Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

The ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran appears to be on its last legs: Iran opened fire on U.S. warships and commercial vessels today, CENTCOM head Adm. Brad Cooper said, and shot several missiles and drones at the UAE for the first time since early April — some missiles were reportedly intercepted by the Iron Dome system Israel deployed to the country at the beginning of the war, while one drone sparked a fire at the Fujairah oil complex. 

The UAE also condemned an Iranian drone attack on an oil tanker affiliated with the state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it an “act of piracy”…

Signaling a possible return to hostilities, President Donald Trump told Fox News Iran will be “blown off the face of the earth” if it fires on ships being escorted through the strait by the U.S. as part of “Project Freedom” (which he said on Truth Social this afternoon has already happened).

CENTCOM, meanwhile, announced it had assisted two U.S.-flagged merchant ships in successfully transiting the Strait of Hormuz as of this morning…

Trump’s allies largely continue to stand behind the war effort: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called for “big, strong and short” strikes on Iran in defense of the UAE, while Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman called the war “a very good one” that will resolve shortly with “a resolution that is going to be very, very favorable.”

Asked about the impact on investing in the region, Ackman told CNBC the Middle East “has been reset in a very positive way,” with an expansion of the Abraham Accords and a “peace dividend” likely to come…

A small group of Senate Republicans are working on an Authorization for the Use of Military Force to receive a vote in Congress if military operations in Iran do pick back up, Semafor reports, as many lawmakers agree that Trump has run out the 60-day clock for a war launched without congressional approval (some Republicans believe the clock has been paused during the ceasefire). The AUMF would “likely limit ground troops and provide for a finite period of conflict,” according to the outlet… 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added eight more candidates to its “Red to Blue” program, a move that could offer additional resources to the campaigns, including several in competitive Democratic primaries, as the party seeks to shore up its strongest candidates and flip the House amid a poor national environment for Republicans. 

The new recruits include union leader Bob Brooks in Pennsylvania’s 7th District as well as Bexar County sheriff’s deputy Johnny Garcia in Texas’ 35th — Garcia is facing Maureen Galindo, who has espoused a range of antisemitic conspiracy theories, in a runoff later this month…

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) endorsed Rep. Al Green (D-TX) in his runoff later this month against Rep. Christian Menefee (D-TX), Green announced today. Jewish leaders have been optimistic about unseating Green in the member-on-member race — a consequence of Texas’ redistricting process — as Green has grown increasingly hostile to Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks. 

The reported endorsement marks an improvement in the lawmakers’ relationship: Green and Pelosi had clashed during her time as House speaker over Green’s effort to impeach Trump…

Members of the Democratic National Committee are considering ways to limit Chair Ken Martin’s influence, The Bulwark reports, after his appearance on the “Pod Save America” podcast last week where he defended his decision not to release the “autopsy” report of the 2024 election and as members worry the organization is struggling to remain relevant and fiscally sound… 

Politico details the Republican campaign to persuade Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) to switch party affiliations and help keep Democrats from retaking the Senate in the midterm elections — despite Fetterman’s insistence that he will never renounce the Democratic Party…

Multiple Jewish homes, a synagogue and a Jewish center in Queens — which contains a preschool — were vandalized with swastikas and other antisemitic graffiti overnight, leaving Jewish residents questioning their safety amid a spate of antisemitic incidents, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. The NYPD is searching for at least four individuals responsible for the vandalism, according to New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin.  

“I have a Jewish community that is seriously questioning whether it is still welcome in this city,” said Democratic state Assemblymember Sam Berger. Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, said, “This is not normal and we need city leaders to act now”…

New York magazine spotlights the race for New York’s 12th District and the personas of its four front-runners — social media guru Jack Schlossberg, establishment operative Micah Lasher, AI critic Alex Bores and reformed Republican George Conway — as each seeks to represent one of the wealthiest, oldest, most educated and most densely populated congressional districts in the country…

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for comments from U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz on Iran and the Board of Peace, as JI’s Gabby Deutch spoke with him on the sidelines of the Milken Conference in Los Angeles. 

Trump announced Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine will hold a press briefing in the morning, amid cracks in the ceasefire with Iran.

The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which advocates for American hostages and journalists abroad, will honor Bar Ben Yaakov and Matan Sivek of the Hostages and Missing Families Forum as well as Qatari minister Mohammed Al-Khulaifi at its annual Freedom Award gala at the National Press Club in Washington, hosted by CBS’ Margaret Brennan.

The Manhattan Jewish Historical Initiative will induct honorees into its Jewish Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Bryant Park: Inductees include Ari Ackerman, philanthropist and co-owner of the Miami Marlins; New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin; singer-songwriter Melissa Manchester; and Ariel Zwang, CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. 

