New threats and tensions rattle Iran ceasefire and test peace push

The Iran ceasefire and peace talks this week are hanging by a thread as tensions boil over the strategic waterway that epitomizes Tehran’s new leverage and a conflict that critics warn has escaped President Donald Trump’s control.
On Friday, Trump said Iran had “agreed to everything,” prompting a stock market rally on hopes the war could soon end. But by Sunday, this looked like another case of overhyping diplomacy, and the president was again threatening to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants, and Tehran had shut the S

Nations gather for first-ever conference on fossil fuel exit

More than 50 nations are attending a world-first conference on phasing out fossil fuels in Colombia next week as the Iran war underscores how dependent countries remain on planet-heating coal, oil and gas.
Ministers arrive in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta against a backdrop of wartime fuel shortages, soaring prices and a scramble for energy security in what the International Energy Agency has called the biggest oil supply shock ever.
The gathering was born out of frustration with consensus-based United Nations climate talks,

Poll: Trump's approval rating hits second-term low as Americans sour on the economy and Iran war

President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has sunk to a new low as Americans express growing concerns about rising costs and the war with Iran, according to an NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey.
Overall, 37% of adults approve of Trump’s performance as president, while 63% disapprove — including 50% who said they disapprove strongly — putting his job rating at the lowest point of his second term in NBC News Decision Desk polling. Two-thirds of respondents also disapproved of

Stewart Cink puts on a clinic at Concession and wins the Senior PGA Championship by 6 shots

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Stewart Cink pulled away from the field with an astonishing stretch around the turn Sunday to close with a 9-under 63 for a six-shot victory in the Senior PGA Championship, his first senior major and third win of the year on the PGA Tour Champions.
Cink was one shot behind going into the final round at Concession Golf Club, and then he removed all drama with a remarkable run.
It started with an eagle on the par-5 seventh. He closed out the front nine with back-to-back birdies

Millions of years ago, the megalodon ruled the oceans – why did it disappear?

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsustheconversation.com.
When did the megalodon shark go extinct, and why? – Landon, age 10
Imagine traveling back in time and observing the oceans of 5 million years ago.
As you stand on an ancient shoreline, you see several small whales in the distance, gliding along the surface of an ancient sea.
Suddenly, and without warning, an enormous creature erupts out of the depths.

https:

Trump says US forcibly seized Iran-flagged ship near Strait of Hormuz that tried...

President Donald Trump said the U.S. forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week.
Trump on social media said the ship was warned by a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman to stop, but it did not. He said the Navy “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom” and that U.S. Marines had custody of the vessel

Iranians fear harsher regime crackdown after war with US ends

Behind peaceful scenes, Iran's economy is in tatters, and people are fearful of a new government clampdown and angry about the destructive airstrikes.
Iranians striving to maintain a semblance of normal life after weeks of US and Israeli bombing and a deadly crackdown on protesters in January remain daunted by the future as damage from airstrikes and internet cuts take a toll.
With Iran and the US wrangling over a truce extension and a deal to end the conflict, shops, restaurants, and government offices have remained open. On s

SpaceX’s $2 Trillion IPO Is Coming: These 6 Stocks Will Ride the New ***** e Economy Into Orbit

SpaceX confidentially filed for its IPO on April 1, and quickly raised its target valuation above $2 trillion. That would dwarf Saudi Aramco’s record $29.4 billion raise in 2019 and could bring in as much as $75 billion. Morgan Stanley just released a list of 60 public companies across the full ***** e supply chain — the ***** e 60 — that stand to capitalize on the opportunity, everything from raw materials to satellite services.
While all the names on that list stand to gain something from broa

Trump says US negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran

https://www.chicagotribune...

