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May 4 Afternoon Brief
In the Strait of Hormuz
Washington is now asking China to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open after NATO allies refused to get involved. That sits neatly alongside another report that the U.S. Navy sank six small Iranian boats after they interfered with commercial shipping in the same waterway. A very normal day in the world’s most important oil choke point, just with extra great-power awkwardness.
In U.S. politics
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a new congressional map that Republicans say reflects the state’s growth, and Democrats say is designed to squeeze out more GOP seats and weaken minority voting power. The same political calendar is also producing a separate round of primary meddling, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee adding candidates to its “Red to Blue” list in several battleground districts. Everyone, as always, insists this is about principle.
In the Russia-Ukraine war
Vladimir Putin has объявлeд a unilateral ceasefire for May 8 and 9, timed to Moscow’s World War II commemorations, while also warning of retaliation. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has предложed a separate truce starting a couple of days earlier. So far, the diplomacy is mostly happening in the familiar style of both sides announcing peace and menace in the same breath.
In U.S. courts
A federal judge sharply criticized the treatment of Cole Allen, who is accused of trying to reach the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and kill Donald Trump and other officials. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui said he was disturbed by Allen being placed on suicide watch, five-point restraints, and in a safe cell, and ordered officials to explain the conditions. Allen remains in custody and has a preliminary hearing set for May 11.
In U.S. crime and violence
In Texas, a school behavior specialist has been charged with injury to the disabled after a 16-year-old student with autism was pushed and later died. In Philadelphia, police say a road rage chase ended with an SUV driver opening fire, killing 20-year-old Miguel Quinones-Barreto and wounding another man. Separate cases, same grim reminder that some people are catastrophically bad at handling conflict.
In Sweden
Swedish police say gang violence is killing increasing numbers of bystanders, including people hit by stray bullets, mistaken identities, and relatives of gang members. The warning is that the violence is no longer staying inside the gang world, which is usually how these things go just before everyone agrees they saw it coming.
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