U.S. Prepares to Blockade Strait of Hormuz, and a MAGA Hero Is Defeated in Europe

About this episode

<p>Plus, Eric Swalwell suspended his campaign after sexual assault allegations. </p> <p>Here’s what we’re covering:</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/11/us/politics/trump-ufc-iran-war.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trump Was Watching a U.F.C. Fight in Miami While Iran Talks Collapsed</a>, by Katie Rogers</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/world/middleeast/hormuz-us-blockade.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">How Would a Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz Work? Here Are Some Possibilities.</a>, by Ephrat Livni</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/world/europe/hungary-election-results-orban-magyar.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">4 Takeaways From Viktor Orban’s Defeat in the Hungarian Election</a>, by Lara Jakes</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/us/trump-military-transgender-ban-paychecks.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">For Many, Ban on Transgender Military Service Means Full Pay but No Work by Dave Philipps</a>, by Dave Philipps</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/us/eric-swalwell-suspends-california-governor-campaign.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Swalwell Suspends Campaign for California Governor Amid Sexual Assault Accusations</a>, by Jill Cowan</p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/us/california-team-sports-prison.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">San Quentin Uses Sports as Rehabilitation. It Could Soon Be a Model Elsewhere.</a>, by Eli Tan</p> <p>Tune in every weekday morning, and tell us what you think at: <a href="mailto:theheadlines@nytimes.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">theheadlines@nytimes.com</a>.</p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>