Good morning. If you believe in independent journalism that speaks truth to power, now’s the time to support it. A subscription helps keep this work going—unfiltered, relentless, and accountable.

Subscribe

With that, here’s the news:

Israel v. Iran

  • American B-2 stealth bombers departed Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri en route to a strategic base in Guam, accompanied by four KC-46 Pegasus refueling aircraft; two have already refueled the bombers over the Pacific, while the other two trail about 75 kilometers behind.
  • Two more refueling aircraft took off from north of San Francisco and are heading north, with their next scheduled refueling point in Hawaii.
  • Senior Iranian official states Iran will not negotiate on its defense capabilities, including its missile program — Reuters.
  • Senior Iranian official says European discussions and proposals in Geneva were unrealistic — Reuters.
  • Israel and Iran exchanged new strikes as the conflict entered its second week; Israel claimed it killed two Quds Force commanders and hit Iran’s nuclear research complex in Isfahan.
  • Israel reported fewer Iranian ballistic missile launches overnight, possibly due to successful strikes on launch batteries; Iran says it is shifting to precision missiles. Two Iranian drones breached Israeli defenses.
  • Iran’s foreign minister visited Turkey for talks after unproductive meetings with European officials; Abbas Araghchi warned US involvement would be “dangerous for everybody.”
  • President Trump said his two-week timeline for deciding on US military involvement in Iran is the maximum, and a decision could come sooner.

    • Non-Israel News

  • The FBI arrested James Wesley Burger of Round Rock for allegedly making threats on Roblox to attack a “Christian concert or event,” according to a federal complaint.
    • Image
  • Burger is charged with communicating threats in interstate commerce; his federal public defender declined to comment.
  • A Roblox user in Nevada alerted the FBI that “Crazz3pain” made threats to kill Shia Muslims at a mosque and expressed intent to carry out “martyrdom” at a Christian event to humiliate worshippers.
  • Mahmoud Khalil was released from a Louisiana immigration detention center after over three months, following a federal judge’s order in New Jersey; he expressed relief but criticized the lengthy detention.
  • Khalil said over a thousand people remain detained in the facility and hopes to return to Jena one day only as a visitor.
  • A federal appeals panel ruled that Louisiana's law requiring Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms is unconstitutional, siding with civil liberties groups who argued it violates church-state separation and could isolate non-Christian students.
  • While Republicans, including Trump, supported the law as historically significant, critics emphasized that public schools must remain inclusive; debate remains over whether the ruling applies statewide.
  • VP JD Vance accused California Gov. Newsom and LA Mayor Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests, while defending federal officers’ involvement; local reporters were barred from his LA press event, drawing criticism.
  • Vance sparked backlash after jokingly calling Sen. Alex Padilla “Jose Padilla,” referencing a man once accused of terrorism; critics called the remark despicable and unprofessional.
  • Thousands of Afghans who fled to the US after the Taliban takeover fear imminent deportation amid the Trump administration’s anti-immigration crackdown, despite many having assisted US forces.
  • Trump revoked Afghanistan’s TPS designation and included it in the travel and refugee bans, while ICE arrests have surged, spreading fear among both undocumented immigrants and some with legal status.
  • Pakistan said it will recommend Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his diplomatic role in de-escalating recent India-Pakistan tensions, praising his “strategic foresight” and “statesmanship.”
  • The announcement comes as Trump considers joining Israel in striking Iran’s nuclear facilities; there was no immediate response from Washington or India.

    • See you this evening.

    — Aaron