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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
ISRAEL-IRAN CEASEFIRE
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian today ordered the country to suspend its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, enacting a law passed by the Iranian Parliament last week. Pezeshkian’s order included no timetables or details about what the suspension would entail. Jon Gambrell reports for AP News; Reuters report.
Tehran is still willing to continue negotiations with the United States, although the talks are unlikely to restart this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told CBS News yesterday. Araghchi also said that U.S. strikes “heavily and seriously” damaged Iran’s nuclear sites, including the Fordow site. Reuters reports.
A senior Iranian official and adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thought to have been killed in an Israeli attack, Rear Adm. Ali Shamkhani, has been seen at a funeral service for military commanders over the weekend in Tehran. Farnaz Fassihi reports for the New York Times.
The Iranian military last month loaded naval mines onto vessels in the Persian Gulf, raising concerns in Washington that Tehran might blockade the Strait of Hormuz following Israeli strikes on Iran, two U.S. officials say. Reuters was not able to determine whether the mines, which could be used to close one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, have since been unloaded. Gram Slattery and Phil Stewart report.
Iran is suspected of spying on Jewish targets in Berlin to prepare for possible attacks, the German prosecutor’s general office said yesterday. The prosecutor’s office said that on the German authorities’ request, Danish agents last week arrested a Danish national, believed to be gathering information on Berlin’s Jewish community on Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ orders. Bertrand Benoit reports for the Wall Street Journal.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
President Trump yesterday claimed that Israel had agreed to “conditions to finalize” a 60-day ceasefire in its war with Hamas, adding that he hopes Hamas will accept the deal as “it will only get worse.” Hamas today signalled openness to “any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war,” and is expected to discuss the deal with Egyptian and Qatari mediators. At the time of writing, Israel has yet to publicly comment on Trump’s announcement. Ephrat Livni and Tyler Pager report for the New York Times; Fatma Khaled, Samy Magdy, and Bassem Mroue report for AP News.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, was set to discuss U.S. ideas for a post-war plan in Gaza with one of Netanyahu’s top aides yesterday, according to U.S. and Israeli officials. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Norway’s largest private pension fund on Monday announced it had excluded the U.S. Oshkosh and Germany’s Thyssenkrupp companies from its portfolio, stating that by selling weapons to the Israeli military, the firms had contravened the fund’s investment guideline banning sales of arms to “states in armed conflicts that use the weapons in ways that represent serious and systematic breaches of international law.” Cristina Gallardo reports for the Wall Street Journal.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The United States has halted shipments of some air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine over concerns that U.S. weapons stockpiles have fallen too low, sources say. The initial decision to withhold some aid was made in early June, the people said, but is only taking effect now. A White House spokesperson said the decision was “made to put America’s interests first.” Paul McLeary, Jack Detsch, and Joe Gould report for POLITICO.
A Ukrainian strike on a factory in the Russian city of Izhevsk killed three and injured 35 others, the regional governor said yesterday. A Ukrainian security official told Reuters the facility manufactured drones and air defense systems.
The halt in the United States’ issuing of new sanctions on Russia since Trump’s return to office has created an opportunity for Russia to obtain components in violation of U.S. export controls, according to analysts, trade data, online listings, and corporate registration records. Aaron Krolik reports for the New York Times.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron had a “substantial” phone call yesterday, their first in three years, Macron’s office and the Kremlin said. Macron’s office said that Macron had called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and the start of negotiations to end the war during the call. According to the Kremlin press service, Putin said it was necessary to respect Iran’s right to the peaceful development of nuclear energy. Reuters reports.
Turkish authorities yesterday detained 120 officials from the opposition Republican People’s Party, including a former Izmir mayor and dozens of municipality officials, in investigations against alleged corruption that opposition officials say are politically motivated. AP News reports.
The United Kingdom and Germany are preparing to sign a wide-ranging treaty that would include a mutual assistance clause activated if either nation is threatened, sources say. The treaty is expected to be signed in late July. Esther Webber, Nette Nöstlinger, and Chris Lunday report for POLITICO.
British colonists committed genocide against Australia’s Indigenous population in Victoria, according to the findings of Yoorrook Justice Commission, a landmark Aboriginal-led inquiry, published yesterday. Lana Lam reports for BBC News.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
In a 51-50 vote, the Senate yesterday voted to approve Trump’s domestic policy megabill. The bill now returns to the House, in an effort to enact the sprawling piece of legislation by Trump’s self-imposed July 4 deadline. Any changes in the House would require another Senate vote. Richard Rubin, Lindsay Wise, and Jasmine Li report for the Wall Street Journal.
The Senate yesterday removed a provision that would ban state-level regulation of AI from the megabill. Amrith Ramkumar reports for the Wall Street Journal.
Justice Department prosecutors have charged two Chinese nationals with spying inside the United States on behalf of Beijing, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Monday. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case “underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within.” Eric Tucker reports for AP News.
An FBI special agent had used an FBI-issued device to pay for sex with prostitutes during overseas assignments and domestic travels, the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General said in an investigative summary released yesterday. The summary did not specify whether disciplinary action was taken against the agent, who supervised other FBI employees. Derek Hawkins reports for the Washington Post.
