The Brief | No Deal with Iran. The Blockade Begins Today.
Plus: The 24-hour collapse of Eric Swalwell, new details in the Charlie Kirk murder case, and Artemis II brings the crew home.
It’s Monday,
That’s all….
In today’s Brief:
Trump announces a full naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after 21-hour talks with Iran collapse over nukes
Eric Swalwell’s gubernatorial campaign implodes in real time after a former staffer accuses him of sexual assault
New forensic evidence and a handwritten confession letter surface in the Charlie Kirk assassination case
The Artemis II crew splashes down after traveling farther from Earth than any human in history
Let’s get into the news.
The Blockade Begins at 10 a.m.
After Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner flew to Islamabad for 21 hours of direct talks with Iranian negotiators (the first U.S.-Iran face-to-face since 1979), there was no deal. The sticking point was nuclear; Iran refused to make an “affirmative commitment” not to seek a nuclear weapon. Vance was blunt: “That is the core goal of the president.” Everything else was largely agreed to. That one thing killed it.
Trump responded Sunday morning on Truth Social and then on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures, announcing a sweeping “all or nothing” blockade effective today. CENTCOM begins enforcement at 10 a.m. ET. No selective access for China, India, or Pakistan. The U.S. Navy will intercept any vessel that paid Iran’s $1-per-barrel toll in Chinese yuan or crypto, and will begin destroying mines Iran laid in the strait.
About those mines: Iran admitted it placed them but can’t locate all of them. The U.S. is deploying underwater drones plus destroyers USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy, which already became the first U.S. warships to transit the Strait since Feb. 28. The UK quietly retired its minesweeper fleet before replacements were ready. Great timing.
Trump is pitching the blockade as a market opportunity, telling China to buy American instead. Reality check: the U.S. exports roughly 4.2 million barrels a day. The Strait normally carries 20 million. We can ease the crunch. We can’t replace it.
Vance left what he called “a final and best offer” on the table. Trump predicts Iran comes back. Whether Iran’s fast attack boats test the Navy in the next 48 hours will tell us a lot more than any diplomatic statement.
The Party That Built ‘Believe All Women’ Now Has to Explain Eric Swalwell
A former staffer, hired at 21, went on record with the San Francisco Chronicle. She alleged pursuit via Snapchat, pressure for explicit photos, sexual exposure while driving, and two incidents of assault while she was blacked out drunk. She texted a friend at the time: she told him to stop and he didn’t. A 2024 incident at a New York hotel is now the subject of a Manhattan DA criminal investigation. Three additional women told CNN about unsolicited explicit messages and nude photos.
The collapse was immediate. All 21 congressional endorsements gone. Pelosi personally told him to drop out. Schiff withdrew. Gallego publicly ate crow after defending him days earlier. SEIU California (750,000 members), the California Teachers Association, and California Professional Firefighters all pulled out. Both campaign co-chairs resigned. His ActBlue page went dark. Ad buys pulled.
By Saturday, Swalwell suspended his gubernatorial campaign, saying he was “deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment” while still denying the assault allegations. DHS is separately investigating him for allegedly employing an unauthorized Brazilian nanny paid with campaign funds.
Here’s the part that stings for the party: In 2025, Swalwell publicly said the criminal justice system should “throw the book” at people who commit violent or sexual crimes. His behavior was reportedly known by local Democratic officials and the Alameda County Democratic Party since 2013. Before the Chronicle published, Swalwell’s lawyers sent cease-and-desist letters to advocates in the dead of night.
