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Pi Network price prediction: why Pi coin is soaring and next target

Pi Network price has staged a strong comeback, in line with our recent prediction. The popular Pi coin jumped to a high of $0.75 on Saturday, up by 80% from its lowest point this month. This surge has pushed its market cap to over $5.17 billion. This article explores why the Pi coin price has jumped and what to expect. 

Pi Network price technical analysis

The Pi coin price has jumped mainly because it had strong technicals after crashing by over 86% from its highest point after its mainnet launch. These strong technicals may help to explain why the coin may keep rising and its future targets. 

Read more: Pi Network price rally: Why Pi coin is rising after the 85% crash

The four-hour chart shows that the token formed a falling wedge pattern as it crashed. This popular pattern is characterized by two falling and converging trendlines and often leads to a strong bullish breakout. 

This breakout happened recently when the two lines of this trendline neared their confluence level. 

The token also formed a bullish divergence pattern, which happens when oscillators like the Relative Strength Index (RSI) and the Stochastic Oscillator rise as an asset’s price continues its downtrend.

Pi Network price has moved above the 50-period Exponential Moving Average (EMA), a sign that bulls are now in control. Also, most oscillators have continued to point upwards, meaning that it is gaining momentum.

Therefore, the Pi coin price will likely continue rising as bulls target the 50% Fibonacci Retracement level at $1.70, up by over 135% from the current level. The bullish outlook will become invalid if the Pi Network price crashes below the all-time low of $0.3943. 

Pi Network price chart | Source: TradingView

Top catalysts for the Pi coin price

Pi Network price has several catalysts that may push it higher in the long term. First, from a macro level, the token will benefit from the rising recession risks as the Fed will likely intervene as it has done in the past. Susan Collins, a top Fed official, supported this view who said that the bank was prepared to step in and stabilize the market. She said:

“The core interest rate tool we use for monetary policy is, certainly not the only tool in the toolkit and probably not the best way to address challenges of liquidity or market functioning,”

Past interventions by the Fed have been highly bullish for risky assets like cryptocurrencies and stocks. This explains why American equities rebounded on Friday, even after Beijing imposed a 125% tariff on US goods. 

The other catalyst for the Pi Network is that tier-1 exchanges will ultimately list it because of its popularity. Recent data shows that the coin’s 24-hour volume jumped by 200% on Saturday to over $500 million. Most of this volume is coming from exchanges like OKX, Bitget, MEXC, and Gate.

A token listing by exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, and Upbit will likely be a bulish catalyst. Just recently, Orca price soared by over 200% in a single day after being listed by Upbit.

Third, the Pi Network price would surge if the developers unveil a plan to burn it. Burning would likely counterweight the scheduled token unlocks, which stand at over 1.5 billion in the next 12 months. 

Fortunately, Pi has various avenues to burn the token. First, it can decide to burn fees generated by its ecosystem of applications. Second, it may decide to burn part of the tokens allocated to the foundation. Finally, it can burn unclaimed tokens by pioneers once the grace period ends fully. 

The post Pi Network price prediction: why Pi coin is soaring and next target appeared first on Invezz

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Why Tesla stock is sliding another 4% on Friday

Tesla shares extended their losses on Friday, falling about 4% to trade around $242.

The decline followed a 7.3% drop on Thursday, when the stock closed at $252.40.

Tesla is now down over 35% year-to-date, marking the steepest decline among major technology firms.

The broader market also opened lower on Friday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 241 points, or 0.6%, the S&P 500 down 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite easing 0.2%.

The recent slide comes after a sharp rally on Wednesday when Tesla surged 22.7%—its second-largest one-day gain on record—following President Donald Trump’s announcement of a temporary pause on reciprocal tariffs for non-retaliating countries.

That rally was second only to the 24.4% gain recorded on May 9, 2013, when the company reported its first-ever quarterly profit.

Despite the rebound, Tesla has been under pressure for much of April, losing over 20% since Trump announced sweeping tariffs on imports earlier this month.

Escalating trade tensions between the US and China have added to investor concerns, particularly for automakers like Tesla facing the dual threat of rising costs and weaker demand.

