Happy Thursday! Cento Fine Foods is facing a second lawsuit alleging its “Certified San Marzano” tomatoes aren’t actually the real Italian variety.
The plaintiffs are two California residents who, judging by their priorities, have an enviable amount of free time.
Top Quick Reads: Today’s Headlines
U.S. and Iran Near Agreement on One-Page Peace Plan Memo
Avalanche of reporting indicates that Washington and Tehran are negotiating a single-page, 14-point memo outlining terms for a potential long-term peace framework. The administration reportedly believes Iran is close to signing off, though officials cautioned that gauging a decision may be difficult given the deep splits within Iran’s leadership. Under the current draft, Iran would gradually ease restrictions on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and commit to a halt on nuclear enrichment, while the U.S. would lift sanctions on Iran and end its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
- The memo would bar Iran from enriching uranium for at least 12 years, a compromise between the U.S.’s stance of 20 years and Iran’s push for five years, and would also require Iran to remove the highly enriched uranium it has already produced and stored.
- News of the memo emerged one day after President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced he would pause the U.S. military escort mission for neutral commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a step U.S. officials told Avalanche of reporting was motivated by progress toward a potential deal with Iran.
- A Pakistani source told Reuters on Thursday that the U.S. and Iran were near an agreement on the memo.
FBI Raids Virginia State Senator’s Offices
The FBI on Wednesday executed searches of the business offices and cannabis retail outlet owned by Democratic state Sen. Louise Lucas of Virginia, reportedly tied to possible bribery and corruption linked to her marijuana business. The raid is connected to a government probe that traces back to actions initiated during the Biden administration. Lucas was not detained, and the FBI did not seize materials tied to legislative work, focusing instead on her commercial activities. The agency said it was conducting “court-authorized activity” in Portsmouth, Virginia, where Lucas’ offices and cannabis operation are located, but did not name the specific targets or locations.
- Lucas has sat in Virginia’s State Senate since 1992, and, as the longest-serving member of the chamber’s majority party, she also holds the position of president pro tempore.
- She was a central figure in the Virginia Democrats’ redistricting push to gain four House seats, a plan approved in a statewide vote last month but blocked by a court pending Virginia Supreme Court review.
- Lucas opened The Cannabis Outlet in 2021, offering cannabidiol-based cannabis products that are non-intoxicating.
Trump Team Seeks Stay on Carroll Payment
Trump’s private legal team asked a federal appeals court on Tuesday to pause a verdict ordering him to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83 million in damages for defamation while he pursues a Supreme Court appeal. Carroll was awarded the amount in 2024 after a jury found Trump liable for defaming her by labeling her a liar about an alleged incident in the 1990s. Trump contends that presidential immunity should shield him from liability for remarks made while in office, a position the 2nd Circuit rejected last week. In a filing on Wednesday, Carroll’s lawyers said they would not stand in the way of a stay during the appeal, provided Trump posts a bond exceeding $7.4 million to cover interest during the Supreme Court’s decision window.
- In a separate filing the same day, Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate said the Justice Department would ask the Supreme Court to substitute the U.S. government for Trump in Carroll’s defamation case, despite a verdict already being rendered.
- Shumate cited the Westfall Act, which shields federal employees from liability for actions taken within the scope of their official duties. Because the U.S. government cannot be sued for defamation, granting Shumate’s request would effectively result in the dismissal of the case and the verdict.
IDF Strikes Beirut
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out air strikes in Beirut’s southern outskirts, a Hezbollah stronghold, in what the IDF described as an attempt to eliminate Malek Ballout, the operations commander of Hezbollah’s Radwan Force. AFP later reported Ballout’s death in the strike. This marked the first Israeli attack on Beirut since April 8, when President Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to scale back attacks on the Lebanese capital, days before Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire agreement.
- Israel also targeted several other areas in southern Lebanon after earlier urging residents of 12 communities there to move to locations at least one kilometer away.
- Lebanese media reported that the IDF struck the mayor’s residence in the southern village of Zilaya, killing several relatives.
- Earlier that day, the IDF said seven Israeli soldiers were wounded across multiple Hezbollah explosive-drone attacks in southern Lebanon, with at least two serious injuries.
Judge Denies Fulton County Ballot Return Request
A federal district judge on Wednesday rejected Fulton County, Georgia’s, request to compel the Justice Department to return all ballots and digital ballot copies seized during the January raid tied to the 2020 election. Fulton County prosecutors argued that the seizure was improper and unconstitutional, but Judge J.P. Boulee noted that while the government’s seizure was not flawless, the county failed to show that federal officials lacked probable cause, carried out an illegal search, or omitted crucial information in the affidavit supporting the raid.
