April 8, 2026

U.S., ISRAEL, IRAN WAR | Day 40.

• Shortly before the expiration of U.S. President Donald Trump's self-imposed deadline for Iran to agree to a deal and open the Strait of Hormuz last night, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a Pakistani appeal for a two-week cease-fire in the Middle East war. Both sides have claimed some sort of victory in reaching an agreement to pause hostilities, with Iran claiming it forced the U.S. to agree to a 15-point plan that includes Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz and President Trump claiming the U.S. had "met and exceeded all Military objectives." [more]
• Despite a statement by Pakistani mediators that the cease-fire agreement included a cessation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon, Israeli officials say that is not the case and that operations against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon would continue. [more]
• The overall status of the U.S.-Iran cease-fire remains unclear, with reports noting ongoing airstrikes in Iran and multiple Gulf region countries saying they are actively defending against Iranian airstrikes today. [more]
• Reports vary on whether or not Iran's nuclear enrichment is a part of the U.S-Iran cease-fire agreement. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a briefing this morning that the U.S. could strike Iran again if enriched uranium is not handed over. [more]
• Reports say the U.S. and Iran have both agreed to begin talks on formalizing the cease-fire agreement on Friday in Pakistan. [more]

U.S. ELECTIONS | Among election results of note from yesterday: Republican Clay Fuller won Marjorie Taylor Greene’s former U.S. House seat in Georgia, besting his Democratic challenger by about 12 points in a district that Greene had carried by 29 points two years ago. In Wisconsin. Democratic-backed candidate Chris Taylor won election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, increasing the liberal majority on the court to 5-2. [more on Georgia] [more on Wisconsin]

NEW YORK | According to an indictment released yesterday, the two men arrested and charged last month with attempting to carry out an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack outside the home of New York City’s mayor were recorded on a car dashcam discussing their plans to "start terror" using homemade bombs and to carry out various other alternate actions, including a vehicle attack on crowded locations. [more]

U.S. IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT | Reports say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and wounded a man in central California yesterday while trying to arrest him. Department of Homeland Security officials say the suspect, Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, is wanted for questioning in El Salvador and that ICE agents fired defensive shots at Hernandez after he tried to run over agents with his car. [more]

U.S. ABORTION | Louisiana-based U.S. District Judge David Joseph yesterday refused to issue a nationwide block on filling prescriptions for the abortion drug mifepristone by mail across the U.S. while challenges to FDA rules allowing such deliveries to take place play out in court. Joseph noted that he believes that Louisiana plaintiffs in the case in question are "likely to succeed on the merits" in challenging the delivery of mifepristone into states where abortion is banned. [more]

KOREA | North Korea launched ballistic missiles toward the waters off its coast for a second straight day today. The launches came after the North's Foreign Ministry said yesterday that South Korea would always be Pyongyang's "most hostile enemy state." [more]

TURKEY | In an initial move to join numerous other countries taking similar actions, Turkish lawmakers began debate today on a measure that would restrict access to social media platforms for children under the age of 15. [more]

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | Authorities in the UAE say at least 375 people were arrested in the capital Abu Dhabi over the course of the U.S.-Israel-Iran war for filming sites impacted by the war and "disseminating false information" on social media. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1820, the Venus de Milo, an ancient statue commonly thought to represent the Greek goddess Aphrodite, was found in pieces by a farmer on the Aegean island of Melos. The statue was later reconstructed and put on display in the Louvre in Paris. [more history]