Iran Rejects Ceasefire Proposal – The Tuesday AM Quickie 4/7/26
Some exciting and heartfelt moments yesterday for Artemis II enthusiasts. Not only did the crew head to the dark side of the moon and travel farther away from Earth than any human being in history, members also proposed that a bright moon crater be named after astronaut Reid Wiseman’s late wife, Carroll. And before they went behind the moon, pilot astronaut Victor Glover offered the following: “As we prepare to go out of radio communication, we’re still going to feel your love from Earth. And to all of you down there on Earth and around Earth, we love you, from the Moon.” Friends, there was not a dry eye in my home office! Ok, that’s it from me, Corey is back tomorrow. -Whitney
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4/7: Emma is hosting solo today. Her guest is Arindrajit Dube, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, whose new book is The Wage Standard: What’s Wrong in the Labor Market and How to Fix It.
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Today you’ll read about Trump’s ongoing mental decline, the severe increase in child ICE prisoners, and the good news of independent international reporting in Maine.
THE BIG NEWS
Iran Rejects Ceasefire Proposal, Trump Threatens More War Crimes
The mentally unfit and emotionally unstable Trump promised more war crimes against Iran yesterday after its leaders rejected his ceasefire proposal and said they’d accept nothing less than an end to the war, Bloomberg, NBC News, the NYT, Reuters and the Washington Post reported. His new deadline for Iranian leaders to bend to his will is today at 8 p.m. If they don’t, “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again,” Trump said. He also said yesterday that “the entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.”
Trump failed to clearly articulate whether he is demanding Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz as part of the deal. When a reporter asked if he’d be willing to stop bombing Iran even if Iran charges tolls to use the strait, Trump responded by claiming that the US will be the ones to charge tolls. How? No one knows, since the US doesn’t control the strait.
Iran’s counterproposal is a demand to end the war and other measures, “including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting of sanctions, and reconstruction,” the official IRNA news agency said yesterday. Iranian leaders also said they weren’t having the talk of total destruction. Per the Washington Post:
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his French counterpart in a call that Trump’s threat “amounts to normalizing war crimes and genocide.” Kazem Gharibabadi, a deputy foreign minister, said on X that Trump’s threats constitute “individual criminal responsibility” and that Iran will retaliate with a “regret-inducing” response.
Mohammad Akraminia, an Iranian army spokesman, said Sunday that deterrence for future war relies on “bringing the enemy to genuine regret,” the Tasnim news agency reported.