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Here’s the news:

  • Pete Hegseth claimed, “President Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success.”
  • Donald Trump claims that the New York Times and CNN will soon fire the reporters who broke the story that Trump’s public assessment of what happened in Iran differed from the intelligence community’s.
  • A WIRED investigation based on 911 call data and public records reveals a disturbing rise in medical emergencies—including pregnancy complications, suicide attempts, and allegations of sexual abuse—at ICE detention centers across the U.S., with many facilities overwhelmed, understaffed, and unequipped to handle urgent care needs; calls reflect systemic delays, overcrowding, and deteriorating conditions worsened by ICE's expansion and relocation of detainees to remote areas with limited medical infrastructure.
  • According to The Migrant Insider, the new House Homeland Security appropriations bill would require all non-detained migrants entering the U.S. to wear a GPS monitoring device.
  • In January, when Trump took office, ICE arrested and detained 10.3 immigrants with criminal convictions for every 1 immigrant with no criminal record. Currently, that ratio has dropped to 1.2 immigrants with criminal convictions for every 1 immigrant with no record.
  • ICE arrested Ribvar Karimi, a Trump-supporting Iranian immigrant and former Iranian Army sniper, during a mass roundup of Iranians following Trump’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites; despite his wife’s claim that they were finalizing paperwork and that his military service had been disclosed, ICE cited his visa violation and highlighted his army ID, while DHS stated Karimi is “removable” under the law.
  • Sae Joon Park, a 55-year-old U.S. Army veteran and Purple Heart recipient who immigrated from South Korea at age 7, self-deported this week after a federal removal order; he was wounded in Panama in 1989, later struggled with undiagnosed PTSD and drug use following his honorable discharge.
  • U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the U.S. will halt contributions to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, until it “re-earns the public trust,” accusing the organization in a video speech of neglecting vaccine safety, suppressing dissent, and ignoring inconvenient science around Covid-19 vaccines.
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed ignorance of reports showing ICE agents hiding their faces with masks during undocumented immigrant roundups, despite widespread evidence; when pressed by Sen. Gary Peters, she suggested it was for self-protection, citing threats and doxxing, though critics argue the masked raids resemble tactics used in authoritarian regimes.
  • U.S. senators are set to meet with top national security officials on Thursday to discuss President Trump’s decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear sites, amid growing questions over the effectiveness of the strikes; the classified briefing was delayed from Tuesday and comes ahead of a Senate vote on a resolution requiring congressional approval for any future military action against Iran.
  • Attendees of the Senate Iran briefing include Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, John Ratcliffe, and Gen. Dan Caine; Tulsi Gabbard will be excluded.
  • Iran’s supreme leader declared the country delivered a “heavy slap” to the U.S. and claimed victory in his first remarks since the ceasefire.
  • Iran’s supreme leader threatened further action against the U.S., claiming the country has access to “key” U.S. bases in the region and could strike “whenever it deems necessary.”
  • Iran’s parliament approved a bill on Wednesday to suspend cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, with Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf stating Iran would accelerate its civilian nuclear program; the move followed remarks by UN watchdog chief Rafael Grossi suggesting much of Iran’s highly enriched uranium may have survived U.S. and Israeli strikes.
  • Trump announced that the U.S. will hold talks with Iran next week, with a possible agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program on the table.
  • A federal jury has awarded $500,000 to the widow and estate of Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith, who died by suicide nine days after defending the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 riot.

    • See you this evening.

    — Aaron