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On Politics

Mon May 4 2026

Kathryn Palmer | Politics Reporter

@KathrynPlmr

Hello readers! Happy Monday. Kathryn Palmer here, welcoming you back to another week of On Politics.

Two vessels pass Strait of Hormuz with US assistance

Two U.S.-flagged ships successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz today, the U.S. military said, as an American initiative to free ships stranded in the critical trade route got underway.

U.S. Central Command said two merchant vessels ships moved through the waterway “as a first step” in President Donald Trump’s effort to reopen the strait, which Iran has effectively closed since the start of the war in February.

The initiative, which Trump dubbed "Project Freedom," is being supported by destroyers, warplanes and 15,000 service members, Central Command said. Trump warned that any interference would be “dealt with forcefully.”

Earlier today, Iranian state media reported that the country’s armed forces had fired on two U.S.-flagged ships. Central Command denied those claims and added that the naval blockade on Iranian ports and ships would remain in place.

Ships and boats in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, May 1, 2026.

Stringer, REUTERS

A politics roundup:

•	Rudy Giuliani remains in critical condition as he is recovers from pneumonia
•	Suspect in press dinner shooting is in court over his jail conditions
•	Cuba tensions are on the agenda as Marco Rubio is set to meet Pope Leo XIV
•	U.S. Attorney Pirro says an agent was 'definitely' shot by suspect in DC press dinner shooting

Gallery: Former New City Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s career in the spotlight

Access to abortion drug reinstated by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court today reinstated mail-order access to the widely used abortion drug mifepristone, a temporary decision that gives the justices until May 11 to consider the issue.

The court intervened after the Food and Drug Administration was ordered on May 1 to revive a requirement that doctors prescribe the drug only after an in-person exam. It was the first time access to mifepristone had been significantly curtailed during years of litigation over the drug, which was first approved in 2000.

The pause applies to a restrictive ruling by a lower court in a Louisiana challenge over expanded access.

Louisiana state officials argue that allowing the drug to be dispensed through the mail ignores the threat of complications from mifepristone, such as sepsis and hemorrhaging. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill also says mailed delivery of the drug allows women to get around abortion bans.

Could Democrats win the Senate?

A few months ago, the prevailing thinking in Washington was that while Republicans could lose the House in the 2026 midterm elections, their Senate majority was secure.

But a strong candidate recruitment effort, along with significant fundraising, Trump's declining popularity and his base's infighting, have given Democrats a credible chance of pulling off a Senate majority in the next term.

To win control of the Senate, Democrats would need to upset four GOP incumbents, including in some states where Trump sailed to victory in 2024 by double-digit margins.

Polling shows Democratic Senate contenders are leading or statistically tied for seats held by Republicans in Alaska, Maine, North Carolina and Ohio. But to pull off a flip of the majority, the Democratic party would have to hold onto seats in the toss-up states of Georgia and Michigan, and a victory in what could be a competitive race in New Hampshire.

Thanks for reading! Scroll down for more stories. You can reach me at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @ KathrynPlmr.