CNN will hold a primary debate for California’s crowded gubernatorial race including Republicans Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton and Democrats Xavier Becerra, Matt Mahan, Katie Porter, Tom Steyer and Antonio Villaraigosa.

Vice President JD Vance is expected to appear at a campaign event for Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA) in Iowa after several postponements — the event, which had been dubbed “Top Nunn” in reference to the “Top Gun” movies, had originally been scheduled for mid-March but drew criticism when several servicemembers from Nunn’s district were killed in the U.S. war with Iran.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Maine Gov. Janet Mills, citing financial constraints, dropped her campaign for U.S. Senate this morning, leaving oyster farmer Graham Platner as the Democratic nominee to face off against Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) in the general election, Jewish Insider‘s Matthew Kassel reports.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee chair, praised Mills and said they will “work with” Platner to defeat Collins — a tepid endorsement that underscores Democratic leadership’s uncomfortable relationship with the far-left nominee in a state that they have targeted as one of their best pick-up opportunities this cycle…

The Senate rejected Democrats’ sixth war powers effort to force the Trump administration to end the war in Iran. The latest resolution, sponsored by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Schumer, failed by a 50-47 vote, with Collins flipping her vote to side with Democrats for the first time…

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed the 60-day timeline for the administration to seek congressional authorization to continue the war in Iran has been “paused” during the ongoing ceasefire. The White House said separately it is in “active conversations” with lawmakers about the deadline which, under a traditional calendar, is set to occur tomorrow…

President Donald Trump announced the U.S. is “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of troops in Germany,” days after Chancellor Friedrich Merz claimed the U.S. is being “humiliated” by Iranian leadership. 

Merz “should spend more time … fixing his broken country … and less time on interfering with those getting rid of the Iran Nuclear threat,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Germany currently hosts the largest U.S. air base in Europe as well as tens of thousands of U.S. troops…

The House passed a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, ending the monthslong shutdown a day before the department was set to run out of emergency funds to pay employees. 

The bill funds agencies including the Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency and Transportation Security Administration and includes $300 million in funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, an increase over the $274.5 million allocated for the program last year but still short of requests from the Jewish community of up to $1 billion. Republicans will now attempt to fund immigration enforcement through a separate budget reconciliation process…

Following the stabbing of two Jewish men in a London suburb yesterday, the latest in a series of attacks against London’s Jewish community, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered an address pledging policy changes and a shift in government attitudes toward antisemitic antagonism, JI’s Haley Cohen reports.

Among other policies, Starmer called to prosecute the use of the phrase “globalize the intifada”; introduce legislation to shut down charities that promote antisemitic extremism; prevent “hate preachers” from entering the country and speaking on college campuses; and work to hasten sentencing of perpetrators of antisemitic attacks…

Evanston, Ill., Mayor Daniel Biss, the Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District, urged the state’s Legislature to reverse a policy he had once supported as a member of the General Assembly — a ban on investing in companies that engage in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. Biss vowed that if elected to Congress, as expected in the deep-blue district, he will oppose similar policies that seek to counteract the BDS movement.

“Whether or not you believe in boycotting Israel or Israeli products from the occupied West Bank, or in boycotts in general, we should all be able to agree that our government must not be wielded to stop people from using their economic agency to advocate for their values,” Biss wrote on Substack…

Former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, a Republican, has shifted his congressional bid from Florida’s 23rd Congressional District to the newly drawn 25th District. The seat is currently by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) but is much more Republican-friendly under the new lines, one of several eliminated districts represented by pro-Israel Democrats. Singer told JI when he was attempting to unseat Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) in the 23rd that his alignment with the GOP has been shaped by his Jewish faith…

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at where British Jews stand as their government signals it will take more seriously the spate of violent attacks targeting their community.

The McCain Institute’s Sedona Forum kicks off in Arizona, with speakers including Sens. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Peter Welch (D-VT), Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Jason Crow (D-CO) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Munich Security Council CEO Benedikt Franke, outgoing World Food Program head Cindy McCain, AFRICOM Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson, former NATO Ambassador Kurt Volker and Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill. 

Former Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) will join far-left influencer Hasan Piker’s Twitch stream in her effort to win back her seat from Rep. Wesley Bell (D-MO).

We’ll be back in your inbox with the Daily Overtime on Monday. Shabbat Shalom!

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

Two Jewish men in a heavily Jewish suburb of London were stabbed this morning in what police have deemed a terrorist incident, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports. The victims — one in his 70s and one in his 30s — remain hospitalized in stable condition, according to the Metropolitan Police, after the attack shortly before noon in Golders Green.

