It’s Wednesday, April 8. This is The Front Page, your daily window into the world of The Free Press—and our take on the world at large. Today: Why coders are losing it. Why aging pundits are trying to impress the kids. Why the Strait of Hormuz is so essential. And much more.
But first: Is the war in Iran actually over?
President Donald Trump began Tuesday by saying a “whole civilization” would “die tonight, never to be brought back again.” He promised massive strikes against civilian infrastructure in Iran unless there was some sort of diplomatic breakthrough before his 8 p.m. deadline.
The world held its breath. And then, some 90 minutes before the attacks were set to begin, Trump announced that the U.S. had “received a 10-point proposal from Iran,” which he described as “a workable basis on which to negotiate.” Trump and Tehran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. And the president said the Strait of Hormuz, effectively blockaded by the Iranian regime since the start of the conflict, would reopen in some form in the meantime.
While it’s only a temporary truce, the announcement at least delayed the thunderous American attack Trump had threatened—which could have pummeled Iran’s long-suffering civilians. Some might see it as a cop-out, but as Eli Lake argues today, Trump has delivered a great victory for the U.S. Read the whole piece here.
However, it’s unclear whether the deal will last two weeks. Iran’s foreign minister stated that “safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations”—caveats with implications that aren’t immediately clear. Plus, Iranian missiles and drones continued to attack Israeli and Arab targets after the deal was announced.
As Aaron MacLean writes today: “If the ceasefire doesn’t lead down the path toward diplomacy, or surrender, or Trump simply losing heart and moving on, we will be back in the standoff that gripped the world on Tuesday.” Read the full piece here:
But how are everyday Iranians responding to the ceasefire? Veteran foreign correspondent Amy Kellogg was on the phone with a friend in Iran when the news broke—and he wasn’t thrilled by what he sees as a lifeline for the regime. “They will spend the next two weeks making missiles. More to shoot at the Gulf and everywhere else,” he said. As for the regime’s supporters: “They are already out in the streets celebrating.” Read Amy’s report full here:
It’s a new day in the Middle East. Now let’s see if it lasts.
—The Editors
As the dust settles, it’s worth asking: Did Trump just come close to asking U.S. troops to commit war crimes? “Under the laws of war,” writes Elliot Ackerman, “you cannot intentionally target civilians or civilian objects”—yet the President was warning Iran that it was “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day.” Elliot, who served in the Middle East as a Marine, explains what would constitute an illegal order from the Commander-in-Chief.
Once upon a time, learning to code was supposed to be the golden ticket to a lucrative career in Silicon Valley. But now, software engineers are losing their jobs in droves. Even the coders clinging on are suffering from “AI depression”: persistent feelings of worthlessness caused by the knowledge that a machine has rendered you obsolete. Evan Gardner spoke with several once-hopeful computer scientists now reeling from a crippling realization: “my career is cooked.” It’s a fascinating read.
Why does Tucker Carlson seem so desperate to impress Nick Fuentes? And what about all the talk show hosts sucking up to Zohran Mamdani? Today’s pundits are desperate to impress the kids, writes proud Gen Xer Bridget Phetasy, and it’s not a good look. Read her essay about the Boomers catering to an “algorithmically radicalized” audience—and why she’s happy to be left behind.
What’s so important about the Strait of Hormuz anyway? Opening the narrow waterway may have just ended a war. But to fully understand the power of the Strait, listen to maritime history and shipping expert Sal Mercogliano, who joins Aaron MacLean on “School of War” to explain its history, how Iran had used it to hold the world hostage—and what happens when it opens again.
MORE FROM THE FREE PRESS
THE NEWS
American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released by an Iran-aligned militia in Iraq after being held captive for one week, according to Iraqi officials with knowledge of the matter. (For more on Kittleson’s story, read Hollie McKay’s piece, “The American Journalist Kidnapped in Baghdad Is My Friend.”)
Anthropic is debuting a powerful new AI model to a limited group of tech companies while delaying its public release, citing hacking concerns. The model, dubbed “Mythos,” is “extremely autonomous” and possesses hacking capabilities on par with an experienced cybersecurity researcher, one Anthropic scientist told Axios.
An Indianapolis city councilor said yesterday his home was shot at 13 times, with the assailant leaving behind a “No Data Centers” note in what appears to be a politically motivated attack. Days before the shooting, the councilor had spoken in favor of a project that aims to develop a data center in the city.
The Securities and Exchange Commission will pay an anonymous whistleblower over $50 million for information that helped lead to an enforcement action against an unnamed firm, the agency announced yesterday. As a result of the tip, regulators took action against a company that had allegedly deceived investors regarding the performance of one of its divisions.
Voters in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District elected Trump-endorsed Republican Clay Fuller in a runoff election for the seat formerly held by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene. Greene did not endorse a candidate in the race after she resigned earlier this year, following a public falling-out with President Donald Trump over the Epstein files.
Australian police arrested the country’s most decorated living veteran, Ben Roberts-Smith, on Tuesday—alleging he killed five unarmed people while serving in Afghanistan. Each of the five war crimes Roberts-Smith has been charged with carries a potential life sentence.
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is pitching a $60 billion deal to take over Universal Music Group, the label behind Taylor Swift and Bob Dylan. The deal would merge the world’s largest record company with Pershing Square Sparc Holdings, a specially created acquisition vehicle, and list it on the New York Stock Exchange.
The Trump administration is holding on to Kristi Noem’s controversial $70 million jet after her ouster last month, with plans to use it to shuttle select cabinet secretaries. The plane first attracted buzz as a symbol of lavish spending by the Department of Homeland Security under Noem.
War crimes…again? When Mr. Ackerman writes something serious, please publish it.
"As a result of the tip, regulators took action against a company that had allegedly deceived investors regarding the performance of one of its divisions."
And what are the odds that whatever action was taken will result in an immediate pardon by our president? This sounds like a person (or people) squarely in his "pardon wheelhouse".