Author: Press Room

Tehran has reportedly floated a proposal to allow ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the waterway Iran could consider allowing ships to pass freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz if the US offers concessions in return, Reuters reported on Wednesday, citing a source briefed by Tehran.Reuters said the source did not clarify whether Iran would allow all ships, including those linked to Israel, to pass freely. A Western source confirmed that the proposal to allow vessels to sail through the Omani side had been in the works but did not say whether there…

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, told reporters on Wednesday that any agreement to limit Iran’s illicit nuclear development would require the country to agree to significant international oversight. Without “very detailed verification” that Iran was abiding by agreements not to enrich uranium beyond what is necessary for civilian use, or not to engage in any other forbidden activity, “you will not have an agreement,” Grossi warned. The IAEA is the United Nations’ top body on nuclear development. Grossi’s comments are significant given his extensive criticism throughout the years of the last major attempt to…

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain marked Tax Day on Wednesday with a roundtable featuring lawmakers, workers, small business owners, manufacturers, farmers, and tax professionals who said the Working Families Tax Cuts, passed last year, increased refunds, reduced taxes on tips and overtime pay, and provided relief for small businesses during the first filing season under the law. The April 15 event, held alongside Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR), came as Democrats used Tax Day to promote a different message focused on higher taxes for wealthy Americans. Meanwhile, McClain, who has traveled to seven districts to…

President Donald Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to pass a bill to reauthorize Section 702 of FISA without reforms, saying he would be willing to give up his “rights” for the program. Reports have said that congressional leadership has punted a procedural vote on a bill to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) for 18 months with no more reforms. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said on Wednesday that the vote would probably not be today, but “maybe tomorrow,” according to Jake Sherman. Section 702 is a surveillance authority meant to be used to spy…

Progressive political newcomer Graham Platner outraised both Democratic Gov. Janet Mills and Sen. Susan Collins in the first fundraising quarter in Maine’s key Senate race. But Collins, seeking her sixth term, maintains a formidable cash advantage over both of her Democratic opponents that could give her a head start against whichever Democrat emerges from the June primary. Platner raised $4.1 million in the first quarter, down from $4.6 million he had raised the prior quarter, while Mills brought in $2.6 million, down from $2.7 million in the final quarter of 2025, which had also included her campaign launch. Collins brought…

The right-wing opposition AfD would win in a hypothetical election with 27% of the vote, a survey shows The vast majority of Germans are unhappy with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government, a recent YouGov poll has shown, with the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerging as the party that would win a hypothetical election.Approval ratings for Merz’s coalition, which is comprised of the Christian Democratic bloc (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD), have been steadily declining since it came to power last May. Critics say Merz has failed to reverse the country’s economic decline and fulfil his campaign promises.The YouGov poll,…

Two European non-governmental organizations (NGOs) published a report this week that found Iran conducted 1,639 executions in 2025 — an increase of 68 percent over the previous year, and the largest number of executions since 1989. The report was the latest edition of the “Annual Report on the Death Penalty in Iran” prepared by Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Together Against the Death Penalty (EPCM), which are based in Norway and France, respectively. The report has been produced every year since 2012. The two groups are generally opposed to the death penalty, but find Iran’s practices to be particularly objectionable,…

An Indiana school district has to pay a $195,000 settlement in a lawsuit brought by a school counselor who was fired for speaking publicly against her school’s “gender identity” policy.  Kathy McCord, who worked for decades as a school counselor at Pendleton Heights High School for the South Madison Community School Corporation, was fired after she answered questions from a reporter about the district’s “Gender Support Plan” and confirmed that the policy did not require teachers to inform parents of their child’s desire to change pronouns or identify as a different sex. Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit on behalf…

Former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers has opened up a small cash advantage over his Democratic rivals in Michigan’s open Senate race as they battle through a competitive primary. But he hasn’t taken full advantage of the hard-fought contest on the other side to build a big financial edge. Rogers raised $2.2 million over the first three months of the year and began April with $4.2 million in cash on hand, according to his federal campaign finance filing. It’s a small cushion, however, especially considering that he has no serious primary competition, with two of his three Democratic potential opponents outraising…

The filing seeks to vacate convictions for members of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers involved in the January 2021 unrest The US attorney’s office in Washington has requested that a federal appeals judge overturn convictions for members of far-right groups Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, who had been found guilty of seditious conspiracy over January 2021 Capitol Hill riots.The members of the groups were granted clemency by US President Donald Trump early into his second term. However, while 12 Proud Boys and Oath Keepers were released from federal prisons, they did not receive a full presidential pardon, unlike nearly…