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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
IRAN WAR – CEASEFIRE
President Trump yesterday told advisers that he is not satisfied with Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, according to multiple people briefed on discussions in the White House Situation Room. The proposal would have set aside questions about what to do with Iran’s nuclear program for the time being, U.S. and Iranian officials said. Delaying nuclear talks could have been a way to reach a quick agreement to ease pressure on global energy and financial markets, but it would also be a sign that the war failed to achieve its goal for a deal on Iran’s enrichment program. Tyler Pager and Julian E. Barnes report for the New York Times; Parisa Hafezi and Steve Holland report for Reuters.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met yesterday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who pledged to “do everything that serves your interests and the interests of all the people in the region” to ensure peace. Russian state media did not report what kind of support, if any, Putin actually agreed to behind closed doors. Gerry Shih and Sammy Westfall report for the Washington Post.
IRAN WAR – LEBANON OPERATIONS
The Israeli military began carrying out strikes in eastern Lebanon yesterday, expanding the scope of its bombing campaign during a ceasefire that has failed to fully halt hostilities. Hezbollah said on Monday it had attacked an Israeli tank in southern Lebanon with a drone. The Israeli military said a drone launched by Hezbollah exploded near its troops in southern Lebanon, without causing casualties. Reuters reports.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
A superyacht linked to sanctioned Russian billionaire Alexey Mordashov sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, shipping data showed. It is unclear how the multi-deck pleasure vessel gained permission to use the route. Reuters reports.
The war with Iran has disrupted global shipping and driven up costs, worsening shortages of lifesaving therapeutic food in Somalia and forcing clinics to further ration supplies or turn away severely malnourished children, according to the International Rescue Committee. Ammu Kannampilly and Olivia Le Poidevin report for Reuters.
In closed-door meetings, Vice President J.D. Vance has repeatedly questioned the accuracy of the information the Pentagon has provided about the war, two senior administration officials told The Atlantic. This includes whether the Pentagon has understated the drastic depletion of U.S. missile stockpiles. Intelligence assessments indicate that Iran still retains much of its military strength, including two-thirds of its air force, the bulk of its missile-launching capability, and most of its small, fast boats. Missy Ryan, Vivian Salama, Michael Scherer, and Nancy A. Youssef report.
The United States and Iran yesterday clashed at a U.N. review of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, with Washington accusing Tehran of violating its obligations and criticizing its appointment to a leadership role, while Iran rejected the claims as politically motivated. Edith M. Lederer reports for AP News.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Pakistani mortars and missiles yesterday struck a university and civilian homes in northeastern Afghanistan, killing seven people and wounding at least 85 others, Afghan officials said. Pakistan denied the accusation of targeting a university. The strikes were the first violent incident since the Chinese-mediated peace talks between the two sides earlier this month. Abdul Qahar Afghan reports for AP News.
Iraqi President Nizar Amedi named businessman Ali al-Zaidi as prime minister-designate after months of political deadlock. Ephrat Livni reports for the New York Times.
TECH DEVELOPMENTS
China’s National Development and Reform Commission said yesterday it blocked Meta’s $2 billion acquisition of Manus, an AI startup founded by Chinese engineers that relocated to Singapore. With no explanation offered, the NDRC ordered both parties to unwind the deal entirely, saying it had decided to prohibit any foreign investment in Manus. Kate Park reports for TechCrunch; Meaghan Tobin reports for the New York Times.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
King Charles III plans to tell Congress today that the United Kingdom and the United States have had their differences in recent months, but that the “two countries have always found a way to come together,” according to a preview of his remarks. Royal aides told POLITICO that King Charles will focus on reconciliation and renewal in a speech expected to run to 20 minutes. Michael D. Schear reports for the New York Times; Aaron Pellish reports.
NATO is considering ending its practice of holding annual summits, six sources told Reuters, a move that could avoid a potentially tense encounter with Trump in his final year in office. One diplomat said the 2027 summit, to be held in Albania, would like take place that autumn, but NATO was considering not holding one at all in 2028. Two of the sources mentioned Trump as a factor, but several said broader considerations were at play. Humeyra Pamuk, Andrew Gray, and Lili Bayer report.
A Chinese national, Xu Zewei, was extradited from Italy to the United States for allegedly participating in a state-directed cyber espionage campaign that exploited Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities to hack nearly 13,000 U.S. organizations and steal COVID-19 research, the Justice Department announced yesterday. Matt Kapko reports for CyberScoop.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum yesterday ruled out a conflict with the United States over an incident in which two CIA agents – who were not authorized to operate in the country – died in an accident in the state of Chihuahua last week. “Let us hope this is an exceptional case… and that a situation like this never happens again,” Sheinbaum said. Fabiola Sanchez reports for AP News.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
More than 140 new judges have been appointed so far to replace the Justice Department’s firings of immigration judges. Two-thirds of them have no stated experience practicing immigration law, and according to the National Association of Immigration Judges, they are receiving less training than previously offered. “They’re trying to create a malleable workforce that will do what they want without question,” said Kerry Doyle, a former ICE official and immigration judge, who was fired last year. Maria Sacchetti reports for the Washington Post.
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER
Cole Tomas Allen was charged yesterday with attempting to assassinate Trump after allegedly planning and carrying out an armed attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday. Allen was ordered to remain jailed pending additional court hearings and faces up to life in prison if convicted of the assassination count alone. Eric Tucker, Michael Kunzelman, and Alanna Durkin Richer report for AP News.
Trump said yesterday that Jimmy Kimmel should be immediately fired from ABC, echoing first lady Melania Trump’s criticism of Kimmel over comments he made before Saturday’s attack. Kimmel responded that his jokes last week about Melania becoming a widow were misinterpreted and were not a call for violence, explaining: “It was a very light roast joke about the fact that he’s almost 80 and she’s younger than I am. It was not by any stretch of the definition a call to assassination.” David Shepardson and Dawn Chmielewski report for Reuters.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Over 1,000 Transportation Security Administration officers have left the agency since the start of the ongoing Department of Homeland Security shutdown, DHS said yesterday. Kanishka Singh reports for Reuters.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
The Trump administration will pay energy companies hundreds of millions of dollars to abandon their plans to build two wind farms off the U.S. coast, the Interior Department said yesterday, in a repeat of a tactic the government used to cancel other offshore wind leases last month. In exchange, the companies have pledged to invest that money in oil and gas projects, including liquefied natural gas facilities along the Gulf Coast. Maxine Joselow and Brad Plumer report for the New York Times.
Pressure to fit the Trump administration’s priorities has led investigators and lawyers at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to focus its resources on pursuing and fast-tracking cases that have little evidence and tenuous legal bases, according to more than a dozen current and former employees. This involves focusing on charges of discrimination against white men and charges of antisemitism on college campuses. The sources described a deeply demoralized and fearful workforce at the agency. Rebecca Davis O’Brien reports for the New York Times.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal appeals court yesterday ruled that the Defense Department can temporarily require journalists to be escorted inside the Pentagon. Alexandra Bruell reports for the Wall Street Journal.
A federal judge yesterday agreed to delay an order requiring the University of Pennsylvania to comply with a Trump administration subpoena for information about Jews on campus, allowing the school’s appeal to proceed. Alan Blinder reports for the New York Times.
Justice Department officials late yesterday asked a federal judge to lift his order halting Trump’s planned $400 million ballroom, contending that Saturday’s attack at the White House proved why the space is needed. “After the Saturday night attempted assassination, which could have never taken place in the new facility, reasonable minds can no longer differ — The injunction must be dissolved,” acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wrote in the filing. Dan Diamond and Jonathan Edwards report for the Washington Post.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions.
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