Oil prices dropped by more than 10 percent on Friday, after Iran's foreign minister said that the passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz was open for the remaining ceasefire period. President Donald Trump announced on Friday, however, that the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports remains in effect until a deal with Iran is negotiated.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies for the second day before the House Education and Workforce Committee about the department's priorities for fiscal year 2027.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said that Israeli and Lebanese leaders had agreed to begin a 10-day ceasefire. "These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST," he wrote, adding that he has directed U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine to work with the two countries to achieve lasting peace.

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote in an April 15 post on Truth Social that China has "agreed not to send weapons to Iran.” He said the two countries are "working together smartly," but also warned that the United States is "very good at fighting."

House lawmakers late Tuesday night advanced a bill to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a power that has long drawn bipartisan criticism since its inception in 2008. The measure under consideration would extend Section 702 powers for 18 months.

U.S. Central Command has announced a U.S. blockade of ships entering or exiting Iranian Ports beginning April 13. Oil prices jumped back above $100 a barrel on the news. President Donald Trump said the price of oil and gasoline could remain high through November's midterm elections.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conceded defeat on April 12 in the national election, ending his 16 years in office. His election loss marks a dramatic shift in Hungary’s political direction after four terms in office.

U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a two-week cease-fire with Iran. On April 8, he said the United States will work closely with Iran, which he said has "gone through what will be a very productive Regime Change." He also said there would be no uranium enrichment and that many of the 15 points in the U.S. proposal to Iran had been agreed to.

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military, along with Israel, achieved every single objective as laid out from day one of the conflict. Hegseth added that Iran's command system is decimated. The Pentagon said it welcomes the cease-fire agreement with Iran, but remains ready to "resume combat operations" if needed.

President Donald Trump warned on April 7 that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran fails to meet his 8 p.m. ET deadline to reach a deal. In a post on Truth Social, the president said he did not want such an outcome but suggested it was increasingly likely without a breakthrough, calling the moment “one of the most important” in world history.

Vice President JD Vance said he is “confident” Iran will respond to U.S. demands by Trump's deadline. He said the United States had already defeated the Iranian militarily and that Iran is now “trying to exact as much economic pain on the world as possible” by keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed.

President Donald Trump will hold a press conference on Monday, as his deadline for Iran to reach a cease-fire deal approaches. Trump on Sunday posted on Truth Social, "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!"—signaling the new deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on energy facilities and bridges.

The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis II mission entered the moon's gravitational sphere of influence early Monday morning as they cruised along a path that will soon take them around the moon's far side, setting a new record as the farthest-flying humans in history.

U.S. employers added 178,000 new jobs in March, according to new Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on April 3. Prior to the non-farm payrolls report, economists had forecast a more modest reading of 60,000. The unemployment rate also dipped to 4.3 percent last month, from the 4.4 percent registered in February. Markets had projected the jobless rate holding steady at 4.4 percent.

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Friday that the U.S. can open the Strait of Hormuz "with a little more time." Reopening the strait has become a priority for governments around the world as energy prices soar.

Oil prices climbed to around $110 a barrel on April 2 after President Donald Trump said the United States would continue attacks on Iran. And the United Kingdom is hosting a virtual meeting of around 40 countries to discuss options for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The United States is not due to attend.

An end to the longest Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown in history is on the horizon. Trump and congressional GOP leaders have rallied behind a two-pronged approach to bypass Senate Democrats on immigration funding. Lawmakers will fund the DHS through regular order, but remove funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Those will be handled in a second party-line bill using a budget process that will allow passage without support from Democrats.

U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on March 29, said talks with Iran are ongoing and making “very good” progress. He urged Tehran to take the deal or face destruction of its critical infrastructure. A spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry denies negotiations are taking place.

Transportation Security Administration agents are expected to be paid again soon after Trump signed a presidential memorandum last week that would allow them to get paid despite the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, which is now officially the longest in history, with no end in sight.

The U.S. Senate voted on Friday (March) to end a partial government shutdown that has snarled airports across the country, though it did not resolve a dispute over immigration enforcement that prompted the six-week standoff in the first place. The House of Representatives must also pass the bill before Trump can sign it into law. A vote was expected later on Friday.

President Donald Trump announced actions to help U.S. farmers on Friday, as the White House host hundreds of farmers, ranchers and executives for an event highlighting the agricultural sector.