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PEAK JOURNALISMING: CNN's Manu Raju Works Reality Angle into Duffy Cheapshot

PEAK JOURNALISMING: CNN's Manu Raju Works Reality Angle into Duffy Cheapshot

Newsbusters

PEAK JOURNALISMING: CNN's Manu Raju Works Reality Angle into Duffy Cheapshot The Elitist Media never rests when it comes to pursuing partisan narratives that may help their preferred political tribe win an argument or a news cycle. Some of the angles they pursue are so transparently dumb and shameless, though, that you have to wonder. Watch as CNN’s Manu Raju builds a weird reality TV angle only to bankshot it into a cheap shot against Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy (click “expand” to view transcript): PEAK JOURNALISMING: Watch as CNN's Manu Raju works a weird reality TV angle into a cheap shot of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy pic.twitter.com/cxejgND3Qy — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) May 10, 2026 CNN INSIDE POLITICS 5/10/26 11:53 AM MANU RAJU: Reality TV stars have found a way into our politics. Just look at the current occupant of the Oval Office. So could one now be the next mayor of the nation's second largest city? Well, Spencer Pratt, a former star of the reality show The Hills , has rocketed to the forefront of the Los Angeles mayoral race after repeatedly taking on the current mayor, Karen Bass, in a debate this past week. Pratt’s a Republican running in the nonpartisan race, and he hit her particularly hard on her response to last year's wildfires. SPENCER PRATT: I blame this person for burning my house and my parents’ house and my town, and all my neighbors’ down. I am not working with Mayor Bass. RAJU: Ahead of the June 2nd primary, Bass responded to that criticism on CNN last night. KAREN BASS: Let me just say that as the mayor of the city, the buck stops with me. That is very, very clear. What was true of our city, but not just our city, our region, our county was that we were not prepared. RAJU: And Spencer Pratt’s not the only reality TV star trying to gain political traction. Luke Gulbranson from the show The Summer House is running to represent northern Minnesota in the House of Representatives. He's running as a Democrat in a district President Trump won by 14 points in 2024. And it's not just current candidates. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who appeared on a pair of MTV reality shows in the 1990s including The Real World , said this week that for the past seven months, he and his family have been filming for a Trump-approved show called The Great American Road Trip that is set to air on YouTube. SEAN DUFFY: So I want to lean into America's 250th birthday. Rachel and I actually met on a road trip on a reality TV show. And so over the course of seven months, we just kind of found these moments where I might be able to do some work. I could take the kids with me, do a road trip. RAJU: But the project has raised some ethical concerns since its sponsors include several companies whose businesses inters- interests intersect with the agency that Duffy oversees. And yesterday, Duffy attacked what he called the, quote, “radical, miserable, left” for criticism of the project and said it was fully within ethics rules as reviewed by federal officials. But no one can dispute that it’s perhaps not the cheapest time to go on a road trip. The segment started with a mention of President Donald Trump before transitioning to Spencer Pratt, whose L.A. mayoral candidacy is surging after a solid debate performance and a series of viral videos. That alone could have been a segment, but Raju quickly moves on to Luke Gulbranson and his congressional race before settling on his real target: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Duffy has long been a target of Official Washington, seething at the fact that Duffy exposes how very bad his media-loved predecessor was. Duffy is targeted because of his recently-announced show The Great American Road Trip , which ties into America’s 250th anniversary celebration. In order to make this tenuous segment work, Raju leaves out the fact that Duffy was a prosecutor and was elected to Congress where he served for four terms. Those inconvenient facts don’t bolster the “reality show star” narrative, though. So viewers get this slop instead. Jorge Bonilla Sun, 05/10/2026 - 15:38 Marketing Timing Regular Search Engine Title PEAK JOURNALISMING: CNN's Manu Raju Works Reality Angle into Duffy Cheapshot CNS Commentary Off

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Iran dismisses Trump's nuclear talks rejection as irrelevant to its negotiating position

Iran dismisses Trump's nuclear talks rejection as irrelevant to its negotiating position

Forexlive

Iran has dismissed Trump's rejection of its nuclear proposals as irrelevant, with a source telling Tasnim that negotiators draft plans for Iranian interests alone and that Trump's dissatisfaction is "naturally better." Earlier: Iran said to table broad demands covering sanctions, war and security in U.S. talks Trump says Iran's proposals are "TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE" Monday open indicative forex prices, 11 May 2026. USD bids. Summary: Trump posted on Truth Social that he had read Iran's response and found it totally unacceptable, per the post visible in the screenshot An Iranian source told Tasnim that Trump's reaction to Iran's response does not matter at all The same source stated that no one in Iran drafts negotiating plans with the aim of pleasing Trump, per Tasnim The source added that Iran's negotiation team should only draft plans in the interests of the Iranian nation The source concluded that if Trump is not satisfied with Iran's response, that outcome is naturally better, per Tasnim citing an informed source All Iranian commentary originates from Tasnim, a state-linked outlet, citing a single unnamed source, and has not been independently verified Donald Trump publicly rejected Iran's nuclear negotiating proposals on May 11, declaring them totally unacceptable in a post on Truth Social, as an Iranian source fired back through state-linked media to say that Trump's reaction carried no weight whatsoever with Tehran's negotiating team. Trump's post, brief and characteristically blunt, said he had read the response from what he called Iran's so-called representatives and found it unacceptable, signing off with his full title in capital letters. The post attracted hundreds of re-truths and drew immediate attention given the sensitive state of the negotiations, which had been the subject of earlier reporting on Iran's proposed draft text covering sanctions relief, security guarantees and an end to hostilities. Iran's response came rapidly and in pointed terms. A source cited by Tasnim said Trump's reaction to Iran's position does not matter at all, a formulation that went well beyond standard diplomatic pushback. The same source stated that Iran's negotiators do not and should not draft proposals with any consideration for what would satisfy the U.S. president, insisting that the negotiating team's sole obligation is to protect the rights and interests of the Iranian people. Most strikingly, the source suggested that Trump's dissatisfaction with Iran's position is not merely acceptable but preferable, framing his displeasure as a form of validation rather than a setback. That framing, whether reflecting genuine Iranian confidence or a posture adopted for domestic consumption, signals that Tehran is not inclined to soften its demands in response to public pressure from Washington. The exchange illustrates how quickly the diplomatic atmosphere can shift when both sides resort to public channels rather than quiet negotiation. The combination of Trump's blunt rejection and Iran's contemptuous response raises the prospect of a serious stall in the talks. As with the earlier reporting on Iran's draft proposals, the Tasnim material originates from a single unnamed source at a state-linked outlet and should be read with appropriate caution, though the Trump Truth Social post is a matter of public record. -- The open defiance from Tehran, delivered through a state-linked channel, significantly raises the probability of a near-term breakdown in U.S.-Iran nuclear talks, which would dash any near-term prospect of sanctioned Iranian crude returning to market. Crude traders had begun pricing in a slim probability of sanctions relief following earlier reports of Iran's proposed text; this exchange hardens the risk premium. The tone from both sides, Trump's public rejection and Iran's dismissal of his reaction as irrelevant, suggests the gap between the two positions is wider than diplomatic language had previously implied. A collapse in talks would sustain the existing sanctions architecture on Iranian oil exports and remove a potential bearish supply overhang from the market. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

