Two ships came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. One of them was fired on by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. President Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran, but said the U.S. would continue to blockade Iranian ports. 20% of world's oil and natural gas pass through the Strait in peacetime. The conflict has sent gas prices skyrocketing and raised the cost of food and other products.

Virginia voters approved a redistricting plan Tuesday that could boost Democrats’ chances of winning four additional U.S. House seats in November’s midterm elections. The state Supreme Court is considering whether the plan is illegal in a case that could make the referendum results meaningless. The vote is part of a national redistricting battle.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has damaged US credibility and left President Donald Trump weaker at home, Trita Parsi has told RT. The conflict has dragged on far longer than Trump's prediction of 2-3 weeks. The US bases in the Gulf have become a source of insecurity for host nations.

USOIL is still driven by uncertainty in the Middle East. President Trump extended the US-Iran ceasefire indefinitely, but kept the naval blockade up on Iranian ports. Iran won't be returning to the negotiating table until the blockade is lifted. Strait of Hormuz handles around 20% of the world seaborne oil. US domestic production and inventory levels offer a bit of a buffer.

Kevin Warsh is President Donald Trump's nominee to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve. Warsh's nomination is stalled due to the ongoing criminal investigation into current Fed chair Jerome Powell. The investigation focuses on Powell's alleged false testimony to Congress about an office renovation. The Senate is running out of time to confirm a new Fed chair before the end of Powell's term.

Two ships were attacked in Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The U.S. seized two Iranian vessels as ceasefire talks were due to take place in Islamabad. President Donald Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran, due to expire on Wednesday, but he said the United States would continue to blockade Iranian ports. There have been more than 30 attacks on ships in the Mideast since the war began Feb. 28.

John Jones is the president of Dickinson College and a former federal judge. He is critical of President Trump's executive order to take control of mail-in voting from states and give it to the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security. The order is the subject of lawsuits by voting rights groups and 23 states.

Andrew Hugg, chief of chemical nuclear surety in the U.S. Army, has been placed on administrative leave pending a formal investigation. He was allegedly caught on camera discussing highly sensitive national security matters, including nuclear protocols, military actions in Iran and corruption in Ukraine. The incident has triggered widespread debate over operational security, government transparency, and the credibility of undercover journalism.