PBS News: Secretary Chris Wright said on CNN gas may not be lower than $3 until later this year or next year. Is that a concern for the midterms?

TRUMP: I disagree with him totally. I think it’ll come roaring down if it ends. If we end it, if Iran does what they should do, it will come roaring down.

— Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, quoted by the Associated Press.

“Even if there is a peace deal soon, the future of this industrious region that has driven global economic growth for decades will likely include months of canceled flights, surging food prices, factory pauses, delayed shipments and empty shelves for products long considered quick and easy to buy worldwide: plastic bags, instant noodles, vaccines, syringes, lipstick, microchips and sportswear.”

“Collectively, according to many officials and experts, if the war’s strangling of commercial traffic through the Middle East lasts for even a few more weeks, and uncertainty lingers, shortages could push several countries into convulsions of unrest, followed by recession.”

“The White House has suggested two ways this all might end, and neither seems particularly close to materializing. Trump still seems to think he can bully the Iranians into submission, even though his strategy of making theatrical threats and then backing down at the last second has already failed to accomplish this four or five times…”

“But it isn’t just that Trump low on options: More and more, he barely seems to understand what’s going on in the conflict at even a basic layman’s level.”

“Republicans now have scant legislative days to build new plans to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA. But President Donald Trump, GOP leaders and White House officials have failed to come up with a workable framework for months — and there is no agreement yet on the path forward.”

“Now, as President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next Fed leader, Warsh will have the opportunity to map out his plans to remold the world’s most important central bank when he testifies Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee.”

Axios: What to know about tariff refund site that launches Monday.

“Leo’s native-level English removes a long-standing Vatican buffer — ambiguity in translation — that has historically softened or clarified papal critiques of U.S. leaders.”

“Without that layer, Leo’s comments land more directly in the American media ecosystem and to American Catholics, amplifying political impact and backlash.”

“Across Europe, Asia and Africa, governments are preparing for a sustained energy shock, with related fallout likely to include jet fuel shortages, food scarcity and spiralling inflation. Any optimism of a swift resolution to the crisis has long since dissipated, and around the world authorities are starting to recommend short- and long-term shifts — fuel efficiencies, homeworking, cheaper public transport, investment in (Chinese-built) renewable energy sources.”

“Tehran has no plans to attend the potential negotiations though a final decision hasn’t been made, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters on Monday.”

Playbook: “Once again, Tehran is flexing its muscles, just as it did over the weekend with the abrupt reclosure of the strait, only hours after Trump said it had reopened. This is a regime that clearly believes it is holding powerful cards. Trump, by contrast, continues to oscillate between threats of mass violence and claims of an imminent breakthrough.”

“Even amid a worsening political environment, Republicans have hung their hats on their hopes of being able to sell what they consider to be popular items of last year’s tax cut package to voters. Those hopes, however, are running headfirst into reality as the midterm elections wind closer and they struggle to break through an avalanche of news, much of it headlined by the Iran war.”

“The trend is fueled by the justices’ growing status as political celebrities in a deeply divided country, according to publishing industry figures and students of the court. Their name recognition, particularly among people who share their ideological values, creates built-in audiences that publishers see as a safe bet.”

“So far, everything is breaking the Democrats’ way. With Mr. Trump’s approval rating falling and inflation rising, along with the uncertainty of a war in the Middle East, it’s not hard to imagine a Democratic tsunami in November. A blue wave is not guaranteed, of course, and Democrats would not be assured to flip two reliably Republican states even if it were. But a feasible path for the party to win the Senate is coming into focus.”

Politico: Battleground Republicans are starting to worry about the Senate.

“But that hasn’t stopped a frenzied competition to push other candidates for what has become one of the most important Cabinet-level posts in the president’s plans for his second term. And the uncertainty around top leadership roles has prompted concern from some in a department already struggling with claims of politicization and the abandonment of long-held norms over the lengths to which Trump’s next pick may go to impress him.”