHAT ELSE? 👀
The Vatican denied reports that a top Pentagon official [ [link removed] ] beefed with its former ambassador to the U.S. during a private meeting in January. “The narrative offered by some media outlets about this meeting is completely untrue,” Vatican spokesperson Matteo Bruni said in a statement.
Pope Leo, however, released a new statement [ [link removed] ] condemning war today: “God does not bless any conflict. Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs,” he tweeted.
The Trump administration officially unveiled its design [ [link removed] ] for its proposed 250-foot-tall arch, which would dwarf the nearby Lincoln Memorial. The planned arch includes a “One Nation Under God” inscription with four gold lion statues surrounding it on pedestals.
Today marks NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s 100th day in office [ [link removed] ], and his approval rating sits at 48%, according to a recent poll [ [link removed] ]. Mamdani said that his ideology hasn’t changed since being elected: “It is very much the same in terms of being a democratic socialist and believing in government’s ability to transform working people’s lives,” he told Politico, adding a caveat: “I did not think I would think this much about the weather.”
Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams is officially an Albanian citizen [ [link removed] ], [ [link removed] ] according to outlets in the country… and a very funny picture [ [link removed] ] of him at the ceremony.
Do you need to talk to your own personal [ [link removed] ]digital [ [link removed] ] Jesus? [ [link removed] ]You now can thanks to artificial intelligence, but it’ll cost you $1.99. “I see AI as a tool that can help people explore Scripture,” AI Jesus told the AP. “Like a lamp that lights a path while we walk with God.”
LIGHT AT THE END… ☀️
The Artemis II moon mission is expected to splash down [ [link removed] ] off the California coast shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern. You can watch a livestream of the landing on [ [link removed] ]Space.com [ [link removed] ]. I’m sure Cookie Monster will be watching: “Me friends are coming back from their trip to da moon today! Me will have some cookies waiting for you,” Mr. Monster tweeted [ [link removed] ].
Speaking of the mission, Nutella executives were thrilled [ [link removed] ] — and surprised — to see a jar of their hazelnut chocolate spread float across NASA’s livestream of the Artemis cabin. They even formed a “Nutella Mission Control” to quickly decide how best to capitalize on the moment. “I couldn’t have filmed it any better if I tried,” Chad Stubbs, Ferrero North America’s chief marketing officer, told the Wall Street Journal.
An 82-year-old crossing guard in New Jersey has become [ [link removed] ] a social media star for her glamorous style; she often wears lipstick, a snazzy hat, along with fur boots and a full-length fur coat, with her reflective vest on top.“I always say, you never know when you’ll be invited to a party,” Paulette Dorflaufer, who was born to a Jewish family in France during World War II, told the Washington Post. “When I was adopted, the orphanage gave me a white rabbit-fur coat and a white rabbit-fur muff, and I guess I never forgot it.” Love it!
Demand is skyhigh for collectible gnomes [ [link removed] ] at the Masters golf tournament. That’s because, as rumor has it, this year will be the last time they sell the little fellas. The official price of the gnomes are $59.50, but they can resell for as high as $15,000.
A citizen “Frog Patrol” in Poland has been helping [ [link removed] ] the semiaquatic amphibians safely cross roads as they wake up from their winter hibernation. A fun fact I learned in this piece: Male toads ride on the backs of their larger female partners. Chivalry is dead!
Say hello to Flora and Rafa!
“Here’s one of my favorite pics of my rescue dog siblings when they were pups. It’s a poignant illustration of what it’s like to have a brother.”
— Suzie
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