Tesla stops taking new orders in China

The Elon Musk-led company has suspended new orders for its Model S and Model X vehicles in China, according to checks on the company’s website and WeChat mini-program.

The move affects two of Tesla’s premium models, both manufactured in the United States and imported into China, where retaliatory tariffs have sharply raised prices.

The suspension comes on the heels of China’s latest response to President Donald Trump’s tariff hikes.

On Friday, Beijing increased tariffs on US imports to 125%, following Washington’s move to raise duties on Chinese goods to 145%.

Though Tesla has not issued a formal explanation, the timing suggests the decision is a direct consequence of worsening trade relations, which have made US-built vehicles significantly less competitive in the Chinese market.

The added tariffs make American-made EVs considerably more expensive than domestic alternatives, undercutting their appeal to Chinese consumers.

In contrast, Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y vehicles—produced at its Shanghai Gigafactory—remain unaffected. These locally built models account for the bulk of Tesla’s Chinese sales and are also exported to other markets, including Europe.

Despite the current disruption, Tesla remains less exposed than other automakers to the latest round of tariffs due to its strong domestic manufacturing base for US sales.

Analysts cut price target on TSLA stock

Wall Street’s outlook on Tesla is souring as escalating trade tensions and weakening demand weigh on the company’s prospects.

Analysts from UBS, Goldman Sachs, and Mizuho have all reduced their price targets, warning of further risks to earnings and profitability.

UBS delivered the harshest assessment, cutting its target to $190 from $225 and maintaining a Sell rating—implying nearly 30% downside from Wednesday’s close.

Analyst Joseph Spak flagged inflated earnings expectations and warned that results from the first quarter of 2025 could prompt further downward revisions.

Goldman Sachs trimmed its target to $260 from $275, holding a Neutral stance.

Analyst Mark Delaney acknowledged Tesla’s AI and software initiatives as potential offsets but noted ongoing concerns around weak auto demand, increased input costs from tariffs, and uncertainty around US EV incentives.

Mizuho offered a more constructive view despite revising its target to $375 from $430.

Analyst Vijay Rakesh retained an Outperform rating and expressed confidence in Tesla’s ability to maintain its leadership in the US EV space, even as it faces intensifying competition in Europe and China.

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US consumer sentiment plunges to lowest level in over a decade as trade tensions escalate

Consumer confidence in the United States has slumped to its weakest level in over ten years, undercut by escalating trade tensions and growing fears of inflation and job losses.

The latest survey from the University of Michigan, released Friday, revealed that its closely watched consumer sentiment index dropped to 50.8 in April from 57 the previous month.

This marked not only a continued deterioration but also one of the lowest readings since the global financial crisis.

The figure came in well below economists’ expectations of 54.6, according to a Wall Street Journal poll.

The survey’s director, Joanne Hsu, warned of “multiple warning signs” flashing across the economy, with pessimism spreading uniformly across demographics.

He said:

This decline was pervasive and unanimous across age, income, education, geographic region and political affiliation.

Expectations for business conditions, personal finances, incomes, inflation, and labor markets all continued to deteriorate this month.

The survey was conducted from March 25 to April 8, a period bracketed by significant policy announcements.

President Trump’s April 2 declaration of “Liberation Day” tariffs set the tone, triggering a sharp sell-off in financial markets.

Though Trump later announced a 90-day pause on certain measures, he maintained blanket tariffs on nearly all imports, raising fears of prolonged economic strain.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

Inflation fears reach new heights

The University of Michigan survey found that consumers’ short-term inflation expectations have soared to levels not seen since 1981.

Respondents now expect prices to rise by 6.7% over the coming year, a sharp increase from 5% in March.

Long-term inflation forecasts also climbed, reaching 4.4% for the next five years.

These expectations reflect the growing anxiety among consumers as Trump escalated tariffs on Chinese goods to 125%, with Beijing retaliating in kind.

Steel, aluminum, and automotive imports remain subject to steep duties, contributing to a sense of mounting economic pressure.

Hard data, such as employment figures and retail sales, have so far offered a mixed picture.

Hiring continues at a healthy clip, but softer retail sales in recent months hint that households could soon tighten their belts.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sought to temper concerns, saying last week:

“Sometimes the surveys are very negative, but they keep spending. People spent right through the pandemic, and they spent right through this time of higher inflation.”

