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U.S. lawmakers will try again next week to pass a resolution to halt the Iran war and force President Donald Trump to obtain ​Congress' approval for any further attacks, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said ‌on Wednesday, hours after Trump announced a two-week ceasefire.

"Congress must reassert its authority, especially at this dangerous moment," Schumer told a press conference at his office in New York.

Trump agreed to the ceasefire ​on Tuesday, less than two hours before his deadline for Tehran to ​reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz or face devastating attacks on its ⁠civilian infrastructure.

Trump's threat that "a whole civilization will die tonight" prompted global concern and ​censure from Democrats, dozens of whom called for Trump's removal from office. The 1949 Geneva ​Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians.

Schumer called Trump's statements "unhinged" and criticized the war for failing to weaken Iran's government or rein in its nuclear ​program, while global fuel prices have risen.

The U.S. demanded Wednesday that Iran reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the Islamic Republic closed the waterway in response to Israeli attacks against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. Iran’s move cast doubt over whether an already precarious ceasefire to end more than a month of war would hold.

The United States and Iran both claimed victory after reaching the agreement, and world leaders expressed relief, even as more drones and missiles hit Iran and Gulf Arab countries. Israel intensified its attacks in Lebanon, hitting several commercial and residential areas in Beirut without warning. At least 112 people were killed and hundreds were wounded in one of the deadliest days in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.

The fresh violence threatened to scuttle what U.S. Vice President JD Vance called a “fragile” deal.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/45340860

An 11th hour U.S.-Iran cease-fire has triggered a spectacular rally for stocks and the opposite for oil prices.

That’s even as a lasting deal has not been agreed, with an estimated 800- plus stranded vessels in the Persian Gulf.

The worry for some is that the sharp stock rebound may be getting ahead of itself. In that camp is a senior trader at Goldman Sachs, Rich Privorotsky, who sees major risk ahead as the market tries to “move past Iran.”

In a note to clients, Privorotsky cautioned that “this isn’t a great level to chase,” with regard to the S&P 500

He noted that the index had already recouped two-thirds of losses incurred when the conflict began in late February; from its most recent record high in January, the S&P 500 was down about 5%.

Commenting that “cease-fires are fragile by definition,” Privorotsky said strikes have been seen overnight across the Gulf region despite the cease-fire. “You can hand-wave some of that as lag effects, but the disagreement around proxies (e.g. Lebanon with Israel) leaves plenty of scope for this to break,” he said.

The market will ultimately judge “actual flows through the Strait over time,” he said. “I struggle to see new highs for equities, but positioning still argues for forced buying to run its course first.”

An 11th hour U.S.-Iran cease-fire has triggered a spectacular rally for stocks and the opposite for oil prices.

That’s even as a lasting deal has not been agreed, with an estimated 800- plus stranded vessels in the Persian Gulf.

The worry for some is that the sharp stock rebound may be getting ahead of itself. In that camp is a senior trader at Goldman Sachs, Rich Privorotsky, who sees major risk ahead as the market tries to “move past Iran.”

In a note to clients, Privorotsky cautioned that “this isn’t a great level to chase,” with regard to the S&P 500

He noted that the index had already recouped two-thirds of losses incurred when the conflict began in late February; from its most recent record high in January, the S&P 500 was down about 5%.

Commenting that “cease-fires are fragile by definition,” Privorotsky said strikes have been seen overnight across the Gulf region despite the cease-fire. “You can hand-wave some of that as lag effects, but the disagreement around proxies (e.g. Lebanon with Israel) leaves plenty of scope for this to break,” he said.

The market will ultimately judge “actual flows through the Strait over time,” he said. “I struggle to see new highs for equities, but positioning still argues for forced buying to run its course first.”

As Israel contemplates a two-week ceasefire announced by United States President Donald Trump in the war on Iran on Tuesday night, it appears weakened in the eyes of its opponents and critics. Its arch-nemesis, Iran, is still standing; Israel’s defensive stock of missiles is depleted and its prime minister is facing a political backlash.

Following news of the Pakistan-brokered truce, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement in English, saying that the PM supports the US decision and claiming that “Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran’s Arab neighbours and the world.”

But there was a caveat. While mediator Pakistan had announced that Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon would also cease, Netanyahu added that he does not regard the ceasefire as extending to Israel’s war on Lebanon, which, for now at least, the US appears willing to allow to continue, subject to its peace negotiations with Iran.