The bigger question now is whether Democrats will call on Swalwell to resign from Congress entirely. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna already has. So has Democrat Ro Khanna. But will those calls grow louder, or will the party quietly move on? And if local Democrats knew about this since 2013, why is it surfacing now, in the middle of a governor's race? The timing isn't coincidental. Swalwell was seen as the easiest to sacrifice. The suspicion among California political insiders is that fellow Democrats orchestrated the leak to thin the field. Here's why that matters: California runs a top-two open primary. Every candidate, regardless of party, competes on one ballot. The top two advance to the general election. With a crowded Democratic field splitting the vote and Republicans consolidating behind fewer candidates, there is a real possibility that two Republicans make the top two and no Democrat appears on the general election ballot at all. Knocking Swalwell out doesn't just punish a bad actor. It clears a lane. The question is for whom.
Trump Does Stupid Stuff, I Cannot Process This Early on a Monday
He posted the following after criticizing Pope Leo XIV, which, for the record, I do not have an issue with, even if it is incredibly unproductive.
I hate everything.
The Note Under the Keyboard: New Details in the Charlie Kirk Murder Case
According to a search warrant affidavit obtained by KSL. Tyler Robinson left a confession letter for his trans-identified partner, Lance Twiggs (”Luna”), hidden under Twiggs’ keyboard. “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.” Robinson planned the attack for over a week, pre-programmed an auto-text to Twiggs to find the note, and had hoped to flee and live with his partner afterward.
Investigators in September subpoenaed records from Discord servers named “Craftopia,” “Gamin,” and “The Corruption.” A group chat member posted, “Tyler killed Charlie!!!!” Robinson confirmed in the group: “It was me at UVU yesterday. I’m surrendering in a few moments.”
Forensic evidence includes fingerprints and a smeared palm print at the rooftop edge where Robinson dropped to the ground, a Google Maps route to UVU on his phone, and surveillance footage capturing his distinctive gait with the rifle concealed in his jeans as he crouched into a prone shooting position.
Robinson is back in court April 17. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. The defense wants to restrict press recording at trial.
Kirk was assassinated for his political views by someone who, per court documents, became “more political and left-leaning” in the year before the shooting. Political violence has a face. And it’s going to trial.
Artemis II is Home.
The Artemis II crew splashed down off San Diego on Friday, capping a nearly 10-day mission that took them 252,756 miles from Earth. That’s farther than any humans in history, surpassing Apollo 13’s record by over 4,000 miles.
The mission’s defining image: the first-ever “Earthset” photograph, Earth setting behind the moon from the far side. NASA called it the new “Earthrise.” And for 54 minutes, the crew witnessed a solar totality physically impossible to see from Earth’s surface, the moon completely covering the sun. Victor Glover’s reaction: “Humans probably have not evolved to see what we’re seeing.”
Commander Reid Wiseman named a crater “Carroll” for his late wife, who passed in 2020. He’ll formally submit the name to the International Astronomical Union.
In a week where diplomacy failed, and a congressman hid from rape allegations in a billionaire’s mansion, four astronauts came home from the moon. We all need a moment like this.
Quick Rundown
DHS shutdown drags on. TSA workers got back pay after Trump signed an executive order, but DHS warned the April 10 check may be the last until Congress acts. House Freedom Caucus is blocking the Senate deal. Lawmakers return to DC this week.
Orbán loses in Hungary. His 15-year reign ended Saturday as opposition leader Péter Magyar’s Tisza party won in a landslide, potentially taking a two-thirds supermajority. Notably, given Trump’s very public embrace of Orbán. Magyar immediately pledged closer EU and NATO ties.
NJ Chick-fil-A shooting. Masked gunmen stormed a Union Township location Friday night, killing one and injuring six. Police say it appears targeted, not random. No arrests yet.
"Screaming Mary's" son loses his LA life. ICE arrested the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, the infamous Iran hostage crisis spokeswoman, along with his wife and their son in Los Angeles. Secretary Rubio revoked their green cards. They entered on Obama-era visas in 2014. The pampered LA life is over.
Let’s Talk About It
Did you expect the Iran talks to produce a deal, or did you see the blockade coming from a mile away?
The “Believe All Women” party knew about Swalwell since 2013. What’s your take on that?
Drop your answers in the comments. I’ll see you Wednesday.
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