The Strait of Hormuz has been functionally closed to normal commercial traffic since March 4, 2026, following Operation Epic Fury. Brent fell roughly 20% from its April peak as ceasefire optimism built; today's Kuwait airport strike and Qeshm Island response push it back toward $98. The IEA has called the disruption the greatest global energy security challenge in history, with global output running 6.9 million barrels per day below year-ago levels. Analysts put the holding range at $90 to $100 until a durable truce framework is in place.

Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control published two separate sanctions notices in today's Federal Register, continuing the economic pressure campaign running parallel to military operations since February. The dual publications indicate the economic track of the Iran campaign is being maintained even as the military ceasefire frays. US financial institutions are now into their fourth month of elevated Iran-related compliance operations.

The US approved a possible $100 million foreign military sale to Vietnam covering C-130 Hercules sustainment services and related equipment, one of the most significant US defense procurements by Hanoi in years. The deal deepens a security relationship accelerating under both the 2022 Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 2026 NDS burden-sharing framework. No mutual defense obligation attaches, but the signal value is substantial as the US builds distributed Indo-Pacific partnerships.

Lithuania's defense minister confirmed that the future presence of US troops in the country is under formal review in Washington, tracking with the 2026 NDS posture of reducing US conventional commitments in Europe and pressing NATO members toward self-sufficiency. The Gulf crisis has concentrated US military attention and resources; Eastern flank NATO allies are now navigating what a reduced American forward presence means for deterrence against Russia. The review has no announced timeline.

President Trump signed an executive order directing CDC and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to review an HHS scientific assessment and update the US childhood vaccine schedule. The assessment found the US recommends more doses than any peer nation, identified 11 diseases as the consensus core, and moved vaccines for flu, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, some meningitis variants, and RSV to shared decision-making or high-risk-only status. The EO publishes in today's Federal Register. Implementation timelines depend on ACIP review.

A second executive order signed Friday and published in today's Federal Register rescinds Executive Orders 11644 (1972) and 11989 (1977), which restricted off-road vehicle use on public lands. The administration called the orders outdated and counterproductive. The action opens federal lands more broadly to OHV use and is consistent with the broader deregulatory direction on land access.

Representative Randy Feenstra conceded to businessman and farmer Zach Lahn in Iowa's Republican gubernatorial primary, a notable crack in Trump's primary endorsement record. Lahn, with no prior elected office, will face Democratic state auditor Rob Sand in November. Six states voted Tuesday: California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, South Dakota, and New Mexico. California's governor race to succeed Newsom remained uncalled with half the vote in. LA Mayor Karen Bass advanced to a November runoff. New Jersey Democrat Rebecca Bennett won a competitive House primary in District 7.

The Supreme Court granted Alabama's emergency request to use a congressional map that a federal district court found discriminatory. The 6-3 conservative majority ruling eliminates one of Alabama's two majority-Black districts, reversing the court-drawn map used in 2024 that sent two Black Democrats to Congress. Republicans are expected to gain one House seat as a result. Justice Sotomayor dissented sharply, writing the ruling enables a "chaotic election held under a never-before-used map that intentionally discriminates against Black Alabamians."

The Trump administration proposed additional duties of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 economies, citing failure to curb trade in goods made with forced labor. India faces a proposed 12.5% additional tariff. The action layers onto the broader tariff architecture in place since early 2025. With six-state midterm primaries now underway, the Lahn upset in Iowa is a reminder that farm-state trade politics remain live heading into November; the agricultural community carries strong opinions on tariff-driven export exposure.

Senator Graham secured over $30 million for JBC, headlined by a $33 million aeromedical evacuation facility for the Air Force Reserve. The investment tracks elevated AMC operational tempo linked to ongoing Gulf operations, where C-17s out of Charleston support CENTCOM logistics. A nuclear simulator facility is also cleared for construction starting Q4 2026, with completion expected October 2029. The base relocated its 2026 airshow to Charleston Harbor as a single-day event, citing increased operational demands.

The 437th Airlift Wing continues operating one of the world's largest C-17 fleets, with 40 assigned aircraft. The January 2026 Palmetto Reach combat readiness exercise validated airlift surge capacity by simultaneously launching eight C-17s. With Gulf operations driving heightened AMC demand, JBC's role in global mobility logistics is at a high point. No public reports indicate drawdown or reassignment of the fleet.

The 2026 Atlantic hurricane season opened June 1. NOAA forecasts eight to 14 named storms, three to six reaching hurricane strength, and one to three becoming major storms, slightly below the annual average. An El Nino system expected to emerge before late July will suppress Atlantic activity through fall. Dorchester County emergency officials are pushing early preparation messaging regardless, noting NOAA's caveat: below-average seasons still produce landfalling major storms. Near-term tropical outlook from NWS Charleston is quiet.

The West Ashley Farmers Market opened today at Ackerman Park, the earliest opening in the market's history. South Carolina's new law limiting addictive design features on social media platforms used by minors is approaching implementation, part of a nationwide wave of state-level children's online safety legislation. The City of Charleston also opened the application window for its 2026 State Accommodations Tax and Community Assistance Funding grant programs.