Rachel Reeves has launched a new threat to pensions – 'millions will be poorer'

Rachel Reeves has been warned her controversial pension reforms will mean “lower returns and lower pensions in future for millions of workers”, as Labour prepares for a fresh battle with the House of Lords. Peers are expected to reject plans to allow the Chancellor to order pension funds to invest in the British economy. It’s the latest round in an ongoing battle between the Commons and the Lords over the Government’s Pensions Schemes Bill.
The Lords has already removed elements of the legislation that will giv

Winning the war in Ukraine is about more than just numbers

A common question the media asks is how much money Russia has left to sustain the war against Ukraine. In response, experts discuss the burgeoning budget deficit, high interest rates, anemic investment and the fact that war costs have caused sharp reductions in public sector salaries, pensions, health and education.
Everyone is waiting for a gamechanger that hasn’t arrived yet. The recent increase in the global oil price offers only marginal benefit to Russia, since 20 to 40 percent of its oil export capacity has been rendered at l

Iran doubles down on closing the Strait of Hormuz as the ceasefire inches toward expiration

CAIRO (AP) — Iran doubled down on its pledge to restrict ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, as mediators scrambled to extend the ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday.
The dueling blockades have complicated Pakistani-led mediation attempts and raised questions about whether the two-week truce can be extended.
“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohamme

Why one ****** yst thinks the US economy will be feeling the Iran-fueled inflation shock for years to...

Chris Whalen thinks hot inflation will weigh on the US economy for years after the Iran war ends.
The veteran ****** yst says supply disruptions in the Middle East will take a long time to normalize.
He said he expected inflation to rise to the high single-digits, about double its current rate.
Investors see the Iran war as all but over, but a market vet warns the effects will be felt a lot longer than Wall Street might realize.
Chris Whalen, an investment banker, longtime ****** yst

Britain is the most inflation-prone nation in the G7. That was true before the Iran war

Heavy reliance on imported energy and food leaves the UK extremely vulnerable

https://www.telegraph.co.u...

Which European countries will be the richest by 2030?

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is one of the most widely used tools for comparing economies — and across much of Europe, the trajectory is upward.
But a rising figure does not always mean a country is pulling ahead of its peers: rankings shift as all economies move together. Where a country sits in the table often tells a more useful story than the raw number.
So which European countries are expected to lead in GDP per capita by 2030, and are any significant shifts on the way?
Euronews Business has examined IMF World Economic

The Latest: Standoff escalates after Iran closes Strait of Hormuz over US blockade

Iran reversed its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect.
The escalating standoff over the critical chokepoint threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy and push the two countries toward renewed conflict, even as mediators expressed confidence a new deal was within reach.
The strait is closed until the U.S. blockade is lifted, Iran’s Revolutionary Gu

Iran War Live News Updates: Ships Attacked as Iranian Forces Declare Strait of Hormuz Closed

https://www.wsj.com/liveco...

Putin finally admits Russia’s economy is in trouble and grasps for answers, after warnings about a f...

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his concerns about the economy public as he vented frustration at aides and demanded they come up with solutions.
During a televised meeting on the economy Wednesday, he revealed that GDP shrank by combined 1.8% in January and February, adding that manufacturing, industrial production and construction were negative.
“I expect to hear detailed reports today on the current economic situation and why the trajectory of macroeconomic indicators is curren

Ossoff criticizes Trump on health care, Iran, 'corruption' in Augusta

Lowering health care premiums and returning consumers to financial affordability mean electing leaders instead of rulers, the state's senior U.S. senator said during a campaign swing through Augusta on Saturday.
With public criticism mounting against the Trump administration's handling of the economy, rising health care premiums and a war with Iran, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff mounted an offensive to urge voters to fight for the ways of life he said they deserve.
"We were told MAGA was for the working class. Do you

Amid wars and soaring energy prices, IMF says the global economy is on the brink of recession

By
Rob Schmitz
,
Daniel Ofman
,

https://www.npr.org/2026/0...