The son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo,” Ovidio Guzman Lopez, intends to plead guilty to U.S. drug trafficking charges, according to court documents filed yesterday. Christine Fernando and Sophia Tareen report for AP News.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
The Social Security Administration has backed away from a plan to classify thousands of living immigrants as dead in a critical database in order to pressure them to self-deport, according to SSA and White House officials. Instead, the Social Security numbers of the 6,300 migrants will be flagged as “unverified,” a status that is usually used when a Social Security number may be fraudulent, erroneous or mistakenly associated with someone. Alexandra Berzon, Tara Siegel Bernard, and Nicholas Nehamas report for the New York Times.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Trump yesterday cast doubt on whether the United States will agree to a trade deal with Japan, calling the island country “spoiled.” Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki today said talks between the two sides are continuing. John Liu, Yumi Asada, and Ramishah Maruf report for CNN.
The Trump administration’s cancellation of a U.S. Agency for International Development contract to resupply emergency rape kits for rape survivors left thousands without access to life-saving medication as violence surged in eastern Congo this year, according to U.N. officials and aid groups operating in the region. Jessica Donati and Sonia Rolley report for Reuters.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Jared L. Wise, a former FBI agent who was charged with encouraging Jan. 6 rioters to kill police officers, has been appointed as a counselor to Ed Martin, the head of the Justice Department’s Weaponization Working Group, sources say. It is unclear exactly what role Wise will play as Martin’s adviser. Alan Feuer and Adam Goldman report for the New York Times.
The University of Pennsylvania yesterday announced it will limit the participation of trans people in its athletic program under a deal the school struck with the Trump administration in order to avoid “significant and lasting implications.” The government also said the school had pledged to “adopt biology-based definitions for the words ‘male’ and ‘female’.” Alan Blinder reports for the New York Times.
Paramount will pay $16 million into Trump’s future presidential library to settle his lawsuit over the editing of an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris aired on the CBS News program “60 Minutes,” the company announced yesterday. The settlement did not include an apology. CBS News reports.
The FBI will move its headquarters into a Washington D.C. building previously occupied by USAID, FBI Director Kash Patel announced yesterday. Patel did not specify when the move would begin or how much it would cost. Adam Goldman reports for the New York Times.
DOGE is “the monster that might have to go back and eat Elon [Musk],” Trump told reporters yesterday after Musk said he would create a new political party opposing Republicans if Congress passes Trump’s domestic policy bill. Trump also said he would “take a look” at whether to deport Musk to his native South Africa. Irie Senter reports for POLITICO.
The Pentagon yesterday released approximately 150 California National Guard troops from federal duties related to the Los Angeles protests following a request from the U.S. Northern Command commander, Gen. Gregory Guillot, for 200 National Guard members to return to wildfire response duty. Rebecca Falconer reports for Axios; Tara Copp reports for AP News.
The Trump administration is looking into whether CNN can be prosecuted over its report on an iPhone app that alerts users to ICE agents’ presence in their area, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said yesterday. A CNN spokesperson said there was “nothing illegal” about the network’s reporting “the existence of this or any other app.” Reuters reports.
The Trump administration’s proposed budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would eliminate the agency’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, which performs and coordinates climate research, and cancel some of its functions. Alex Fitzpatrick reports for Axios.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday blocked the Trump administration from revoking the Biden administration’s 2024 extension of humanitarian protections against deportations for up to 500,000 Haitians living in the United States. The judge held that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s attempt to let the protections expire effective Sept. 2 was unlawful because it ignored provisions requiring her to give early notice to recipients. The court postponed DHS action on the issue pending the resolution of the plaintiffs’ other claims. Hassan Ali Kanu reports for POLITICO.
A federal judge yesterday issued an order temporarily restraining the Trump administration from moving forward with the planned reforms of the Health and Human Services Department, finding that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to slash the agency’s headcount and reorient its priorities likely exceeded his authority. In the order, the judge said that the Constitution “carefully constructed this democratic system to prevent the concentration of power in one part of the government.” Christina Jewett and Zach Montague report for the New York Times.
The Trump administration is temporarily blocked from dismantling the U.S. African Development Foundation (USDAF) after a federal judge yesterday ruled that Trump likely violated federal law by appointing Pete Marocco as the new USDAF head without following the Senate confirmation process. Zach Schonefeld reports for the Hill.
A pro-Palestinian Georgetown student from India, Badar Khan Suri, can remain free while litigating the U.S. government’s efforts to deport him, a federal appeals court ruled yesterday. Kanishka Singh reports for Reuters.
A group of Democratic-led cities yesterday sued the Trump administration over changes to the Affordable Care Act that the lawsuit alleges would result in nearly 2 million Americans losing health insurance. Sarah Owermohle and Devan Cole report for CNN.
The Attorneys General from 20 states yesterday filed a joint lawsuit alleging the Trump administration violated federal privacy laws by sharing the private Medicaid data of millions of enrollees with deportation officials last month. Amanda Seitz and Kimberly Kindy report for AP News.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
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ICYMI: yesterday on Just Security
The U.S. Attack on Iran Was Unconstitutional
By Michael J. Glennon
Setting the Record Straight on Nihilistic Violence
By Steven Rai and Cody Zoschak
After CASA: The Administrative Procedure Act Option for Challenging the Birthright Citizenship and Other Illegal Executive Actions
By Harold Hongju Koh, Alan Charles Raul, and Fred Halbhuber
