GIPHY/Lily Allen

The temporary ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran will expire in two days. Vice President Vance is expected to travel to Pakistan with several other Trump administration officials for a second round of peace negotiations. 

Will Iran show? Pakistani army chief Gen. Asim Munir, a key mediator in the talks, reportedly told Trump the U.S. blockade on the Hormuz Strait is a “hurdle” in the talks, as Iranian state media has quoted officials suggesting Iranian negotiators might not make the trip.   

The latest with the Strait of Hormuz: The Strait of Hormuz is closed yet again after Iran reversed course and closed the vital shipping route until the U.S. ends its blockade.  

Vance is walking into a tense set of negotiations: Over the weekend, President Trump said the U.S. Navy forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that was attempting to bypass the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.  

Iran’s military is threatening to retaliate after that incident. It’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, noted in a social media post that this war “benefits no one.”  

“The more issues can be managed through reason and in a calm environment, the more it will benefit everyone,” he posted on social media. 

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EXCLUSIVE — TRUMP’S PREDICTION ABOUT GAS PRICES: 

President Trump told The Hill’s Julia Manchester in a phone call today that he disagrees with Energy Secretary Chris Wright’s assessment that gas prices may not drop below $3 per gallon until next year. 

Trump told Julia he thinks Wright is “totally wrong” and predicted that gas prices will drop “as soon as this thing ends,” referring to the Iran war. 

Helpful read, via The New York Times: ‘Why Gas Prices Go Up Fast and Take So Long to Fall’ 

The gist: “Fuel station owners take some of the hit for consumers when oil prices surge. On the way down, they try to get their money back.”  

The inner workings of the Supreme Court’s case docket has always been shrouded in mystery. Well, The New York Times obtained secret, informal memos exchanged between justices, giving insight into their “shadow docket.”  

This is a big deal. It reveals a more political side of justices’ thinking on major initiatives, including abruptly halting former President Obama’s signature environmental policy with little explanation and giving President Trump more than 20 key wins on his agenda. 

For example: Chief Justice John Roberts has long had a reputation for being cautious about cases and rulings. But these secret memos reveal a different side of him, including “acted as a bulldozer in pushing to stop Mr. Obama’s plan to address the global climate crisis.”  

What the memos look like: “Writing on formal letterhead, but addressing one another by their first names and signing off with their initials, they sound notes of irritation, air grievances and plead for more time. In addition to the usual legal materials, they cite a blog post and, twice, a television interview. They sometimes engage with one another’s arguments. But they often simply talk past each other.” 

This is seriously worth reading: ‘Inside the Supreme Court’s Risky New Way of Doing Business’ 

NEW TODAY — THE COURT IS STAYING OUT OF A PARENTAL RIGHTS CASE: 

“The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up an appeal from Massachusetts parents who contended the Constitution requires school employees to get their consent to encourage their child’s pronoun and name change in the classroom,” reports The Hill’s Zach Schonfeld. Read more 

REPUBLICANS’ BIGGEST HOPE FOR THE SUPREME COURT: 

Senate Republicans are secretly hoping conservative Justice Samuel Alito may retire as an “October surprise.” 

Why this would matter: Republicans have a three-seat majority in the Senate. But many are worried they will lose this majority in the November midterms. Alito has not hinted at his retirement, but Republicans are quietly hoping he may consider it, so they could quickly confirm a conservative successor. If Republicans’ majority shrinks — or Democrats win control of the Senate in November — Republicans would have a much harder time confirming a conservative justice. 

Read more: ‘Senate Republicans hope Supreme Court ‘surprise’ could help save majority’ 

Senate Republicans are taking their first steps toward passing a reconciliation bill filled with President Trump’s wishes. 

How a reconciliation bill is different from a regular bill: Most Senate bills need 60 “yes” votes to pass. But through this special, fast-track process, the party in power can pass a bill (usually just once a year) with just 51 “yes” votes. The caveat is measures included in a reconciliation bill must involve the budget.  

Republicans’ reconciliation bill last year was the so-called “one, big, beautiful bill.”  

What is in this year’s reconciliation bill?: That has not been decided yet. GOP senators will work to pass a placeholder — or “blueprint”  bill — and then they will hash out later what goes in it. 

What *could* be in this year’s reconciliation package?: Funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol is likely. Some Republicans have also floated adding more defense funding and a change to capital gains taxes to adjust for inflation. 

But keep in mind, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) wants to keep this bill small. The more that is added to it, the harder it will be to get every Republican on board. And the goal is to finalize this *before* the midterms. 

WHAT IS ON DEMOCRATS’ WISH LIST: 

Congressional Democrats are pushing to question former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was recently ousted from her job.  

Republican interest in subpoenaing her has fizzled, but Democrats view Bondi as a central figure in the Jeffrey Epstein controversy. 

Read more on how this could play out, via The Hill’s Rebecca Beitsch 

The House and Senate extended the U.S.’s spy powers authorization by 10 days to avoid today’s deadline. Now, congressional negotiators have until April 30 to work out a deal for a longer extension.  

Keep in mind: The House was very close to passing a 5-year extension last week. But 12 House Republicans bucked GOP leadership and voted with Democrats to sink the extension. 

— Be on the lookout today. The U.S. tariff system for businesses to file for refunds for the Trump administration’s tariffs is set to go live today. Remember: The Supreme Court determined the tariffs were illegal and now the Trump administration must refund the $166 paid in duties. 

— First lady Melania Trump will attend this week’s White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) for the first time. 

The New York Times: The Killer Robots Are Coming. The Battlefield Will Never Look the Same: Ukraine is using unmanned ground vehicles armed with bombs, guns or rockets to carry out attacks and keep its soldiers out of harm’s way. 

The Atlantic: The FBI Director Is MIA: Kash Patel has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences. 

The Wall Street Journal: Car Owners Are Revolting Over Tesla’s Self-Driving Promises 

The Washington Post: He spreads hate online — and fans pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars: The far-right influencer Nick Fuentes has pocketed roughly $900,000 from “fanatical” donors since the start of 2025. Some superfans see him as part of their families. 

Politico: Aspiring pot companies had big dreams for Florida. Reality has hit hard.