“Lufthansa is ending 20,000 short-haul routes across its network through October to achieve ‘jet fuel savings of more than 40,000 metric tons,’ the airline announced on Tuesday. Jet fuel costs have ‘doubled since the outbreak of the Iran conflict,’ Lufthansa said. The move follows last week’s decision to retire the entire 27-aircraft fleet of its subsidiary CityLine ahead of schedule amid surging fuel costs and tightening supply. The airline said the first 120 flights were canceled on Monday.” (04/21/26)
“United States President Donald Trump has announced an extension to the ceasefire with Iran, saying that the US military will hold off its planned attack to allow more time for Tehran to put forward a proposal to end the war. The move on Tuesday comes at the request of Pakistani mediators, according to Trump. The truce was set to expire on Wednesday. … The extension marks the latest abrupt reversal from the Trump White House. Hours before his social media post, Trump had said that he opposed lengthening the truce, warning Iran that time is running out before the US launches a huge attack on its infrastructure.” (04/21/26)
“Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a Democratic redistricting plan that could allow the party to pick up as many as four new seats in the midterm elections, NBC News projects. With 97% of the vote in, the “yes” vote on the ballot referendum held a narrow lead of 3 percentage points. The special election is a major victory for Democrats as they seek to gain control of the narrowly divided House this fall. Democrats have now won statewide votes in California and Virginia to redraw congressional maps as part of a mid-decade redistricting arms race that began last year when President Donald Trump urged GOP-led states to alter their district lines.” (04/21/26)
Source: Raidió Teilifís Éireann [Irish state media]
“Russian drones attacked infrastructure in Ukraine’s Black Sea Odesa port overnight, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba has said. Berths, warehouses, railway infrastructure and port operators’ facilities were damaged in the assault, Mr Kuleba wrote on the Telegram messaging app. The hold of a cargo ship was also hit, causing a fire Ukraine’s seaports authority said. According to preliminary information no one was hurt in the attack, and the port was still operating, the authority said on Telegram.” (04/22/26)
“Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida resigned on Tuesday moments before a hearing was to begin to consider what punishment to recommend after a House ethics panel found she had committed numerous campaign finance and reporting violations. The congresswoman was facing the possible threat of expulsion, something that has only occurred six times in the history of the House. Support from her own party was increasingly in doubt. In a statement, Chefilus-McCormick said her resignation was ‘effective immediately.’ ‘But let me say this plainly: we should be very careful about the precedent we are setting in this country, we do not punish people before due process is complete,’ she said. ‘We do not allow allegations alone to override the will of the people. …’ The committee had previously determined she committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards, including breaking campaign finance laws.” (04/21/26)
“A new report commissioned by Coinbase sounds a cautious, but urgent, alarm: Quantum computing won’t break crypto tomorrow, but the industry can’t afford to wait. The 50-page paper, authored by an independent advisory board that includes prominent cryptographers and academics like Dan Boneh of Stanford University, Justin Drake of the Ethereum Foundation and Sreeram Kannan of Eigen Labs, concludes that while today’s blockchains remain secure, a future ‘fault-tolerant quantum computer’ capable of breaking widely used encryption is increasingly plausible, and preparation must begin now. … Rather than a single solution, the report outlines multiple transition strategies, including hybrid systems that combine existing cryptography with post-quantum updates or allow a gradual switch when needed.” (04/21/26)
“U.S. forces have boarded an oil tanker previously sanctioned for smuggling Iranian crude oil in Asia, the Pentagon said Tuesday, as it puts into place a global warning to track down vessels tied to Tehran. U.S. forces ‘conducted a right-of-visit maritime interdiction’ and boarded the M/T Tifani ‘without incident,’ the Pentagon said on social media. The Tifani was captured in the Bay of Bengal — between India and Southeast Asia — and was carrying Iranian oil, according to a U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing military operation. The U.S. military will decide in the next four days what to do with the vessel, such as tow it back to the U.S. or turn it over to another country, the official said.” (04/21/26)
“Florida’s attorney general said his office was issuing subpoenas to OpenAI on Tuesday morning, seeking information about how the leading AI company approaches user threats of harm to themselves and to others. The subpoenas are part of a new criminal investigation into the company, James Uthmeier said in a press conference. The actions are an escalation from his previously announced probe of the artificial intelligence company, which he said will continue as a civil investigation alongside the newly announced criminal investigation. On April 9, Uthmeier said he would launch an investigation into OpenAI and its ChatGPT tool over national security and safety concerns. Among other concerns, he is investigating whether ChatGPT provided any planning assistance to the alleged gunman in the Florida State University mass shooting that left two people dead in April last year.” (04/21/26)
“Just days before the US Supreme Court is set to hear arguments related to glyphosate’s health risks, the Environmental Working Group on Tuesday sued the Trump administration for unlawfully delaying its response to an EWG petition seeking stronger restrictions on ‘the most widely used herbicide in the United States and globally.’ The filing at the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit calls out the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to act on evidence that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, ‘is exposing infants and young children to harmful levels through everyday foods.’ EWG and its co-petitioners filed a formal administrative petition under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 2018 …. They want the EPA to revoke or modify the glyphosate policy for oats, so it’s stricter, and restrict its use as a pre-harvest drying agent.” (04/21/26)
“New York’s attorney general sued Coinbase Financial Markets and Gemini Titan on Tuesday, claiming their prediction markets violate state laws against illegal gambling. In complaints filed in a state court in Manhattan, Attorney General Letitia James said Coinbase and Gemini failed to obtain New York State Gaming Commission licenses to operate their markets, where people trade based on the predicted outcomes of events such as sports and elections. James said Coinbase’s and Gemini’s so-called event contracts are ‘quintessentially gambling’ because event outcomes are outside bettors’ control or amount to games of chance. She also objected to Coinbase and Gemini letting 18- to 20-year-olds use their platforms, despite a state law setting a minimum age of 21 for mobile sports betting.” (04/21/26)
