This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: US and Iranian diplomats will meet again in Pakistan this weekend to discuss an end to the Iran war. Here’s what to know: 

What’s the status of the ceasefire? Still in effect and extended “until such time” as Iran produces a “unified proposal” to end the war, according to a social media post by President Donald Trump earlier this week. In other words, likely indefinitely — or until Trump feels like doing otherwise. (It had been set to expire Tuesday evening prior to the extension.)

Who’s negotiating? Not Vice President JD Vance. This time, the US delegation will be led by US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff and by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law (who is not a government official, but does have billions of dollars of business interests with Gulf countries). Likewise, the Washington Post reports, Iran will not be sending its leading negotiating partner with the US, Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Instead, according to the New York Times, Iran’s foreign minister will present a written response to a proposed US peace deal. 

How’s the Strait of Hormuz looking? Still largely closed, as the US continues its blockade of Iranian vessels and ports, and Iran continues to bottle up any other traffic through the key waterway. Earlier this week, Iran reportedly fired on at least three vessels trying to transit the strait, and the US seized an Iranian vessel last weekend.

The continued closure means that oil costs remain high as the war’s impact on the global economy — including on the prices and availability of food, fuel, and consumer goods — deepens. 

What comes next? We’ll see what comes out of the negotiations, though some close watchers have suggested that Vance’s absence is likely not an encouraging sign. 

In the meantime, the US blockade will remain in effect: “We have total control over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump posted on Thursday. “It is ‘Sealed up Tight,’ until such time as Iran is able to make a DEAL!!!”

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Solitude has lots of benefits, my colleague Allie Volpe reports — but it’s best if you do it right, and don’t overdo it. You can read her excellent advice here with a gift link (think of it as advice on how to log off better).

As always, thanks for reading! Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you right back here on Monday.

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: The Trump administration is reportedly hoping to send Afghan refugees to Congo — or back to the country they fled from.

What’s happening? According to a New York Times scoop, more than 1,100 Afghan refugees who are currently in Qatar at a former US military base and who were promised a chance to come to the US may soon be offered a choice between relocation to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and returning to Afghanistan.

Neither option is desirable: Congo is currently facing a serious refugee crisis and ongoing fighting with a rebel paramilitary group, and the refugees have no ties to the country. But in Afghanistan, their lives would be in immediate danger from the country’s Taliban government. 

Who are the refugees? Many of the 1,100 Afghans now stuck in limbo in Qatar aided the US over nearly two decades of war as interpreters working with US troops or served as members of the Afghan special forces. Some, the Times reports, are family members of American soldiers, and more than 400 are children.

Most have also already been screened and approved to move to the US, according to NBC.

What’s the context? The US took in nearly 200,000 Afghan refugees during and after its chaotic withdrawal from the country in August 2021, but the Trump administration ended visa processing for all Afghans last year after two National Guard members in Washington, DC, were shot by an Afghan national who was admitted to the US in 2021. 

What comes next? This is not yet a done deal, only under discussion by the Trump administration and Congolese officials. But it would match a well-worn pattern of the Trump administration trying to send refugees and other immigrants anywhere they can, regardless of safety or other ethical concerns. Earlier this month, Congo agreed to receive immigrants from third countries deported by the US, and at least 15 people were sent there last week.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Hi readers, happy Earth Day! If you’re looking for some actionable ways to help the planet today, my colleagues over at Future Perfect pulled together some charity recommendations here. 

If you’re just ready to log off, I hope you’re able to do it by getting outside and enjoying nature a little bit this evening. Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: After the US and Iran failed to reach a longer-term peace agreement over the weekend, President Donald Trump is trying something new: blockading the Strait of Hormuz. 

How does that work? Iran already closed the Strait, a crucial passage for oil and natural gas, to most foreign traffic shortly after the US-Iran war began. Now, Trump’s blockade will also stymie traffic to Iranian ports and limit Iran’s ability to sell its own oil, further disrupting the global market. 

CENTCOM, the US military command covering the Middle East, has said that the blockade does not extend to ships “transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports” — but given the Strait’s ongoing closure, it’s unlikely much other traffic will resume unless Iran wants it to. 

What is Trump trying to accomplish? Trump still wants the Strait of Hormuz fully reopened, which last week’s ceasefire — despite his demands — did not achieve. Now, he appears to be betting that imposing his own closure targeting Iranian shipments will force Iran to give ground.

In a Truth Social post over the weekend, he wrote that “At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis” for the Strait. 

What’s the context? As we mentioned above, US and Iranian delegations met in Pakistan over the weekend to try to negotiate a peace deal addressing the ongoing conflict, the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran’s nuclear ambitions. That didn’t work out, so it’s back to the drawing board. 

Now what? The blockade aside, the US-Iran ceasefire is still in place until next week, and we may get another round of talks before it expires. Whether that will bear fruit is another question: Vice President JD Vance described the US proposal over the weekend as “our final and best offer.” 

The blockade is also likely to drive prices higher worldwide — and increase economic pressure on both countries to reach an agreement.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

Hi readers, have I mentioned that bike racing is maybe the most beautiful sport in the world? I’m sure I have. Specifically, I am thinking about this weekend’s edition of Paris-Roubaix, a race also known as the Hell of the North, and its winner, Wout van Aert, who triumphed on Sunday after years of injuries, mishaps, and being almost but not quite there.

Patrick Redford, Defector’s steadfast cycling correspondent, does a better job than I can of capturing what van Aert’s victory means, and you can read his story here with a gift link (and watch van Aert’s triumphant sprint here).

Thanks for reading, have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow! 

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: The economic impact of the Iran war is becoming clearer. 