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Scott Jennings accused of 'cheating' as fiery exchange breaks out on CNN: 'Let me finish!'

Scott Jennings accused of 'cheating' as fiery exchange breaks out on CNN: 'Let me finish!'

Raw Story

Republican strategist Scott Jennings was issued a fierce rebuke Sunday after championing the GOP’s recent gerrymandering blitz, remarks that one Democratic strategist characterized as dismissive to the “surgical attack” on Black voters spearheaded by the Trump administration. Last week, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that effectively gutted a provision of the Voting Rights Act that prohibited racially discriminatory voting policies. Republican-led states subsequently scrambled to redraw their states’ congressional district maps to benefit Republicans, and in most cases, at the expense of Black voters. Nevertheless, Jennings championed the gerrymandering blitz during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” touting his party’s newfound chances at maintaining a majority in Congress after the midterm elections. “The math and the map totally upended! Just a few days ago, Republicans were in the doldrums about the midterms,” Jennings said. “Now, because of Virginia , because of the redraws after the Voting Rights Act case, you've got Republicans feeling resurgent. The map looks good, the money looks good, the candidates look good, so we actually have a real race here!” Democratic strategist Ashley Allison , who previously served in the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign, immediately took issue with Jennings’ remarks. “You all are cheating – just accept it,” Allison said, prompting Jennings to interject in protest. Allison quickly shut down Jennings’ interjection. “Let me just finish! You're cheating because you, politically, are not favorable right now, so this is the only way you would actually win the House, by drawing maps. These maps are hurting one group of voters, and that is Black voters,” Allison said. “Black voters were losing power in Texas. The Voting Rights Act was gutted, and [in] less than a week, you all took power away from Black people in Tennessee, in South Carolina, in Louisiana. So perhaps this cheating might work out in your favor, but let me tell you: there is one group of voters that will not be silenced in this moment... you have really erupted the sleeping giant that has passively been seeing what this administration is doing." “They have surgically attacked Black voters since day one; from cutting DEI to now with the Voting Rights Act.”

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Cuba uses U.S. sanctions to deflect blame for prioritizing regime survival over citizens’ needs

Cuba uses U.S. sanctions to deflect blame for prioritizing regime survival over citizens’ needs

Headtopics

The tragedy of the “blockade-only” narrative is that it transforms international observers into accomplices.

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Trump is openly torching MAGA's most sacred belief

Trump is openly torching MAGA's most sacred belief

Raw Story

[Writer’s note: I was raised Jewish and am proud of my heritage, but I’ve been a staunch atheist since the age of 14] Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called the hypocritical and illegitimate Trump Regime. Ahead of the country’s 250th birthday on July 4th, the MAGA traitors who are currently squatting in the bombed-out husk of whatever’s left of our White House are planning a Very MAGA July 4th, complete with the pillars of Trump’s rebranding of democracy: A UFC cagefight on the White House lawn after rededicating the United States of America as a Christian Nation. You know, just as our Founding Fathers envisioned for our young nation when they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. ICYMI, the Republican Party has been actively trying to erase and literally whitewash all of American history so that we’re left with a “Good Parts Only” version that will make our country seem like the same false utopia described in the Bible they all pretend to live by. The GOP is dismantling the Department of Education to create a Department of Re-Education, which is why Trump put the Wrestling Lady in charge of America’s schools. And why Trump somehow took control of the media, so they could blast out his rewrites on the regular. However, there are still plenty of us who are old enough to remember our basic American history lessons, even though they glossed over just how terrible Christopher Columbus really was, and we were never taught about the Japanese internment camps. Here’s a quick rundown for MAGA about why we have a United States of America instead of still being annexed by England. We’re using a cartoon and a song to help them learn, because reading is no longer fundamental for the fake fundamentalists. Conversely, I’d also love to force all of MAGA to watch Hamilton on an endless loop, “Clockwork Orange” style, until they can’t help but feel real patriotism instead of the false bravado bloviating from the fully compromised GOP. While Trump’s been weakly distracting people from the Epstein Files with the war in Iran and his stupid ballroom that no one asked for, his regime has constantly been pushing Christian doctrine into our government. Look at Karoline Leavitt’s gold cross and Punch-Drunk Pete Hegseth’s Christian nationalist tattoos. Their tweets are uber-religious, but it’s not enough for them to share their faith; now they’re forcing it on us. The coordinated effort of an Epstein Files Distraction to recruit the rest of the country into their forced-birth cult has been branded as “Rededicate 250,” with a performative gathering in DC next week for all of the Fake Christian Trumpsimps who’ve been ignoring Trump’s crimes against the nation and humanity for the last decade. Check out the coordinated propaganda on Twitter from members of the KKKristian KKKlown KKKabinet: They’re all like that. Before we get into the weeds of why all of this is wrong, I need to share some fun facts about Scott Bessent. Not only is Bessent openly gay, but he’s married. He and his husband have two sons, yet he doesn’t seem worried about the Trump administration attacking LGBTQ+ protections. And he refuses to comply with the Senate Finance Committee’s requests to view the US Treasury’s own set of Epstein Files, which most Americans don’t even know about because Trump controls the media. Which is why these two screenshots will live on my phone until Bessent either answers my questions about why he’s choosing loyalty to Trump over his own family, let alone our country. I call Ron Wyden “Senator Chutzpah” for obvious reasons, and I couldn’t be more proud that he’s one of my Senators. He’s the ranking Democrat on both the Senate Finance and Senate Intelligence Committees, and he’s never giving up on his Epstein investigation. Just like I’m never giving up on getting answers from Scott Bessent, even though I know I never will. If only Kristen Welker would give it a go, considering he seems to spend more time on the “Meet the Press” set than in church on Sundays. Trumpocrites are gonna Trumpocrite to the literate last, my friends. The biggest offender in the government has to be Speaker Jesus Freak Mike Johnson. Look, if you want to be in multiple cults at the same time because you need a crutch to cope with the day-to-day slog through life, that’s on you. But you have no right to enforce any of your beliefs on anyone else, and you really don’t have the right to make the entire country believe any of it, either. But you can’t call yourself a “Christian” while looking the other way at all of the awful things Trump has done both personally and while in office. He bombed a school in Iran to distract from the sex trafficked children in the Epstein Files. How loving and Christlike of him, huh? And then there are the MAGA trolls, the racist, xenophobic, anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ+ brain trust that’s fine with using the R word and classifying immigrants as “illegals” while claiming to be “God-fearing Christ-followers” in their bios. You can love your invisible Sky Daddy all you want, but it won’t save you from the truth about your Dear Leader, who’s never read a Bible and couldn’t live by any of the Ten Commandments. And something something no false idols something something, right MAGA? Nice hat, Doofus. America is a FREE country, unaffiliated with any religion. Anyone can worship anything they want, even that dumb gold statue. Or nothing at all. But the government doesn’t get to decide that, We the People do.

