Democracy Now! Monday, April 13, 2026

The U.S. has launched a naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz after failed negotiations in Islamabad, triggering global oil price spikes and warnings of a potential economic crisis. Iran, calling the move 'piracy,' threatens retaliation, while experts warn the blockade could push oil prices toward $200 a barrel and destabilize the global economy. Meanwhile, Hungary’s Viktor Orban has conceded defeat after 16 years of far-right rule, with opposition leader Peter Magyar winning a landslide victory in a democratic turnaround fueled by public disillusionment with economic stagnation, corruption, and deteriorating public services. In the U.S., the Trump administration has fired six immigration judges who blocked deportations of pro-Palestinian student activists, raising alarms about due process and judicial independence. Simultaneously, the federal government is preparing to automatically register men ages 18 to 26 for the military draft—a move critics say is a dangerous myth that enables prolonged war planning without public consent. The Anti-Draft Coalition warns the system is unenforceable and could weaponize data against vulnerable populations, urging repeal of the Military Selective Service Act to remove the draft from the national war playbook. Key takeaways include: The U.S.