Wall Street jitters and recession risks loom larger

Market volatility, intensified by tariff hikes, has rattled even affluent consumers whose spending has buoyed the economy through recent years of high inflation.

Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank, cautioned that sustained market turbulence could finally dampen their confidence.

“Wealthy consumers’ stock market gains kept the economy growing in 2024 despite high prices, but the wealthy won’t feel confident enough to keep spending if this keeps up,” Adams noted in an analyst report.

Adding to the chorus of concern, BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink likened the current environment to the uncertainty of the 2008 financial crisis.

We’ve seen periods like this before when there were large, structural shifts in policy and markets — like the financial crisis, Covid-19 and surging inflation in 2022.

“We always stayed connected with clients, and some of BlackRock’s biggest leaps in growth followed,” he added.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon also weighed in, describing the outlook as fraught with risks.

“The economy is facing considerable turbulence, with the potential positives of tax reform and deregulation and the potential negatives of tariffs and ‘trade wars,’” Dimon said following the bank’s quarterly earnings release.

As both soft data and consumer sentiment sour, the durability of the US economy appears increasingly in question.

Analysts and policymakers alike will be watching closely to see whether spending habits hold or falter under the combined weight of inflation, policy shifts, and growing market unease.

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European stocks wrap volatile week mixed: FTSE 100 inches higher, DAX dips

European markets closed out a turbulent week with modest losses on Friday, as the intensifying tariff standoff between the United States and China continued to rattle global investor sentiment.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 index slipped 0.1%, retracing slightly after logging its strongest session since March 2022 on Thursday.

The UK’s FTSE 100 rose 0.64% after better-than-expected GDP data for February, while the mid-cap FTSE 250 was flat.

Germany’s DAX declined 0.9% and France’s CAC 40 dipped 0.3%.

The euro continued to strengthen, gaining 1.3% against the US dollar to reach $1.134 — its highest level since February 2022 — on the back of optimism over economic resilience in the eurozone.

Sector-wise, risk-off sentiment remained evident. Industrials, technology, and energy stocks stayed under pressure, while defensive sectors such as utilities and consumer durables attracted buyers.

Trump tariff tensions dominate market narrative

The session capped a week marked by extreme volatility, fueled by policy uncertainty surrounding US President Donald Trump’s new tariff regime.

The White House’s initial move to impose steep “reciprocal tariffs” on nearly 90 countries and territories was walked back midweek, replaced by a 10% blanket levy for 90 days to allow for negotiations, excluding China, which faces a punitive 145% import duty.

In response, Beijing raised its tariffs on US goods to 125%, up from 84%, escalating fears of a prolonged disruption in global trade flows.

Despite these developments, European equities have shown greater resilience than their US counterparts.

While the S&P 500 has dropped nearly 11% year-to-date, the Stoxx 600 is down only 4.4%.

France’s CAC 40 has slipped 4%, the FTSE 100 is lower by about 3%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB has declined just 0.9%.

Germany’s DAX remains an outlier, up 2.4% so far in 2025.

Analysts attribute this relative outperformance to expectations that the economic fallout from the US-led trade conflict will be less severe in Europe.

Several Wall Street banks have noted that Europe’s diversified export base, stronger trade links with Asia outside of China, and more conservative monetary policy responses may cushion the impact.

US stocks on Friday

After starting the day in red, US stocks edged higher Friday as investors tried to find footing following a volatile week dominated by tariff headlines and economic data.

The S&P 500 rose 0.5%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 140 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.7%.

The move higher came despite a setback in consumer sentiment data that briefly pressured equities.

The University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index for April fell more than expected, signaling rising unease among households.

The University of Michigan’s latest consumer sentiment survey showed a sharp decline in confidence, with the index falling to 50.8 in April from 57 in March.

This marks one of the lowest readings since the pandemic-era lows and underscores rising anxiety among consumers amid inflation concerns and escalating trade tensions.

More notably, consumers’ year-ahead inflation expectations surged to their highest level since 1981, stoking concerns that price pressures could persist even as broader inflation gauges show signs of cooling.

