The New York Times-The Evening Newsletter.
"The U.S. begins a naval blockade of Iran and Trump takes on the pope."
Views expressed in this geopolitical news and analysis are those of the reporters and correspondents. Accessed on 13 April 2026, 2303 UTC.
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Russ Roberts s(https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).
 April 13, 2026 |
Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.
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| The Strait of Hormuz, off the coast of Oman, on Sunday. Reuters |
The U.S. blockades the Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. military said today that it had begun to enforce a blockade of all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf. The move is an effort by President Trump to strangle Iran’s economy and pressure Iranian officials into making concessions after peace talks over the weekend ended without a breakthrough.
Trump said that any Iranian ships that approached the blockade would be “immediately eliminated.” He previously said that other countries would join the effort, but as of this evening, several European countries have refused to be involved.
Under the cease-fire terms announced last week, the Strait of Hormuz — the critical waterway connecting the oil- and gas-rich Persian Gulf to the ocean — is supposed to be open to shipping traffic. In practice, only a small number of tankers have passed through in recent days, in part because of safety fears. Now, the U.S. military says it is blocking Iranian ships while allowing others to pass through.
In an apparent reaction to the blockade, the price for the global benchmark for oil rose today — adding to concerns that energy prices could remain elevated. The move sets up a test, our White House reporter David Sanger writes, of which side can endure more economic pain: Tehran’s new leadership or Trump?
For more:
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| Pope Leo XIV in the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa in Algiers today. Andrew Medichini/Associated Press |
The American president clashes with the American pope
Pope Leo XIV has criticized the U.S. war with Iran, at first obliquely and then overtly as “absurd and inhuman violence.” Trump in turn erupted at the pontiff late last night in a lengthy social media post, calling Leo too liberal, “weak on crime” and “terrible for foreign policy.”
At the start of a trip to Africa, the typically mild-mannered pope responded, telling reporters he had “no fear of the Trump administration” and was not afraid of “speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel.”
Trump faced a groundswell of criticism across the political spectrum, both for his attacks on Leo and for an image he posted depicting himself as a Jesus-like healer. The president later removed the image, though he said he believed it showed him as a doctor, not Jesus. “I make people better,” he said.
In other Trump administration news:
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| Eric Swalwell in January. Kenny Holston/The New York Times |
Swalwell says he will resign from Congress
Eric Swalwell, a House Democrat from the San Francisco Bay Area, announced this afternoon that he was resigning from Congress after allegations that he sexually assaulted a former staff member and engaged in misconduct with other women.
Last week, he had been considered one of the front-runners in the race for California’s next governor. Now, Democrats there are struggling to figure out who to turn to. Gavin Newsom can’t run again because of term limits; Kamala Harris is instead “thinking about” a third presidential bid; and the leading Democrats who remain, Katie Porter and Tom Steyer, have not secured widespread support. (Here’s who is still running.)
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| Aimee Aranda comforts her daughter Zennett on the last day at Kids of Faith Place. Erin Schaff/The New York Times |
Oklahoma parents are being forced to make tough decisions
More than 400 day cares in Oklahoma have gone out of business since November, largely because of disappearing federal and state funding. Many working parents, often mothers, are having to choose whether to pay significantly more for child care or pause their careers.
My colleagues visited one of the closing day cares in Oklahoma City and talked to parents who were struggling with their options.
More top news
Hungary
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Other Big Stories
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TIME TO UNWIND
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| Clara Watt for The New York Times |
An old-fashioned novel from a very young writer
Nelio Biedermann, a 22-year-old student at the University of Zurich, is already a literary sensation in Europe. His first novel, “Lázár” — a sweeping saga about an aristocratic family based in part on his own ancestors — spent 29 weeks on the German best-seller list, and it is slated to be made into a movie.
The book, which arrives in American stores tomorrow, has drawn comparisons to Thomas Mann’s celebrated 1901 family epic, “Buddenbrooks.” Read our review.
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| Gabriela Bhaskar/The New York Times |
Step inside the ‘Brady Bunch’ house
Generations of Americans would recognize the midcentury modern house at 11222 West Dilling in Los Angeles County. It was the home of the family in “The Brady Brunch,” as seen in an establishing shot during the credits.
The show was filmed on a soundstage, but recent renovations by HGTV and a “Brady Bunch” superfan replicated the house’s interior to match the home we all remember. It’s like a time warp through a vintage television screen. Take a look.
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| Hope Mora for The New York Times |
Dinner table topics
- Junk to treasure: These Texans transform rundown cars into outrageous and spectacular artworks on wheels.
- 10 years after Prince’s death, we traced his footsteps around Minneapolis. Follow along.
- He was jailed for singing love songs in Vietnam. At 81, he’s not ready to stop.
- A famed Brooklyn cemetery wants to be a destination for the living, too.
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WHAT TO DO TONIGHT
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| Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. |
Cook: Make your own green goddess dressing to upgrade your chicken salad sandwich.
Watch “Bad Girl” or one of these four other compelling international flicks.
Snack on oats, which are full of health benefits.
Wear: If you ever need rain pants, these pairs are the best.
Test yourself: Take the latest Flashback history quiz.
Play: Here are today’s Connections, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
ONE LAST THING
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| David Sharkey |
Celebrities need passport photos, too
Starting in the 1950s, famous faces came flowing into David Sharkey’s small passport photo studio in London — perhaps because his studio was near the American Embassy, or because he promised a stylish headshot in just 10 minutes. Now, Sharkey’s son has gathered hundreds of the images for a new photo book. Take a look at them here.
In each one, the subject’s personality comes through — in the facial expression, the clothes and the stories that Sharkey recalls. Bianca Jagger refused to take off her hat, and Muhammad Ali signed photos for the other customers in line.
Have an attractive evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow — Matthew
Eli Cohen was our photo editor.
We welcome your feedback. Reach us at evening@nytimes.com.
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Writer: Matthew Cullen Editor: Whet Moser |
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Welcome to my geopolitics blog site. This is a Hawaii Island news site focusing on geopolitical news, analysis, information, and commentary. I will cite a variety of sources, ranging from all sides of the political spectrum.