A survey finds consumer sentiment in the United States falling to the second-lowest level recorded in 70-plus years. / CNN At the same time, consumer prices are up 3.3% from a year ago, hotter than February’s gain of 2.4%. / PBS Why gas prices are still rising
The US says the ceasefire didn’t include Lebanon, but Iran says it did, a contention that could end the agreement before it even gets started. / The New York Times [$] Related: Did Israel attack Lebanon to spoil the ceasefire? / The Guardian The war with Iran may wreak havoc on markets
Pakistan announces a two-week ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the United States, saying it applies to Israel’s attacks in Lebanon. / The Wall Street Journal Netanyahu disagrees about the Lebanon bit. Meanwhile, Israel passes a death penalty law that only applies to Palestinians. / Reuters, Al Jazeera Trump declares total
Iran is escalating its attacks on Gulf countries, and the strikes are “increasingly precise and lethal, and able to avoid interception.” / Semafor Visualizing the scale of the war shows the extent of the countries attacked so far would cover much of the United States or Europe. / The New York Times
President Trump threatens to wreck Iran’s power plants if its leaders don’t agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday. / The Wall Street Journal [$] Iran’s former vice president says the country could offer to limit its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange
Yesterday was the wrap for this year’s Tournament of Books, presented by Field Notes, which means we need to take a nap. See you Monday. After a winter of low snow, more than half of the Western United States is now experiencing drought conditions. / Inside Climate News The number
Donald Trump threatens to target Iran’s energy infrastructure, including the country’s desalination plants. / The Associated Press Iran’s internet blackout rolls into its third week, adding an additional layer of psychological stress. / DW Related: “It is not only humiliating, but it is also forcing businesses to close down
The Pentagon is said to be preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran—which in turn threatens peace talks. / The Washington Post [$], USA Today Also reportedly on the table: somehow seizing Iran’s uranium, or as Donald Trump calls it, “the nuclear dust.” / The Wall Street Journal [$] A ground
It’s not great to rely on unnamed White House officials, but one alleges that Trump is “just bored and wants to move on” from Iran. / MS NOW Hamilton Nolan: “It is a moral imperative for members of the US military to leave their jobs… They have a bad boss
Iran rejects the White House’s plan to pause Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East. / Associated Press Meanwhile, in Tehran’s halls of power, “there is total confusion, total obscurity, and it’s really making this situation very interesting and very strange.” / Al Jazeera One reason Trump is
