Two Resignations in Congress, and the Pope’s Back-and-Forth With Trump

The war in Iran is driving global economic strain, with oil prices quadrupling and shipping delays disrupting rice exports from Vietnam, while fertilizer shortages threaten long-term food insecurity. The U.S. has imposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz to cut Iran’s oil revenue, escalating global energy and food costs. Meanwhile, two U.S. congressmen—Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales—resigned amid sexual misconduct allegations, and the IRS’s new data-sharing policy with immigration authorities is deterring undocumented immigrants from filing taxes, risking billions in lost revenue.

It connects distant geopolitical conflict to everyday economic pressures—from grocery prices to tax policy—while exposing institutional shifts with global ripple effects.

1. 01Shipping disruptions and soaring diesel prices due to the Strait of Hormuz crisis are slowing rice exports from Vietnam, the world’s second-largest rice exporter, with cascading effects on global food supply chains.
2. 02The U.S. proposed a 20-year suspension of Iran’s nuclear program in failed negotiations, while Iran offered only five years—highlighting a persistent strategy of delay rather than resolution in U.S.-Iran diplomacy.
3. 03Undocumented immigrants are increasingly avoiding tax filings due to fears of deportation after the IRS began sharing data with immigration enforcement, undermining both individual financial stability and federal tax revenue.