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Only a few days after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz was closed again. But it wasn’t American forces that drew the sharp response from Tehran. Instead, the Iranians said Israeli operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon meant America violated the deal.

The United States and Iran say they reached a “memorandum of understanding” (MOU) to end the current war and work towards a more comprehensive agreement, but hesitated to release the language to the public. The U.S. also reportedly refused to show the text to the Israeli government, America’s partner in launching the war. Logical inference says that’s because the MOU favors Iran, the Trump White House knows it, and they don’t want to hear criticism, including from more hawkish Republicans.

President Donald Trump announced an imminent agreement to end the Iran war, and while he’s said things like that before, Iranian officials and Pakistani mediators also say there’s a deal, so this time it’s real. The U.S. and Iran are expected to sign something on Friday. But it’s reportedly a “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) that agrees in principle to end hostilities and continue discussing broader issues, not any sort of comprehensive deal.

Without political news and social media, I was less angry. I wouldn’t say at peace or unconcerned about the state of the world, but at least less actively pissed off. It didn’t hit me until about two weeks into my now-annual news break, when another driver said something obnoxious at a red light. I was thinking about it a few minutes later, annoyed, when I realized that I’ve been feeling angry nearly all the time about much more important things.

I usually take a news and social media break around this time of year, after the spring semester ends. It’s good for me to focus on other things, treat current events as not my problem, and quiet the part of my brain that’s constantly formulating things to write about war and politics. I find that impossible while following the news or interacting online. The break typically goes for about two weeks, and I come back feeling mentally healthier, more ready to engage the mostly-awful news again.

President Donald Trump visited China, prompting thoughts of a global transition of power. The trip comes amidst America’s ongoing hegemonic suicide, as Trump is creating chaos at home, alienating allies abroad, damaging domestic and international institutions, egregiously violating U.S. and international law, breaking the U.S.-led system of open trade, and trashing U.S. credibilityin ways that will be difficult, perhaps impossible to reverse.

President Donald Trump is on an official U.S. state visit to China, and he brought American business leaders in pursuit of deals. One is Trump’s biggest campaign donor Elon Musk, which is very corrupt. Another is Eric Trump, who runs the Trump Organization, a private business owned entirely by Donald Trump and run by his family members. That’s even more corrupt. Here is how the New York Times covered it: Could raise questions? Potential blurred lines? The lines aren’t blurred. There’s no line at all.

Iran responded on Sunday to President Donald Trump’s latest peace proposal with demands of its own. The United States asked Iran to agree in principle to forfeit its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz while it negotiates the details. Iran rejected that, asking the U.S. to pay war reparations and acknowledge Iran’s sovereignty over Hormuz, by which Iran is blocking around 20% of the world’s oil and gas supply.

Caricature drawing of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts by Steve Petteway, via Wikimedia Commons America’s democratic backsliding deepened as the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act (VRA) in Louisiana v. Callais. The VRA passed Constitutional muster many times, and Congress renewed it in 2006 by large supermajorities, but the John Roberts-led Supreme Court undid it because they personally dislike the outcome, which isn’t their job.

There’s a persistent myth that President Donald Trump knows what he’s doing. That his actions are strategic, rather than impulsive. That he’s “playing 4D chess” — anticipating, manipulating and generally outthinking opponents. That anything he breaks he can put back together — on terms more favorable to himself — or will keep operating regardless. So don’t worry. This still-prevalent view has reached its limit with the Iran war, even if many haven’t realized it yet.