Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 💥 Iran war update
• 🤖 Meta builds AI Zuckerberg
• ☠️ World’s deadliest animals

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.42-minute read (909 words).

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“It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

–Harry S. Truman (1884-1972)

The US navy officially began blockading the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after peace talks with Iran failed to produce a deal.

The overall war is now in its seventh week, with the current two-week ceasefire between both sides now one week away from expiring on April 22.

Here’s what that means

The American blockade is targeting Iranian ports through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which ~20% of global oil supply travels. The overall objective is to restrict Iran’s ability to generate revenue via oil and force a return to negotiations.

The blockade stops short of a full closure, with US warships positioning themselves on either side and intercepting vessels suspected of carrying oil to or from Iranian ports.

Ships that comply can be inspected or redirected. Those that don’t risk being boarded by US forces, including special operations teams operating from nearby naval assets.

• The US has already deployed significant firepower to the region, including three aircraft carriers.
• US officials have also called on allies like Britain and Spain to support the blockade, but other countries have declined to participate so far.

The latest from the negotiating table

During the weekend talks, both sides remained far apart on how to handle Iran’s nuclear program. Iran proposed scaling back its nuclear activity for five years, while US negotiators pushed for at least a 20-year halt, according to multiple reports.

• The gap proved too large and negotiations broke down without a deal, leading to the current US blockade.
• Iran has threatened retaliation in response, warning that ports across the Persian Gulf could become targets for missile and drone strikes if its own oil exports are cut off.

Pakistan has indicated it’s willing to help facilitate another round of discussions, while Turkey’s foreign minister suggested a 45- to 60-day ceasefire extension to allow more time for negotiations.

Last night, President Trump told the NY Post that additional US-Iran peace talks “could be happening over next two days” in Pakistan’s capital of Islamabad.

Oil prices have remained volatile. After closing as low as $75/barrel on Trump’s ceasefire announcement last week, prices have now climbed back near $90/barrel on news of the US blockading the Strait of Hormuz. A trickle-down effect is also pushing up prices for airfare, food, and e-commerce.

Looking ahead…Trump this week suggested US gas prices at the pump could remain elevated potentially through November due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. And the IMF has warned the Iran war could slow global growth to levels usually associated with major economic downturns.

📊 Flash poll: As the Iran war approaches the 50-day mark: do you support or oppose America’s role in the ongoing Middle East conflict?

• Support
• Oppose
• Unsure/other

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BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 📈 US stocks rise across the board Tuesday, with the Nasdaq seeing its 10th consecutive daily gain and the S&P inching towards a new record-high. (S&P: +1.2% | Dow: +0.7% | Nasdaq: +2.0%)
• 🛰️ Amazon acquires telecom company Globalstar for ~$11.6 billion, amid push to close the gap between Amazon Leo and SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet unit.
• 🤖 OpenAI unveils GPT-5.4-Cyber, a variant of its latest flagship model fine-tuned specifically ​for defensive cybersecurity work; it follows Anthropic’s announcement of frontier AI model Mythos, which has found "thousands" of major cybersecurity vulnerabilities at select large companies.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🏈 NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns from The Athletic one week after the NY Post published paparazzi-style photos showing her and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel holding hands and hugging at an Arizona resort.
• 🎸 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announces 18 inductees for 2026, including Wu-Tang Clan, Oasis, Queen Latifah, and Ed Sullivan.
• 🎥 Sony reveals new clips and stills of forthcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day at CinemaCon, along with the official title for Jumanji 3 (Jumanji: Open World).

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🤖 Meta reportedly creating an AI version of CEO Mark Zuckerberg—trained on his mannerisms, tone, and public speeches—to interact with employees.
• 🐋🗣️ Human-like speech patterns have been discovered in sperm whale clicks (aka codas), with the patterns falling into distinct categories that behave like vowel sounds in human speech; findings suggest these patterns evolved independently in both whales and humans.
• ♂️ Human sperm quality follows a seasonal pattern, peaking in the summer while dipping in the winter, new study finds; however, other experts say the results are too negligible to make a difference.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🎓 Khan Academy, TED, and testing giant ETS to launch a new low-cost online college program to train students for the AI era; applications for Khan TED Institute’s ~$10,000 bachelor’s program in applied AI are expected to open in 12-18 months.
• 🇨🇦 Canadian PM Mark Carney secures parliamentary majority for his Liberal government following the results of three special elections.
• 🏫 LA Unified School District agrees to new labor deal with support staff hours before a strike was set to begin, keeping schools open for the district’s nearly 400,000 students.

👆 Hundreds of people gathered near Miami’s Brickell Key on Sunday to catch the controlled implosion of the former Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The 23-story building, which opened 25 years ago, collapsed in less than 20 seconds following a series of blasts, making way for a new hotel set to open in 2030.

🤔 Did you know? Pound cake earned its name due to the original recipe calling for one whole pound of each ingredient. Yes, that includes butter and sugar.

📰 Worth a read: 10 women whose inventions transformed the household.

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• 18 places in the US that feel like Europe
• Meet the iconic diva crossing guard of New Jersey
• What are the world's deadliest animals?

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Can you name the three female artists with the most #1 singles in Billboard Hot 100 history?

🦤 New Yorkers are flocking to Manhattan's Bryant Park in hopes of catching a glimpse of a woodcock, a quirky, grapefruit-sized bird known for its bobbing walks, kazoo-like calls, and enormous eyes.

Mariah Carey (19), Taylor Swift (14), and Rihanna (14)

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