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UK and France convene 40-nation defence meet on Hormuz as Iran issues war warning

UK and France convene 40-nation defence meet on Hormuz as Iran issues war warning

Forexlive

The UK and France will co-chair a 40-nation defence ministers' meeting Tuesday on plans to restore Hormuz shipping, hours after Iran warned any foreign warships would face a decisive response. Summary: The UK and France will on Tuesday co-chair a virtual meeting of more than 40 nations to advance military plans for a multinational mission to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, per a British defence ministry statement reported by AFP UK Defence Secretary John Healey and French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin will jointly chair the meeting, which follows a two-day gathering of military planners in London in April France has dispatched its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle to the Middle East region, while the UK announced on Saturday it was sending the destroyer HMS Dragon Both countries described the deployments as pre-positioning ahead of any formal international protective mission, according to AFP Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that British and French warships, or those of any other country, would meet a decisive and immediate response, and asserted that only Iran can establish security in the strait French President Emmanuel Macron said France had never envisaged a naval deployment inside the Strait of Hormuz itself, and that any security mission would be coordinated with Iran Before the war began on February 28, around one fifth of the world's oil transited the Strait of Hormuz; that flow has been severely curtailed since Iran largely closed the waterway Britain and France will on Tuesday co-chair an emergency defence ministers' meeting involving more than 40 nations to advance concrete military plans for restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the British government announced, as Iran issued a stark warning that any foreign warships entering the region would face an immediate and decisive response. UK Defence Secretary John Healey and French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin will jointly chair the virtual gathering, which the British defence ministry described as the multinational mission's first ministerial-level meeting. It follows a two-day session of military planners held in London in April, at which the practical framework for a protective naval mission was thrashed out. Healey said the process was now converting diplomatic agreement into actionable military plans designed to restore confidence for commercial vessels transiting the strait. The diplomatic push is backed by a tangible military build-up. France has already deployed its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle to the Middle East, while Britain announced on Saturday that it was sending the destroyer HMS Dragon to the region. Both governments have been careful to characterise the movements as pre-positioning rather than active deployment, with a British defence ministry spokesperson describing HMS Dragon's despatch as prudent planning to ensure readiness when conditions permit a formal protective mission to begin. Iran moved quickly to signal its opposition. Deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that British and French vessels, or those of any other nation, would be met with a decisive and immediate response, and reiterated Tehran's position that security in the strait is exclusively Iran's prerogative to provide. The warning came directly alongside the British announcement, underscoring the degree to which Tehran is monitoring and reacting to Western military signalling in real time. France introduced a further layer of nuance. President Emmanuel Macron, speaking to journalists in Nairobi, said Paris had never contemplated a naval operation inside the strait itself and that any mission France participated in would be coordinated with Iran. He also restated his opposition to a blockade from any party, and his commitment to ensuring ships can pass freely without being subjected to any form of toll or levy on their transit. The backdrop to all of this is the severe disruption to global energy markets that has followed Iran's effective closure of the strait since the outbreak of the war on February 28. Before hostilities began, roughly one fifth of the world's entire oil supply moved through the waterway. That flow has been reduced to a trickle, sending prices sharply higher and prompting the improvised dark-shipping workarounds documented in recent days. The United States subsequently imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports in response, compounding the supply shock. Whether Tuesday's ministerial meeting translates into a mission that can genuinely restore normal transit, and whether Iran can be brought to accept or at least tolerate such a presence, remains the central question hanging over the global oil market. --- The convening of a 40-nation defence ministers' meeting signals that Western efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are moving from planning into a more operationally credible phase, which in theory points toward eventual supply restoration through the world's most critical oil chokepoint. However, Iran's explicit threat of a decisive and immediate response to any foreign naval presence materially raises the risk of a direct military confrontation, which would represent a severe escalation for energy markets. Macron's public clarification that France has not envisaged a combat deployment in the strait and that any mission would be coordinated with Iran introduces a notable ambiguity around the mission's actual scope and teeth, which traders will weigh carefully. The pre-positioning of the Charles de Gaulle and HMS Dragon is being framed as contingency planning rather than imminent action, but the presence of a nuclear-powered carrier and a destroyer in the region adds a layer of military tension that keeps the geopolitical risk premium in crude firmly supported. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

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Trump official opens door to gas tax suspension

