Ceasefire Talks Fail, Masters, & Best Marinara Sauce

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Adam Rogers
April 13, 2026

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President Trump ordered the US Navy to immediately blockade the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday after ceasefire talks in Pakistan collapsed. The ceasefire expires on April 22 with no next steps in sight. Trump said the blockade would interdict any vessel that had paid a toll to Iran.
Two sticking points broke the talks. On nuclear weapons, Vance demanded Iran commit to abandoning them; Iran denied seeking them but insisted on its right to civilian nuclear energy. On Lebanon, Iran demanded a halt to Israeli strikes on Hezbollah, but Israel said the ceasefire never applied there. The war has killed at least 3,000 in Iran, 2,020 in Lebanon, and 23 in Israel.
Pakistan offered to facilitate new talks, and Russia, the EU, and Oman urged diplomacy. Meanwhile, Israel continued striking Lebanon despite the ceasefire, having killed more than 300 people in Beirut on the day the deal was announced.

Hungarian voters ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday after 16 years in power. Pro-European challenger Péter Magyar won 53% to 37% in a record 80% turnout, taking 94 of Hungary's 106 voting districts. Orbán, a close ally of both Trump and Putin, conceded defeat, calling it a "painful" result. JD Vance had visited Hungary days earlier in a bid to boost him.
Magyar, a former Orbán loyalist who broke with him in 2024, campaigned against corruption and on realigning Hungary with the EU and NATO. Under Orbán, Hungary shared EU deliberations with Moscow and blocked a $104 billion EU loan to Ukraine. Russian secret services were accused of attempting to interfere in the election to tip it in Orbán's favor.
Magyar's victory reshapes European politics immediately — Orbán had been a beacon for far-right nationalist movements worldwide and the EU's most disruptive member for years. Whether Magyar's party secures a two-thirds parliamentary majority, needed for major legislative changes, remains unclear.

Rory McIlroy won his second straight Masters on Sunday, finishing at -12 to become only the fourth player in history to win back-to-back green jackets at Augusta National — joining Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods. It is McIlroy's sixth career major, tying him with Lee Trevino, Faldo, and Phil Mickelson for 12th most all time. Scottie Scheffler, who entered the weekend 12 strokes back, finished one behind.
The victory was anything but easy. McIlroy blew his entire six-stroke Friday lead with a 73 on Saturday, double-bogeying 11 and bogeying 12 at Amen Corner — Augusta's most feared stretch of holes, where wind, water, and pressure have ended countless Masters dreams. On Sunday, he conquered the same stretch, birdying both 12 and 13 to take a three-stroke lead. Justin Rose charged early and took a two-shot lead before fading on the same holes.
McIlroy's tee shot on the last hole went deep into the woods, threatening one final collapse. He escaped the woods into a greenside bunker and finished with a 5-shot bogey to avoid a playoff.

Rep. Eric Swalwell is now facing calls to resign from Congress and drop his California governor bid after a former staffer alleged he sexually assaulted her, which Swalwell denied. (More)

A man stabbed three people with a machete at NY’s Grand Central Terminal on Saturday before police shot and killed him after he refused to drop his weapon and advanced on officers. (More)

A federal appeals court struck down an 1868 law banning home distilling, ruling the government can't use its taxing power to criminalize making spirits at home. (More)

The EU launched a new border system on Sunday, requiring Americans and other non-visa travelers to submit fingerprints and photos upon first entry. (More)

Britain dropped a deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after the Trump administration withdrew its support, leaving the two countries' shared military base in limbo. (More)

French police rescued a nine-year-old found naked and malnourished in a trash-filled van where his father had locked him since 2024. (More)

US stock markets closed mixed on Friday (S&P -0.11%, Nasdaq +0.35%, Dow -0.56%) as traders remained cautious of the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran. (More)

Social Security COLA benefits could rise 3.2% in 2027, up from a previous estimate of 1.7%, after new inflation data showed prices climbing to their highest level in nearly two years. (More)

Oil prices jumped 8% to $104 per barrel on Sunday after the US military announced it will blockade all Iranian ports starting today. (More)

University of Denver won its third national hockey championship in five years, beating Wisconsin 2-1 on Saturday behind goalie Johnny Hicks's 29 saves and Kyle Chyzowski's tiebreaking tip-in late in the third period. (More)

The NBA regular season ended last night with the top six teams in each conference locked in for the playoffs. Seeds 7-10 will compete in the play-in tournament to decide the final two playoff spots. (More)

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie earned $69 million in its second weekend, pushing its domestic total to $308 million and global haul to $629 million. (More)

Researchers found two gene variants that may explain why weight-loss drugs like Wegovy work better for some people, though researchers say genetics plays only a modest role compared to factors like dosage and sex. (More)

Ancient grains like quinoa and spelt offer real benefits, but scientists say eating a variety of whole grains matters far more than whether they're ancient or modern. (More)

Astronomers can't agree on how fast the universe is expanding, and a new study confirms the local rate is faster than early-universe models predict. (More)

Pro chefs blind taste test store-bought marinara sauce.

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