Republicans enter spring legislative sprint

The House and Senate are speeding toward quick — and finite — action on the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement funding and on expiring surveillance powers.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said at Semafor World Economy on Monday that he’d back the plan to send roughly $50 billion in frontloaded Immigration and Customs Enforcement and border security funding for Customs and Border Protection, a crucial conservative boost for the plan.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans are aggressively moving to “limit” the measure to help shi

Stock Futures Soar After U.S., Iran Walk Back From the Brink

Oil prices plunged, stock futures surged and government bond yields sank after President Trump said he had agreed to a cease-fire with Iran if the Strait of Hormuz reopened immediately.
The pause in hostilities sparked relief among investors who feared the war was about to spiral into a dangerous new phase that could inflict even graver damage to the global economy. The immediate question for the financial world now is whether tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf can start to sail out and deliver much-needed supplies to increasing

Efforts continue to address Iowa farmers’ demands

Iowa farmers are raising concern for what some state lawmakers are calling an agriculture economy downturn. A timely issue for farmers revolves around their access to fertilizer supplies. Nitrogen is a key import for fertilizer.
According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the war in Iran has disrupted fertilizer production and trade. John Whitaker is a Henry County farmer who says agriculture policy is “pragmatic” and bipartisan.
“Farmers never did like to get money from the mailbox, they want money from the market. We

Cramer says Tuesday’s stock market action gives investors a glimpse of the U.S. economy’s fate if Ir...

Monday - Friday, 6:00 - 7:00 PM ET
In this article
Want to know what’s next for the economy if the U.S.-Iran war persists? CNBC’s Jim Cramer said Tuesday’s stock market action gave investors a warning.
Despite eking out a small last-minute gain, the S&P 500
was down for most of the session as President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran to strike a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz approached with little signs of progress, dimming hopes of a resolution between the two countries. Trum

Iran war ceasefire pushes energy markets into twilight zone

Commentary
Ron Bousso

https://www.reuters.com/bu...

Trump agrees to two-week Iran ceasefire, drops threat to destroy 'whole civilization'

By Steve Holland, Parisa Hafezi, Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba
WASHINGTON/DUBAI/CAIRO, April 7 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran on Tuesday, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its civilian infrastructure.
Trump's announcement on social media represented an abrupt turnaround from earlier in the day, ‌when he issued an extraordinary warning that "a whole civilization will die tonight

Donald Trump's good news might be short-lived

PUBLISHED
APR 07, 2026 AT 09:14 PM EDT
Oil futures tumbled on Tuesday after President Donald Trump announced a two‑week ceasefire with Iran, offering a rare moment of relief for energy markets rattled by weeks of war and threats around the Strait of Hormuz, but the administration will have to tread carefully if they want those benefits to trickle down to American consumers.
The Trump administration has been plagued by an economy that's falling well short of Americans' expectations for the president. It's contributing to the drop his approval

Larry Summers Reportedly Believes Trump’s Economy Is on the Brink of Crisis

(Michel Euler/AP photo)
Larry Summers is privately warning that the U.S. economy is “worryingly fragile” and potentially nearing crisis conditions, according to a report that underscores mounting concerns about inflation and federal debt.
The former Treasury chief, who resigned from his role at Harvard University after his friendly correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein was exposed in the Justice Department’s release, has circulated updated ******* ysis to fellow economists suggesting the current economic trajectory

2026 NFL draft: Jets interested in top WR Omar Cooper Jr. in one case

The New York Jets have a chance to land several blue chip piece early on in the 2026 NFL draft.
Thanks to trades, general manager Darren Mougey made, his team holds four picks in the top 44 selections at the 2026 draft at Nos. 2, 16, 33 and 44.
A prospect that could attract the Jets is Indiana wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. His dynamic ability helped Indiana win the National Championship last season, and he could help Garrett Wilson at wideout on the Jets offense moving forward. In 16 games played last year, Cooper had 6

Key Fed Official Says Interest Rate Hike Is Possible as Gas Prices Soar

A top official at the Federal Reserve has said that soaring gas prices present a new threat to the economy, warning of a possible interest rate hike if inflation remains persistently elevated.
Oil prices have surged since the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran began, sparking fears of renewed inflation and roiling the stock market, which dipped on Tuesday after President Donald Trump threatened that Iran's "whole civilization will die tonight" if Tehran doesn't accept his terms.
Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack, a voting