Project Freedom

Plus: Rudy Giuliani hospitalized, rules relaxed for foreign physicians, cities without children, and more...

I am so sick of hearing about the Strait of Hormuz: But hear about it we must, since President Donald Trump has decided—in a fit of either prudence or provocation (why not both?)—that U.S. Navy ships will escort vessels through the strait to ensure safe passage. And if Iran interrupts this process, fresh terror will rain down.

"Countries from all over the World, almost all of which are not involved in the Middle Eastern dispute going on so visibly, and violently, for all to see, have asked the United States if we could help free up their Ships, which are locked up in the Strait of Hormuz, on something which they have absolutely nothing to do with," claims Trump via Truth Social, describing what he's termed "Project Freedom."

"They are merely neutral and innocent bystanders! For the good of Iran, the Middle East, and the United States, we have told these Countries that we will guide their Ships safely out of these restricted Waterways, so that they can freely and ably get on with their business….Many of these Ships are running low on food, and everything else necessary for largescale crews to stay on board in a healthy and sanitary manner," continues the president. "I think it would go a long way in showing Goodwill on behalf of all of those who have been fighting so strenuously over the last number of months. If, in any way, this Humanitarian process is interfered with, that interference will, unfortunately, have to be dealt with forcefully."

U.S. Central Command announced in a statement that "U.S. military support to Project Freedom will include guided-missile destroyers, over 100 land and sea-based aircraft, multi-domain unmanned platforms, and 15,000 service members."

"The president wants action," a senior U.S. official told Axios. "He doesn't want to sit still. He wants pressure. He wants a deal."

Trump claims American delegations "are having very positive discussions" with Iran. Iran's response this morning seems either to contradict that or to be some sort of very aggressive posturing.

"We have repeatedly said the security of the Strait of Hormuz is in our hands and that the safe passage of vessels needs to be coordinated with the armed forces," said Ali Abdollahi, head of the forces' unified ​command, per Reuters. "We warn that any foreign armed forces, especially the aggressive U.S. Army, will be attacked if they intend to approach and enter the Strait of ⁠Hormuz."

Iran's "mosquito fleet"—small, speedy boats that mostly try to stymie shipping—remains in the Strait, though Iran's naval power is looking a bit thinner than it was at the start of the war. Opening up the Strait of Hormuz is critical for stabilizing oil prices, which have been high for months.

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Scenes from New York: Thank you all for understanding my long absence after my son, Solomon, died in early March. I kept it somewhat private when he was in utero, but him dying young was always a distinct possibility: He was diagnosed with clubfoot and muscle contractures in utero, with suspected trisomy 18 or neuromuscular issues. We chose to carry him to term regardless, to love him through whatever challenges he'd been made with. When he was born, he had several minor disabilities (including clubfoot and muscle contractures in his hands and knees) but he mostly struggled with breathing—a struggle that continued for 70 days, 61 in the NICU and 9 on the outside—and one that ultimately led to his death. It was a harrowing experience, serving as his caretaker, hunting for a diagnosis that never came, memorizing his chart to ensure continuity between doctors and hospitals. When he was discharged from the hospital, the thought was not that he would die at home but rather that our normal life would begin. But he stopped breathing one night, out of nowhere.

None of this has shaken my faith. I regret nothing. I loved him very well and still do. I mention the details because I believe in choosing life and I hope others do the same if forced to contend with something similar. Life has more color and texture, not less, having walked through sorrow. I'm not sure what else we're here to do other than to serve our children and spouses and parents, summoning supernatural love. If I seem a little "throw the phones in the forest, stop scrolling and watching Pornhub" ("Blow up your TV, throw away your paper" in the words of John Prine) it's because we really are called to a higher purpose and there seems at times to be society-wide mass psychosis that denies this. I want more for people. And I'm lucky to have glimpsed what more looks like, painful though it may be.

I don't feel ready to come back, but I'm also convinced ready never comes. Are we ever ready for the day after? Resuming normalcy often feels like an affront to the dead. But it's necessary, and time moves forward whether we like it or not. For the month of April, my husband and remaining son and I went to Europe: to Barcelona and Catalonia and Andorra, then through Marseille and Monaco and through the Italian riviera to Rome. I turned 30 and ran around the Colisseum. I went to daily Mass at St. Peter's Basilica and had about three dozen aperol spritzes. It was good, I guess, but the real goodness is to come, later on, when we get to enter God's kingdom and be reunited with our son. It's hard after loss: It's tempting to want to just bide your time, but it's better to try to enjoy life fully, recognizing that everything has been thrown into sharp contrast and will remain that way forever.

All of this is to say: Thanks for being here, for reading, for bearing with me. I don't feel OK, but it's time to start going through the motions.

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QUICK HITS

• Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York and personal lawyer to President Donald Trump, is hospitalized in Florida in critical condition.
• "The progressive movement's largest donor network plans to invest 'tens of millions' of dollars in new media sources,," reports David Weigel in Semafor. "The fund would boost organizations that have been making content that breaks through to young people, like the Emmy-winning More Perfect Union. It would also compete in a space that conservatives have dominated, to liberals' dismay, like the non-political content of Make America Healthy Again influencers." I'm sure this will work.
• A Department of Homeland Security travel ban had, since January, frozen government approvals for visa extensions for doctors from certain countries. New guidance reverses that, allowing physicians to work.
• Cities without children:

"In Paris, primary school enrollment has fallen by a quarter in the past decade. First year elementary school enrollment in New York fell 18% in the decade to autumn 2024, while in Barcelona, preschool entry fell 16% between autumn 2016 and autumn 2024."https://t.co/TIMbzip6v5

— Alec MacGillis (@AlecMacGillis) April 20, 2026

• I continue to be rather befuddled by Tyler Cowen's approach to digital spaces and kids. (Also, kids' ages matter quite a bit.) I am more team "safeguard attention spans and create major guardrails" and believe this should happen at the parental and school level (not via federal ban or anything like that).
• Surprised to see from Sen. Rand Paul:

I am introducing a Constitutional Amendment to end Birthright Citizenship.

Under current interpretations of American law, anyone born on American soil automatically becomes a U.S. citizen, regardless of whether the parent was here legally or not.  This is wrong and not at all… pic.twitter.com/6O5vWr0MYT

— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) April 30, 2026

• Obvious once you think about it, but looking at maps like these helps lay it out more clearly:

Many Americans think it's natural that the "inner city" is full of poor people, but it's actually the reverse. City centers are naturally wealthy, and ghettos naturally arise in the outskirts.

Inverting this was a massive project of social engineering by the American government https://t.co/lwM1mVPdId

— 𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖊 🕯 (@atlanticesque) April 28, 2026