Trump official opens door to gas tax suspension

Axios

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday the Trump administration is "open" to suspending the federal gasoline tax amid high pump prices. Why it matters: His remarks slightly soften the White House stance on the idea of halting the federal tax of 18.3 cents per gallon. Polling shows President Trump faces political blowback from prices at their highest levels in four years. The average U.S. price for regular gas hit $4.52 per gallon Sunday, per AAA, up from just under $3 when the war began. Driving the news: Wright, asked about a gas tax suspension on NBC's "Meet the Press," said "we're open to all ideas" to lower costs for consumers and businesses. But "everything has tradeoffs," he said. Democratic lawmakers and candidates — including Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) — have floated legislation to suspend the federal tax. Flashback: Last week , a White House official said the idea was "not currently under consideration." The big picture: Federal tax holiday proposals have surfaced over the decades at times of high prices, but Congress has never enacted one. The gasoline tax and the 24.3-cent diesel tax support the nation's Highway Trust Fund that pays for roads, bridges and other transit. Reality check: A suspension would require an act of Congress, though Trump has frequently used executive orders to act unilaterally. Zoom out: The White House has tried several moves to ease the price spike from the throttling of the Strait of Hormuz. The administration has tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and waived the Jones Act to ease fuel shipments at U.S. ports. Yes, but: None of these steps can offset the war's hit to supplies, and U.S. retail gasoline prices are tethered to oil prices set on global markets. Even a full suspension would shave only 10 to 16 cents per gallon, per a Bipartisan Policy Center estimate , meaning Washington has few tools to quickly bring relief from a war-driven price spike of more than $1.50. What we're watching: Trump officials are road-testing arguments about energy prices as the midterm elections draw closer. Wright said a nuclear-armed Iran would be a major risk to regional energy supplies while acknowledging the "short-term dislocation" from the war. "We need to make that tradeoff, or we have a long-term threat to peace in the region, long-term threat to energy supplies, long-term threat to Americans," he said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

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U.S. Escalates Tensions with Cuba, Threatens Invasion Amid Fuel Crisis

U.S. Escalates Tensions with Cuba, Threatens Invasion Amid Fuel Crisis

Headtopics

The U.S. intensified its pressure on Cuba's communist leadership by slapping Havana with punishing new sanctions, maintaining a near-total blockade on fuel supplies, and conducting intelligence-gathering flights near the Cuban coast. These actions are part of the U.S.'s strategy to exert influence and pressure on Cuba, which has been under their crosshairs since the early days of the administration.

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Iran said to table broad demands covering sanctions, war and security in U.S. talks

Iran said to table broad demands covering sanctions, war and security in U.S. talks

Forexlive

Iran is said to have proposed a text demanding U.S. sanctions relief, an end to its naval blockade, war-end guarantees and removal of OFAC oil sanctions within 30 days, per Tasnim citing an "informed source". Summary: Iran's proposed negotiating text is said to underline the necessity of lifting U.S. sanctions as a condition of any agreement, according to Tasnim citing an informed source The proposal reportedly calls for an end to the naval blockade of Iran following the signing of any initial understanding, per Tasnim Iran's draft is said to include demands for an immediate end to the war and guarantees against any renewed military attack on Iran, according to Tasnim citing an informed source The proposal stresses the need for a ceasefire across all active fronts, per Tasnim A 30-day window for rescinding U.S. OFAC sanctions related to Iranian oil sales is included in the draft demands, according to Tasnim citing an informed source All reporting is sourced from Iran's state-linked Tasnim news agency citing a single unnamed informed source and has not been independently confirmed Iran is reported to have tabled a sweeping proposed text ahead of ongoing negotiations with the United States, with the draft said to cover sanctions relief, security guarantees and an end to active hostilities, according to Iran's state-linked Tasnim news agency, which cited an unnamed informed source. The claims have not been independently confirmed and should be treated with caution. The reported proposal places the lifting of U.S. sanctions at its core, framing relief as a prerequisite rather than an outcome of talks. Among the specific measures said to be included is a demand that Washington rescind Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions on Iranian oil sales within a defined 30-day window following any initial understanding. That timeline would represent a significant early test of American willingness to engage on the economic dimensions of any potential framework. Beyond the sanctions question, the draft is said to address military and security concerns directly. According to the Tasnim reporting, Iran's proposed text calls for an immediate end to the war, a halt to hostilities across all fronts, and binding guarantees against any renewed attack on Iranian territory. The inclusion of such terms suggests Tehran is seeking formal security assurances as part of any negotiated arrangement, rather than relying on informal understandings. The reported demand for an end to the naval blockade of Iran adds a further dimension. That measure is said to be tied to the signing of an initial understanding rather than a final comprehensive agreement, indicating Iran may be seeking early, tangible concessions as confidence-building steps before committing to broader obligations. The reporting originates solely from Tasnim, a news agency with ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and is attributed to a single unnamed source. No corresponding confirmation has emerged from U.S. or third-party diplomatic channels. The unverified status of the material means the reported demands may reflect one Iranian faction's position, a negotiating posture intended for public consumption, or information selectively shared to shape the diplomatic environment. Analysts and traders should weigh the content accordingly until further corroboration is available. Everyone ready for another roller coaster rise this week. If that metaphor doesn't suit we can always try headline ping pong --- If the reported demands are accurate, Iran's position signals it is seeking sweeping concessions before any deal is formalised, raising the risk of a prolonged negotiating standoff. Markets will focus particularly on the 30-day OFAC oil sanctions rescission demand, which, if agreed, could unlock meaningful volumes of Iranian crude and weigh on prices. The unverified nature of the report limits immediate price moves, but persistent leaks of this kind tend to keep a geopolitical risk premium embedded in crude benchmarks. Any sign that Washington is unwilling to meet the sanctions timeline could cause talks to stall, sustaining supply risk perceptions tied to the broader regional conflict. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

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Alabama, South Carolina Join GOP Push to Dilute Black, Democratic Districts

Alabama, South Carolina Join GOP Push to Dilute Black, Democratic Districts

Headtopics

'Across the South, states are rushing to suppress Black voting power now that they mistakenly believe they can get away with it,' one advocate said.

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Latest Fact Checks

How a $20,000 expense for an awards gala upended Pa.’s civil rights enforcement agency

How a $20,000 expense for an awards gala upended Pa.’s civil rights enforcement agency

Headtopics

The exchange occurred about two weeks before Gov. Shapiro asked Chad Dion Lassiter to resign as the head of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and launched an investigation into its spending.

