• Yes, Virginia, there is a state constitution.
• The United States and Iran are in diplomatic limbo as the war in the Middle East stretches on. Since President Donald Trump declared a cease-fire on April 7, U.S. forces have stopped bombing, but whatever is left of the Iranian regime has kept its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz. Around 1,600 ships carrying fuel and fertilizer supplies that the world desperately needs are trapped in the Persian Gulf. Shortages are developing in Europe and Asia, and sharply higher gasoline prices are squeezing Americans. Trump has made repeated attempts but has been unable to negotiate the reopening of the strait. It is unclear with whom he is even negotiating: Iran’s political leadership and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps send conflicting messages, and no one knows who controls the forces that are attacking tankers. Project Freedom, a military operation to guide ships through the strait, was called off within 48 hours. It remains an open question whether America can break Iran’s grip on the global economy at a price the president is willing to pay.
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