Finally, an Iran deal?
President Donald Trump called off U.S. strikes against Iran, including a reported plan to take Kharg Island, which the Islamic regime has been using to close the Strait of Hormuz. Trump explained that negotiations to reopen the Strait were “pretty much all wrapped up” and that Tehran was on the cusp of signing a deal. Meanwhile, Iranian spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei acknowledged, “The text has almost been finalized in its major parts,” but he noted that the regime had not yet fully approved of the deal. Despite Iran’s hesitancy, Trump expects the regime to agree, with a Washington envoy, including Vice President JD Vance, preparing to head to Switzerland for a possible signing ceremony in Geneva this weekend. The deal would open the Strait of Hormuz and progressively lift sanctions on Iran should the regime meet a number of agreed-to obligations.

The Strait of Hormuz is more open than previously believed
President Trump delivered a nasty shock to the Iranian regime during a press conference on Wednesday, revealing that the U.S. military had secretly helped over 200 ships transit the Strait of Hormuz. Those 200 ships carried “millions of barrels every night,” which Trump alleges has helped keep oil prices around $90 a barrel rather than surging to $200. Market experts say commercial traffic through the Strait remains well below pre-war levels, and the market is losing a large volume of oil daily. Despite the ongoing economic cost of the war in Iran, JPMorgan suggested last week that more oil was moving than was being admitted. Defense officials suggest the U.S. is not escorting ships through the strait but coordinates with them and intercedes militarily if Iran attempts a strike.

DNI nominee and FISA
Per CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recommendation, President Trump has nominated Jay Clayton to be the next director of national intelligence. Democrats opposed Trump’s previous pick, Bill Pulte, on the grounds that he has no intelligence background, and they have held the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) hostage as a result. But the new nomination did not come in time to keep FISA from going dark. The House rejected it 218-198, and now Congress is on a weeklong break. Senate Majority Leader John Thune supports Clayton and said the Senate would try to get him into the position as quickly as possible. The Senate Intelligence Committee has scheduled Clayton’s confirmation hearing for next week. Clayton, the former chairman of the SEC and currently the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, is one of several lawyers among Trump’s outside legal advisers.

Karmelo Anthony’s family plays the victim
DARVO is a behavior of abusers; it stands for Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim, and Offender, and it’s on clear display in the behavior of murderer Karmelo Anthony’s defenders. CBS News interviewed Anthony’s family as if they were the victims, and they dutifully obliged. Jeff Metcalf, whose son Austin was killed, has suffered death threats from Anthony’s race-hustling supporters but still says Karmelo’s future in prison is something “I would not wish on anyone.” The parents who raised a merciless murderer, meanwhile, begged the jury “to have mercy on my son” and said, “We’ve all been hurt by this.” Andrew Anthony played the race card, arguing that his son was sentenced by an “all-white jury,” which is entirely untrue; the jury included Indian and Hispanic people as well as a Middle Eastern woman in a hijab.

Trump set to clash with socialist DC mayor candidate
Democratic Socialist Janeese Lewis George is the leading candidate in the Democrat primary to be the next mayor of Washington, DC, after Muriel Bowser declined to run for a fourth term. Lewis George leads her opponent, Kenyan McDuffie, by double digits. George is a candidate in the vein of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani and promises massive social programs, including housing and childcare. George plans to pay for this reckless spending by taxing non-DC residents who own Washington-based companies. Since the winner of the Democrat primary is a shoo-in to be the next mayor, Trump has weighed in on George’s plans, saying he would be unhappy with her as mayor and that he may use the federal government’s unquestioned authority over DC to effectively take over the city. Trump added, “We’re not going to lose our business.”

Mayor’s brother sues LA over wildfire response
A lawsuit has been filed against the city of Los Angeles over its failed response to the Palisades Fire in January 2025. One of the plaintiffs in the suit happens to be Mayor Karen Bass’s own brother, 78-year-old Kenneth Bass. He is among the 15 local families who are suing the city for damages for lost property and injury, and they are seeking a jury trial. Despite the lawsuit, Kenneth publicly supports his sister’s bid for reelection and has even donated to her campaign. This discordant mentality, wherein residents continue to support the very politicians who have failed them, explains why so many Democrat-run cities and states are in such dismal conditions.

HUD suspends LA homeless funding over fraud
The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it is suspending funding to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) over “wanton mismanagement” that has resulted in “obvious fraud.” Since 2021, LAHSA has received almost $1 billion in federal funding. HUD, in a letter to LAHSA board chair Wendy Greuel and CEO Gita O'Neill, noted, “LAHSA’s failures have been so severe and pervasive that Los Angeles County has withdrawn its funding for the agency, and the City of Los Angeles is considering doing so as well.” HUD Secretary Scott Turner affirmed that the department would “fund results, not corrupt failure or the homeless industrial complex,” observing, “Year after year, hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars were funneled to LAHSA with little accountability. Meanwhile, homelessness skyrocketed.” Yesterday, Vice President JD Vance, head of the Fraud Task Force, said, “The fraud and corruption ends today.”

ICE enforcement guts a plant’s workforce
A two-year investigation has led to the detention of 48 employees and charges against six at Burnstein von Seelen Precision Castings in Abbeville, South Carolina. On Wednesday, dozens of local and federal officials raided the plant, arresting a huge portion of the workforce. The workers were taken into custody for immigration violations, while the plant manager and HR director were arrested for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. Four others are charged with creating false U.S. and state IDs made with stolen identities. “This isn’t about going after people who are trying to feed their family,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said. Rather, this investigation targets “a conspiracy of people around South Carolina” stealing identities and creating fake immigration documents. ICE is reviewing the immigration status of the 48 workers, some of whom have previously encountered ICE and already have deportation orders.

Seinfeld shuts down antisemite
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld was in New York City on Wednesday for game four of the NBA Finals, where he witnessed a historic comeback by the hometown Knicks from courtside seats. After the game, as he was leaving the venue, a social media streamer known as FinesseFave stuck a mic in Seinfeld’s face and asked the Jewish comedian, “What up, Seinfeld? What up? Can we get a ‘Free Palestine’?” Seinfeld laughed and, before walking away, responded, “It doesn’t exist.” The comedian and actor has become adept on his feet in rebuking antisemitism. Responding to an anti-Israel heckler who yelled “Free Gaza!” during a show two years ago, Seinfeld quipped, “This is exciting. I like this. I like a little Jew hate to spice up the show.”

Headlines

• Democrat allegedly uses hearing about fundraising illegality to illegally fundraise (Daily Signal)

• Gun factory relocates from Virginia to Georgia over anti-gun legislation (Daily Signal)

• More than 475k children trafficked to U.S. under Biden, 300k unaccounted for (Center Square)

• Migrant decapitation enthusiast was reportedly a cop back in Sudan (Not the Bee)

The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.