5 things to know for April 10: Iran impacts, Melania Trump, Pentagon ruling, Easter message backlash, Hawaii flood threat

By Tricia Escobedo, CNN

A quiet April will soon give way to a jam-packed primary season where the fight for control of the Senate will come into sharper focus. These nine contests are expected to be among the most competitive Senate races in the 2026 midterms.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1️⃣ Iran impacts

The lives of millions of people across the Middle East — and the fate of the global economy — will hinge on the outcome of make-or-break talks between the US and Iran this weekend in Pakistan. The fragile two-week ceasefire that paved the way for the talks is holding for now — although it isn’t giving shippers the nerve to brave the narrow Strait of Hormuz that holds the key to 20% of the world’s oil supply. Israel’s massive bombardment of Hezbollah and disagreements over whether Lebanon is included in the truce could still derail the meetings.

2️⃣ Melania Trump

First lady Melania Trump blasted “lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein” in extraordinary and rare remarks from the White House on Thursday, attempting to distance herself from the convicted sex offender while calling on Congress to hold public hearings allowing his victims to testify on Capitol Hill. That call for action directly undercut ongoing messaging from her husband and the West Wing, renewing attention on a topic that was fading from public discourse amid the war with Iran. President Donald Trump and his top lieutenants have sought to downplay Epstein and his victims, repeatedly and publicly stating that the country is ready to move on.

3️⃣ Pentagon ruling

A federal judge has blocked the Pentagon’s latest bid to limit press access, tearing into the Department of Defense in a stinging ruling that warned “suppression of political speech is the mark of an autocracy, not a democracy.” US District Judge Paul Friedman blasted the department for attempting an end-run around his decision voiding parts of a restrictive press policy rolled out by Secretary Pete Hegseth last year, saying the Pentagon had flouted his ruling when it quickly implemented a tighter policy. The Pentagon plans to appeal the ruling, a spokesman said.

4️⃣ Easter message backlash

A “Christ is Risen” Easter message sent by the secretary of agriculture has sparked backlash inside the department, angering some of its nearly 100,000 employees and prompting a formal complaint against the secretary for the religious message. “From the foot of the Cross on Good Friday to the stone rolled away from the now empty tomb, sin has been destroyed. Jesus has been raised from the dead. And God has granted each of us victory and new life,” read Secretary Brooke Rollins’ email. The complaint calls for the email’s retraction and a stop to any further department emails that celebrate or endorse religious holidays.

5️⃣ Hawaii flood threat

A potent, multi-day storm is reaching its peak as it lashes Hawaii with heavy rain, renewing a major flood threat for a state that’s still recovering from devastating floods in March. Showers have been impacting the entire state over the past couple of days, but the most widespread heavy rain is still to come. The threat of flooding rain was expected to increase across Kauai and Oahu on Thursday, then spread east across the rest of the island chain Thursday night into today — including Maui and the Big Island. It’s the third major storm to hit Hawaii since mid-March.

Breakfast browse

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Quiz time

How well do you remember this week’s news? Put your smarts to the test.

Artemis II performed a critical lunar flyby this week, setting a record in the process for traveling farther from Earth than any other humans. Which mission’s record did they break?
A. Apollo 13 (NASA)
B. Shenzhou 5 (China)
C. Soyuz (Russia)
D. Chandrayaan (India)

Take me to the quiz!

And finally…

▶️ Plane lands on highway

The dramatic moment was captured on video by a passenger in a nearby car. There were no reported injuries. Watch here.

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