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In the news today: Election results from Indiana, Ohio and Michigan set the stage for the high-stakes midterm contests; White House officials step up calls on China to help open the Strait of Hormuz; and the price of gasoline moves even higher. Also, why pen pal programs may be making a comeback.
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First-time voter Frida Webb casts a ballot in a polling location during a primary election on Tuesday in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Cara Penquite)
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Trump’s flex pays off and Democrats win special election
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Elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan on Tuesday reinforced a picture that is becoming increasingly clear: while President Donald Trump still dominates the Republican Party, Democrats seem to have the momentum ahead of November’s midterm elections. Read more.
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- In Indiana, several Trump-backed candidates won against Republican state senators who rejected his redistricting plan in December. Their victories were a signal to Republicans everywhere that they can still get thrown out of office if they distance themselves from Trump, even as his popularity fades.
In Michigan, a Democrat comfortably won a state Senate race in a bellwether district, the latest in a string of special election victories. With the help of an endorsement from Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy clinched the Republican nomination for Ohio governor. He will face Democrat Amy Acton, Ohio’s former public health director.
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Trump advisers step up their calls on China to help open Strait of Hormuz ahead of Beijing summit
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This comes ahead of the highly anticipated summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing next week. Read more.
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On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Chinese officials to use Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s visit to China to urge Tehran to release its chokehold on the critical waterway. After meeting with Araghchi on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China was “deeply distressed” over the war. He also said a “comprehensive ceasefire” was needed.
The Chinese comments could inject new energy into stalled efforts to push for an agreement between the U.S. and Iran that would end the war. They followed an earlier statement by Trump that he was pausing his short-lived U.S. effort to guide stranded vessels to guide commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz in hopes that a deal could be finalized.
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Gasoline costs 50% more in the US than before the Iran war
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The price of a gallon of regular gasoline climbed 31 cents in the past week, spiking to an average of $4.48 per gallon Tuesday, according to AAA. Read more.
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Many drivers were hopeful in mid-April in response to signs that the conflict could be winding down. Gasoline prices fell daily for almost two weeks. But as the war continued, the change reversed and prices began increasing again. The longer the flow of oil is constrained through the Strait of Hormuz, the higher prices will go, said Rob Smith, director of global fuel retail at S&P Global Energy.
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Some of the hundreds of letters Associated Press reporter Holly Ramer has received from her pen pal in New Zealand are displayed in Bow, N.H., April 9. (AP Photo/Holly Ramer)
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Dear Readers: Yes, pen pal programs still exist in a digital world
More and more young people are embracing and finding joy in putting down smartphones to enjoy analog activities — myself included. So I was interested in how one of our reporters has stayed in contact with her pen pal across continents for 40 years through old-fashioned letter writing. Some point to signs of a resurgence in handwritten letters. “The hunger is there,” said Rachel Syme, a writer for The New Yorker magazine who created a pen pal program during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 15,000 people have signed up.
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Nadja
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