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💰 Investigating a Pa. organization’s spending | Morning Newsletter

💰 Investigating a Pa. organization’s spending | Morning Newsletter

Headtopics

The former head of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission was asked to resign as officials launched an investigation into the organization’s spending. And teamwork saved a man’s life.

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Trump is openly torching MAGA's most sacred belief

Trump is openly torching MAGA's most sacred belief

Raw Story

[Writer’s note: I was raised Jewish and am proud of my heritage, but I’ve been a staunch atheist since the age of 14] Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called the hypocritical and illegitimate Trump Regime. Ahead of the country’s 250th birthday on July 4th, the MAGA traitors who are currently squatting in the bombed-out husk of whatever’s left of our White House are planning a Very MAGA July 4th, complete with the pillars of Trump’s rebranding of democracy: A UFC cagefight on the White House lawn after rededicating the United States of America as a Christian Nation. You know, just as our Founding Fathers envisioned for our young nation when they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. ICYMI, the Republican Party has been actively trying to erase and literally whitewash all of American history so that we’re left with a “Good Parts Only” version that will make our country seem like the same false utopia described in the Bible they all pretend to live by. The GOP is dismantling the Department of Education to create a Department of Re-Education, which is why Trump put the Wrestling Lady in charge of America’s schools. And why Trump somehow took control of the media, so they could blast out his rewrites on the regular. However, there are still plenty of us who are old enough to remember our basic American history lessons, even though they glossed over just how terrible Christopher Columbus really was, and we were never taught about the Japanese internment camps. Here’s a quick rundown for MAGA about why we have a United States of America instead of still being annexed by England. We’re using a cartoon and a song to help them learn, because reading is no longer fundamental for the fake fundamentalists. Conversely, I’d also love to force all of MAGA to watch Hamilton on an endless loop, “Clockwork Orange” style, until they can’t help but feel real patriotism instead of the false bravado bloviating from the fully compromised GOP. While Trump’s been weakly distracting people from the Epstein Files with the war in Iran and his stupid ballroom that no one asked for, his regime has constantly been pushing Christian doctrine into our government. Look at Karoline Leavitt’s gold cross and Punch-Drunk Pete Hegseth’s Christian nationalist tattoos. Their tweets are uber-religious, but it’s not enough for them to share their faith; now they’re forcing it on us. The coordinated effort of an Epstein Files Distraction to recruit the rest of the country into their forced-birth cult has been branded as “Rededicate 250,” with a performative gathering in DC next week for all of the Fake Christian Trumpsimps who’ve been ignoring Trump’s crimes against the nation and humanity for the last decade. Check out the coordinated propaganda on Twitter from members of the KKKristian KKKlown KKKabinet: They’re all like that. Before we get into the weeds of why all of this is wrong, I need to share some fun facts about Scott Bessent. Not only is Bessent openly gay, but he’s married. He and his husband have two sons, yet he doesn’t seem worried about the Trump administration attacking LGBTQ+ protections. And he refuses to comply with the Senate Finance Committee’s requests to view the US Treasury’s own set of Epstein Files, which most Americans don’t even know about because Trump controls the media. Which is why these two screenshots will live on my phone until Bessent either answers my questions about why he’s choosing loyalty to Trump over his own family, let alone our country. I call Ron Wyden “Senator Chutzpah” for obvious reasons, and I couldn’t be more proud that he’s one of my Senators. He’s the ranking Democrat on both the Senate Finance and Senate Intelligence Committees, and he’s never giving up on his Epstein investigation. Just like I’m never giving up on getting answers from Scott Bessent, even though I know I never will. If only Kristen Welker would give it a go, considering he seems to spend more time on the “Meet the Press” set than in church on Sundays. Trumpocrites are gonna Trumpocrite to the literate last, my friends. The biggest offender in the government has to be Speaker Jesus Freak Mike Johnson. Look, if you want to be in multiple cults at the same time because you need a crutch to cope with the day-to-day slog through life, that’s on you. But you have no right to enforce any of your beliefs on anyone else, and you really don’t have the right to make the entire country believe any of it, either. But you can’t call yourself a “Christian” while looking the other way at all of the awful things Trump has done both personally and while in office. He bombed a school in Iran to distract from the sex trafficked children in the Epstein Files. How loving and Christlike of him, huh? And then there are the MAGA trolls, the racist, xenophobic, anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ+ brain trust that’s fine with using the R word and classifying immigrants as “illegals” while claiming to be “God-fearing Christ-followers” in their bios. You can love your invisible Sky Daddy all you want, but it won’t save you from the truth about your Dear Leader, who’s never read a Bible and couldn’t live by any of the Ten Commandments. And something something no false idols something something, right MAGA? Nice hat, Doofus. America is a FREE country, unaffiliated with any religion. Anyone can worship anything they want, even that dumb gold statue. Or nothing at all. But the government doesn’t get to decide that, We the People do.

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Trump order would force mail carriers to police voter eligibility: 'It'll be a disaster'

Trump order would force mail carriers to police voter eligibility: 'It'll be a disaster'