- Boulee wrote that although the FBI’s affidavit had defects and troubling elements, it did not breach the Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.
- Boulee ruled that prosecutors did not prove irreparable harm if the ballots and digital copies were not returned, noting that the Trump administration had already provided the county with copies of the documents.
- Last month, the Justice Department sought Michigan’s Wayne County ballots from the 2024 election, and in March used a subpoena to access the Arizona Senate’s audit of the 2020 election in Maricopa County.
In two weeks, roughly 40 athletes will convene in Las Vegas for the most contentious sports event seen in decades: the inaugural Enhanced Games.
Dubbed the “doping Olympics,” the meet will feature athletes openly using a range of pharmacological enhancements—including anabolic agents, peptides, growth hormones, stimulants, and metabolic modulators—across track, swimming, and weightlifting, trying to eclipse official records, with a total prize purse of $25 million for competitors. Among those slated to compete are former Olympic medalists such as Britain’s Ben Proud (50m freestyle, silver), the United States’ Fred Kerley (100m), and Australia’s James Magnussen (swimming). Enhance says its aim is to enable elite athletes to devote themselves entirely to pushing the boundaries of human capability, offering premier training, pay, and pharmaceuticals that are expected to improve over time. The company also asserts that it intends to address many of the broader issues that underlie traditional athletic competition.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) — the international body that oversees anti-doping rules at major events, including the Olympics — has labeled the concept “dangerous and irresponsible.” Several other global groups, from World Aquatics to UK Anti-Doping, have echoed the stance, with World Aquatics last year banning athletes and coaches who participate in or promote the event.
Today’s Must-Read
In Other News
Today in America
- U.S. military forces on Tuesday conducted another strike against a suspected drug-trafficking vessel in the Eastern Pacific, killing all three crew members aboard. The campaign has now resulted in at least 186 fatalities.
- Tennessee Republicans unveiled a new mid-decade congressional redistricting plan that, if enacted, would likely eliminate the state’s sole Democratic district by dividing Memphis into three separate districts.
- The Trump administration is reportedly ending its accelerated program designed to rapidly deploy ICE personnel to active duty.
- The State Department announced it will close the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, a northwestern Pakistani city near the Afghan border, due to safety concerns for American diplomats stationed there.
- A new ADP report projects the U.S. private sector added 109,000 jobs in April, considerably above the Dow Jones consensus of 84,000 and nearly double the 61,000 added in March.
Around the World
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Hungary has returned about $82 million in cash and gold that Hungarian authorities had previously seized from Ukraine’s Oschadbank in March.
- In a joint drill with U.S., Australian, and Philippine forces, Japan test-fired two Type 88 anti-ship missiles at a decommissioned Philippine naval vessel near the contested South China Sea.
- The Ivory Coast government announced plans to dissolve its independent election commission, which has faced criticism for political influence and mismanagement of polls.
- Israeli forces killed Azzam al-Hayya, a son of Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip.
On the Money
- White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett confirmed that the administration is weighing an executive order to require government-sanctioned reviews of AI models to ensure they’re “proven safe, much like an FDA-approved drug.”
- Nvidia announced a collaboration with Corning to build three optical technology manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas. Nvidia will invest up to $3.2 billion in Corning under the arrangement.
- SpaceX secured a deal with Anthropic to provide compute capacity at its Tennessee data center, with Anthropic also exploring space-based data-center opportunities in partnership with SpaceX.
- Sony Music is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire Recognition Music Group and its catalog, including songs by Justin Bieber and Neil Young, from Blackstone for between $3.5 and $4 billion.
Worth Your Time
- “Kash Patel’s Personalized Bourbon Stash” (The Atlantic)
- Hannah Ritchie examines why AI data centers consumed far more electricity in 2025 than user queries alone would account for. (Sustainability by Numbers)
- Henri Astier profiles Jordan Bardella—the 30-year-old MEP, Sorbonne dropout, and National Rally president who could be France’s next president. (Persuasion)
- David Samuels argues that 1996 was a high-water mark for American culture. (Tablet)
Presented Without Comment
The Independent: FBI Director Kash Patel Claims AI Has Stopped School Shootings: ‘I’m Using It Everywhere’
Also Presented Without Comment
The Times of London: German Tourist Wins Payout After Losing 6am Race for Sun Lounger