The suspect, a 45-year-old man who also attempted to stab law enforcement, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. The man had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues,” Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said. It’s the latest in a string of violent attacks against Jewish individuals and sites around London in recent months… 

President Donald Trump said he is rejecting Iran’s latest proposal to end the war, which included opening the Strait of Hormuz and postponing talks on its nuclear program, telling Axios that he will maintain the U.S.’ naval blockade until Tehran agrees to address its nuclear ambitions.

“The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing. They are choking like a stuffed pig,” the president said. Still, CENTCOM has planned a “short and powerful” wave of strikes on Iran to spur progress in negotiations, sources told the outlet…

In a heated and lengthy House Armed Services Committee hearing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly defended the execution of the Iran war, including the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the cost to American taxpayers, and stood by the ouster of several top defense officials under questioning from both Democrats and Republicans. The Pentagon’s chief financial officer, Jules Hurst III, said the Iran war has cost the U.S. “about $25 billion” already, most of it being spent on munitions…

Even as Trump intends to keep the pressure on Iran, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier will reportedly leave the Middle East and sail back to Virginia in the coming days after having been deployed for a record 10 months at sea. Two other aircraft carriers are still operating nearby in the Arabian Sea to enforce the blockade…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office denied Hebrew media reports that he was planning a visit to the U.S. next week, saying “no such plans are currently in place.” Trump has said he intends to invite Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House in the near future…

Michigan Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow deleted thousands of old social media posts in which she disparaged the state of Michigan and expressed a range of progressive views, including comparing Trump and his supporters to Nazis, according to a CNN investigation. The state senator is now positioning herself as a more pragmatic candidate…

Two-thirds of Michigan Democratic Party delegates voted for Amir Makled, an attorney who has expressed support for Hezbollah, among other anti-Israel stances, as one of the Democratic nominees for University of Michigan regent at the state party convention earlier this month, according to internal voting records obtained by The Detroit News. 

The widespread support for Makled included far-left Jewish attorney general nominee Eli Savit and United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain, but the majority of members of Congress and the state Legislature in attendance voted for unseated Jewish regent Jordan Acker over Makled…

Elected Jewish Democrats are speaking out on the antisemitic vitriol they face on a regular basis: It’s “excruciating and agonizing,” Michigan state Rep. Noah Arbit told The New York Times. “We have never seen anything like this in my lifetime in public office,” Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) said.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel shared, “I rarely, if ever, get threats for being gay or for being a woman. They have been fast and furious and nearly always about me being Jewish,” including regularly being called an “AIPAC whore.” Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) added, “There are times when it feels like people don’t want you as part of the political system at all”…

Kennedy scion Jack Schlossberg has released his first paid ad in his run for New York’s 12th Congressional District, spotlighting one of his highest-profile endorsees — former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Even as Schlossberg narrowly leads in several polls of the crowded Democratic primary, the ad is emblematic of the political newcomer’s challenge in the race as he seeks to prove he’s experienced enough to represent the district…

The State Department issued a report to Congress finding that the Palestinian Authority has continued to issue payments and benefits to terrorists and their families in its “pay-for-slay” program “through new mechanisms and under a different name,” despite PA President Mahmoud Abbas having pledged to end the program. PA officials also “continue to fail to publicly condemn acts of violence against U.S. and Israeli citizens in violation of the Taylor Force Act,” the report says…

The Supreme Court issued a ruling today in a Louisiana gerrymandering case weakening a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, limiting when states can draw majority-minority congressional districts. Amid a flurry of mid-decade redistricting already underway, the decision could prompt new map changes and legal challenges ahead of November’s midterm elections and the 2028 cycle…

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at how Senate Republicans are approaching the impending 60-day deadline laid out in the War Powers Act for President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval for the war in Iran. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine will face further questioning at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Pentagon’s 2027 budget, after a similar hearing in the House today.

The Department of Justice will host this year’s federal interagency Holocaust remembrance program, featuring remarks from Holocaust survivor Frank Cohn, U.S. Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues Ellen Germain, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg.

Notable developments and interesting tidbits we’re tracking

The UAE announced it will leave OPEC effective May 1, in a significant blow to the international body largely led by Saudi Arabia that coordinates production among petroleum exporting countries. Abu Dhabi — which joined OPEC nearly 60 years ago — said it will pursue a new independent strategy, including increasing its oil output, amid the Iran war’s disruption of global energy markets…

Iran, meanwhile, is trying to avoid shutting down its own oil production and wait out the U.S. blockade by finding new ways to store and ship its crude oil, including using improvised containers and transport routes to China over land. Analysts predict Tehran will fill its remaining storage capacity in less than three weeks.

