☕ FIRST CUP — Monday, April 13

Good morning and happy Monday folks!

☢️ LEAD STORY: The Iran Blockade Begins

Peace talks in Islamabad collapsed after 21 hours of negotiations, and the U.S. military has now announced a blockade on all traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz, effective 10 a.m. ET today — enforced against vessels of all nations. Trump claims the ceasefire is “holding well,” while VP Vance says the U.S. remains open to diplomacy if Iran accepts what he called “our final and best offer.”

WHY IT MATTERS: Oil topped $100 a barrel again and Asian markets fell as the stalled talks and imminent blockade threatened to further disrupt the global economy. The GOP was already bracing for a tough midterm, but with the ceasefire in doubt, gas prices are likely to stay elevated, and voters’ economic outlook is increasingly bleak.

✝️ UNDER THE RADAR: Trump Posts Himself as Jesus on Orthodox Easter

Late Sunday, Trump shared an AI-generated image on Truth Social depicting himself in a Christ-like role — healing a sick patient while surrounded by followers — triggering a rare wave of backlash from his most loyal religious supporters, who accused him of “blasphemy.” The image was posted the same night Trump was publicly feuding with Pope Leo XIV, whom he called “WEAK on Crime.”

Even Marjorie Taylor Greene broke ranks, calling it “more than blasphemy” and invoking the word “Antichrist.” As of this morning, Trump has not deleted the post, and no member of his administration has publicly addressed it.

Going to be keeping an eye on Iran today as well as many other things.

Follow me on threads for the latest updates!

Sean