Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.
The U.S. blockades the Strait of HormuzThe U.S. military said today that it had begun to enforce a blockade of all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf. The move is an effort by President Trump to strangle Iran’s economy and pressure Iranian officials into making concessions after peace talks over the weekend ended without a breakthrough. Trump said that any Iranian ships that approached the blockade would be “immediately eliminated.” He previously said that other countries would join the effort, but as of this evening, several European countries have refused to be involved. Under the cease-fire terms announced last week, the Strait of Hormuz — the critical waterway connecting the oil- and gas-rich Persian Gulf to the ocean — is supposed to be open to shipping traffic. In practice, only a small number of tankers have passed through in recent days, in part because of safety fears. Now, the U.S. military says it is blocking Iranian ships while allowing others to pass through. In an apparent reaction to the blockade, the price for the global benchmark for oil rose today — adding to concerns that energy prices could remain elevated. The move sets up a test, our White House reporter David Sanger writes, of which side can endure more economic pain: Tehran’s new leadership or Trump? For more:
The American president clashes with the American popePope Leo XIV has criticized the U.S. war with Iran, at first obliquely and then overtly as “absurd and inhuman violence.” Trump in turn erupted at the pontiff late last night in a lengthy social media post, calling Leo too liberal, “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.” At the start of a trip to Africa, the typically mild-mannered pope responded, telling reporters he had “no fear of the Trump administration” and was not afraid of “speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.” Trump faced a groundswell of criticism across the political spectrum, both for his attacks on Leo and for an image he posted depicting himself as a Jesus-like healer. The president later removed the image, though he said he believed it showed him as a doctor, not Jesus. “I make people better,” he said. In other Trump administration news:
Swalwell says he will resign from CongressEric Swalwell, a House Democrat from the San Francisco Bay Area, announced this afternoon that he was resigning from Congress after allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staff member and engaged in misconduct with other women. Last week, he had been considered one of the front-runners in the race for California’s next governor. Now, Democrats there are struggling to figure out who to turn to. Gavin Newsom can’t run again because of term limits; Kamala Harris is instead “thinking about” a third presidential bid; and the leading Democrats who remain, Katie Porter and Tom Steyer, have not secured widespread support. (Here’s who is still running.)
Oklahoma parents are being forced to make tough decisionsMore than 400 day cares in Oklahoma have gone out of business since November, largely because of disappearing federal and state funding. Many working parents, often mothers, are having to choose whether to pay significantly more for child care or pause their careers. My colleagues visited one of the closing day cares in Oklahoma City and talked to parents who were struggling with their options. More top newsHungary
Other Big Stories
An old-fashioned novel from a very young writerNelio Biedermann, a 22-year-old student at the University of Zurich, is already a literary sensation in Europe. His first novel, “Lázár” — a sweeping saga about an aristocratic family based in part on his own ancestors — spent 29 weeks on the German best-seller list, and it is slated to be made into a movie. The book, which arrives in American stores tomorrow, has drawn comparisons to Thomas Mann’s celebrated 1901 family epic, “Buddenbrooks.” Read our review.
Step inside the ‘Brady Bunch’ houseGenerations of Americans would recognize the midcentury modern house at 11222 West Dilling in Los Angeles County. It was the home of the family in “The Brady Brunch,” as seen in an establishing shot during the credits. The show was filmed on a soundstage, but recent renovations by HGTV and a “Brady Bunch” superfan replicated the house’s interior to match the home we all remember. It’s like a time warp through a vintage television screen. Take a look.
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