Politics
Iran says talks continue while it retains control of Strait of Hormuz traffic
Iran ratcheted up its rhetoric against the U.S. on Sunday, a day after it said it had reasserted control of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump confirmed peace talks with Iran are continuing, while warning Tehran not to try to use blackmail. Iran’s parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said talks to […]
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Construction on Trump’s White House ballroom can continue for now, U.S. appeals court says
US President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the East Wing modernization as he speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on March 29, 2026. Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images A federal appeals court is allowing President Donald Trump to continue building a $400 million ballroom […]
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Trump signs order to speed review of psychedelics, including the controversial drug ibogaine
President Donald Trump on Saturday directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine, which recently has been embraced by combat veterans and conservative lawmakers despite having serious safety risks. Ibogaine is banned under the federal government’s most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to […]
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Trump says U.S. has ‘good news’ on Iran as Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz is closed again
IN FLIGHT – APRIL 17: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the press aboard Air Force One on April 17, 2026 just prior to landing at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images President Donald Trump sounded optimistic about the progress of […]
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Three things to know about FISA Section 702: Congress passes short-term extension of controversial surveillance program
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., speaks as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on President Donald Trump’s trade policy, on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 8, 2025. Kevin Mohatt | Reuters The House and Senate on Friday approved a short-term extensive of a section of federal law that allows the […]
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Iran declares Strait of Hormuz open to shipping; Trump says U.S. blockade still active
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi in Cairo, Egypt, on Oct. 17, 2024. Sayed Mohamed | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images Iran on Friday declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open to commercial traffic during the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. “In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels […]
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House Dem Sam Liccardo probes suspicious oil trades during Iran war
Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., attends a news conference with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during the House Democrats’ 2025 Issues Conference at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, March 13, 2025. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., is probing whether the nation’s top financial regulators are examining […]
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U.S. tech companies ramp up government lobbying amid Iran war uncertainty
U.S. tech companies are ramping up lobbying of government officials at home and further afield amid the Iran war, as they look to defend their interests and map out contingency plans, industry insiders told CNBC. Conflict in the Middle East has thrown the global business sector into disarray, with oil prices skyrocketing and supply chains […]
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Tanker diplomacy: Trump faces tests from Havana to Hormuz
A man stands as a tugboat guides the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin at the oil terminal in the port of Matanzas, northwestern Cuba, on March 31, 2026. Yamil Lage | Afp | Getty Images Energy shipments are increasingly being used as foreign policy tool as the Trump administration attempts to hold down two blockades […]
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CNBC Daily Open: A ceasefire, but no Strait talk
A photograph taken from the southern Lebanese area of Tyre shows smoke as it rises from the site of Israeli airstrikes that targeted villages on southern Lebanon on April 16, 2026. Kawnat Haju | AFP | Getty Images Hello, this is Leonie Kidd writing to you from London. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily […]
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