Trump awaits Iran’s response on proposal; Alleged Epstein suicide note made public
President Donald Trump waits for Iran’s answer Thursday. The White House said a deal framework is close, but one decision could determine whether this standoff cools down or escalates again.
Plus, a suicide note allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein before his death is now suddenly public years later. The newly unsealed document raises fresh questions about what investigators knew — and when.
And Mount Everest climbing season is finally underway after weeks of delays. But hundreds of climbers now have to pass beneath a massive new danger.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Iran reviews Trump’s peace proposal that would reopen Strait of Hormuz to shipping traffic
Iran is expected to respond Thursday to the latest U.S. proposal to end the war. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump warned Tehran of even heavier military strikes if talks collapse.
The U.S. put forward a one-page agreement that would formally end the fighting and open a 30-day window to negotiate bigger issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump said the plan would reopen the Strait to global shipping, including Iranian traffic, after weeks of disruption and U.S. enforcement operations in the region.
But even as talks continue, Iran has tightened its grip on the waterway. Tehran announced this week a new governing body that it said will oversee traffic through the strait.
Iran has also denied accusations that it attacked a South Korean cargo ship earlier this week after an explosion and fire broke out onboard in the Strait of Hormuz.
And on Wednesday, Tehran claimed it shot down an American reconnaissance drone over the Strait, even as the White House said the ceasefire remains.
Judge releases Jeffrey Epstein suicide note
Editor’s Note: This story contains descriptions of suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available. Visit the National Crisis Line website or call or text 988 for immediate support.
A federal judge has released a note allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein before his death inside a Manhattan jail. His former cellmate allegedly discovered the note after Epstein’s first suspected suicide attempt, less than two weeks before he died.
In the letter, Epstein claimed authorities had investigated him for months and “found nothing.” He also wrote, “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye.”
The document was unsealed after The New York Times asked a federal judge to release records connected to Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione.
Tartaglione told investigators he found the note inside a book after Epstein was discovered on the floor of their cell in July 2019, with a strip of bedsheet around his neck.
Eleven days later, guards found Epstein dead in his cell in what authorities ruled a suicide. At the time, he was being housed alone despite the earlier incident.
The note had never been publicly released and was not included in prior government reports or in the Justice Department’s recent release of thousands of Epstein-related files.
Lutnick gave evasive and dishonest answers in Epstein questioning: Democrats
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faces growing political pressure Thursday after a closed-door interview with House investigators about his ties to Epstein.
Lutnick spent hours with the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, answering questions about his past relationship with Epstein, including a 2012 visit to Epstein’s private island years after Lutnick said he had cut ties with him.
Democrats leaving the meeting blasted Lutnick’s testimony, accusing him of being evasive and dishonest.
“Howard Lutnick should resign,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., said. “That was absolutely mind-boggling, what we just heard in the room. He was evasive, nervous. He was dishonest. He would not admit to lying, which he clearly did.”
Lutnick has not been accused of any wrongdoing connected to Epstein’s crimes. But lawmakers pressed him over shifting public explanations about their relationship and why he visited the island with his family.
According to members inside the room, Lutnick called the decision “inexplicable” and struggled to explain why he went.
“He’s lost all credibility,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. said. “And really, it’s a shame that the American people don’t get to see what he did there. Total lack of truth and lack of honesty.”
Committee Chair James Comer defended the process and said a transcript of the interview will be released publicly.
The testimony is part of a broader congressional investigation into Epstein’s network and the handling of federal files connected to the case, with more high-profile interviews expected in the coming weeks.
Tennessee Republicans redraw districts, carving up Memphis and positioning GOP for nine-seat sweep
Tennessee Republicans have moved quickly to redraw the state’s congressional map after last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on voting rights. And the proposal has already triggered protests and accusations of voter suppression.
The new map would carve Shelby County, including Memphis, into three separate districts, likely giving Republicans a clean sweep of all nine congressional seats and eliminating one Democratic seat.
State House Speaker Cameron Sexton defended the move on X, writing: “The Supreme Court has opined that redistricting, like the judicial system, should be color-blind.”
He added Tennessee is joining other states in redrawing maps based on partisan politics.
Democrats and voting rights groups have condemned the effort as a political power grab targeting Black voters. Protesters flooded the state capitol this week, and police removed several demonstrators from hearings on Wednesday.
“They will eliminate our representative if this goes through. They’re trying to push through a white nationalist agenda on our city, and we are not going to have it,” protester Bryon Forester said.
The push comes after the Supreme Court weakened part of the Voting Rights Act in April, opening the door for Republican-led states across the South to redraw congressional lines ahead of the midterms.
Tennessee lawmakers are likely to vote on and pass the new map Thursday.
Fulton County loses ballot fight as judge refuses request to return seized 2020 election records
A federal judge has ruled the Justice Department can keep more than 600 boxes of 2020 election ballots seized from Fulton County, Georgia.
The decision is a setback for Fulton County officials, who argued the FBI’s seizure of the ballots earlier this year was illegal. They wanted the materials returned.
The judge did take issue with parts of the FBI’s search warrant, calling some of the government’s filings “defective” and “troubling.” But he also ruled the county failed to clear the high legal threshold needed to force the federal government to return the original ballots while the investigation continues.
The Justice Department said it is looking into possible irregularities in Fulton County’s 2020 election. Georgia’s results were counted three times — including a full hand recount — and each review confirmed Joe Biden’s win in the state.
Fulton County leaders said they strongly disagree with the ruling and are now considering their next legal steps.
Everest climbers face massive ice threat suspended above summit route
Climbing season is about to get underway on Mount Everest, and if hiking to about 29,000 is not daunting enough, there’s a major new danger hanging over part of the route to the summit.
An enormous, unstable block of ice hangs above a section of the trail that climbers and guides use to reach the top of the world.
About 400 climbers have been waiting at Everest Base Camp — more than 17,000 feet above sea level — as guides monitor the ice, which has developed multiple cracks and could collapse without warning.
The delay has now stretched close to two weeks, but officials said the climb will move forward.
Sherpa guides have already installed the fixed ropes and aluminum ladders needed to cross the Khumbu Icefall, one of the most dangerous sections of the mountain.
Climbers have been told to move through the area as quickly and carefully as possible, with only one person allowed on each ladder at a time to limit vibrations around the massive ice block.
More from Straight Arrow:
Millennial dads lapping their fathers on diaper duty and doctor visits
Millennial fathers are becoming far more involved in childcare compared to older generations. Scholars told Straight Arrow that it’s all a product of society.
An analysis in macroeconomics publication Home Economics found that millennial dads are outpacing older generations in time spent on childcare, according to numbers sourced from the American Time Use Survey. The rise comes as groups like Pints and Ponytails become popularized and parents advocate for better subsidized childcare and parent-friendly leave policies.
The analysis also comes at a time when parents report spending more money on childcare than on other necessities.
“It’s no longer the norm that fathers are out of the household and mothers do the childcare, but it’s more balanced,” Aziz Sunderji, strategist at Home Economics, told Straight Arrow on Wednesday. “It’s a huge change from where it was 50 years ago.”
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
