Trump pauses Hormuz plan as peace deal nears; Primaries show split results
A sudden shift in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. pauses ship escorts. President Donald Trump calls it progress, even as pressure on Iran continues.
Plus, primary results deliver a split signal ahead of November. Trump reshapes the GOP in Indiana while Democrats lock in key ground elsewhere.
And the cruise ship hantavirus outbreak takes another turn. Passengers remain stranded, as officials now clash over where the ship can even dock.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
Trump pauses Project Freedom allowing time for broader peace negotiations
President Donald Trump has paused his plan to have the U.S. military escort cargo ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
In a social media post, Trump said Pakistan and other mediators made the request, calling it a temporary step as negotiators work toward a broader peace deal. He said the escort plan, known as “Project Freedom,” will be “paused for a short period of time.”
And there may be a reason why.
White House officials told Axios that the U.S. is close to a one-page agreement with Iran — a memorandum of understanding that could end the war and set the stage for broader nuclear talks.
Sources said it would include a pause on Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and a path to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, nothing is final.
For now, Trump said the U.S. will maintain a full blockade of Iranian ships and ports. While issuing a warning Tuesday at the White House, the president confirmed that “great progress” was being made toward a final agreement.
“They should do the smart thing, you know, they should do the smart thing,” Trump said. “Because we don’t want to go in and kill people. No, I don’t want to, I don’t want to. It’s too tough. Great people, I know the people, I have so many Iranian friends from New York and from other places over the years, they’re great people. I don’t want to, I don’t want to kill those people.”
Iran has framed the move very differently, with state media calling it a U.S. backdown after what it described as “firm warnings” from Tehran.
This all comes after Iran announced new restrictions for ships moving through the Strait, requiring permits and designated routes, and warning of “decisive action” for any violations.
Indiana primaries deliver wins for Trump as candidates defeat Republicans who broke from the president
Primary results in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan are highlighting a split political landscape:
Trump is flexing his power within the GOP, while Democrats gain key momentum heading into the midterms.
In Indiana, Trump-backed candidates ousted most of the Republican state senators who opposed his redistricting push.
Five of the seven targeted incumbents lost, with one holding on and another race still too close to call.
In Michigan, Democrat Chedrick Greene won a special election, locking in his party’s majority in the state senate.
It’s a good sign for Democrats in the battleground states ahead of November’s midterms.
And in Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown won the Democratic nomination in a special election, setting up a November showdown with Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed to the seat last year.
Also in Ohio, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy won his party’s nomination for governor and will face democrat Amy Acton in the general election.
Spain agrees to accept stranded cruise ship, but regional president expresses skepticism
There’s a new twist this morning in the cruise ship virus outbreak.
Spain says it will take the ship, but officials in the Canary Islands are now pushing back.
Nearly 150 passengers and crew, including 17 Americans, remain on that ship, the MV Hondius, after a hantavirus cluster killed three people and sickened others.
Health officials have identified seven cases so far, two confirmed and five suspected, including one person still in critical condition.
Spain’s central government says the ship can head to the Canary Islands for treatment and a full investigation.
But the region’s president is opposing that plan, saying there’s not enough information to guarantee public safety.
The World Health Organization says some limited human-to-human transmission may have occurred, but emphasizes the risk to the broader public is low.
Three people are now being medically evacuated. Once that’s complete, the ship is expected to sail to the Canary Islands, where Spanish authorities will take over, conduct a full investigation, and begin disinfecting the vessel.
Officials believe the virus may have originated during excursions earlier in the trip, possibly through contact with infected rodents, but the exact source is still under investigation. The cruise originated in Argentina in March and has been at sea for about seven weeks.
Earlier, Straight Arrow spoke with public health expert Professor Lawrence Gostin, an internationally recognized scholar at Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University, who directs the World Health Organization Center on Global Health Law.
Straight Arrow asked him how passengers likely contracted hantavirus:
CRAIG NIGRELLI: Are we looking at person-to-person transfer of this virus?
LAWRENCE GOSTIN: It’s very unlikely there is one strain of Hantavirus that’s found in southern South America, in this far southern tip of South America, that is person-to-person transmitted, but it’s rare that ship did cruise in that area, but it’s an unlikely possibility. The more likely possibility is that it’s a rodent-borne disease — mice or rat droppings, urine. Sometimes it aerosolizes in the air, and you can breathe it in. And there are two forms of Hantavirus disease, both very, very serious and potentially lethal. One is a pulmonary form that basically affects your breathing and your lungs, and the other one is a hemorrhagic fever, which primarily affects your kidneys, and both of them are very dangerous, and unless you get very intensive care, can lead to death because there is no known treatment for either form of the disease.
NIGRELLI: Is there a risk for those 140 or so passengers who are still on board?
GOSTIN: Well, they’re a considerable risk, but not for that reason. It’s very unlikely that, being in close quarters, you’ll contract the virus from another person. What’s much more likely is, is that many of them have already been exposed to these contaminated rat or mice droppings, and they’re going to get very, very sick… Before they get very sick, they’re going to need to get strong, supportive care and then ultimately, intensive care. And the ship medics don’t have the capacity to do that, so these individuals who are exposed need to be in a place where they can get good, supportive medical care, including intensive care. The ship itself can only provide basic medical care.
WHCD shooting: Suspect faces new charge for allegedly firing on federal officer
The man accused of trying to kill Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner now faces an additional federal charge as new court documents detail exactly what the suspect had with him.
A federal grand jury has indicted Cole Tomas Allen on four counts, including attempted assassination of the president and multiple weapons charges. Prosecutors have now added a new count, alleging that he assaulted a federal officer with a deadly weapon.
Court filings said Allen traveled from California to Washington, D.C., in the days before the April 25 attack, carrying a 12-gauge pump shotgun, a .38-caliber pistol and about 100 rounds of ammunition. Investigators said he used that shotgun to fire at a federal officer identified only by initials in the indictment.
The new charge makes clear prosecutors believe Allen pulled the trigger, but his defense team is challenging whether he intended to kill.
Allen has not entered a plea and is scheduled for arraignment on May 11.
Rolling Stones to release first new album in 18 years this summer
The Rolling Stones announced they will release a new album, “Foreign Tongues,” on July 10. It’s the group’s first new album in 18 years.
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood are all back with a 14-track record that also features an appearance by the late drummer Charlie Watts, using one of his final recordings.
The lead track “Rough and Twisted” was quietly released last month on limited white-label vinyl.
The album has been described as forward-leaning, blending new production and technology with the classic Stones sound.
More from Straight Arrow:
Have we reached the end of the DIY era?
New home subscription services aim to put your honey-do list on autopilot. By signing up for regularly scheduled services that monitor and maintain important systems, homeowners will save money, hassle and headaches, the reasoning goes, while steady cash flow helps contractors stay in business. Win-win, right?
Maybe, maybe not. Even as companies of all sizes, from national retailer Lowe’s to local contractors, are pitching subscriptions, some contractors who waded in early have tempered their enthusiasm, finding that consumers are wary of hidden costs and conflicts.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