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Trump envoy meets Putin in Russia as Trump fumes over stalled Ukraine peace talks

White House envoy Steve Witkoff was in Russia on Friday to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin after peace talks with Ukraine stalled out in recent weeks, ‘frustrating’ President Donald Trump.

‘This is another step in the negotiating process towards a ceasefire,’ White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said of the meeting. ‘I think the president has been quite clear that he’s been continually frustrated with both sides of this conflict, and he wants to see this fighting, and he wants the war to end.’

Russian media broadcast images of Putin and Witkoff meeting at the presidential library in St. Petersburg. 

Leavitt said the U.S. had ‘leverage’ over Ukraine and Russia to pressure them to agree to peace.

‘We believe we have leverage in negotiating a deal… And we’re going to use that leverage. And the president is determined to see this through,’ Leavitt said.

Trump has demanded that both sides agree to an immediate 30-day ceasefire while they hash out a longer peace deal. Ukraine has agreed to this, while Russia has not. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed Ukraine had found two Chinese men fighting on behalf of Russia within their borders, a development that would suggest Russia is receiving direct manpower aid from both North Korea and China. 

Zelenskyy said at least 155 Chinese citizens were fighting for Russia as he accused Putin of ‘prolonging the war’ — a claim the Kremlin denied Thursday, stating that China takes a ‘balanced position’ to the war and that ‘Zelenskyy is wrong.’ Fox News Digital has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for further comment.   

Ahead of Witkoff’s meeting with Russian officials, Trump ramped up pressure on Putin, writing on Truth Social: ‘Russia has to get moving. Too many people are DYING, thousands a week, in a terrible and senseless war – a war that should have never happened, and wouldn’t have happened, if I were President!!!’

Trump said on March 31 that he was ‘pissed off’ with the Russian leader and threatened to put ‘secondary tariffs’ on Russia’s oil exports, its financial lifeline for the war effort. That could mean sanctioning countries that buy Russian oil or cracking down on its ‘shadow fleet’ of tankers carrying oil across the globe in disguise.

Trump has previously aired out complaints about Zelenskyy, too, calling him a ‘dictator without elections.’ A public White House meeting last month erupted into a near-shouting match where Zelenskyy abruptly left the premises. 

Ukraine agreed to both the unconditional ceasefire and a more tailored maritime ceasefire, but Russia has made a fresh round of demands, including the lifting of some sanctions. 

‘We are making progress. We hope that we are getting relatively close to getting a deal between Russia and Ukraine to stop the fighting,’ Trump said during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday. 

The U.S. and Russia carried out a prisoner exchange deal that saw the return of ballerina and U.S.-Russian citizen Ksenia Karelina to the U.S. on Friday. Karelina was sentenced to 12 years in prison at the start of the war in 2022 for donating $51 to a Ukrainian charity. 

On Thursday, U.S. and Russian officials met in Istanbul to discuss reopening operations at each other’s embassies. 

The St. Petersburg gathering is Witkoff’s third meeting with Putin this year. Over the weekend he will head to Oman to negotiate with Iran in nuclear talks.

Ahead of Friday’s meeting, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was ‘no need to expect breakthroughs’ and the ‘process of normalizing relations is ongoing.’

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Pennsylvania man charged with threatening Trump, ICE agents, other officials

A Pennsylvania man has been federally charged with making threats to assault and assassinate President Donald Trump, other U.S. officials and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. 

Shawn Monper, 32, who was arrested on Wednesday, lives in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the president was shot during a campaign rally last July. 

‘I want to applaud the outstanding and courageous investigative work of the FBI and the Butler Township Police Department, who thankfully identified and apprehended this individual before he could carry out his threats against President Trump’s life and the lives of other innocent Americans,’ Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement on Friday. 

She added, ‘Rest assured that whenever and wherever threats of assassination or mass violence occur, this Department of Justice will find, arrest, and prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law and seek the maximum appropriate punishment.’

The FBI was notified about Monper’s YouTube account, for which he used the name ‘Mr Satan,’ on Tuesday and was able to link the account to his home in Butler. 

