Trump vows Strait of Hormuz blockade; Swalwell drops out of California governor’s race
President Donald Trump announces a blockade of ships entering or exiting the Strait of Hormuz, starting Monday morning, as peace talks with Iran fail. Oil prices are climbing past $100 a barrel again as the world watches to see what happens next.
Plus, calling him terrible on foreign policy, Trump delivers a harsh critique of Pope Leo XIV and his resistance to the war in Iran and U.S. military interventions in Venezuela.
And a California lawmaker hoping to become the next governor of California withdraws after claims of sexual assault by staffers.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, April 13, 2026.
US to blockade Strait of Hormuz as Iran vows ‘no port in the region will be safe’
A Strait of Hormuz blockade is imminent after peace talks between the U.S. and Iran collapsed over the weekend. President Donald Trump said the military will blockade all of Iran’s ports and coastal areas Monday, starting at 10 a.m. ET.
Trump made the announcement in a social media post late Sunday night.
Iran responded immediately with threats of its own, specifically on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
The Iranian military has accused the U.S. of “piracy,” saying in a statement, “security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for no ONE. No port in the region will be safe.”
U.S. Central Command said the American blockade will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations,” but it will still allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the Strait. The comments slightly walk back the president’s earlier threat to blockade the entire Strait.
Oil prices surged after Trump announced the blockade, with U.S. crude oil soaring 8% to more than $104 per barrel early Monday morning.
International Brent also jumped more than 7% to $103 a barrel. Wholesale gas prices also spiked 6%.
Trump attacks Pope Leo as ‘weak’ after pontiff denounces Iran war
Trump and Pope Leo are increasingly at odds over the war with Iran. The president criticized the first American pope Sunday night, saying he’s not “doing a very good job” and that “he’s a very liberal person,” accusing him of “catering to the radical left.”
Trump’s comments come after last week, when the pope criticized Trump’s public threats to “wipe out” an entire civilization in Iran. The pontiff urged people to contact their Congress members and object.
Leo has been critical of the war in Iran since it began. Over the weekend, he reiterated his calls for peace at a special prayer vigil at St. Peter’s Basilica, saying the “madness” needs to end.
The president responded in a lengthy social media post, then doubled down when reporters asked about it.
“We don’t like a pope that’s going to say that it’s okay to have a nuclear weapon, we don’t want a pope that says crime is okay in our cities. I don’t like it. I’m not a big fan of Pope Leo. He’s a very liberal person, and he’s a MAN that doesn’t believe in stopping crime. He is a MAN that doesn’t think that we should be toying with a country that wants a nuclear weapon so they can blow up the world. I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”
— President Donald Trump
In his post, Trump also alleged that Leo was only chosen as pope “because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”
Pope Leo responded Monday morning, telling reporters on the papal plane he has “no fear of the Trump administration.”
“I don’t want to get into a debate with him. I don’t think that the message of the gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing,” Pope Leo said. “And I will continue to speak out loud against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue, multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems. Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say: there’s a better way to do this.”
— Pope Leo XIV
The pope is on his way to Africa for an 11-day tour of four countries.
Swalwell drops out of California governor race amid sexual misconduct allegations
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., has dropped out of the race for California governor amid sexual assault allegations by a handful of women, including staffers. He made the announcements Sunday, saying he will fight the “serious, false allegations,” adding, “but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s.”
Swalwell’s decision to suspend his campaign came just days after CNN and the San Francisco Chronicle published allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him.
Since then, at least four other women have detailed allegations against Swalwell that range from sexual assault to inappropriate conduct.
Backlash from both sides of the aisle was swift, with calls for him to drop out of the race coming almost immediately.
Swalwell could also be expelled from Congress.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., says she plans to force a vote to expel Swalwell, possibly by midweek.
Gunfire near OpenAI CEO’s home leads to two arrests days after Molotov attack
Police are investigating gunfire near the San Francisco residence of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, just days after a Molotov cocktail attack on the same property. Authorities reported that gunshots were fired from a vehicle close to the home early Sunday morning.
Authorities arrested and booked two people — Amanda Tom and Muhammad Tarik Hussein — on suspicion of negligent discharge of a firearm. Officers said they seized three firearms during a search of a separate residence.
Investigators have not said whether Altman’s home was the intended target of the Sunday incident, and they are still working to determine a motive.
The shooting followed an earlier attack Friday morning, when investigators said someone threw a “Molotov cocktail” at the home, igniting a fire on an exterior gate. No one was hurt.
Police later arrested a 20-year-old suspect.
Prosecutors have also said it could take until next week to decide what charges to file in the Molotov case and whether it will be handled locally or federally.
Orbán concedes defeat as Magyar claims victory in Hungary’s pivotal election
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, an ally of both Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, conceded defeat Sunday, ending 16 years in power for a dominant figure of Europe’s far-right political movement.
“I congratulated the victorious party,” Orbán told supporters in Budapest. “We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well.”
One-time ally turned opponent, Peter Magyar, ended Orbán’s 16-year run as Hungary’s leader.
Trump backed Orbán in the run-up to the election, calling him a strong and powerful leader, writing on Truth Social that “Viktor Orbán will never let the great people of Hungary down. I am with him all the way.”
Trump even sent Vice President JD Vance to Budapest last week to campaign for Orbán.
In his time in office, Orbán had built a barrier at Hungary’s southern border to block migrants from Africa and Asia, and was also known for cracking down on freedom of the press and judicial Independence. He’s the European leader closest to Putin, and helped block European Union assistance to Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. But his opponents, even here in the U.S., celebrated his defeat.
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said, “The freedom-loving people of Hungary have voted decisively in favor of democracy and the rule of law.”
A ‘Rory repeat’: McIlroy wins second straight Masters title
Exciting moments unfolded at Augusta National Country Club on Sunday as Rory McIlroy narrowly secured his second consecutive Masters green jacket, making it a truly tense finish.
McIlroy shot 71, including an impressive stretch of par and two birdies on holes eleven through thirteen at Augusta’s famous Amen Corner. He was two strokes ahead of Scottie Scheffler going into the 18th hole, and that’s when McIlroy made it interesting.
The Northern Irish golfer put his drive into the trees on 18, then his second shot into the sand trap, but he chipped out beautifully.
Two putts later, McIlroy was crowned champion.
He goes back-to-back at the Masters, joining Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to win the Masters two years in a row. They’re calling it a “Rory repeat.”
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