Day: July 13, 2026

CNBC   President Donald Trump on Monday said the U.S. will impose fees in the Strait of Hormuz “at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped,” after declaring America the “guardian” of the major oil shipping route. Trump, in a Truth Social post, also said the U.S. will reimpose its blockade of Iranian ports near the strait, the epicenter of the U.S.′ rapidly reescalating war with Tehran. The blockade will resume Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command said. The U.S. has rejected Iran’s own plans to charge tolls to ships passing through the strait, which maritime experts, regulators and even top Trump administration officials have said is illegal under international law. But rather than call for the return of the strait to its prewar status as a toll-free international waterway, Trump’s post asserts that commercial vessels attempting the transit must now pay protection money to the U.S. READ THE FULL STORY   

CBS News   The FBI last week fired two of its analysts after they expressed concerns that the investigation into the 2020 election results in Fulton County, Georgia, was thin on evidence and appeared to be politically motivated, according to several sources briefed on the matter. The firings follow the FBI’s efforts to review thousands of records obtained earlier this year, after executing a search warrant and seizing “all physical ballots” from 2020, as well as tapes from vote-tabulating machines, ballot images and voter rolls. The bureau ordered 260 analysts to help sift through the ballots and voting data. “The FBI will always investigate credible allegations of matters related to federal elections,” an FBI spokesperson told CBS News. “Every employee at this FBI is expected to uphold our mission and adhere to our standards – any deviation will not be tolerated.” READ THE FULL STORY  

Breitbart   National Rally leader Marine Le Pen would win next year’s French presidential election against any opponent, according to a survey conducted after it was revealed this week that she would be eligible to campaign to replace Emmanuel Macron in the Élysée Palace. This week, the Paris Court of Appeals reduced the sentence against three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen over alleged misuse of EU Parliament funds. Critically, the court cut the time barring her from standing in any European election to allow for the National Rally (RN) leader to stand in the French presidential election next April. A cloud still hangs over her candidacy, with the court sentencing her to a three-year prison sentence, two years of which were suspended and one year of which is intended to be served under house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor. However, the ruling allowed for Le Pen to appeal further to the Court of Cassation, the supreme court in such cases, meaning that her innocence is once again presumed and she will not have to serve any aspect of the sentence until the appeal is completed. READ THE FULL STORY