He made several threatening statements between Jan. 15 and April 5, including that he was ‘going to assassinate’ Trump ‘myself,’ ‘ICE are terrorist people, we need to start killing them,’ and ‘Eventually im going to do a mass shooting.’

On Feb. 17, he said: ‘Nah, we just need to start killing people, Trump, Elon [Musk], all the heads of agencies Trump appointed, and anyone who stands in the way. Remember, we are the majority, MAGA is a minority of the country, and by the time its time to make the move, they will be weakened, many will be crushed by these policies, and they will want revenge too. American Revolution 2.0.’

The FBI investigation also found that Monper got a firearms permit after Trump’s inauguration, which he commented about on his YouTube channel.

‘I have bought several guns and been stocking up on ammo since Trump got in office,’ he said after the inauguration, further commenting on his account in March, ‘I have been buying 1 gun a month since the election, body armor, and ammo.’

He threatened ICE again on April 1, writing, ‘If I see an armed ice agent, I will consider it a domestic terrorist, and an active shooter and open fire on them.’

The Butler Township Police Department in Pennsylvania are investigating the case along with the FBI. 

Monper is next expected in court on Monday. 

Trump was shot in the ear during a campaign rally in Butler on July 13. The shooter was killed by the Secret Service. A Florida man was also arrested for attempting to assassinate the president in September after he was found armed, lying in wait outside of his golf course in West Palm Beach. 

Last week, another Florida man was arrested for making threats on social media to assassinate Trump.

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US stocks rebound as White House signals trade optimism with China

Wall Street closed sharply higher on Friday, capping a roller-coaster week, after the White House hinted it was open to reaching a trade agreement with China.

A wave of renewed optimism sent the major indexes soaring, providing some relief after days of intense volatility.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.8%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 658 points, or 1.7%.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite surged 2%, leading gains as investors rushed back into riskier assets.

Markets gained momentum in the afternoon following comments from the White House suggesting President Donald Trump was “optimistic” about China seeking a deal with the United States.

The upbeat sentiment helped investors shake off concerns that had rattled markets earlier in the week.

This week marked one of the most turbulent periods for US stocks in recent history.

On Thursday, major averages plummeted as fears over escalating trade tensions pushed traders into a risk-off mode.

The S&P 500 sank 3.46%, the Dow Jones dropped by 1,014 points, or 2.5%, and the Nasdaq tumbled 4.31%.

The sell-off came just a day after a historic rally on Wednesday, when Trump announced a 90-day pause on certain tariffs.

That announcement triggered a powerful rebound: the S&P 500 soared 9.52%, marking its third-largest one-day gain since World War II, while the Dow exploded higher by more than 2,900 points.

Volatility remained a major theme throughout the week.

The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), Wall Street’s fear gauge, spiked above 50 earlier before easing slightly to hover near 44 by Friday.

Such elevated levels of volatility typically reflect deep investor uncertainty about economic and policy risks.

Trade policy remained the dominant market driver.

While Trump’s softer tone on tariffs sparked optimism, investors remain cautious about the long-term outlook for US-China relations.

Many market participants fear that further escalations or policy shifts could trigger another bout of selling.

Aside from trade news, economic data and corporate earnings updates also played a role in driving sentiment.

However, trade developments largely overshadowed other indicators, reinforcing just how sensitive markets have become to geopolitical headlines.

Looking ahead, analysts warn that while Friday’s rally is encouraging, volatility may persist as investors continue to weigh mixed signals on the trade front.

The strong end to the week helped major indexes recover some of their earlier losses, but all three remained down for the month.

Traders and investors alike are bracing for more headline-driven moves in the coming weeks as negotiations between Washington and Beijing evolve.

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Trump feels in ‘good shape,’ after physical, says he got ‘every question right’ on cognitive test

President Trump said on Friday that the first physical examination of his second term went well, and overall he feels he’s in ‘very good shape.’

The president told reporters on board Air Force One while en route to his home in West Palm Beach Friday evening that the yearly presidential physical at Walter Reed Medical Center showed he has a ‘good heart, a good soul,’ and ‘overall, I think I’m in very – I felt I was in very good shape.’ 

He also took a cognitive test.

‘I don’t know what to tell you other than I got every answer right,’ the president told reporters.