President Donald Trump claimed this morning that Iran informed the U.S. “they are in a ‘State of Collapse’” and “want us to ‘Open the Hormuz Strait,’ as soon as possible, as they try to figure out their leadership situation”…

Just as King Charles III is enjoying a state visit to Washington, including delivering his first address to a joint session of Congress this afternoon, remarks made by U.K. Ambassador to the U.S. Sir Christian Turner have resurfaced: Turner alleged in a discussion with British students in Washington in February that the U.S.’ only “special relationship” is “probably Israel” and not the U.K., according to audio obtained by the Financial Times…

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) predicted more Democrats, and some Republicans, will join his efforts to block arm sales to Israel, which he intends to continue, after the majority of the Democratic caucus voted in favor of his most recent Joint Resolutions of Disapproval. “The problem for the Democrats is that AIPAC is enormously powerful … but [Democrats are] increasingly choosing to support what the people back home want,” he told Politico.

Sanders also agreed with characterizations that he might be considered the new Democratic leader over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), given that more of the caucus voted with him than with Schumer, who opposed the measure…

Democratic Majority for Israel’s PAC had placed an ad buy in support of nonprofit leader Denise Powell in the Democratic primary for Nebraska’s swing 2nd Congressional District, but pulled it after the group New Democrat Majority increased its spending in support of Powell, Punchbowl News reports…

Politico surveys the state of Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, where Navy veteran Ed Gallrein is locked in a dead heat with incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) ahead of the May 19 primary, despite Gallrein’s endorsement from Trump and millions of dollars in anti-Massie spending, including from pro-Israel groups, as Massie maintains a loyal following…

Education Secretary Linda McMahon claimed today that she’s trying to rebuild and expand the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, even as the administration pushes for tens of millions in funding cuts this year, Jewish Insider‘s Marc Rod reports.

At a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, McMahon claimed that the 2027 budget submitted by the Trump administration contains more funding to hire lawyers at OCR, refusing to acknowledge, to lawmakers’ bewilderment, that the administration’s budget calls for a 35% funding cut to the office…

Following a report spotlighting Qatari funding in Georgia public schools, the state’s General Assembly became the first in the country to pass legislation requiring the disclosure of foreign funding in statewide K-12 schools, JI’s Haley Cohen reports.

The Foreign Funding Transparency and Accountability Act requires public school districts, public universities and technical colleges to report funding of $10,000 or more from foreign countries or entities, naming specifically Qatar and Saudi Arabia — the two largest foreign funders of American universities…

California is now considering changing state law after the secretary of state’s office mailed an official voter guide to all registered voters last week that contained a statement by a fringe gubernatorial candidate that listed extreme antisemitic conspiracy theories, including that Israel assassinated Charlie Kirk, carried out the 9/11 attacks and plans to “enslave” the “goyim.” 

The secretary of state’s office told The Times of Israel today that it is working with the state Legislature to make clear “content that is not permitted” in candidate statements “while preserving the ability of candidates to present their qualifications to voters”…

Citadel CEO Ken Griffin is escalating the hedge fund’s feud with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to Gov. Kathy Hochul, announcing he’ll meet with her on Thursday to discuss the future of the city after Mamdani used Griffin’s Manhattan penthouse to promote a new tax on luxury second homes. Citadel has threatened not to move forward with its plans for a massive 62-story Midtown development after what Griffin denounced as the “personal attack” and New York’s need to “put their fiscal house in order”…

An early look at tomorrow’s storylines and schedule to keep you a step ahead

Keep an eye out in Jewish Insider for a look at the results of a New York City Council special election, which will be an early signal of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s political capital.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine will testify before the House Armed Services Committee; while the hearing is focused on the Pentagon’s 2027 budget request, lawmakers are expected to press the defense officials about the Iran war in their first appearance before the committee since the war began.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) took the unusual step of inviting the press to participate in a closed-door meeting of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with Education Secretary Linda McMahon about the Trump administration’s planned cuts to the department. 

The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on “U.S. accountability at the United Nations” with witnesses including the American Enterprise Institute’s Brett Schaefer as well as Eugene Kontorovich, who recently departed the Heritage Foundation and has joined Mike Pence’s Advancing American Freedom organization.

The House Committee on Education and Workforce will hold a hearing on the First Amendment in higher education.

The Lawfare Project will host the Unite Against Extremism summit in New York City with remarks from the Justice Department’s Leo Terrell; Anila Ali, a Pakistani Muslim interfaith leader; Jonathan Schanzer, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies; and Ari Ackerman, co-owner of the Miami Marlins.