Raw Story

President Donald Trump is forcing mail carriers to play a complicated – and possibly unlawful – role in his war on mail-in voting. The 79-year-old president issued a March executive order that would transform the U.S. Postal Service into an election enforcement agency, tasking postal workers with policing voter eligibility for mail-in ballots — a move that has alarmed postal unions, election officials and voting-rights advocates amid legal challenges and practical concerns about implementation, reported CNN . “If the Postal Service decides to do this, it will be a disaster,” former USPS Board of Governors Chair S. David Fineman told CNN. “They don’t have the resources to build this or the administrative infrastructure to do it.” The order directs the federal government to create "state citizenship lists" using Social Security and immigration records to determine mail-in voter eligibility, and USPS would then work with states to identify approved voters and reject ballots from anyone not on those lists, effectively making mail carriers responsible for voter verification despite no evidence of widespread mail-voting fraud. Voting-rights lawyers argue it transforms "USPS into a gatekeeper of voter eligibility" when the Constitution grants states control over election administration, and election law experts predict the order will be struck down, noting Trump's previous voting executive order mandating proof-of-citizenship requirements was already blocked by courts. Postal unions have voiced strong opposition. National Association of Letter Carriers President Brian Renfroe told CNN: "We are frankly very skeptical about our ability to even do this effectively" and expressed concern about politicizing the agency. American Postal Workers Union President Jonathan Smith stated bluntly: "It is not a postal worker's responsibility to verify who can vote and who can't vote." The order creates potential criminal liability for postal workers delivering ballots deemed ineligible by federal authorities — a prospect alarming to unions representing mail carriers – and the administration has not specified who would fund this new workload or clarify implementation details. Current and former election officials warn the order clashes with state law requiring voter lists 60 days before elections, well before many states allow voter registration or ballot requests. Former Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said the provision would "put extra burdens on election officials with, of course, no funding, no infrastructure and no support." The Postal Service finds itself in a precarious position. Announcing a nearly $2 billion quarterly loss, USPS warned it could exhaust funds within a year without legislative help, and the agency desperately needs cooperation from Congress and the administration for financial restructuring, creating vulnerability to pressure regarding the executive order. Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed USPS is "working on a draft of a proposed rule," due by May's end. One option under discussion would require states to provide voter lists when submitting ballots, keeping USPS in its traditional delivery role. However, agency lawyers question whether USPS has legal authority to verify ballots against voter lists. Democratic-led states and voting-rights groups are pursuing legal challenges, with a district court hearing scheduled before the May deadline. Former USPS board officials suggest the independent agency could simply refuse implementation, though it has not done so publicly. Trump has nominated four candidates to the USPS board, potentially reshaping it to align with his agenda.

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U.S. Escalates Tensions with Cuba, Threatens Invasion Amid Fuel Crisis

U.S. Escalates Tensions with Cuba, Threatens Invasion Amid Fuel Crisis

Headtopics

The U.S. intensified its pressure on Cuba's communist leadership by slapping Havana with punishing new sanctions, maintaining a near-total blockade on fuel supplies, and conducting intelligence-gathering flights near the Cuban coast. These actions are part of the U.S.'s strategy to exert influence and pressure on Cuba, which has been under their crosshairs since the early days of the administration.

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How a $20,000 expense for an awards gala upended Pa.’s civil rights enforcement agency

How a $20,000 expense for an awards gala upended Pa.’s civil rights enforcement agency

Headtopics

The exchange occurred about two weeks before Gov. Shapiro asked Chad Dion Lassiter to resign as the head of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission and launched an investigation into its spending.

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Cuba uses U.S. sanctions to deflect blame for prioritizing regime survival over citizens’ needs

Cuba uses U.S. sanctions to deflect blame for prioritizing regime survival over citizens’ needs

Headtopics

The tragedy of the “blockade-only” narrative is that it transforms international observers into accomplices.

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💰 Investigating a Pa. organization’s spending | Morning Newsletter

💰 Investigating a Pa. organization’s spending | Morning Newsletter

Headtopics

The former head of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission was asked to resign as officials launched an investigation into the organization’s spending. And teamwork saved a man’s life.

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Japanese markets are about to get more active and respond to the US-Iran war of words

Japanese markets are about to get more active and respond to the US-Iran war of words

Forexlive

Iran Hormuz sovereignty claim Summary: Iranian state media reported that the U.S. proposal amounted to a demand for Iran to surrender to what it characterised as excessive American demands, per Iranian state media Iran's own proposal was said to stress the need for the United States to pay compensation for war damages inflicted on Iran, according to Iranian state media Tehran's proposal also emphasised Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, per Iranian state media Oil prices moved higher after U.S. futures markets opened, reflecting the deteriorating tone of the negotiations, per the source material The exchange follows Trump's earlier public rejection of Iran's proposals as totally unacceptable, and Iran's dismissal of his reaction as irrelevant, per earlier reporting on the day's events All Iranian-sourced material originates from state media and has not been independently verified U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations have taken a sharply confrontational turn, with Iranian state media reporting that Tehran's proposal includes demands for American war reparations and a formal recognition of Iran's sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, as oil prices moved higher following the open of U.S. futures markets. The escalation in rhetoric follows a day of increasingly hostile public exchanges. Iranian state media characterised the American negotiating position as a demand for Iran to effectively capitulate to what it described as excessive U.S. demands, a framing that signals Tehran views the gap between the two sides as fundamental rather than technical. Iran's own counter-proposal, as reported by state media, goes considerably further than the earlier draft reported by Tasnim, adding war compensation and the Hormuz sovereignty question to an already expansive list of conditions. The Hormuz dimension is the most consequential element for energy markets. The Strait remains the single most critical chokepoint in global oil and gas trade, and any Iranian assertion of sovereign control over its waters, whether rhetorical or operationalised, introduces a threat to the transit rights that underpin the flow of millions of barrels of crude per day. That Iran has chosen to include the point in its negotiating text, at whatever level of formality, will be read by traders as a signal of intent to use the strait as leverage. The demand for war damage compensation adds a further layer of complexity that is likely to be a non-starter for Washington, hardening the sense that both sides are currently moving away from rather than toward any framework agreement. Earlier in the day, Trump had publicly declared Iran's response totally unacceptable via Truth Social, while an Iranian source told state media that his displeasure was not only irrelevant but welcome. Oil's move higher on the U.S. futures open reflects market participants adjusting the probability of a near-term diplomatic breakthrough sharply downward. The prospect of sanctioned Iranian crude returning to the market in any meaningful timeframe has receded materially on the back of the day's exchanges. The tone also casts a shadow over Trump's planned visit to Beijing on May 14 and 15, where the Iran war and its disruption to Gulf energy flows are expected to feature prominently in discussions with President Xi Jinping. With both negotiating positions now publicly entrenched, the path to de-escalation looks considerably narrower than it did at the start of the day. --- Oil's move higher on the opening of U.S. futures markets reflects traders pricing a meaningful step-up in the risk of total talks collapse, with Iran's assertion of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz the most market-sensitive element of the latest exchange. Any Iranian move to formalise or enforce that claim would pose a direct threat to one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints, through which a substantial share of global crude exports transit. The compensation demand adds a further dimension that makes a near-term agreement look increasingly remote, removing any residual expectation of sanctioned Iranian barrels returning to market in the short term. With the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing scheduled for May 14 and 15, the trajectory of the Iran talks will also colour that meeting, as China remains heavily exposed to Gulf energy flows disrupted by the war. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

