Trump Rejects Iran's Counter-Proposal as Ceasefire Frays
Donald Trump has condemned an Iranian response to a US peace proposal as “totally unacceptable,” as the month-old ceasefire appeared to be wearing thin. The president’s response came on a day that drone strikes were reported around the region, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the war was “not over.”
The semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing an informed source, reported on Sunday night that Iran’s proposed text for negotiations included lifting US sanctions, ending the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after the signing of an initial understanding, and an immediate end to the war with guarantees against any renewed attack. This followed the US peace proposal, which was reportedly a one-page memorandum of understanding that would reopen the strait while setting a framework for further talks on Iran’s nuclear program.
What is the US position on Iranian nuclear facilities?
The US parameters for nuclear talks reportedly included a moratorium on Iranian nuclear enrichment for up to 20 years; the transfer overseas, possibly to the US, of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU); and the dismantling of Iranian nuclear facilities.
What is the sticking point?
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Iranian counter-proposal suggested a shorter moratorium, the export of part of the highly enriched uranium stockpile and the dilution of the rest, and refusal to accept the dismantling of facilities.
How have markets reacted?
After Trump rejected the counter-proposal on his Truth Social platform, Brent crude jumped 4% on Monday to $105.50 a barrel before settling at $103.50.
Americans on Hantavirus Cruise Ship to Be Repatriated
The 17 American passengers of the hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius, including one person who has tested positive, are being flown back to the US. After disembarking in Tenerife on Sunday, medical teams from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention interviewed the passengers about their exposure. The passengers are due to arrive in Nebraska – home to the national quarantine unit and the Nebraska biocontainment unit – on a special chartered flight.
As well as one who tested positive, another passenger has mild symptoms of hantavirus, the US health and human services department confirmed. These passengers were traveling in the plane’s biocontainment units. The World Health Organization has recommended, but not mandated, a 42-day quarantine once passengers have landed in their home countries.
US Senate Expected to Confirm Kevin Warsh as Next Federal Reserve Chair
The US Senate is expected to confirm Kevin Warsh this week as chair of the Federal Reserve, as Donald Trump continues his efforts to sway the world’s most important central bank. Trump has sought to pressure the central bank into cutting interest rates, and since he returned to the White House, Warsh has publicly aligned himself with the president’s stance that interest rates are too high. This is despite Warsh, who served on the Fed’s board as a governor from 2006 to 2011, having a reputation as an “inflation hawk” during the 2008 recession crisis – pushing for higher interest rates to ease rising prices. The vote is expected to be split along party lines, with Democrats criticizing Warsh for being Trump’s “sock puppet.”
In Other News
- A search team recovered the body of a US soldier who went missing near a cliff during a training exercise in Cap Draa, Morocco.
- Poland’s ex-justice minister has fled Hungary to the US, after the new Hungarian prime minister said the country would not protect people wanted elsewhere. Zbigniew Ziobro is wanted on several criminal charges in Poland.
- Many Somalis have been pushed further into poverty after a growing number of providers of goods and services stopped accepting the local currency in an increasingly dollarized economy.
- Greek authorities are investigating how an explosive-packed drone ended up in waters off the country’s west.
Stat of the Day: Perinatal Mental Health
Mental illness is the top complication of pregnancy and the postnatal period, with as many as one in five women experiencing a diagnosable mental health condition during the perinatal window, defined as the period of pregnancy and one year after birth. While depression and anxiety are the most prevalent, other conditions include post-traumatic stress disorder after birth trauma, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and, more rarely, psychotic episodes.
Building Power: Mothers on the Frontlines of Resistance
This year, mothers have been on the frontlines and behind the scenes of the resistance in Minnesota. They are women like Sarah, who has trailed immigration agents around the Twin Cities to document arrests and violations of constitutional rights – part of a movement that builds on decades of work.
Don’t Miss This: Robby Hoffman’s Comedy Sensation
The comedian and actor Robby Hoffman is this year’s rising star. With parts in Rooster, the college campus comedy starring Steve Carell, and the latest season of the critically acclaimed sitcom Hacks, she now has her own Netflix special, Wake Up. While her punchlines make some audience members uncomfortable, she says being offended is not the worst thing: “Being poor is.”
Climate Check: Deadly Bacterium Creeps Up US East Coast
The climate crisis is making the world’s oceans more hospitable to a group of bacteria known as Vibrio, the most dangerous of which can cause human flesh to decay within hours if not swiftly treated with antibiotics. In recent years, scientists have documented the bacteria expanding into places that were previously too cold, moving as far north along the US east coast as Maine.
Last Thing: Best Sandwich of Their Life
Fifty-two writers share, in great detail, the best sandwich they’ve ever had, from chocolate sprinkles on a baguette to sandwiches filled with bacon and chestnut stuffing.
