Hantavirus
Nearly 150 passengers began evacuating a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship today after the cruise ship arrived off Tenerife, Spain, ending nearly a month of confinement at sea. The first group came ashore in head-to-toe personal protective equipment and facemasks, kept strictly secluded from the public as small boats ferried them to Granadilla port, where a medical tent and waiting buses funneled them toward special repatriation flights.
A hantavirus outbreak on the ship reportedly killed three passengers and sickened several more, but the WHO says the cases are linked to the ship, and assesses global risk as low.
Hantavirus normally spreads through contact with infected rodents or with their droppings, and has a fatality rate of up to 50%. While most strains do not pass between humans, the WHO says this strain of the virus is the Andes strain, which can spread through close, direct contact.
The remaining passengers are all under quarantine and surveillance. A few passengers had departed the boat at an earlier time and may have been exposed. Officials are trying to trace them down, as some had already returned to their homes. For those who just disembarked, they will be taken to quarantine units in their home countries.
🚢 Project Freedom
Frustrated by a “no deal, no war” stalemate, President Trump launched “Project Freedom,” an operation where the Navy would guide and advise commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, helping them to avoiding mines and stand ready to intervene. All backed by guided-missile destroyers, drones, over 100 aircraft, and 15,000 troops. A source close to the President described the mission as the “beginning of a process that could lead to a confrontation with the Iranians,” arguing that the humanitarian nature of the operation would give the U.S. legitimacy to act if Iran struck back.
Two U.S.-flagged ships made the trip Friday, but none have followed as of yet. The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran launching missiles and drones at three U.S. Navy destroyers and CENTCOM striking Iranian launch sites, command centers, and intelligence nodes in response. Iran's military called the U.S. strikes a ceasefire violation and threatened retaliation, while President Trump dismissed the exchange as “just a love tap” and insisted the ceasefire still holds. He later warned reporters: “They trifled with us today… [and] we blew them away… They better sign their agreement fast.”
President Trump then announced the suspension of Project Freedom, saying that “Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran.”
This comes as The Washington Post reports that a CIA analysis concludes Iran can survive a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for at least another three to four months.
More News
⛽ Gas prices up 50%: Today the U.S. average price of regular gasoline hit $4.52 per gallon on Tuesday, a more than 50% jump since the start of the Iran War, with prices climbing higher since. A week ago the average was $4.23, and a month ago it was $4.12.
✈️ Airfares climbing, too: The fuel shock is hitting flights hard, with the average domestic round-trip economy ticket up 24% from last spring and 26% higher than in January, per Kayak data. International flights from the U.S. are up 16% year over year.
🛸 Pentagon begins to open UFO files: At the direction of President Trump, the Pentagon has begun posting documents related to UFOs, dropping the first trove of documents on Friday and saying that more are on the way. (Editors note: Expect wild speculations about aliens.)
💣 Israel hits Beirut again: Israel carried out an airstrike in Beirut's southern suburbs, its first strike on Lebanon's capital since last month's ceasefire began. The strike targeted a senior Hezbollah commander and killed four. Since the ceasefire began, both sides have engaged in skirmishes that each say is retaliatory.
🇩🇪 Germany troop drawdown: The Pentagon announced last Friday it will withdraw 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany over the next year, but Trump told reporters Saturday the cut will go “way down” further than that. Roughly 36,000 active-duty American service members are currently stationed in the country.
📉 Trump's approval at new low: The President's disapproval rating has hit 62%, the worst of his two terms, per a new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll. Just 32% approve of his handling of the Iran War, and only 23% back his management of the cost of living, with 66% saying the country is on the wrong track and even strong Republican approval slipping 8 points.
🤝 Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap: President Trump announced Friday that Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners as part of a three-day Victory Day ceasefire running Saturday through Monday. (The countries had previously announced separate ceasefires on different days, leaving the timeline somewhat muddled.)
Heritage Life Conference
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🌸 Happy Mother’s Day!
To all the moms reading, Happy Mother's Day! Today we honor and appreciate you, and celebrate your strength and endless love. We pray you have a blessed Sunday.
