Iran threatens oil choke as US targets banks; Gabbard files referrals over impeachment whistleblower
President Donald Trump claims the war is “close to over,” but Iran says it can still choke off global oil. Threats now stretch well beyond Hormuz, putting multiple shipping lanes at risk.
Plus, impeachment talk is back — and expanding. Democrats are now targeting more than just Trump as pressure builds on multiple fronts.
And Ticketmaster and Live Nation take a major hit in court. A jury finds they overcharged fans, with penalties now up to a judge.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, April 16, 2026.
US prepares new economic strike on Iran with sanctions targeting global banks tied to Tehran
The conflict with Iran is shifting into economic warfare. Iran is now threatening to expand the fight, warning it could target shipping across the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea if the U.S. keeps its blockade in place at the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. is preparing to escalate its own pressure, planning secondary sanctions on global financial institutions that do business with Iran. Bessent called it the “financial equivalent” of a bombing campaign.
For now, a two-week ceasefire is holding, but the threats are not.
A military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader warned Iran could sink U.S. ships in the Strait of Hormuz if American forces continue to “police” the waterway.
Israel said it is ready to resume strikes inside Iran if talks collapse. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We are prepared for any scenario.”
Israel has also stepped up its campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, with new strikes in the south overnight.
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social late Wednesday night that Israel and Lebanon could hold direct talks for the first time in decades, aimed at a possible ceasefire.
Democrats move to impeach Hegseth, citing war in Iran, Signalgate
House Democrats have filed formal articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, tied to the war in Iran.
The resolution, led by Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., lays out six articles. They include unauthorized war, reckless endangerment of U.S. service members, targeting of civilians and politicization of the armed forces.
It accuses Hegseth of “willful disregard for the constitution,” abusing the powers of his office and acting in a way “grossly incompatible with the rule of law.”
The Pentagon has pushed back. A spokesperson called the effort “just another Democrat trying to make headlines” and “an attempt to distract from the department’s successes.”
With Republicans controlling the House, the measure is unlikely to advance.
Gabbard seeks charges in impeachment case, targeting whistleblower and former inspector general
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has asked the Justice Department to consider criminal charges over the whistleblower complaint that helped trigger Trump’s first impeachment.
Gabbard has sent two criminal referrals, one targeting the whistleblower and the other targeting former Inspector General of the Intelligence Community Michael Atkinson.
Newly-declassified records expose how deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that Congress used to usurp the will of the American people and impeach duly-elected President @realDonaldTrump in 2019.
Today, we reveal the truth
… pic.twitter.com/oLXW5nqi2n
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) April 13, 2026
Her office has accused Atkinson of misusing the whistleblower process after a 2019 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. That call became the foundation for House Democrats to impeach Trump.
The whistleblower flagged the call as an “urgent concern,” alleging Trump pressed Zelenskyy to investigate political rival former President Joe Biden.
Gabbard claims the complaint relied on secondhand information and what she calls “concocted narratives” from “deep state actors” to push it to Congress.
The whistleblower’s identity has never been made public. The Justice Department will now decide whether to pursue charges.
Atkinson, who was fired by Trump in 2020, has said he acted properly and followed the law. Gabbard, however, argues he put politics ahead of facts.
Sotomayor apologizes to Kavanaugh for ‘inappropriate’ public criticism
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor has apologized to fellow Justice Brett Kavanaugh for comments she made during an appearance last week. Sotomayor did not name Kavanaugh directly, but she referred to a vote last year that enabled the Trump administration to conduct broad immigration sweeps.
Kavanaugh was the only justice to explain his reasoning, writing that stops by federal agents to check a person’s legal status would be “temporary” and “reasonable.”
During an appearance at the University of Kansas Law School, Sotomayor appeared to take aim at his perspective, saying the opinion came “from a man whose parents were professionals and probably doesn’t really know anyone who works by the hour.”
In a statement released Wednesday, the court said Sotomayor called the remarks “inappropriate” and that she has since apologized to her colleague.
Jury finds Live Nation ran illegal monopoly in landmark Ticketmaster case
A major loss for Live Nation and Ticketmaster came when a federal jury found the company operated as an illegal monopoly. The verdict came in a civil antitrust case brought by 34 states, which accused Live Nation and its Ticketmaster unit of stifling competition, limiting choice and driving up ticket prices for fans.
The jury found Live Nation liable for anticompetitive conduct and determined that Ticketmaster overcharged consumers, including concert-goers, for tickets sold from May 2020 through 2024.
In a statement, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, “This verdict shows just how far states can go to protect our residents from big corporations that are using their power to illegally raise prices and rip off Americans.”
The case now returns to the judge, who will decide on damages, penalties, consumer restitution and any changes the company may be required to make. That could be costly.
The jury found Ticketmaster overcharged by $1.72 per ticket, and with triple damages available under federal law, the total could reach billions of dollars.
The ruling could open the door to broader changes, including possible divestitures or even a breakup of Live Nation and Ticketmaster — though any remedy will be contested in a separate proceeding.
Live Nation has long denied being a monopoly and argued that it competes lawfully in a crowded market.
Madonna announces new dance album set for July release
Madonna is back, and she’s heading straight for the dance floor. The pop icon announced a new album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II,” set for release on July 3. It’s her first full project in seven years.
She broke the news on Instagram, sharing the cover and a quick teaser. For the album, she reunited with producer Stuart Price, the same collaborator behind her 2005 hit record.
That original “Confessions on a Dance Floor” gave us tracks like “Hung Up” and “Sorry.” Now, she’s picking up right where she left off.
Madonna called the dance floor “a ritualistic space,” saying this new project is about connection, escape and pushing limits.
No word yet on a tour, but safe to say she’s urging “everybody to get up, dance, do your thing, everybody c’mon dance and sing.”
More from Straight Arrow News:
What 50 years of oil shocks explain about the future of gas prices
Gas prices go up and down with world events that shake the global oil market. The war in Iran, which led to Iran’s de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, is only the latest such example.
While refining, distribution and taxes all factor into the price of gasoline, the majority of what Americans pay at the pump is determined by the price of oil. When adjusted for inflation, global events that disrupt oil markets have caused gasoline prices to surge past $5 and even $6 per gallon at various points in recent history. In the video above, Straight Arrow News walks through 50 years of gasoline prices.
Experts told SAN the 2026 attacks on Iran and Iran’s decision to close the Strait of Hormuz have created the biggest disruption in the past 50 years.
“It is without a doubt the largest supply disruption in the history of global oil markets,” said Christiane Baumeister, an economist at the University of Notre Dame focused on energy markets. “The severity of this event is not fully reflected in prices yet. Oil supplies are much tighter than what the market price currently suggests.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
