Loose Lips, Slipped Ships
Plus: The U.S. blockade of Iran begins, oil prices dip, D.C. fights its war against curbside "streateries," and more...
Peace talks and a leaky blockade: Following the failure of U.S.-Iranian peace talks in Pakistan to produce an agreement to end the war, U.S. negotiators say they are eager to try again.
The Associated Press, citing four anonymous sources, including two from the U.S., reports that preliminary talks to restart peace negotiations are underway. President Donald Trump likewise said on Monday that the Iranians have been calling and "want to work a deal."
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Per The New York Times, the U.S. is demanding that Iran cease its nuclear activities for a period of 20 years, while the Iranians are only offering a five-year suspension. The fact that each side is proposing alternative peace conditions is a sign that talks might begin again soon, said the Times.
The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, which Trump said would begin Monday evening Iranian time, seems to be only partially working. On X, the account Marine Traffic reported that two tankers turned around near the Strait of Hormuz following the beginning of the U.S. blockade.
Two tankers turn away from Strait of Hormuz after US blockade begins
At least two tankers reversed course near the Strait of Hormuz shortly after the start of the US blockade, highlighting the immediate impact on vessel movements. According to #MarineTraffic data, the 188-metre… pic.twitter.com/dRNi7yEgJI
— MarineTraffic (@MarineTraffic) April 13, 2026
One of these tankers, a Chinese-linked vessel sanctioned by the U.S. for violating sanctions on Iran, eventually managed to slip through the strait a few hours later.
Poor war: At a minimum, hopes of peace talks are calming some of the immediate economic disruptions caused by the war. Stocks have risen and oil and gasoline prices fell on Tuesday. Energy prices are still up significantly since the start of the war.
Analysts attribute some of the oil price decline to a forecast by the International Energy Agency that the globe will witness serious "demand destruction" for oil as a result of the massive disruption to global supply caused by the war.
Meanwhile, the war's impact on energy prices is having a secondary, suppressive effect on U.S. home sales.
Politico cites several economists and real estate professionals saying that the war with Iran is also slowing U.S. home sales during what is typically a busy spring buying season. Fears of higher long-term oil prices caused by the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused mortgage interest rates to climb.
The National Association of Realtors reported yesterday that home sales fell 3.6 percent in March while prices continued to rise.
Swalwell resigns. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D–Calif.) said yesterday that he will resign his seat in Congress rather than face an expulsion vote.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) April 13, 2026
The congressman had already suspended his California gubernatorial campaign over the weekend after being accused of sexual assault and other forms of sexual impropriety by a former staffer and other women.
Swalwell has continued to describe the accusations against him as false while apologizing for "mistakes in judgment" he'd made.
Even without the sexual assault allegations, Congress is better off without Swalwell. The man clearly conceived of his job as being a grandstanding media figure first, and a legislator second (or third, or fourth, or fifth…).
Congress has an excess of pundit politicians. It'll survive with one less.
Scenes from D.C.: The 51st has a recent article on the conversion of D.C.'s "streateries" back into on-street parking spaces after the city implemented more restrictive design guidelines and started charging rent for the spaces.
On the one hand, it is sad to see streateries go. They were one of the few positive changes to the urban environment wrought by COVID. To the degree that outdoor dining spaces are disappearing because of the new design requirements, this is a clear case of overregulation ruining an otherwise good thing.
On the other hand, it's completely reasonable that the city would charge rent for the public land these private businesses's streateries are permanently occupying. Allowing them to claim that land for free would be a huge subsidy.
Local food and drinks chronicler Barred in DC had a similar reaction.
Good update on streateries here
81 spots applied for streateries (this is not the same list as what applied), 5 have been approved. Seems like the architectural plans part make it most costly (they should all pay rent just like sidewalk cafes do IMO)https://t.co/aUtZbQCUCE
— Barred in DC (@BarredinDC) April 9, 2026
Ideally, the city would just privatize curbside space and the new owners could decide whether they want to continue with outdoor dining or operate for-profit parking spaces.
QUICK HITS
- It's a bipartisan affair now. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R–Texas) says he'll resign his seat in Congress amid the threat of expulsion. The Texas congressman had already said he would not seek reelection after his former aide, with whom he'd had an affair, died by self-immolation.
There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas.
— Rep. Tony Gonzales (@RepTonyGonzales) April 13, 2026
- Richard Hanania has an essay arguing that writers using artificial intelligence is fine (basically the equivalent of other tools like search engines and reading glasses) and that more AI use by the general public will reduce their willingness to believe conspiracy theories. On the latter point, I think he severely underestimates how much people elect to believe in conspiracy theories, as opposed to being hoodwinked into false beliefs by a bad information environment.
- The East Coast is experiencing an especially temperamental spring, with daily high temperatures swinging by 30 degrees. As I said on a recent episode of Freed Up, a new podcast I'm hosting with Robby Soave, spring weather is really just winter weather and summer weather happening at once.
- School closures, not phones, are a more likely explanation for declining test scores, says Emily Oster.
- Trump posted an image of himself as a Jesus-like figure healing a sick man on Truth Social, before claiming he thought the image showed him as a doctor. This is where you end up when you start calling the Pope "weak on crime."
