Today's top stories, with context, in just 15 minutes.
On today's podcast:
1) Oil rose after its biggest drop in a week, as President Trump said his latest offer of talks is Tehran’s “last chance” and that he expects a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran denied it was talking with the US, but said discussions with Oman to get more ships moving through Hormuz are making progress, with an adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader saying Washington must “take the first step and change its behavior." Commodity flows through the Strait of Hormuz have slowed to a trickle, with a cargo vessel northeast of Al Khasab, Oman, broadcasting that it had been hit by an unknown projectile on Monday.
2) Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche shared documents on social media that seemed to clear a major hurdle to the top job, but drew skeptical reactions from former Justice Department officials and administration critics. The documents addressed concerns about a $1.8 billion fund for alleged victims of government “weaponization” and immunity for President Trump, his family members and the Trump Organization from audits of past tax filings, but the original documents that sparked bipartisan outrage remain unchanged. Critics say the latest documents do not have much permanent legal effect and that the door is open for officials, Trump, or others in his orbit to try to enforce the terms in the future.
3) Michigan's Senate primary today will serve as a litmus test of whether the Democrats' progressive wing can win in a presidential battleground state. The primary pits Representative Haley Stevens, a moderate, against progressive Abdul El-Sayed, with Black voters being central to the case. A win by El-Sayed would vault him into national prominence, but a defeat would spark questions about whether progressives can win outside of deeply Democratic areas.