Brief'd

Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft report quarterly results tonight, revealing whether their record $600 billion AI infrastructure spending is actually driving revenue growth. The Senate advanced Kevin Warsh's nomination for Fed chair as the Fed held rates steady with inflation climbing from the Iran conflict. Plus Iran's currency crashes to record lows, King Charles makes a pointed case for NA...

The United Arab Emirates is leaving OPEC and OPEC+ effective May 1, removing a major oil producer from the cartel as the Hormuz strait remains choked and oil prices surge past $113 a barrel. The Justice Department authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants and approved firing squad as a federal execution method for the first time. Plus: James Comey faces a second indictment over a se...

The U.S.–Iran standoff over the Strait of Hormuz is deepening with talks stalled and a dual blockade cutting commercial shipping by over 90 percent, sending Brent crude to $111 a barrel. The Justice Department formally reclassified medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, a historic first that allows tax deductions for cannabis businesses but leaves recreational use untouched. Mali exper...

Secretary of State Rubio rejected Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a power grab. Brent crude surged past $111 a barrel as commercial traffic collapsed. The EU formally approved a €90 billion loan to Ukraine after Hungary's election removed its veto, with two-thirds earmarked for defense and repayment contingent on Russian war reparations.

Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war while deferring nuclear talks, but the Trump administration rejected the deal, saying it won't separate the two issues. Oil prices are climbing toward $108 a barrel as shipping traffic remains blocked. Also: new details on the White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting suspect's manifesto, a federal court ruling that weakens DACA pro...

A gunman armed with a shotgun and knives charged a Secret Service checkpoint outside the White House Correspondents' Dinner last night but was stopped immediately with no civilian injuries. Ukraine conducted its deepest drone strike into Russia's interior, hitting industrial targets 1,800 kilometers from the border. Plus the Justice Department intervened to block Colorado's AI regulation law, and...

Iran requested a second round of direct talks with the U.S., sending both sides back to Pakistan after negotiations collapsed earlier this week. A federal appeals court ruled President Trump exceeded his authority trying to strip asylum protections at the border. Plus the Justice Department has shed over 4,000 law enforcement employees since 2024, with prosecutions dropping to historic lows.

U.S.-Iran peace negotiations failed after Tehran refused nuclear commitments, and Iran seized ships in the Strait of Hormuz as the Pentagon burns through half its Patriot missiles in seven weeks. Poland and France plan joint nuclear exercises outside NATO's framework, while Germany unveils its first military strategy since World War Two. Plus OpenAI begins buying Google AI chips, breaking Nvidia's...

President Trump issued a shoot-to-kill order for Iranian vessels laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions as shipping traffic collapses and oil surges past $100. The Justice Department moved medical marijuana from Schedule One to Schedule Three, the biggest federal policy shift since 1970. The Senate also passed a $70 billion budget resolution for ICE and Border Patrol funding aft...

Iran's Revolutionary Guard seized two commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as ship traffic through the waterway collapsed by 95 percent, triggering the largest energy supply disruption in decades. The EU approved a 90 billion euro interest-free loan to Ukraine after Hungary lifted its veto in exchange for reopening a Russian oil pipeline. Plus the Trump administration's new tariff strategy f...

Diplomatic talks between the U.S. and Iran have broken down after American forces seized the Iranian cargo vessel Touska, prompting Iran to withdraw its negotiating delegation. The confrontation has nearly shut down the Strait of Hormuz, reducing daily traffic from 140 vessels to about three and disrupting roughly a fifth of global seaborne oil trade. Also: record heat and drought across the U.S.,...

The U.S.-Iran ceasefire has been extended indefinitely, but diplomatic talks have collapsed and oil prices are surging as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. A federal grand jury indicted the Southern Poverty Law Center on fraud and money laundering charges, alleging it paid millions to individuals connected to extremist groups—the SPLC says they were confidential informants. Global venture capit...

The U.S.-Iran ceasefire ends Wednesday with Trump signaling no extension, and gasoline prices just posted their largest monthly jump since 1967 as the Strait of Hormuz blockade roils the global economy. Apple announced John Ternus as its first new CEO in 15 years, tasked with pushing the company deeper into AI. Plus: the Trump Justice Department claims the Presidential Records Act is unconstitutio...

The US-Iran ceasefire over the Strait of Hormuz has fallen apart after just three days, with Iran closing the waterway again and the US Navy seizing an Iranian cargo vessel. American consumer sentiment plummeted to its lowest level in 74 years as inflation expectations surged, driven partly by energy market chaos. Also: ICE custody deaths hit a record, Kevin Warsh faces a GOP blockade at his Fed c...

Iran reopened and then abruptly closed the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours as a ceasefire expires in days and nuclear talks remain deadlocked. The IMF downgraded global growth projections due to Middle East disruptions and energy market shocks. A major new climate study warns the Atlantic's critical ocean current is weakening far faster than previously thought, raising the risk of a tipping point...

Iran opened the Strait of Hormuz to shipping on Thursday, then shut it down again by Friday, citing a continued U.S. blockade as a ceasefire violation. The economic fallout is mounting: U.S. inflation spiked in March driven by gas prices, and consumer sentiment just hit its worst level in 74 years. Plus, two lawmakers resign before expulsion votes, RFK Jr. concedes the measles vaccine saves lives,...

A federal jury in Manhattan ruled that Live Nation and Ticketmaster unlawfully monopolized the ticketing market, controlling nearly 90 percent of major U.S. venues. Netflix beat earnings but signaled slowing growth and Reed Hastings won't seek board re-election. Meanwhile, peace talks with Iran collapsed as the blockade costs $400 million daily, and Israel and Lebanon entered a fragile ten-day cea...

Pakistan's Army Chief is in Tehran pushing for a second round of talks before the U.S.-Iran ceasefire expires on April 22, though three major sticking points remain unresolved. Snap is laying off about a thousand employees, explicitly crediting AI efficiency as the reason—a milestone moment as Wall Street signals corporate America should follow. Plus the Justice Department blocks the contempt inqu...