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April 17, 2026

The National Pulse

News

War is Over (Probably?) – April 17th, 2026.

Tonight: Trump declares Strait of Hormuz reopen and Israel “PROHIBITED” from bombing Lebanon. Plus: young men driving a religious revival, Newsom’s PAC spent $1.5m buying his own book, Congress’s $18m sexual harassment slush fund, the FISA fight, D.C. crime plunging, Air Canada grounded, and more.

The National Pulse Nightly. Friday, April 17, 2026  •  Nº 7 Where MAGA goes to know.

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Photo of the Day President Donald J. Trump participates in an interview with Fox’s Maria Bartiromo, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House. PHOTO: JOYCE N. BOGHOSIAN

— From the Editor — Markets are rebounding. Bitcoin’s back up. Oil prices are falling. Gas prices will soon follow. Still, the uncertainty around Trump’s imminent deal with Iran is causing distress in DC and beyond. We’ll follow the details along closely, and bring you the news, in brief, as ever. Welcome to The National Pulse Nightly, which goes out every day to subscribed members, and every Friday to my wider audience (in the hopes that you’ll all sign up). Enjoy the real news. Raheem J. Kassam Editor-in-Chief

Tonight’s Briefing

Foreign Policy 1. Trump Declares Strait of Hormuz Reopen, Israel ‘PROHIBITED’ From Bombing Lebanon. The president claims a “great victory” as Iran commits to reopening the strait — and tells Israel its Lebanon campaign is over.

■ Pulse Points  /  Make Lebanon Great Again? What Happened —  President Trump declared a “great victory” in the Middle East, with Iran committing to “fully” reopen the Strait of Hormuz following a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Trump also declared Israel is “PROHIBITED” from carrying out further attacks in Lebanon by the U.S. The Detail —  The Strait of Hormuz is a key supply route for energy and fertilizer, and its closure by Iran caused fuel shortages and price rises worldwide. Trump insists the reopening is not tied to the Lebanon ceasefire, but announced on Truth Social that Israel “will not be bombing Lebanon any longer.” Israel had pushed for weeks of additional strikes against Hezbollah targets. Key Quote —  “This deal is not tied, in any way, to Lebanon, but we will, MAKE LEBANON GREAT AGAIN!” – President Donald J. Trump Impact —  The reopening could stabilize global oil markets and ease a jet fuel crisis threatening hundreds of thousands of flight cancellations. Oil and gas prices have already dropped, but the situation remains fragile, with claims the Lebanon ceasefire is already being violated. Trump responded negatively to a belated UK-France proposal for a multinational passage mission, writing that he “TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY.”

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Religion · Data 2. Young Men Are Driving a Surprise Revival in Religious Faith. Gallup finds young men now surpass young women in viewing religion as “very important” for the first time in 25 years.

■ Pulse Points  /  Bastion of Faith What Happened —  A Gallup poll from 2024-2025 shows that 42 percent of young men now consider religion “very important,” a significant leap from 28 percent in 2022-2023, surpassing young women, who remain steady at 30 percent. The Detail —  This marks a reversal of a long-standing trend. The change is largely concentrated among young Republicans, while religious participation among young Democrats has stayed the same or declined. Experts suggest social isolation, political identity, and the search for community may be driving the shift. The gender gap reversal is mainly limited to people under 30. Key Quote —  “With the recent surge in their attachment to religion, young men have returned to the high point of their expressed religiosity of the past 25 years. By contrast, women of all age groups and older men are at or near their historical lows.” – Gallup Impact —  Positive trends have been seen in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, Britain, and France, which recorded a record number of adult baptisms in 2026.

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Democrats 3. Newsom PAC Spent Over $1.5m Boosting Sales of His Memoir With Donor Cash. Two-thirds of the governor’s book sales were bulk purchases by his own political action committee.

■ Pulse Points  /  Young Man in a Hurry (to Buy His Own Book) What Happened —  Gavin Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy Committee spent $1,561,875 purchasing copies of his memoir, Young Man in a Hurry, and distributing them to donors who contributed any amount to his PAC. The Detail —  The book distribution accounted for approximately two-thirds of the memoir’s total print sales, with about 67,000 copies sent to donors. The book appeared on the New York Times best-seller list but was marked with a dagger indicating a mix of organic and bulk sales. The $1.5 million was easily the single largest expense for Newsom’s federal PAC in Q1 2026. Flashback —  The memoir glosses over Newsom’s controversial relationship with a 19-year-old college student when he was the 39-year-old Mayor of San Francisco. However, it does acknowledge that he destroyed the marriage of his deputy chief of staff by having an affair with the man’s wife.

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Corruption 4. You Owe $18 Million to Cover for Congressional Sexual Harassment. Congress quietly settled nearly 300 workplace disputes with taxpayer funds — and the names remain hidden.

