“Making War; Preparing for Peace?” - The Sunday Political Brunch May 10, 2026

As tension between the U.S. and Iran ratchets up again, there are mixed signals as to whether a fragile ceasefire will hold or not. And there are more efforts underway that could drastically change this year’s midterm elections. Let’s “brunch” on all that and more this week.

“Iran Skirmishes” – Despite some “pushing and shoving” on each side, the White House is insisting the ceasefire with Iran is still ongoing. Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said in a Pentagon briefing, “Since the ceasefire was announced, Iran has fired at commercial vessels nine times and seized two container ships, and they’ve attacked U.S. forces more than ten times – all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point.” Iran has fired missiles at the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after it left the mostly Arab oil consortium known as OPEC. Meanwhile, U.S. military ships are trying to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and the blockade at times has stopped Iranian freighters. Tensions on both sides appear heigh

“The Impact” – The financial markets took a steep drop on Monday, but bounced back on Tuesday, erasing most of the previous day’s losses. The real concern remains gas prices, which hit a U.S. average of $4.48 a gallon on Tuesday. That’s up $0.31 in the last week, and up $1.32 over this time last year, according to AAA. We are six months away from the 2026 midterm elections, and it is most likely to hurt the party in power (Republicans) if the prices don’t ease. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Rubio hinted that a peace deal was near, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average shot up more than 600 points. Financial markets like stability and certainty. But then Iran fired on U.S. positions, and a U.S. jet returned fire on an Iranian ship on Thursday. That caused the Dow Jones to swing .6 percent lower, while oil per barrel jumped nearly 10 percent. That’s how volatile things are, on the battlefield, and in the financial markets.

“More Redistricting Wars” – The frantic redistricting race continues across the nation. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) Florida, signed the state's new Congressional maps into law last week and was met immediately with two federal lawsuits. Now, the governors of Tennessee and Alabama are calling their legislatures into special session this week to redraw the districts. Gov. Bill Lee (R) Tennessee said in a statement, “We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters.” The Tennessee lawmakers quickly divided a predominantly Black, Democratic district in Memphis. Professor Matt Dallek at George Washington University expressed concerns to AP, saying, “I’ve never subscribed to the idea we’re in a civil war, but the gerrymandering wars and the recent decision from the Supreme Court do not make the United States more united.” It will be interesting to see what the courts say in the new challenges.

“Indiana Wants Me (or Does It?)” – Congressional redistricting was also a huge issue in Indiana this past Tuesday as the Hoosier State held its primary. President Donald Trump interjected himself into the skirmish because he wanted Indiana state lawmakers to redraw the state's districts. At the time, Republicans held a supermajority in the state Senate. Some key Republicans blocked him, so he recruited primary candidates to try to get them out of office. On Tuesday, five incumbent Republican senators were defeated by Trump-backed primary opponents. He’s still a force, and revenge is not beyond his realm. Former State Sen. Andy Zay (R) Indiana said, “Trump matters and money matters.”

“The Louisiana Decision Impact” – The urgency of redistricting in Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, and Alabama was the result of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that essentially said states cannot use race as the sole criterion for drawing a majority-Black district. Tennessee has a majority Black district in the City of Memphis. Democrats fear that Republicans will carve up new seats that will divide and disenfranchise Black and Hispanic voters. In Louisiana, the May 16th Congressional Primary has been suspended until further notice, giving Republicans a chance to redraw district boundaries ahead of the November election, but still in time to hold a July or August primary with new maps. Ohio could potentially do the same. Redistricting is having a “snowball effect” across the nation. Most of the map changes are being challenged in court, and on Friday, the Virginia Supreme Court struck down recent voter-approved maps that could give Democrats four new seats in Congress. Appeals to the federal courts are likely.

“White House Dinner Shooter Indicted” – 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Washington, DC, for attempting to assassinate President Trump. The heavily armed suspect charged a security checkpoint inside the Washington, DC, hotel where the White House Correspondents Association was holding its annual dinner with the president. The gunman fired one round, striking a Secret Service agent, who only had minor injuries thanks to a bulletproof vest. Allen is also charged with Assaulting an Officer or Employee of the United States with a Deadly Weapon, with Transportation of a Firearm and Ammunition in Interstate Commerce with the Intent to Commit a Felony, and with Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said, “Under the leadership of President Trump, violent political actors will never win. We will prosecute anyone who engages in these horrific acts to the fullest extent of the law.”

“White House Whitewash?” – President Trump is again stirring controversy over another plan to revamp the White House property. Earlier, he had the old East Wing torn down so it could be replaced with a White House Ballroom, which could seat 4,000 at a price tag of $440 million (but privately financed). Now comes word that the president wants to paint the entire Eisenhower Executive Office Building white. The EOB, as it is known, sits directly west of the White House and is where most staffers have their offices. Right now, most of the building is gray granite. Trump says the gray is a “really bad color.” But Priya Jain, from the Society of Architectural Historians, says it should stay as is. In testimony before the National Capitol Planning Commission, Jain said, “Painting the granite facade of the building white will adversely and permanently alter this important landmark, and should be rejected.” Trump is already being sued over the new ballroom, so the paint job could be challenged in federal court, too

“Remembering Ted Turner” – In my early years as a broadcasting student at Marquette University, cable TV was in its infancy. I believed it would be the next big thing and that a channel dedicated solely to 24-hour news coverage was viable. I had a number of professors scoff at me, suggesting free, over-the-air broadcasting was the only workable financial model. On June 1, 1980, CNN was launched in my senior year of college. Most of us could not watch, as many areas of the country were not yet wired for cable. About a year later, after graduation, I was working as a door-to-door cable TV salesman, and communities were laying cable as fast as they could. The 1981 assassination attempts on President Reagan and Pope John Paul II showed that people would consume news 24/7. The future was sealed during the U.S. Iraq War of 1991, known as Operation Desert Storm. CNN was live all day and night, on the ground in Iraq. I was hooked and am now in my 50th year of broadcasting. Thank you, visionary Ted Turner.

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is a South Florida-based political writer and analyst who has covered news and politics nationwide for the past 49 years. He is a multiple award winner, including two prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards. Most recently, he served as the Chief Political Reporter for the seven Nexstar Media TV stations, covering West Virginia and its five neighboring states, as well as the Washington, DC media market. Curtis is a former Congressional Fellow who worked in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Over the years, he has been a contributing writer and analyst at Patch.com and other outlets, including GoLocalProv.com. His commentary and analysis can be heard every Friday at 1:45 p.m. ET on the 22-station West Virginia Metro News Radio Network. www.WVMetroNews.com.

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