Donald Trump wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz shut until the Iranians agree to a nuclear deal. Trump's approval rating is headed down. The MAGA coalition is fracturing at super speeds. People are leaving the coalition and coming out directly against it. Gas prices are going to go up. A pound of beef will soon approach $10 and a gallon of gas will reach $6. Democrats will win close to 60 seats in the US Senate and 30-40 in the House.
A federal judge in Washington heard arguments this week about the renaming of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and closing it for two years of renovation. A coalition of preservation groups, including the group that brought a lawsuit over the construction of the White House ballroom, is also challenging the president's construction projects. In October, without consulting Congress, the president demolished the East Wing and began building the ballroom in its stead.
Todd Blanche and Robert Cekada unveiled a package of 34 proposed and final rules Wednesday to scale back and revise Biden-era gun regulations. The new package aligns with Supreme Court precedent to streamline guidelines in a way that is clearer for firearm owners to understand and follow.
Louisiana will have to redraw its congressional map because of the Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling. The ruling effectively guts a major section of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 civil rights law that prevents racial discrimination in voting. The White House called the decision "a complete and total victory". Donald Trump said he would redraw congressional maps in response to the ruling.
South Korea wants to punish Coupang for a massive data leak. The U.S. is stepping in to shield Coupang, because it is registered as an American company. Coupang is a New York Stock Exchange-listed company with significant American backing. The dispute underscores a bigger question about who gets to regulate a company that dominates one country's market while registered under another's laws.