Top Stories

Iran War: Trump Claims Conflict "Close to Over" as Blockade Enters Day Two The U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continued for a second day as President Trump expressed optimism about ending the war with Iran, pushing for new peace talks during a two-week ceasefire pause. The White House reported more than 100 empty oil tankers heading to U.S. ports to load American crude, underscoring the disruption to global energy markets. Meanwhile, tensions between Trump and Pope Leo escalated over disagreements on the war, with Trump posting — then deleting — an AI-generated image depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure. (CBS News, ABC News)

Swalwell Resigns; New Accuser Alleges Drugging and Rape Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) announced his resignation from Congress on Monday amid mounting sexual misconduct allegations. On Tuesday, a new accuser, Lonna Drewes, came forward alleging Swalwell drugged and raped her in 2018. A bipartisan duo of Reps. Luna (R) and Leger Fernandez (D), who helped push both Swalwell and Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) to resign, told CBS News that additional lawmakers may face similar pressure. (CBS News)

Appeals Court Blocks Criminal Contempt Probe Over Deportation Flights A federal appeals court shut down U.S. District Judge James Boasberg's criminal contempt inquiry into administration officials who allegedly defied a court order to turn around deportation flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under the Alien Enemies Act. (CBS News)

DOJ Moves to Dismiss Jan. 6 Convictions for Proud Boys, Oath Keepers The Justice Department asked a federal court to vacate Jan. 6 convictions against 12 former members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, including seditious conspiracy charges — seeking to erase some of the most significant prosecutions from the Capitol breach. (CBS News)

Super Typhoon Sinlaku Slams U.S. Pacific Territories A powerful super typhoon made landfall on Guam and surrounding U.S. island territories in the Western Pacific, with residents reporting devastating impacts. (CBS News)

Left Perspective

Left-leaning outlets emphasized the human and legal costs of the administration's policies. CBS News gave significant coverage to the appeals court blocking the contempt probe on deportation flights, framing it as a setback for judicial oversight. Coverage of the DOJ's move to dismiss Jan. 6 convictions highlighted the gravity of wiping away seditious conspiracy charges. On the Iran war, CBS and ABC News spotlighted the economic pain at home — Chevron executives suggested Americans "should try to drive less" amid high gas prices, while Venezuelan oil imports were framed as a necessary relief valve. CBS also noted that the war and affordability issues have boosted Democratic hopes for the 2026 midterms, with key Senate races potentially flipping. New Medicaid work requirements drew attention, with CBS reporting that some Republican states want to triple the federally mandated work period, affecting 18.5 million adults. (CBS News, ABC News)

Right Perspective

Note: No right-leaning outlet articles were included in today's provided source material. Typically, outlets such as Fox News, the New York Post, and the Washington Examiner would offer perspectives emphasizing the administration's framing of the Iran blockade as a position of strength, the DOJ's Jan. 6 dismissals as correcting prosecutorial overreach, and the deportation flight ruling as a judicial victory for executive authority. Readers are encouraged to consult these outlets directly for balanced analysis.

International View

Note: No international outlet articles were included in today's provided source material. International coverage from outlets such as BBC, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and the Financial Times would likely focus on the geopolitical implications of the Strait of Hormuz blockade for global oil markets, the Pope Leo–Trump clash over the Iran war, and the humanitarian dimensions of the ceasefire negotiations. The super typhoon striking U.S. Pacific territories may also receive coverage in the context of climate and disaster resilience.

Underreported

• Nuclear Waste Cleanup in Armstrong County, PA: The federal government is beginning long-awaited excavation of a giant nuclear waste dump near Apollo, Pennsylvania — a significant environmental and public health story receiving limited national attention. (CBS News)

• Prosecutors Attempted to Access Federal Reserve Headquarters: Prosecutors from AG Jeanine Pirro's office attempted to enter the Federal Reserve building in connection with a months-long criminal investigation into renovations, but were turned away — raising questions about the scope of executive branch investigations into the independent central bank. (CBS News)

• U.S. Military Strikes on Alleged Drug Boats: A fourth U.S. strike on a suspected drug smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific in just days killed four people, with U.S. Southern Command posting aerial strike footage on social media. The escalating use of military force against drug traffickers at sea has drawn limited scrutiny. (CBS News)

• 7-Eleven Closing 645 Stores: The convenience chain's North American operator announced plans to close 645 locations in 2026, far outpacing its 205 planned openings — a signal of shifting consumer behavior and economic pressures on retail. (CBS News)

• $1.4 Trillion Power Grid Investment Driven by Data Centers: A survey of investor-owned utilities found data centers are a top driver of a massive capital spending wave, with potential long-term impacts on electricity costs and grid infrastructure. (CBS News)

Sources

• CBS News (Lean Left)
• ABC News (Lean Left)

Note: Today's digest draws exclusively from lean-left sources as provided. For a fully balanced picture, readers should also consult center, lean-right, and international outlets.