He added, ‘I think it’s a pretty well-known test. Got it all right. I’ve taken the cognitive test, I think, four times and gotten nothing wrong. That’s what the American people want. Biden refused, Kamala refused.’ 

He also said that doctors gave him ‘a little bit’ of advice on lifestyle changes that could improve his health without going into detail. 

Biden’s yearly presidential exam at Walter Reed last year didn’t include a cognitive test. 

The former president’s mental abilities became a concern during the presidential election last year after he struggled in a June debate against Trump, which led to former Vice President Kamala Harris taking over as the Democratic nominee. 

Trump said he expected the report from the exam to be released by Sunday. 

The president was at Walter Reed for five hours undergoing ‘every test you can imagine.’

‘I was there for a long time,’ Trump said. ‘I think I did very well.’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday that a readout of the exam would be released ‘as soon as we possibly can.’

The White House earlier this week promised to release the full results of Trump’s examination. 

‘I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!’ Trump wrote on Truth Social before the exam earlier this week. 

The exam was also his first presidential physical since his ear was grazed by a bullet during an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. 

Both Biden and Trump’s health have come under increased scrutiny as they are the two oldest U.S. presidents to ever serve, and Trump became the oldest president to be sworn into office in January. 

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At least 26 American hostages released since Trump took office

At least 26 Americans held hostage abroad have been freed since President Donald Trump entered the Oval Office in January. Those who gained their freedom include a ballerina, a teacher and a mechanic, among others.

Ryan Corbett and William McKenty

On Jan. 21, 2025, just one day after Trump’s second term began, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were released from Taliban captivity in Afghanistan. While Corbett and McKenty were freed under Trump, the deal that secured their release was completed by the Biden administration.

Corbett and his family moved to Afghanistan in 2010, where they lived in Kabul and Jalalabad. According to a website set up by his family, Corbett did work for NGOs, which focused on education, birth and life-saving skills. He also started a project in 2017, Bloom Afghanistan, with the goal of strengthening the country’s private sector. In 2021, the Corbett family evacuated as the Taliban took control of the country. Corbett returned to Afghanistan a year later and was captured by the Taliban, which his family suspects was because of his ‘value as political leverage.’

There aren’t many details on McKenty or exactly why he was in Afghanistan. According to the BBC, his family asked for privacy.

Anastasia Nuhfer

Anastasia Nuhfer, who was detained in Belarus during the Biden administration, gained her freedom Jan. 26, 2025. While Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Nuhfer’s release, he did not give details on when she was detained or why. However, according to The Associated Press, a former high-ranking Belarusian official said the arrest was linked to 2020 protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. 

Six unnamed American citizens

Special envoy Ric Grenell secured the release of six Americans after meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Grenell posted a photo of himself and the men on a plane and said that they ‘couldn’t stop thanking’ Trump when speaking to him on the phone. The men were not identified.

Keith Siegel

After spending 484 days as a hostage in Gaza, Keith Siegel was released as part of a ceasefire deal Feb. 1, 2025. Siegel was taken from Kibbutz Kfar Aza during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks. His wife, Aviva, was also taken hostage but was released in November 2023. 

On April 8, Siegel, who has credited Trump with saving his life, thanked the president during an NRCC event in Washington, D.C.

‘President Trump, I am here, and I am alive. President Trump, you saved my life,’ Siegel said. He also asked Trump to continue working to secure the freedom of the 59 remaining hostages in Gaza.

Marc Fogel

American schoolteacher Marc Fogel was released from Russian captivity Feb. 11, 2025, more than three years after he was detained. Fogel was carrying less than one ounce of medical marijuana, according to his family’s website, which he used for severe pain. The Fogel family criticized former President Joe Biden’s handling of Marc’s case, especially in light of his work to release WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was also arrested for having marijuana. 

On July 13, 2024, Fogel’s mother, Malphine, attended a Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Marc’s hometown. She spoke with Trump, who promised to bring her son home.

Trump invited Marc and Malphine to attend his address to a joint session of Congress in March 2025.