■ Pulse Points  /  The Slush Fund What Happened —  Between 1997 and 2019, Congress used over $18 million in taxpayer funds to settle nearly 300 workplace disputes, including claims of sexual harassment, through the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights (OCWR). The Detail —  Reforms in 2018 mandated that lawmakers repay settlement costs, but critics argue the system still lacks transparency, as the names of lawmakers involved are often hidden. House Oversight has moved to subpoena records of past settlements. Key Quote —  “A friendly reminder that House Oversight subpoenaed the records of the congressional sexual harassment slush fund and we will be releasing them. Maybe we’ll see more resignations, you never know.” – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) Impact —  The 2019 report is back in the spotlight following allegations against Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who has suspended a bid for Governor and resigned from Congress amid a slew of accusations of sexual harassment and rape.

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Surveillance 5. Senate Passes Brief Extension of FISA Surveillance Powers After Fight Among House GOP. Twenty Republican holdouts forced a 10-day stopgap after derailing Speaker Johnson’s 18-month extension.

■ Pulse Points  /  Ten Days to Figure It Out What Happened —  The House passed a 10-day extension of Section 702 of FISA early Friday after overnight votes in which 20 Republican lawmakers demanding reforms derailed a longer extension. The Senate passed the stopgap unanimously the same morning. The Detail —  Section 702 allows U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor non-citizen communications abroad without a standard warrant. House Republicans want reforms including warrant requirements to prevent abuses against U.S. citizens. Speaker Johnson pushed for an 18-month extension, but conservative opposition forced the shorter stopgap. Flashback —  Trump backed the long-term extension despite FISA having been weaponized against him during the Russia collusion investigation. He wrote on Truth Social: “I am willing to risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen for our Great Military and Country!”

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Crime 6. D.C. Sees Plunge in Murders, Carjackings, Under Tough-on-Crime Regime. Murder rates on track for a historic low — down from 274 under Biden to a projected 42 this year.

■ Pulse Points  /  The Pirro Effect What Happened —  Washington, D.C., is on track to record approximately 42 murders this year, the lowest since at least 1930 — a dramatic decrease from 274 murders two years ago under Biden. Carjackings have dropped 44 percent. The Detail —  The decline is attributed to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who has prosecuted offenders much more aggressively than Biden-era predecessors, seeking capital punishment in the most severe cases. Federal law enforcement and the National Guard have been deployed to compensate for local police staffing cuts by the Democrat-dominated city council. A policy of not charging juveniles as adults has been reversed, pushing the arrest-to-offense ratio for carjackings from 25 percent to 58 percent. Impact —  The Trump administration’s changes have created a significantly more hostile environment for criminals. However, a surge in killings in recent days, attributed to “interpersonal violence between groups,” suggests there is still work to do.

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Economy · Energy 7. Air Canada is Suspending Flights to New York. Jet fuel costs have doubled since the start of the Iran conflict, making the JFK route uneconomic.

■ Pulse Points  /  Grounded What Happened —  Air Canada will suspend flights from Toronto and Montreal to JFK Airport between June 1 and October 25, citing unsustainable jet fuel costs driven by the Iran conflict. The airline will continue serving LaGuardia and Newark. The Detail —  Jet fuel prices have roughly doubled during the Iran conflict, reaching $4.32 per gallon, up from $2.50 before the war. Airlines including Lufthansa and Delta have already announced cost-cutting measures. Although oil prices have shown some recent decline after the Strait of Hormuz was declared reopened, uncertainty remains. Key Quote —  “As jet fuel prices have doubled since the start of the Iran conflict and some lower profitability routes and flights are no longer economic, we are making schedule adjustments accordingly.” – Air Canada spokesman

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Immigration · Europe 8. Afghan Migrant Charged With Raping Rescue Animals. A 19-year-old Afghan caught on camera abusing sheep and goats at a French educational farm near Marseille.

■ Pulse Points  /  Caught on Camera What Happened —  A 19-year-old Afghan migrant was arrested in France for allegedly raping sheep and goats at an educational farm near Marseille. The animals were found tied up and injured, prompting farm owners to install cameras that captured the acts. The Detail —  Police arrested the suspect on April 10 after catching him in the act. DNA evidence linked him to multiple abused animals. He arrived in France in November 2025 and was awaiting residency. He has been ordered held in pre-trial detention ahead of a trial scheduled for June 22. Flashback —  The incident comes weeks after a case in Italy involving migrants who allegedly sexually abused a kitten in Rome, sparking major protests.

Featured Video.

Watch Raheem Kassam hosts jazz night at his Washington, D.C. bar and restaurant, Butterworth’s. Sammy Miller and the Congregation played in front of an audience including top D.C. movers and shakers, Congressional staff, White House and agency officials, and locals.

On This Day In History.

1790 Benjamin Franklin dies in Philadelphia at the age of 84.

1861 Virginia secedes from the Union, becoming the eighth state to join the Confederacy.

1961 The Bay of Pigs invasion begins as CIA-trained Cuban exiles land at the Bahía de Cochinos. The operation is a disaster.

1969 Sirhan Sirhan is convicted of assassinating Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

1970 The Apollo 13 crew splashes down safely in the Pacific after their harrowing ordeal. “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”

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