“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized two vessels in the strait of Hormuz for what it called maritime violations and escorted them to Iranian shores, according to the shipping companies and Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency. Wednesday’s move was the first time Iran has seized ships since the war began in late February. … Iranian officials said they had not agreed to any extension of the truce, and criticised Trump’s decision to maintain the US naval blockade. Lead Iranian negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a full ceasefire only made sense if the blockade was lifted. … The Pentagon said the US secretary of the navy, John Phelan, would depart the office ‘effective immediately,’ without providing an explanation for his sudden exit amid the naval blockade.” (04/23/26)
“The price of bitcoin continued its April surge, rebounding to prices not seen since early February. … Bitcoin Wednesday afternoon traded around $78,600, surging 3.9% over the past 24 hours. Bitcoin peaked at $79,468 intraday Wednesday, marking its highest price since Feb. 2. Although bitcoin has trended higher in April, it still remains well below its October peak of $126,200. … Meanwhile, Strategy on Monday announced it acquired 34,164 bitcoin for roughly $2.54 billion, representing a price of about $74,395 per bitcoin. … With the acquisition, Strategy became the largest publicly-traded holder of bitcoin, surpassing BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT), which holds 806,699 bitcoin.” (04/22/26)
“European Union officials on Wednesday took a key step toward approving a loan of roughly $105 billion for Ukraine, after Hungary dropped its long-standing opposition. The loan is moving forward after its main opponent, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, lost his campaign for reelection this month. The money will provide a crucial lifeline to Kyiv, helping to finance its government and fight Russia’s ongoing invasion. The package is expected to get formal approval Thursday, according to officials from Cyprus, which holds the E.U.’s rotating presidency.” (04/22/26)
“A high-ranking counterterrorism official is insisting she ‘did nothing wrong’ after her ex-boyfriend reportedly triggered a watchdog probe over accusations she used him as a ‘sugar daddy’ and demanded he spend thousands to fund her lavish lifestyle. The Daily Mail reported that in December, a divorced business executive identified only as Robert B. matched with 29-year-old Deputy Assistant Homeland Security Secretary for Counterterrorism Julia Varvaro on Hinge, beginning a months-long dalliance that ended with him filing an official complaint with DHS. ‘This is just a mad ex-boyfriend putting crap together. And it’s just really weird,’ Varvaro insisted to the outlet. … Robert B., who appears to be decades older than Varvaro, told the outlet that he shelled out up to $40,000 on her — funding trips to destinations like Italy, San Diego, South Carolina, and Aruba during their three-month romantic entanglement.” (04/22/26)
“U.S. health officials stopped the publication of a study on whether the COVID-19 vaccine was keeping adults from becoming sick enough to have to go to the hospital. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman on Wednesday confirmed the decision to halt publication, citing a dispute about the study’s methodology. The research paper was to appear in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s flagship publication. … the new study concluded that the vaccine cut ER visits and hospitalizations among otherwise healthy adults by about half this past winter, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the cancellation. HHS officials did not say exactly why that methodology was a problem in this instance but argued that prior infection, behavior and differences in who seeks care can affect results.” (04/22/26)
“The Trump administration is in advanced talks about a potential rescue of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, which is struggling to exit bankruptcy, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The discussions underscore one of the unintended consequences of the Iran war launched by Washington: a surge in jet fuel prices that is rippling through the aviation industry, squeezing margins and pushing weaker airlines closer to the brink. Fuel costs have roughly doubled since the conflict began, forcing carriers to raise fares, cut flights and scramble to preserve cash. For Spirit, which was already struggling to turn a profit before the fuel shock, the spike has intensified doubts about whether it can survive on its own. The U.S. government is weighing a financing package that could include lending the airline up to $500 million in exchange for warrants, the Wall Street Journal reported.” (04/22/26)
“Two Iranian women remain in immigration detention, [abducted] earlier this month on accusations of being the niece and grandniece of Qasem Soleimani, despite no connection to the late Iranian military commander. Drop Site reviewed Iranian birth records, identification papers, a family will, and other personal documents and found no connection whatsoever to him or his extended family. One of the women is now seriously ill in a Texas facility, her chronic blood condition left effectively untreated. On March 8, right-wing activist Laura Loomer posted on X calling for the deportation of a woman she claimed was Soleimani’s niece. The commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Maj. Gen. Soleimani was assassinated by a U.S. drone strike, ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, in Baghdad on January 3, 2020. … On April 3, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, Sarina Hosseiny, [abducted] by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at their home outside Los Angeles.” (04/22/26)
“US officials have announced fraud charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a civil rights group that tracks extremist organisations and played a prominent role in confronting the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). In a news conference on Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche accused the non-profit of secretly funding the very groups that it says it opposes, through paying informants who infiltrated them — including within the KKK. An indictment charges the SPLC with six counts of wire fraud, four counts of bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The organisation’s president has said they would ‘vigorously defend ourselves, our staff, and our work.'” (04/22/26)
“Billionaire businessman Justin Sun has filed a lawsuit against the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture World Liberty Financial, claiming his multi-million dollar investment was secured through fraud and alleging that WLF is ‘on the verge of collapse.’ Sun claims his tokens have been indefinitely frozen and his voting rights revoked since he refused to accept the terms of a new governance proposal submitted on April 15, which required that 10 percent of all company advisers’ tokens be permanently burned. … The complaint goes on to accuse WLF of making multiple false statements, inducing Sun’s investments through fraud and scheming to secure more capital from him, misrepresenting the company’s compliance with the law, improperly freezing his tokens, making threats and defamation.” (04/22/26)
“A new bill approved in the United Kingdom’s legislature will stop people born on or after January 1, 2009 from buying tobacco during their whole lives, as part of a years-long effort by ministers to create a ‘smoke-free generation. Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the House of Commons in 2024 …. The bill will become law when it receives a royal assent next week. Once it does, ministers will also have new powers to regulate tobacco, vaping and nicotine products, including their flavours and packaging. They will also be able to ban nicotine products from being branded and advertised to children. Vaping will also be prohibited in playgrounds, cars with children inside, outside schools and hospitals, in an effort to expand smoke-free zones across the UK.” (04/22/26)