Unnamed American

On Feb. 12, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that an American ‘unjustly detained in Belarus’ had been released. The statement did not include details or identifying information about the hostage. In a press release, Rubio affirmed the administration’s commitment to releasing Americans held hostage across the globe.

Sagui Dekel-Chen

On Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli American Sagui Dekel-Chen was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists from his home at Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was shot in the shoulder during the massacre and endured torture while in captivity.

Dekel-Chen spent almost 500 days as a hostage in Gaza and gained his freedom in February 2025. While he was in captivity, his wife gave birth to their third child. He only learned about his daughter’s birth after being released.

10 unnamed Americans

On March 13, 2025, 10 unidentified Americans, including veterans and military contractors, were released from captivity in Kuwait. According to The Associated Press, the American citizens were detained on drug charges.

George Glezmann

Delta Airlines mechanic George Glezmann spent more than two years as a hostage in Gaza after being detained by the Taliban in December 2022. According to senators John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, both Democrats from Georgia, Glezmann went to ‘Afghanistan for a five-day trip to explore the cultural landscape and rich history of the country.’ The two senators advocated for Glezmann’s release, which eventually occurred March 20, 2025.

Faye Hall

The Taliban released Faye Hall in March 2025, though it is unclear when she was detained. CBS News reported that Hall was arrested on charges of using a drone without authorization.

The Trump administration posted a video of Hall thanking the president for her release. In the video, Hall said she had ‘never been so proud to be an American citizen.’

Ksenia Karelina

Russian American ballet dancer Ksenia Karelina was released from detention April 10, 2025, after being wrongfully detained for over a year. Karelina was arrested and sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony after donating approximately $50 to a Ukrainian charity.

‘Mr. Trump, I’m so, so grateful for you bringing me home,’ a teary-eyed Karelina said upon her arrival in the U.S. ‘I never felt more blessed to be American.’

Christopher Guly contributed to this report.

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Delegates from Iran, US holding talks in Oman amid ongoing tensions: What to know

Delegates from the United States and Iran are holding talks in Oman on Saturday in a delicate effort to restart negotiations over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. 

The talks, between a mediator to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, come nearly seven years after President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018. Since then, indirect talks between the two adversaries have made zero progress.

Trump has imposed new sanctions on the Islamic Republic as part of his ‘maximum pressure’ campaign and has suggested military action remained a possibility. Despite this, the president has said he still believed a new deal could be reached by writing a letter to Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which he sent early last month. 

Khamenei, meanwhile, has warned that Iran would respond to any U.S.-led attack with an attack of its own.

‘They threaten to commit acts of mischief, but we are not entirely certain that such actions will take place,’ the supreme leader said. ‘We do not consider it highly likely that trouble will come from the outside. However, if it does, they will undoubtedly face a strong retaliatory strike.’

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called such threats against Iran ‘a shocking affront to the very essence of International Peace and Security.’

‘Violence breeds violence, peace begets peace. The US can choose the course…; and concede to CONSEQUENCES,’ he wrote on X.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has rejected direct negotiations with the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program.

‘We don’t avoid talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far,’ Pezeshkian said in televised remarks during a Cabinet meeting. ‘They must prove that they can build trust.’

Once allies, both countries have been hostile to one another for nearly half a century, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution that saw the creation of a theocratic government led by Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, whose rule was cemented in a CIA-led coup in 1953, had fled Iran before the revolution, ill with cancer, as demonstrations swelled against his rule. Late in 1979, university students overran the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, seeking the shah’s extradition and sparking the 444-day hostage crisis that severed diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S.

In the decades since, Iran-U.S. relations have see-sawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy, with relations peaking when Tehran made the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers before Trump withdrew from the deal, sparking more tensions in the Mideast that persist today.

Under the original 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium up to 3.67% purity and to maintain a uranium stockpile of 661 pounds. The last report by the International Atomic Energy Agency on Iran’s program put its stockpile at 18,286 pounds as it enriches a fraction of it to 60% purity.

U.S. intelligence agencies assess that Iran has yet to begin a weapons program, but has ‘undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so.’

Iran has insisted for decades that its nuclear program is peaceful. However, its officials increasingly threaten to pursue a nuclear weapon. Iran now enriches uranium to near weapons-grade levels of 60%, the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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