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Iran is bracing for a prolonged war as its leadership rejects any retreat, a signal that energy markets and global shipping could face sustained disruption. At the same time, a Supreme Court ruling is set to reshape congressional maps ahead of the midterms, while inflation is spreading from gas and groceries into the broader economy.

Together, these shifts are setting up a volatile stretch for geopolitics, U.S. elections and household budgets.

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Iran’s supreme leader said Tehran will not surrender its nuclear or missile programs and vowed a prolonged fight against U.S. forces in the Gulf. The statement comes as Iran absorbs damage from recent strikes on enrichment facilities and military command sites.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s remarks signal that prospects for a quick ceasefire have sharply diminished. Hardline factions are pushing for direct retaliation against U.S. bases despite growing domestic strain.

Casualties rose overnight as new attacks targeted shipping lanes near the Strait of Hormuz. Energy markets interpreted the escalation as a sign the conflict could stretch on for months.

The conservative majority struck down a Louisiana congressional district designed to give Black voters a majority, reshaping how maps can be drawn. The 6–3 ruling weakens Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and opens the door for states to reduce protections in redistricting.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored the majority opinion, joined by the chief justice and four other conservatives. Dissenting justices warned the decision could revive tactics used before 1965 to dilute minority voting power.

Republican-led statehouses across the South are preparing new congressional maps ahead of the midterms. Civil rights groups say the upcoming election cycle will test how far the ruling reshapes representation.

Core prices, excluding food and fuel, continued to climb at a steady pace across the economy, signaling that underlying inflation remains persistent. Pressure is no longer concentrated in housing and services alone, suggesting price increases are spreading more broadly.

Households are feeling the squeeze first through higher gasoline and grocery bills, where changes show up fastest. Rising costs for everyday essentials are tightening budgets and shaping consumer behavior in real time.

Economists expect the latest spike to move through supply chains in the coming months, lifting prices across a wider range of goods. Summer inflation could look more entrenched if businesses continue passing higher input costs on to consumers.

Lawmakers approved a measure that sharply reduces former President Jair Bolsonaro's sentence for last year's coup attempt. The bill moves to the Senate where it faces a tight vote.

Argentina's libertarian president signed a sweeping labor decree timed to May Day, prompting union strikes and street protests across Buenos Aires. The order weakens collective bargaining and trims severance rules.

The U.K. government lifted its official terror threat level to severe after a fatal stabbing outside a London synagogue, the first change since 2023. Police are hunting two suspects and warning of further attacks.

The Texas summer camp where flash floods killed dozens of children last July said it will not reopen for the 2026 season. Owners cited grief and unresolved liability as the reasons.

Maine Governor Janet Mills said she will not seek the Democratic Senate nomination, clearing the field for oyster farmer Graham Platner. Republicans believe the open seat just got more competitive in 2026.

Louisiana election officials froze the state's congressional primary calendar after the Supreme Court ruling reopened district lines. The delay disrupts campaigns already in full swing.

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Prices across the euro area climbed to 3 percent in April on Iran-driven energy costs, complicating the European Central Bank's path. The bank now faces a longer hold than markets had priced in.

Bipartisan senators advanced a bill banning members of Congress from wagering on prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. The push follows reports of lawmaker wagers on legislative outcomes.

Big tax refunds and an AI investment boom are softening the early U.S. economic damage from the Iran war and high gas prices. Forecasters say the offset is buying time but warn the cushion thins by autumn.

The administration is asking a federal appeals court to lift an injunction that froze Health Secretary Kennedy's plan to limit pediatric immunizations. Public health groups are bracing for a long legal fight.

Pakistan's navy commissioned its first Hangor-class diesel-electric submarine, a Chinese-designed boat that boosts Islamabad's deterrent against India. The delivery deepens Beijing's reach into the Arabian Sea.

Ukraine is racing to deploy artificial intelligence at the front, from autonomous strike drones to targeting algorithms, as the war enters a new technological phase. Officials say the push is closing the gap with Russia's larger army.

Canadian center Olivier Rioux, the world's tallest teenager at seven foot nine, committed to UC Irvine over Florida. The Anteaters land a project with rare measurables.

Lindsey Vonn told reporters she will race in next year's Milan Cortina Games despite a recent training crash that briefly hospitalized her. The comeback bid resumes at next month's super G test event.

A trio of Japan-bred thoroughbreds will run in Saturday's Kentucky Derby, the largest contingent from the country in race history. Trainers credit a decade of investment in U.S. racing pedigree.

A bronze sculpture of a hooded child wielding a slingshot showed up overnight outside the Tate Modern, with the artist's signature stencil tag confirming authorship. Crowds gathered before a city crew arrived to barricade the work.

A Wichita megachurch pastor announced a Republican primary bid for the open Kansas Senate seat, pitching himself as a values candidate against the establishment. The crowded field grows ahead of the August filing deadline.

Defense lawyers in Harvey Weinstein's New York rape retrial pressed his accuser on a note she wrote two days after the alleged assault describing emotional attachment to him. Jurors heard exhibits and testimony on what defenders call the consensual chapter of the relationship.

The Supreme Court ruled to strike down a Louisiana congressional district designed to give Black voters a majority, narrowing how a landmark civil rights law applies. The 6–3 decision marks one of the most consequential changes to voting rights enforcement in decades.

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act has long been used to challenge maps that dilute minority voting strength. Courts frequently required states to draw majority-minority districts when demographic patterns showed those communities could elect their preferred candidates.

The ruling raises the threshold for proving discrimination, giving states more flexibility in how they design congressional maps. Legislatures may now weigh political and geographic considerations more heavily even if minority representation declines as a result.

States across the South are already preparing new maps ahead of the next election cycle under this updated framework. Civil rights groups warn the shift could reduce Black representation in Congress and trigger a new wave of legal battles that will test how far the decision reaches.

- Albany rolled out the red carpet for Nipper the giant RCA Victor mascot dog, lifting the four ton fiberglass icon back atop the city's old broadcasting building and ending a decade of statue homelessness for Nipper.

- Timmy the wandering humpback popped up off the Danish coast after weeks lost in shallow water near Germany, last clocked swimming north and looking thrilled to leave.

- Bartenders are squabbling over Kentucky Derby week mint julep technique, with the season's biggest crime, crushed mint, splitting traditionalists from the new wave.

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—The Five Minute Daily Team