Iran deal pauses fighting, Hormuz control looms; GOP wins Georgia seat

A two-week ceasefire is in place. President Trump calls it a breakthrough

But the real test starts now. Can it actually hold? Plus, Republicans protect a key House seat in Georgia with a double-digit win

But the race isn't over. Why, the same two candidates could face off again real soon

And the moon like you've never seen it before. Stunning new images from Artemis II up close and from the far side

The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. The ceasefire between the United States and Iran

appears to be holding this morning, but there are still signs of instability across the region

President Trump announced a two-week ceasefire late Tuesday, saying he agreed to suspend strikes

after talks involving Pakistan and after Iran signaled it would allow shipping through the Strait of Hormuz

He later posted that Iran can now begin reconstruction. Iran's foreign minister said the country would halt its defensive operations

and that its military will coordinate safe passage through the strait during the ceasefire

On Iranian state TV, the government announced the ceasefire. In Tehran, some celebrated, but others took to the streets in protest

opposing any deal with the U.S. In recent days, Iranians formed human chains around key power plants and bridges

after Trump threatened to target them. Markets reacted quickly to the ceasefire, oil prices dropped sharply

and stock futures jumped on hopes the Strait of Hormuz will reopen to full traffic

Trump saying the U.S. will be helping with the traffic buildup. But questions remain about how that will work

with Iran saying its military will help manage passage through the strait

And the ceasefire does not cover everything. Israel continues strikes in Lebanon, where fighting with Hezbollah is still underway

Looking ahead, Pakistan's prime minister has invited U.S. and Iranian officials to Islamabad for talks on Friday, aimed at reaching a longer-term deal

There's been sharp pushback from the Vatican over the war. Pope Leo is calling President Trump warning to Iran Tuesday quote truly unacceptable His remarks follow that true social post from Trump warning that a whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again

Speaking to reporters in Italy, the Pope referenced that threat and said attacks on civilians or infrastructure violate international law

He also called it a moral issue, urging leaders to step back from further escalation

And let's remember especially the innocent, children, the elderly, sick, so many people who have already become or will become victims of this continued warfare

To remind all that attacks on civilian infrastructure is against international law, but that it is also a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction that the human being is capable of

The Pope has grown more direct in recent days, calling on governments to return to negotiations

He also urged people around the world to press their leaders to work toward peace

Now to a different topic, a big hold for Republicans in Georgia in a special election to fill the seat vacated by former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene

Republican Clay Fuller, endorsed by President Trump, won Tuesday's runoff to fill the remainder of Greene's term through the end of the year

Fuller defeated Democrat Sean Harris by about 12 points, 56 to 44 percent

in a district Trump carried by more than 35 points in 2024

Fuller framed the race as a test of support for the president's agenda and made clear where he stands

I think it's incredibly important to make sure that we're fighting for the president's agenda. And then if the people here, if it had gone blue, it would have been a complete tragedy for the people of northwest Georgia

So I know that the conservatives here, they want to see those policies continued and want to see me fighting for them on Capitol Hill

Fuller called himself a fighter who will have the president's back in Washington

But this race is not over. He now heads into another Republican primary in May just to advance to the November general election

where he would face Harris again for a full two-year term. Harris, in defeat, struck an optimistic tone, saying his campaign won support in areas, quote

nobody would have thought This morning American journalist Shelley Kittleson is free in Iraq after spending a week held by an Iranian militia Iraqi officials say her captors released Kittleson Tuesday and arrangements are now underway to get her out of the country

Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, claimed responsibility for the abduction, which was caught on CCTV

They said on Telegram she was freed on the condition that she leave Iraq immediately

Her exact location has not been disclosed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the release, saying the U.S. is working to support her safe departure

Before her abduction, the State Department had warned Kittleson she could be targeted by that same group while reporting in Iraq

After she was nabbed, the FBI's hostage recovery fusion cell worked with U.S. agencies and Iraqi partners to help secure her release

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says President Trump has the right and the duty

to push for investigations into people he believes should be looked at

Blanche made the comments during his first extended remarks since taking over at the Justice Department after Pam Bondi was fired last week

He pushed back on questions about political pressure, saying investigations will move forward under the law

including cases involving people that Trump has clashed with. We have thousands of ongoing investigations and prosecutions going on in this country right now

And it is true that some of them involve men, women and entities that the president in the past has had issues with and that believe should be investigated

That is his right. And indeed, it is his duty to do that, meaning to lead this country

And so I do not view this as pressure. I do not view this as something that is going to keep me up at night, except to make sure that we are investigating every case that we have to the fullest extent of the law and using all the resources we can

Blanche also left open the possibility that he could stay in the job permanently

The former Trump defense lawyer said the decision is up to the president and that he would take whatever role Trump wants him to take

I love working for President Trump. It's the greatest honor of a lifetime. And if

President Trump chooses to keep me as acting, that's an honor. If he chooses to nominate me

that an honor If he chooses to nominate somebody else and I go back to being the DAG that an honor If he chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else I will say thank you very much I love you sir Blanche has been serving as deputy attorney general and was elevated to the top job on an acting basis after Bondi exit

He also said only President Trump knows why Pam Bondi is no longer attorney general

And finally this morning, some absolutely remarkable images just back from the moon

Take a look. The Artemis crew released stunning new photos from their lunar flyby, including a rare view of Earthset from the Orion capsule

Astronauts watched the Earth dip behind the moon, a view only a handful of humans have ever seen

Look at these photos. The crew spent about seven hours circling the moon, taking nearly 10,000 photos along the way

They also witnessed a solar eclipse from space, with the moon completely blocking the sun for nearly an hour

far longer than any eclipse seen from Earth. And for the first time, astronauts got a direct look at parts of the moon's far side

They spotted massive impact craters, including the Oriental Basin, and even proposed names for new ones, Integrity for their spacecraft

and Carol, in honor of Commander Reed Weissman's late wife. These images are already helping scientists better understand the moon's surface

and prepare for future missions. And for the crew, it was more than just science

They called it an experience that, quote, bends your mind. I would say so

Those pictures are so crystal clear, the moon feels like you can just reach out and touch it

Just an amazing mission and super successful so far, right? All right, a busy day ahead from courtrooms to space

Here's what we're tracking. At 9, Rex Heuerman is expected to plead guilty in the Gilgo Beach serial killings case on Long Island, New York

At 1, White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt holds a briefing. At 3.30, President Trump meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Ruta at the White House

And tonight, the Artemis II crew speaks live with mission control, followed by a briefing from the astronauts

No noise, no sides, just the story. NewsGuard gives us a perfect score for reliability

All Sides gives us a center rating for balance certification. We give you the facts first and the news straight

Those are your unbiased updates for this Wednesday. For all of us here at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelli

Have a great day