What’s happening? On Friday, we learned that inflation climbed to 3.3 percent in March, almost 1 percentage point higher than it was in February and the quickest inflation has grown in nearly four years. 

Unsurprisingly, consumers aren’t thrilled. New data from the University of Michigan, also released Friday, shows consumer sentiment from April under 50, its lowest point ever. It’s not even mid-April, so for now, those numbers are preliminary — but they point in a concerning direction. 

What does Iran have to do with this? Shortly after the war began in late February, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for oil and natural gas. It has remained largely closed ever since, driving gas prices over $4/gallon in the US and making many more goods, including food, more expensive. 

Will the ceasefire fix prices? No. The ceasefire, while fragile, is holding. But despite President Donald Trump’s demands this week, there is no sign that it has led to the Strait reopening. 

According to the BBC, four tankers, and only 19 total ships, have passed the Strait since the ceasefire was announced; under normal conditions, well over 100 ships transit the Strait each day.

Even under the most optimistic scenario where the Strait does reopen in the near future, it will take weeks, if not months, for the oil supply to rebound, oil markets expert Rory Johnston told Vox earlier this week.

What’s next? American and Iranian negotiating teams will meet in Pakistan this weekend to discuss a more permanent peace deal, which could provide the US economy with a needed reprieve. How that will go is anyone’s guess: On Friday, Trump issued another threat, writing on Truth Social that “The only reason [the Iranians] are alive today is to negotiate!”

And with that, it’s time to log off…

I always enjoy New York Magazine’s “Grub Street Diet,” where someone — a politician, a celebrity, a journalist — lays out a week of sometimes-eclectic culinary choices. Their latest features investigative reporter and author Patrick Radden Keefe, and you can read it here.

Have a good weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: Hi readers, big news broke just after yesterday’s newsletter went out: The US and Iran reached a temporary ceasefire agreement, averting President Donald Trump’s threats of civilization destruction.

While we may have missed the breaking news yesterday, there’s still plenty to catch up on today. Here’s what you need to know: 

What’s the latest? As of Wednesday afternoon, a US-Iran ceasefire appears to be in place, but shaky. Iran has already accused the US of violating several points of the agreement, and it’s not clear whether the sides are even on the same page about what has been agreed to. 

In particular, Israel’s offensive into Lebanon is still ongoing; on Wednesday, more than 250 people were killed by Israeli strikes. Both Iran and Pakistan, which has served as a mediator for recent US-Iran talks, have said Lebanon is supposed to be covered by yesterday’s ceasefire. 

Nonetheless, talks appear to be moving forward: Vice President JD Vance and two other US negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, are set to meet with Iranian officials in Pakistan on Saturday. 

What has Trump said about this? On Tuesday evening, Trump wrote in a post that he had agreed “to suspend the bombing and attack of Iran for a period of two weeks” because the US was “very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East.”

Early Wednesday morning, he added that “[the] United States of America will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be lots of positive action! Big money will be made.” 

So far, however, it doesn’t seem like the strait has reopened: According to Bloomberg, as few as three ships — out of hundreds — may have passed through on Wednesday.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

I’d like to extend an official Logoff endorsement (do we have those? I’ll have to ask my editor) to this recent article from the Washington Post: 5 ways to add a little inconvenience to your day — and improve your brain (as always, it’s a gift link). 

It might sound counterintuitive, but as the piece explains, adding a little bit of friction — whether that means cooking a meal instead of ordering one, or trying something new that challenges your brain to work in a different way — is ultimately beneficial. If you have any other suggestions in the same vein, I’d love to hear them. Have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.

Welcome to The Logoff: President Donald Trump’s war with Iran has pushed US gas prices to their highest point in more than three years. 

What happened? On Tuesday, the national average for a gallon of gasoline cleared $4 for the first time since August 2022, capping an increase of more than $1/gallon since the war with Iran began. 

The spike is largely a consequence of Iran’s decision early in the war to close the Strait of Hormuz to most traffic. Until recently, about one-fifth of the global oil supply flowed through the strait.

Why do gas prices matter so much? While gas isn’t the biggest item in most people’s budgets, it’s one measure of the cost of living that many Americans interact with on a regular basis and is prominently posted near roads everywhere. Trump has also regularly boasted about bringing gas prices down, often offering false statistics.

They’re also an indicator of the broader energy shock wracking global markets: Oil prices are hovering somewhere above $100/barrel, diesel prices are at $5.45/gallon, and jet fuel prices have doubled.

High energy prices will soon trickle down to many other aspects of American life, making food, air travel, and consumer goods more expensive. Disruptions caused by the Strait of Hormuz won’t stop there, either: As my colleague Bryan Walsh explains, fossil fuels are an input in the fertilizers that help feed the world; a shortage will be felt acutely.

What comes next? It’s anyone’s guess. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump suggested that he could be looking to bring US involvement in the war to an end with the Strait of Hormuz still largely closed, matching reporting by the Wall Street Journal. An earlier effort by Trump to recruit US allies to help open the strait fell flat. 

The strait remains closed, though, the worse the global energy crisis will get — and that’s not something Trump can opt out of.

And with that, it’s time to log off…

If all goes to plan, the US will send astronauts to the moon tomorrow for the first time in more than 53 years. Unlike the Apollo mission in 1972, the Artemis II crew won’t land on the lunar surface; for this trip, they’ll slingshot around it Apollo 13-style before returning to Earth.

The Artemis rocket is set to lift off tomorrow evening from Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 6:24 pm ET (assuming the weather is good). We’re covering it today too, though, because space is exciting, and that way you’ll have more time to read this great Wired story about what the mission will entail.

Have a great evening, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!