1 Iran Conflict; President Trump Pauses "Project Freedom" Due To Progress On Iran Deal
The fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire came under severe strain Monday and yesterday as both sides exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz on the first day of Project Freedom, President Trump's initiative to guide stranded commercial ships out of the blocked waterway. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that Operation Epic Fury, the main combat campaign, was officially over, saying all objectives had been met and framing the current mission as purely defensive. Trump announced Project Freedom would be "paused for a short period of time" following a request from Pakistan and other countries, citing "great progress" in peace negotiations. There’s no timeline for how long Project Freedom will be paused, but Iran's state media said the country "has not even begun yet" in its defense of the strait. Rubio also announced yesterday that the US is putting a new draft resolution in front of the United Nations Security Council to “defend freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz.
2 Cruise Ship Infected With Terrifying Hantavirus Strain That Has 40% Mortality Rate, WHO Believes
Health officials believe a rare strain of hantavirus that spreads from person-to-person and has a 40% mortality rate is responsible for the outbreak on the MV Hondius cruise ship that has killed three passengers, and sickened seven others. Though hantavirus is typically only spread through rodent droppings, this particular strain is an alarming exception – and it’s one that “can’t be ruled out,” the World Health Organization conceded Tuesday. “We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that is happening among the really close contacts,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director. The exceptional strain, “the Andes virus,” is only found in the mountains of Argentina and Chile. The MV Hondius started its weeks-long voyage in Argentina on March 20, but not in an area where that strain is usually found. The Andes hantavirus strain carries a mortality rate of nearly 40%, meaning a worst-case scenario could spiral quickly in a confined environment such as the 80-cabin, 353-foot ship with roughly 150 people on board.
3 FAA Employee Arrested After Allegedly Using Work Computer To Threaten President Trump
A Federal Aviation Administration employee from Nashua, New Hampshire, was arrested Monday after allegedly using his government computer to research how to get a weapon into a federal facility and sending a written death threat to the White House. Thirty-five-year-old Dean DelleChiaie faces federal charges of communicating an interstate threat. Prosecutors say he searched the internet on his work computer for previous assassination attempts against the president and typed "I am going to kill Donald John Trump" into the browser; when he was interviewed by the Secret Service in February, he admitted to the searches. On April 21st, he allegedly emailed the White House citing Trump's handling of the Iran war as his motive. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted.