From Ultimatum to Unlimited Pause: Is This Peak #TACO? YES!
The Morning Sixpack - 04/22/2026: Trump’s Iran clock ticks, ships seized, DeSantis courts SCOTUS, approval sinks, AI emissions soar, CDC buries data
Trump Ditches Iran Deadline, Extends Ceasefire as Tehran’s Power Struggle Deepens #TACO
President Trump #TACO shifted from giving Iran just 24 hours to get its act together to extending the ceasefire with no set deadline—citing a “seriously fractured” government in Tehran.
The ticking clock is gone, but the pressure cooker isn’t.
In a matter of hours, Trump reversed course. Earlier, U.S. officials had said Iran had three to five days to unify behind a counter-offer or risk the ceasefire collapsing. By Tuesday afternoon, Trump announced he would extend the truce indefinitely at the request of Pakistani mediators, arguing Iran’s internal divisions made it impossible to get a coherent answer.
“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured ... we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” Trump wrote. The ceasefire will last “until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other”.
Behind the scenes, Iranian negotiators are reportedly waiting on a green light from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, while hardliners in the Revolutionary Guard oppose concessions as long as the U.S. naval blockade remains in place. The U.S. seizure of an Iranian cargo ship only widened the internal rift.
Trump says the blockade continues and the U.S. military remains “ready and able” to resume fighting if needed. Iranian officials fired back, warning they are “100% ready” for any surprise strike and calling the extension meaningless as long as the blockade stands.
So here we are: No deadline, no deal, and no guarantee either side won’t blink—or blow it up. Trump is wagering that Iran’s political infighting gives him leverage. Tehran seems convinced he’s just buying time.
Source: Axios
Editor: Deadlines are dramatic. Indefinite pauses are strategic. But when both sides think the other is stalling, “ceasefire” starts to feel like a polite word for intermission. Trump chickened out; I think we are all okay with this. HOWEVER, Trump is just stalling; he WILL bomb them again.
MORE… Iran countered US blockade by seizing ships, too, basically saying, “We can play your game better than you can!”
Trump Extends Iran Ceasefire “Indefinitely” as Tehran Seizes Ships in Hormuz
President Trump says he will indefinitely extend the ceasefire with Iran—even as Tehran tightens its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and opens fire on vessels in one of the world’s most critical waterways.
You can’t call it calm when cargo ships are dodging gunfire.
According to Reuters, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards seized two ships Wednesday for alleged maritime violations and escorted them to Iranian shores—the first such seizures since the war erupted in late February. Britain’s maritime security agency also reported at least three ships hit by gunfire, with one vessel’s bridge “heavily damaged.” Tehran’s message was blunt: Any disruption in the strait is a “red line.”
Trump, meanwhile, announced on social media that the U.S. had agreed to a request from Pakistani mediators “to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal ... and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
In other words, Trump chickened out again (#TACO)
But even as he paused attacks, he made clear the U.S. naval blockade stays. Iran calls that blockade an act of war and says it won’t reopen the strait while it remains in place.
The diplomatic theater hasn’t exactly inspired confidence. A luxury hotel in Islamabad was cleared for talks that never happened. “We were all prepared for the talks, the stage was set,” a Pakistani official told Reuters. “If you ask me honestly, it was a setback we were not expecting.” Iran never formally accepted the invitation, and the U.S. delegation never left Washington.
Oil markets noticed. Brent crude climbed back near $100 a barrel as traders processed the reality that roughly a fifth of global oil flows through a strait now effectively under Iranian guns. Tehran even paraded ballistic missiles beneath banners declaring the waterway “Indefinitely under Iran’s Control” and boasting “Trump could not do a damn thing.”
Source: Reuters
Editor: An “indefinite” ceasefire where one side is seizing ships and the other is enforcing a blockade isn’t peace—it’s a staring contest with missiles. Let’s see who blinks first.
Trump Floats Supreme Court for DeSantis After “Begging” Lunch
Ron DeSantis reportedly pitched himself for a job in the Trump administration—and the president is mulling everything from attorney general to a potential Supreme Court seat.
From 2024 rival to possible justice of the Supreme Court in one lunch meeting—that’s a glow-up.
According to Raw Story, Axios reporter Marc Caputo told CNN that Trump and the termed-out Florida governor met April 12 to talk about DeSantis’ future. In Caputo’s telling, Trump later described DeSantis as “begging” for a role as his second term rolls on.
DeSantis, who leaves the governor’s mansion in January after two terms, has had what you might politely call a rollercoaster relationship with Trump. Once a political protégé, then a primary challenger, now apparently back in the fold. Caputo noted the relationship is “pretty strong,” even if some in Trump’s orbit aren’t exactly sending DeSantis Christmas cards.
As for the “dream job”? Caputo floated the idea that Trump has quietly sounded out allies about naming DeSantis to the Supreme Court if a vacancy opens. “Hey, what do you think about this as an idea?” Trump has reportedly asked. Attorney general and even secretary of war were also mentioned, though the latter would depend on an opening.
The political implications are obvious. A former governor and recent presidential contender sliding onto the high court would ignite a firestorm about the court’s independence. But in Trumpworld, loyalty arcs matter—and yesterday’s rival can be tomorrow’s nominee.
