Israel and Lebanon will engage in peace talks despite Hezbollah’s objections. Rep. Eric Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales announce their plans to leave Congress. And why the stock market saw gains despite rising oil prices.
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Here’s what to know today.
U.S. to mediate peace talks between Israel and Lebanon
Diplomats from Israel and Lebanon are set to meet today for rare high-level talks after more than a month of conflict and a week after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a ceasefire. Tehran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel after the joint attack on Iran, and Israel has retaliated with attacks across Lebanon that have killed more than 2,000 people.
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The U.S. is mediating what are the first high-level talks between the two countries since 1993. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon will take part, a State Department official said.
Hezbollah has urged Lebanon to pull out of the talks.
Meanwhile a number of Iran-linked ships were passing through the Strait of Hormuz this morning despite the American blockade of Iranian ports. A U.S.-sanctioned Chinese tanker appeared to be the first to make it through the waterway since President Donald Trump vowed to cut off the key trade route entirely, though the actual blockade stops short of this.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran for a peace deal fizzled over the weekend but the two sides continue to engage, a U.S. official told NBC News.
Vice President JD Vance said it was up to Iran to “take the next step.”
Read our live blog for the latest.
More Iran war news:
- For subscribers: Between waves of grief, parents whose only son died in the war share their view of the conflict.
Staff Pick: Why Indianapolis politician is standing by a $500 million data center — even after his home was shot at
One thing that stood out when reporting this story is how deeply personal the data center debate has become. For this Indianapolis neighborhood, it’s not about companies trying to keep up with the AI construction boom. It’s about their voices not being heard and how these projects can change their community.
This story highlights the tensions — and dangers — the rapid data center expansion can have. — Minyvonne Burke, senior reporter
Swalwell and Gonzales to exit Congress
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California announced plans to resign from Congress following bipartisan calls for him to step down amid sexual assault and misconduct allegations. The resignation comes hours after the House Ethics Committee said it was launching an investigation and a day after he dropped his bid for governor of California.
In his resignation statement, Swalwell apologized to his family, staff members and constituents for “mistakes in judgment I have made in my past.” He maintained that at least some of the allegations against him were false.
Swalwell’s decision to suspend his campaign for California governor “upends a race that was already upended,” said Ted Lempert, a former Democratic assemblyman in California. The news sent fellow Democratic contenders scrambling to pick up endorsements and launch new ad campaigns to garner voters’ attention. Read more about how Democratic candidates have reacted.
Shortly after Swalwell’s announcement, Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas announced he is retiring from Congress following the Ethics Committee launching a probe into him over a romantic relationship with a former staffer who later died by suicide. Here’s what else to know.
Swalwell and Gonzales were two of four members of Congress facing potential expulsion votes.
More politics news:
- Some of Trump’s most ardent supporters accused him of blasphemy after he posted and removed an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure.
- Two people were killed in a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug smuggling boat in the eastern Pacific.
- A federal judge tossed Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal over a story about a 50th birthday card he is alleged to have sent to Jeffrey Epstein.
Stocks are rising again, but not because things are getting better
Oil prices jumped to above $100 a barrel yesterday after President Donald Trump announced a targeted blockade in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a reversal from the recent low of $91 seen just a few days ago. Stocks did not follow the same trend. Instead, all three major indexes — the S&P 500, Nasdaq composite and Dow Jones industrial average — erased their declines and closed higher yesterday.
Maybe you think higher oil prices should have the opposite effect on the stock market. For Wall Street investors, this comes as no surprise.
It’s the latest example of a pattern seen during periods of geopolitical shock, in which stocks recover first while the rest of the economy adjusts. During the 2020 pandemic, for example, recovery was already underway by April of that same year, though the economic aftershocks — such soaring prices and higher interest rates — were felt for years.
And now, with the Iran war, some experts believe it’ll take more than high gas prices to derail the U.S. economy. Here’s why.
Read All About It
- The husband of a Michigan woman who disappeared in the Bahamas after reportedly falling from their boat has been released from police custody.
- One of the largest investors in the Trump family’s primary crypto company is now criticizing it.
- The Dallas Wings selected Connecticut guard Azzi Fudd as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft.
- Fluoride in drinking water has no effect on IQ or brain function, a new long-term study shows, contradicting claims made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
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