Responding to Netanyahu’s announcement, Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, who had strongly supported his country’s attack on regional nemesis Iran, called the ceasefire one of the greatest “political disasters in all of our history”. Israel had not even been involved in negotiations, he said, adding that, despite its military successes, the prime minister had “failed politically, failed strategically, and didn’t meet a single one of the goals that he himself set”, adding that it would take years to repair the damage inflicted upon the country through the prime minister’s “arrogance”.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/45299674

OIG’s comprehensive review of 40 focused nursing home inspections completed by CMS found alarming instances of inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs and revealed vulnerabilities in care that have implications for the wider nursing home population beyond these examples. Our review found:

Nursing homes gave antipsychotic drugs to residents with dementia to manage their behavior for the benefit of staff, despite FDA’s warning that these drugs may increase the risk of death.

Even though antipsychotic drugs pose risks to residents’ health, nursing homes did not take required steps to help protect residents who were given these drugs.

Medical directors failed to prevent inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs.

Nursing home pharmacists failed to identify medical concerns and did not recommend dose reductions.

Inadequate nursing home policies and procedures undermined safeguards meant to protect residents.

OIG’s comprehensive review of 40 focused nursing home inspections completed by CMS found alarming instances of inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs and revealed vulnerabilities in care that have implications for the wider nursing home population beyond these examples. Our review found:

Nursing homes gave antipsychotic drugs to residents with dementia to manage their behavior for the benefit of staff, despite FDA’s warning that these drugs may increase the risk of death.

Even though antipsychotic drugs pose risks to residents’ health, nursing homes did not take required steps to help protect residents who were given these drugs.

Medical directors failed to prevent inappropriate use of antipsychotic drugs.

Nursing home pharmacists failed to identify medical concerns and did not recommend dose reductions.

Inadequate nursing home policies and procedures undermined safeguards meant to protect residents.

President Donald Trump has ousted Pam Bondi as attorney general, a source familiar with the matter told CNN.

She will be replaced for now by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who will serve as acting attorney general, Trump said.

The president wrote on Truth Social that Bondi would be “transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector,” praising her for her work in his administration and offering no specific reason for why she would be leaving.

“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year. Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900,” Trump wrote.

Trump had been frustrated with Bondi on multiple fronts, sources said, including her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and that she had not investigated or prosecuted enough of his political opponents. She is the second Cabinet secretary to be ousted in recent weeks; last month, Trump removed Kristi Noem as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Bank of America has ‌settled a civil lawsuit brought by women who accused the bank of facilitating their sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, court records showed on Monday.

Lawyers for the bank and the women told Manhattan-based U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in a March 12 telephone call that they had reached a "settlement in principle," a court filing said. The terms of the settlement were not immediately clear.

Investigators in New Mexico began searching on Monday the former high-plains ranch of Jeffrey Epstein where the late financier and his acquaintances are accused of sexually abusing women and girls, state authorities said.

Democratic-run New ‌Mexico is acting on new information in documents released in January by the U.S. Department of Justice, including an accusation that Epstein ordered the bodies of two foreign girls buried in hills near the secluded property.

The search follows New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez's decision last month ​to reopen the investigation into the late sex offender's alleged criminal activities at ⁠the ranch 30 miles (48 km) south of the state's capital of Santa Fe.

"The New ​Mexico Department of Justice will continue to keep the public appropriately informed, support the survivors, ​and follow the facts wherever they lead," it said in a statement.

On Monday, a Reuters witness heard dogs barking and saw a government vehicle bearing a paw-print symbol, suggesting it was carrying animals, ​leave the ranch. State police and a county fire and rescue vehicle were also ​spotted.

New Mexico closed its previous Epstein ‌investigation ⁠in 2019 at the request of federal authorities. There has never been a full investigation of the alleged assaults by Epstein, his partner Ghislaine Maxwell and ranch visitors.

Last month, New Mexico became the first U.S. state to launch a legislative "truth commission" to uncover possible ​public corruption that allowed ​Epstein to operate ⁠in secrecy at the ranch for 26 years before his death in 2019.

While global stocks have largely sustained ‌the relief rally that followed Monday's wild swings, fear is again resurfacing as Iran vowed to step up its missile strikes.

President Donald Trump's assurance that the war with Iran was "very complete" and could be "over soon" initially injected optimism into markets, even as Iranian hardliners rallied behind new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and said their blockade of oil would continue.

Within hours of Trump's statements, Iran's military dashed ⁠markets' hopes. "We are the ones who will determine the end of the war," Iran's Revolutionary Guards said.

Such comments brought the exchange back to a familiar tempo with Trump then threatening to hit Iran "TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far."