‘An Explosion in Affordability’

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for April 15, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

The White House is sending more than 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East, The Washington Post reported today. That number includes as many as 6,000 service members on the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier and roughly 4,200 with a task force that includes the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

But despite the apparent preparations for an escalation, the S&P 500 hit an all-time high today, indicating investors’ confidence that Donald Trump will be able to reach a deal to end the Iran conflict before a shaky two-week ceasefire agreement ends next week.

• “What is a little strange is that there is a tendency by some to assume that it’s business as usual,” a baffled Christine Lagarde, the president of the European Central Bank, said yesterday at a Bloomberg event in Washington.

Top officials from Pakistan, including the country’s army chief and interior minister, touched down today in Tehran in an attempt to restart formal negotiations, The Associated Press reported.

• Reports of a formal agreement to extend the ceasefire were “wrong,” Karoline Leavitt said in a text to NOTUS’ Jasmine Wright this morning.
• “You heard from the vice president directly and the president this week that these conversations are productive and ongoing, and that’s where we are right now,” Leavitt said at a press briefing.

THE HILL

The Senate rejected its fourth Iran war powers vote since the conflict began earlier this year. At least seven more resolutions are expected to be brought to the floor in the coming weeks, NOTUS’ Hamed Ahmadi reports.

Rep. Yassamin Ansari filed six articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth. She, along with several Democrats, accused the defense secretary of war crimes in Iran, mishandling sensitive information and obstructing congressional oversight.

House GOP leadership opted to punt a procedural vote on a controversial extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, after a rebellion from Republican holdouts.

• Time is of the essence: Section 702 expires April 20, and it remains unclear when it will be brought up for a vote again.

THE ADMINISTRATION

‘We’re not ready to come to you with a request. We’re still working on it.” That’s what White House budget director Russell Vought had to say about the Trump administration’s supplemental funding request for the Iran war. He testified today in front of the House Budget Committee, where he declined to name even a “ballpark” figure.

• When asked about rising prices, Vought said Americans were about to experience an “explosion in affordability” thanks to Trump’s tax cuts.

Trump threatened to fire Jerome Powell — again — if the outgoing Federal Reserve chair doesn’t step down “on time.” The president made the statement during an interview with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo this morning, while suggesting that the DOJ would continue its criminal investigation into a costly renovation project at the Fed’s headquarters.

• “I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him but I hate to be controversial,” the president said.

Trump told Mehmet Oz that his diet-soda habit kills cancer cells, as the president brushed off Oz’s admonishment for drinking too many soft drinks.

• “Your dad argues that diet soda is good for him because it kills grass, if poured on grass, so, therefore, it must kill cancer cells inside the body,” Oz said on Donald Trump Jr.’s podcast.
• “I have heard him tell this joke before. I think The Wall Street Journal should get a better sense of humor,” Leavitt said at today’s press briefing when asked at today’s press briefing about the comment.

NEW BABY ANIMAL ALERT

Really any excuse to post one.

Thank you for reading! Today’s newsletter was produced by Andrew Burton and Kate Nocera. If you liked it, please forward it to a friend. If someone shared it with you, please subscribe — it’s free! Got a tip or comments to share? Email us at finalnotus@notus.com.