Source: Raw Story
Editor: In modern politics, today’s enemy is tomorrow’s résumé booster. All it takes is a lunch, a little flattery, and a lifetime appointment hanging in the balance.
Trump Approval Hits Term Low as Voters Question Temperament Amid Iran War and Pope Feud
President Trump’s approval rating is mired at 32-36%, matching the lowest of his term as Americans sour on his handling of the Iran war—and his public sparring with Pope Leo.
Just 26% call him “even-tempered,” and a majority say his mental sharpness has gotten worse. Those 26%? NOT even-tempered themselves.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll of 4,557 adults found Trump’s approval unchanged from a month ago, but far below the 47% he enjoyed shortly after taking office in January 2025. The six-day survey was conducted during a fragile ceasefire with Iran that was set to expire Tuesday.
The numbers get tougher from there. Only 36% approve of U.S. military strikes against Iran. Just 26% approve of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, tied for his lowest mark on that issue. And only 25% believe U.S. strikes on Iran would make America safer. Meanwhile, 51% of Americans—including 14% of Republicans—say Trump’s mental sharpness has gotten “worse” over the past year.
Trump’s recent outbursts haven’t helped. He threatened to “wipe out” Iran’s civilization and lashed out at Pope Leo after the pontiff criticized the war. Americans appear to be siding with the Vatican: 60% hold a favorable view of Pope Leo, compared with 36% for Trump.
Even within his own party, there are cracks. Only 53% of Republicans describe Trump as even-tempered, while 46% do not. Among Democrats, that number drops to 7%. The margin of error in the poll is 2 percentage points.
Source: Reuters
Editor: When your approval rating matches your “even-tempered” score, it’s not a vibe issue—it’s a flashing dashboard light. Takes the keys—and the nuke codes—from Grampa.
AI’s Dirty Secret: New Gas-Powered Data Centers Could Out-Pollute Entire Nations
Just 11 new natural gas projects built to power U.S. data centers could emit more greenhouse gases each year than the entire country of Morocco.
The AI boom isn’t just hungry for data—it’s guzzling fossil fuels at industrial scale.
According to WIRED, air permit documents show these behind-the-meter gas plants—designed to bypass the grid and power data centers directly—could emit more than 129 million tons of greenhouse gases annually. That’s from projects linked to campuses serving some of the biggest names in AI, including OpenAI, Microsoft, Meta, and xAI.
In Memphis and Southaven, xAI’s “Colossus” campuses alone could generate more than 6.4 million tons of CO2 equivalents per site per year. In Texas, a Chevron-backed project reportedly being eyed by Microsoft could emit 11.5 million tons annually—more than the country of Jamaica. And the so-called Stargate Project, tied to OpenAI infrastructure in multiple states, could add another 24 million tons a year from just three affiliated gas plants.
Developers argue that permitted emissions represent worst-case scenarios. One executive called the numbers “theoretical.” But energy researcher Jon Koomey warns that unlike traditional grid plants, data center facilities don’t have to throttle output with fluctuating demand. They can run hard—and constantly. One permit even notes the power requirements “do not vary significantly.”
Meanwhile, tech companies that once trumpeted climate pledges are acknowledging the AI buildout is complicating those goals. Behind-the-meter gas capacity in the pipeline has ballooned from 4 gigawatts in early 2024 to nearly 100 gigawatts at the start of 2026. That’s not a rounding error—that’s a second Industrial Revolution powered by methane.
Source: WIRED
Editor: Silicon Valley promised us a clean-energy future. Instead, we’re getting chatbot answers powered by smokestacks. If this is the bridge to tomorrow, it’s running on yesterday’s coal.
CDC Scraps Report Showing Covid Shots Cut Hospitalizations by Half
A CDC report finding last winter’s covid vaccine reduced emergency visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults by about 50% won’t be published—despite clearing the agency’s scientific review.
When data survives peer review but not politics, you know something else is driving the call.
According to The Washington Post, the study had been slated for publication in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report before being delayed—and now blocked entirely . Three people familiar with the decision said the report had already cleared the agency’s rigorous scientific process, making the reversal highly unusual.
The findings clash awkwardly with the views of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of covid vaccines. The move comes as the administration tries to soften its tone on vaccine policy ahead of the midterms, even as Kennedy has pushed to scale back recommendations, especially for children and pregnant women.
An HHS spokesman said the manuscript wasn’t accepted because of concerns about its “methodological approach.” But former CDC officials note that the same observational method has been used for flu vaccine studies and prior covid research—including reports already published in the same journal.
“I cannot recall CDC stopping an MMWR report in the publication phase after scientific clearance and editorial review,” said Michael Iademarco, who previously oversaw the publication.
The bottom line: A report showing the shots worked—at least in preventing serious illness—won’t see daylight. And that decision is landing at a moment when public trust in health agencies is already hanging by a thread.
Source: The Washington Post (gift)
Editor: If your science only gets published when it fits the narrative, it’s not public health—it’s message management. You can thank lizard brained/bodies RFK Jr. for this one. Eat a raccoon dick, Bobby!