The U.S. seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to bypass a blockade, prompting Iran to vow a swift response.
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| “The world is upheld by the veracity of good men: they make the earth wholesome.” |
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| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
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| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
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Good morning, it’s Monday. Here are today’s top stories |
- The U.S. military forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that attempted to bypass a naval blockade earlier on Sunday, President Donald Trump said. Iran’s military claimed the move was a ceasefire violation, vowing a swift response.
- A U.S. delegation will arrive in Pakistan later today for a second round of talks with Iran, Trump said. Vice President JD Vance, special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and special envoy Jared Kushner will lead the U.S. delegation.
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A gunman killed eight children, including seven of his own, and critically injured two women in a shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana. The gunman, 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, fled the scene, carjacked a vehicle, and was eventually shot and killed by police during a chase, police said.
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A look inside one of the world’s toughest military competitions: Earlier this month, 122 soldiers in 61 two-man teams from across the Army stepped up to the starting line for the Best Ranger Competition—a three-day test of strength, teamwork, technical proficiency, and determination.
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🍵 Health: These 5 simple pushing exercises can help you reclaim your muscle strength.
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The Iranian-flagged vessel Touska seen from a distance on April 19, 2026. (U.S. Central Command/Screenshot via The Epoch Times) |
President Donald Trump on Sunday said the U.S. military forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that attempted to bypass a naval blockade earlier in the day.
In an announcement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the ship, called the Touska, attempted to get past the U.S. military blockade that has been in effect since April 13. “It did not go well for them,” he wrote.
A U.S. Navy destroyer intercepted the cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman and first warned it to stop. When it refused, the U.S. ship “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom,” Trump wrote.
“Right now, U.S. Marines have custody of the vessel,” the president added. “The TOUSKA is under U.S. Treasury Sanctions because of their prior history of illegal activity. We have full custody of the ship, and are seeing what’s on board.” According to the tracking website MarineTraffic.com, the ship is around 964 feet in length and more than 106 feet wide. The capture of the vessel was made as the Trump administration is working to secure a peace deal with the Iranian regime before a two-week-long ceasefire ends on April 21.
The naval blockade, which is being enforced by U.S. Central Command, targets ships that are entering or exiting Iranian ports and will not impede on the freedom of navigation for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that links the Persian Gulf with the broader ocean.
Trump said that U.S. negotiators will arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening for another set of talks with Iran. Several hours later, Iran had not confirmed it would attend. The president also threatened to destroy civilian infrastructure in the country if it doesn’t take the deal that the administration is offering. Tehran has said it is preparing its military during the ceasefire.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, said Sunday that the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports and coastline is an act of aggression that violates the shaky Pakistani-mediated ceasefire between the two countries. (More) |
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Federal officials arrested an Iranian woman at the Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night for allegedly brokering weapons for the Iranian regime.
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Pain at the pump might not ease up for American consumers until 2027, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who said that the price of a regular gallon of gas could stay above $3 for the rest of the year.
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- New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former President Barack Obama had their first public meeting over the weekend, bringing together two influential figures in the Democratic Party from different generations.
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Mamdani recently hosted a public forum with two noted economists, calling for a tax on the “super-rich.” The same day, the three men—Mamdani, Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, and French economist Gabriel Zucman—co-signed a column in The Guardian describing inequality as a “global crisis” and demanding that billionaires pay their “fair share.”
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Abdulhakim Idris in Virginia in 2021. (Courtesy of Abdulhakim Idris) |
- A prominent Uyghur scholar who is a U.S. citizen was detained and deported from Malaysia last month, in what rights advocates said is an illustration of how the Chinese regime silences its critics beyond its borders.
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North Korea fired several short-range ballistic missiles that landed in waters off its east coast. The test came days after the UN nuclear watchdog expressed “deep concerns” over the regime’s nuclear program.
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Two U.S. House Republicans are warning of the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party, in response to the latest fake bomb threats that caused the cancellation of six Shen Yun performances in Toronto.
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A recent meeting between Vietnamese Communist Party leader To Lam and CCP leader Xi Jinping shows Hanoi still views Beijing as a primary partner. But an analyst said that the Chinese regime’s growing economic ties and maritime “salami-slicing” tactics give it leverage to gradually erode Vietnam’s sovereignty.
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The Year America Stops Replacing Itself—by Mollie Engelhart (Read)
- When Will Western Europe Wake Up?—by Christian Milord (Read)
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Linh Mai, a 2-month-old Asian elephant, is fed a bottle of formula in her enclosure during a media preview event at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington on April 14, 2026. The new elephant was born Feb. 2 and is the first Asian elephant born at the zoo in 25 years. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) |
📷 Day in Photos: Midwest Tornado, Battle of Lexington, and Florida Fire (Look)
📝 Poetry: In ‘I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’, William Wordsworth spells out how beauty brings the soul to higher contemplation. (Read)
💛 Inspiration: Why Some People Stay the Course While Others Burn Out (Read)
🎵 Music: Mozart’s Piano Quartet In G Minor (Listen)
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(LightFieldStudios/Getty Images) |
Weakness is the enemy, and I’ve spent my career battling it. Almost every patient who has ever come into the clinic has demonstrated some degree of weakness, and with it often comes decreased safety and a decline in function. When weakness persists, it can become permanent. Battle it away, and you can help patients recover all or most of their former abilities.
It’s surprising how fast you can lose strength after a physical mishap or illness, or fall into a rut of not exercising and decreased activity. It can seem nearly impossible to regain muscle strength. Never fear, however, because I have a solution for you.
Exercises that encourage sustained resistance loading and movement repetition go a long way toward restoring your strength. The following exercises can efficiently accomplish exactly what we’re looking for.
They involve consistent, stable movements without fast transitions or balance challenges, making them accessible to most of us. They also provide an excellent workout for both your upper and lower body. My patients generally tolerate these exercises well, but I suggest discussing them with your medical provider to ensure that they are right for you. Note that all exercises mentioned in the article are accompanied by step-by-step instructions and video demonstrations. Chair Dips—Chair dips can be performed using almost any firm seating surface and allow you to accurately focus on your shoulders, triceps, and pectoral muscles.
Chair Squats—While we’re in that chair, I have another excellent exercise for you: chair squats. With chair squats, you’re using the muscles of your legs and core to push yourself up out of a chair—repeatedly. (More)
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Thanks for reading 🙏 Have a wonderful day! |
—Ivan Pentchoukov, Madalina Hubert, and Kenzi Li. |
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