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Trump is openly torching MAGA's most sacred belief

Trump is openly torching MAGA's most sacred belief

Raw Story

[Writer’s note: I was raised Jewish and am proud of my heritage, but I’ve been a staunch atheist since the age of 14] Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called the hypocritical and illegitimate Trump Regime. Ahead of the country’s 250th birthday on July 4th, the MAGA traitors who are currently squatting in the bombed-out husk of whatever’s left of our White House are planning a Very MAGA July 4th, complete with the pillars of Trump’s rebranding of democracy: A UFC cagefight on the White House lawn after rededicating the United States of America as a Christian Nation. You know, just as our Founding Fathers envisioned for our young nation when they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. ICYMI, the Republican Party has been actively trying to erase and literally whitewash all of American history so that we’re left with a “Good Parts Only” version that will make our country seem like the same false utopia described in the Bible they all pretend to live by. The GOP is dismantling the Department of Education to create a Department of Re-Education, which is why Trump put the Wrestling Lady in charge of America’s schools. And why Trump somehow took control of the media, so they could blast out his rewrites on the regular. However, there are still plenty of us who are old enough to remember our basic American history lessons, even though they glossed over just how terrible Christopher Columbus really was, and we were never taught about the Japanese internment camps. Here’s a quick rundown for MAGA about why we have a United States of America instead of still being annexed by England. We’re using a cartoon and a song to help them learn, because reading is no longer fundamental for the fake fundamentalists. Conversely, I’d also love to force all of MAGA to watch Hamilton on an endless loop, “Clockwork Orange” style, until they can’t help but feel real patriotism instead of the false bravado bloviating from the fully compromised GOP. While Trump’s been weakly distracting people from the Epstein Files with the war in Iran and his stupid ballroom that no one asked for, his regime has constantly been pushing Christian doctrine into our government. Look at Karoline Leavitt’s gold cross and Punch-Drunk Pete Hegseth’s Christian nationalist tattoos. Their tweets are uber-religious, but it’s not enough for them to share their faith; now they’re forcing it on us. The coordinated effort of an Epstein Files Distraction to recruit the rest of the country into their forced-birth cult has been branded as “Rededicate 250,” with a performative gathering in DC next week for all of the Fake Christian Trumpsimps who’ve been ignoring Trump’s crimes against the nation and humanity for the last decade. Check out the coordinated propaganda on Twitter from members of the KKKristian KKKlown KKKabinet: They’re all like that. Before we get into the weeds of why all of this is wrong, I need to share some fun facts about Scott Bessent. Not only is Bessent openly gay, but he’s married. He and his husband have two sons, yet he doesn’t seem worried about the Trump administration attacking LGBTQ+ protections. And he refuses to comply with the Senate Finance Committee’s requests to view the US Treasury’s own set of Epstein Files, which most Americans don’t even know about because Trump controls the media. Which is why these two screenshots will live on my phone until Bessent either answers my questions about why he’s choosing loyalty to Trump over his own family, let alone our country. I call Ron Wyden “Senator Chutzpah” for obvious reasons, and I couldn’t be more proud that he’s one of my Senators. He’s the ranking Democrat on both the Senate Finance and Senate Intelligence Committees, and he’s never giving up on his Epstein investigation. Just like I’m never giving up on getting answers from Scott Bessent, even though I know I never will. If only Kristen Welker would give it a go, considering he seems to spend more time on the “Meet the Press” set than in church on Sundays. Trumpocrites are gonna Trumpocrite to the literate last, my friends. The biggest offender in the government has to be Speaker Jesus Freak Mike Johnson. Look, if you want to be in multiple cults at the same time because you need a crutch to cope with the day-to-day slog through life, that’s on you. But you have no right to enforce any of your beliefs on anyone else, and you really don’t have the right to make the entire country believe any of it, either. But you can’t call yourself a “Christian” while looking the other way at all of the awful things Trump has done both personally and while in office. He bombed a school in Iran to distract from the sex trafficked children in the Epstein Files. How loving and Christlike of him, huh? And then there are the MAGA trolls, the racist, xenophobic, anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ+ brain trust that’s fine with using the R word and classifying immigrants as “illegals” while claiming to be “God-fearing Christ-followers” in their bios. You can love your invisible Sky Daddy all you want, but it won’t save you from the truth about your Dear Leader, who’s never read a Bible and couldn’t live by any of the Ten Commandments. And something something no false idols something something, right MAGA? Nice hat, Doofus. America is a FREE country, unaffiliated with any religion. Anyone can worship anything they want, even that dumb gold statue. Or nothing at all. But the government doesn’t get to decide that, We the People do.

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UK and France convene 40-nation defence meet on Hormuz as Iran issues war warning

UK and France convene 40-nation defence meet on Hormuz as Iran issues war warning

