1 Iran Conflict: Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford And Three Other Ships To Return From Middle East
The naval fleet in the Middle East is getting smaller for a while. The USS Gerald R. Ford and its carrier strike group are heading home after one of the longest aircraft carrier deployments since the Vietnam War. The strike group, which also includes the destroyers USS Mahan, USS Winston S. Churchill, and USS Bainbridge, is expected to return to its home port in Norfolk, Virginia, in the coming weeks. Two other carriers, the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS George H.W. Bush, will remain in the region. Peace talks between the United States and Iran remained deadlocked as of yesterday, with the Trump administration rejecting Iran's latest proposal and digging in on its demands around the country's nuclear program. Trump also claimed on social media that Iran had "informed" the U.S. it was in a "state of collapse" and was asking for the Strait to be reopened as fast as possible while sorting out its leadership. He offered no details on how that message was communicated.
2 Supreme Court Weakens Voting Rights Act In Louisiana Redistricting Case
The Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's congressional map yesterday in a ruling that significantly narrows the reach of the Voting Rights Act. The 6-3 decision, split along ideological lines with all three liberal justices dissenting, upheld a lower court ruling that found Louisiana lawmakers relied too heavily on race when they drew a second majority-Black congressional district. Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito held that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act did not require the state to create a second majority-minority district. The ruling could have broad implications nationally, as states and local governments have long used Section 2 to justify drawing majority-minority districts to give Black, Latino, and other minority communities a fair shot at electing their preferred candidates.
3 Gas Prices Hit $4.23 Per Gallon, A New High For 2026
Gas prices hit $4.23 per gallon yesterday, their highest point of the year, as the ongoing U.S.-Iran war continues to squeeze global oil markets. The national average has risen more than 40%, or $1.25 a gallon, since before the war began in late February. The Strait of Hormuz, which in normal times carries 20-percent of the world's oil, remains effectively shut down under a dual blockade by both the U.S. and Iran. Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, stood at $114.60 a barrel, up nearly 25-percent from its recent low seen on April 17th. Many gas stations had been absorbing some of the cost increase to keep prices below the $4 threshold, but analysts say that cushion is running out. Lower-income households are feeling the pinch most, but economists warn that the real risk comes if higher fuel costs start bleeding into grocery and utility prices.