Forexlive

The UK and France will co-chair a 40-nation defence ministers' meeting Tuesday on plans to restore Hormuz shipping, hours after Iran warned any foreign warships would face a decisive response. Summary: The UK and France will on Tuesday co-chair a virtual meeting of more than 40 nations to advance military plans for a multinational mission to restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, per a British defence ministry statement reported by AFP UK Defence Secretary John Healey and French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin will jointly chair the meeting, which follows a two-day gathering of military planners in London in April France has dispatched its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle to the Middle East region, while the UK announced on Saturday it was sending the destroyer HMS Dragon Both countries described the deployments as pre-positioning ahead of any formal international protective mission, according to AFP Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that British and French warships, or those of any other country, would meet a decisive and immediate response, and asserted that only Iran can establish security in the strait French President Emmanuel Macron said France had never envisaged a naval deployment inside the Strait of Hormuz itself, and that any security mission would be coordinated with Iran Before the war began on February 28, around one fifth of the world's oil transited the Strait of Hormuz; that flow has been severely curtailed since Iran largely closed the waterway Britain and France will on Tuesday co-chair an emergency defence ministers' meeting involving more than 40 nations to advance concrete military plans for restoring commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the British government announced, as Iran issued a stark warning that any foreign warships entering the region would face an immediate and decisive response. UK Defence Secretary John Healey and French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin will jointly chair the virtual gathering, which the British defence ministry described as the multinational mission's first ministerial-level meeting. It follows a two-day session of military planners held in London in April, at which the practical framework for a protective naval mission was thrashed out. Healey said the process was now converting diplomatic agreement into actionable military plans designed to restore confidence for commercial vessels transiting the strait. The diplomatic push is backed by a tangible military build-up. France has already deployed its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the Charles de Gaulle to the Middle East, while Britain announced on Saturday that it was sending the destroyer HMS Dragon to the region. Both governments have been careful to characterise the movements as pre-positioning rather than active deployment, with a British defence ministry spokesperson describing HMS Dragon's despatch as prudent planning to ensure readiness when conditions permit a formal protective mission to begin. Iran moved quickly to signal its opposition. Deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that British and French vessels, or those of any other nation, would be met with a decisive and immediate response, and reiterated Tehran's position that security in the strait is exclusively Iran's prerogative to provide. The warning came directly alongside the British announcement, underscoring the degree to which Tehran is monitoring and reacting to Western military signalling in real time. France introduced a further layer of nuance. President Emmanuel Macron, speaking to journalists in Nairobi, said Paris had never contemplated a naval operation inside the strait itself and that any mission France participated in would be coordinated with Iran. He also restated his opposition to a blockade from any party, and his commitment to ensuring ships can pass freely without being subjected to any form of toll or levy on their transit. The backdrop to all of this is the severe disruption to global energy markets that has followed Iran's effective closure of the strait since the outbreak of the war on February 28. Before hostilities began, roughly one fifth of the world's entire oil supply moved through the waterway. That flow has been reduced to a trickle, sending prices sharply higher and prompting the improvised dark-shipping workarounds documented in recent days. The United States subsequently imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports in response, compounding the supply shock. Whether Tuesday's ministerial meeting translates into a mission that can genuinely restore normal transit, and whether Iran can be brought to accept or at least tolerate such a presence, remains the central question hanging over the global oil market. --- The convening of a 40-nation defence ministers' meeting signals that Western efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are moving from planning into a more operationally credible phase, which in theory points toward eventual supply restoration through the world's most critical oil chokepoint. However, Iran's explicit threat of a decisive and immediate response to any foreign naval presence materially raises the risk of a direct military confrontation, which would represent a severe escalation for energy markets. Macron's public clarification that France has not envisaged a combat deployment in the strait and that any mission would be coordinated with Iran introduces a notable ambiguity around the mission's actual scope and teeth, which traders will weigh carefully. The pre-positioning of the Charles de Gaulle and HMS Dragon is being framed as contingency planning rather than imminent action, but the presence of a nuclear-powered carrier and a destroyer in the region adds a layer of military tension that keeps the geopolitical risk premium in crude firmly supported. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.

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Trump order would force mail carriers to police voter eligibility: 'It'll be a disaster'

Trump order would force mail carriers to police voter eligibility: 'It'll be a disaster'

Raw Story

President Donald Trump is forcing mail carriers to play a complicated – and possibly unlawful – role in his war on mail-in voting. The 79-year-old president issued a March executive order that would transform the U.S. Postal Service into an election enforcement agency, tasking postal workers with policing voter eligibility for mail-in ballots — a move that has alarmed postal unions, election officials and voting-rights advocates amid legal challenges and practical concerns about implementation, reported CNN . “If the Postal Service decides to do this, it will be a disaster,” former USPS Board of Governors Chair S. David Fineman told CNN. “They don’t have the resources to build this or the administrative infrastructure to do it.” The order directs the federal government to create "state citizenship lists" using Social Security and immigration records to determine mail-in voter eligibility, and USPS would then work with states to identify approved voters and reject ballots from anyone not on those lists, effectively making mail carriers responsible for voter verification despite no evidence of widespread mail-voting fraud. Voting-rights lawyers argue it transforms "USPS into a gatekeeper of voter eligibility" when the Constitution grants states control over election administration, and election law experts predict the order will be struck down, noting Trump's previous voting executive order mandating proof-of-citizenship requirements was already blocked by courts. Postal unions have voiced strong opposition. National Association of Letter Carriers President Brian Renfroe told CNN: "We are frankly very skeptical about our ability to even do this effectively" and expressed concern about politicizing the agency. American Postal Workers Union President Jonathan Smith stated bluntly: "It is not a postal worker's responsibility to verify who can vote and who can't vote." The order creates potential criminal liability for postal workers delivering ballots deemed ineligible by federal authorities — a prospect alarming to unions representing mail carriers – and the administration has not specified who would fund this new workload or clarify implementation details. Current and former election officials warn the order clashes with state law requiring voter lists 60 days before elections, well before many states allow voter registration or ballot requests. Former Pennsylvania Secretary of State Kathy Boockvar said the provision would "put extra burdens on election officials with, of course, no funding, no infrastructure and no support." The Postal Service finds itself in a precarious position. Announcing a nearly $2 billion quarterly loss, USPS warned it could exhaust funds within a year without legislative help, and the agency desperately needs cooperation from Congress and the administration for financial restructuring, creating vulnerability to pressure regarding the executive order. Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed USPS is "working on a draft of a proposed rule," due by May's end. One option under discussion would require states to provide voter lists when submitting ballots, keeping USPS in its traditional delivery role. However, agency lawyers question whether USPS has legal authority to verify ballots against voter lists. Democratic-led states and voting-rights groups are pursuing legal challenges, with a district court hearing scheduled before the May deadline. Former USPS board officials suggest the independent agency could simply refuse implementation, though it has not done so publicly. Trump has nominated four candidates to the USPS board, potentially reshaping it to align with his agenda.

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U.S. Escalates Tensions with Cuba, Threatens Invasion Amid Fuel Crisis

U.S. Escalates Tensions with Cuba, Threatens Invasion Amid Fuel Crisis

Headtopics

The U.S. intensified its pressure on Cuba's communist leadership by slapping Havana with punishing new sanctions, maintaining a near-total blockade on fuel supplies, and conducting intelligence-gathering flights near the Cuban coast. These actions are part of the U.S.'s strategy to exert influence and pressure on Cuba, which has been under their crosshairs since the early days of the administration.

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