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A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the last 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
U.S. CARIBBEAN AND PACIFIC OPERATIONS
“We in the U.S. are offering to help you not only alleviate the current crisis, but also to build a better future,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Cubans yesterday in a video message on Cuban Independence Day. Rubio blamed Cuba’s current problems on greed and corruption in its leadership and offered $100 million in food and medicine, provided the aid is distributed through the Catholic Church or other trusted charities. Reuters reports.
The U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz and its escort warships entered the southern Caribbean Sea yesterday, according to U.S. Southern Command. A U.S. official said the administration intends to use the Nimitz as a show of force against Cuba, not as a platform for major military operations. Eric Schmitt reports for the New York Times.
The Justice Department yesterday announced charges against Raúl Castro, the 94-year-old former president of Cuba, accusing him of murder and a conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens stemming from the fatal downing in 1996 of two planes over waters off the coast of Cuba. President Trump refused to say whether he would use military force to extract Castro from Cuba, telling reporters, “I don’t want to say that.” Alan Feuer, Frances Robles, and David C. Adams report for the New York Times.
IRAN WAR – CEASEFIRE
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed a revised peace memo drafted by Qatar and Pakistan on Tuesday, three sources said. Two Israeli sources said the two leaders were at odds over the way forward, while a U.S. source said, “Bibi’s hair was on fire after the call.” Trump yesterday said Netanyahu “will do whatever I want him to do” on Iran, though he also said they had a good relationship. Barak Ravid reports for Axios.
Iran has already restarted some of its drone production during the six-week ceasefire that began in early April, according to two sources. Four sources told CNN that U.S. intelligence indicates Iran’s military is reconstituting much faster than initially estimated. Some intelligence estimates suggest Iran could fully reconstitute its drone attack capability in as few as six months. Zachary Cohen and Natasha Bertrand report.
Iran is enforcing a multi-tiered system for clearing vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Reuters investigation. The system can involve government-to-government arrangements, intense vetting by the Iranian government, and sometimes fees in exchange for safe passage. Devjyot Ghoshal, Ahmed Rasheed, Parisa Hafezi, Gavin Finch, and Saurabh Sharma report.
IRAN WAR – OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
Iran is enduring its longest, government-imposed, internet blackout, lasting nearly three months, with connectivity at 1% to 2% of total capacity. The blackout is “the most severe, by extent and duration, that we’ve tracked in the history of modern internet connectivity,” said Alp Toker, founder of digital watchdog group NetBlocks. Henna Moussavi reports for the Wall Street Journal.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir yesterday posted a video of himself taunting detained pro-Palestinian activists while they were handcuffed and pinned down to the deck of a ship. Six countries with citizens among the participants – Italy, France, Canada, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain – summoned their respective Israeli ambassadors following the video. Netanyahu said in a statement that the way Ben-Gvir “dealt with the activists…is not in line with Israel’s values and norms.” Natan Odenheimer reports for the New York Times; Lior Soroka reports for the Washington Post.
The Trump administration has threatened to revoke the visas of the Palestinian delegation to the U.N. if the Palestinian ambassador refuses to end his candidacy for vice president of the U.N. General Assembly, according to an internal State Department cable sent yesterday and seen by Reuters. The cable instructs U.S. diplomats in Jerusalem to deliver the message that a bid for vice president would “fuel tensions,” risk undermining Trump’s Gaza peace plan, and result in consequences from Washington. Humeyra Pamuk reports.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Syria will attend the G7 summit in France next month as a guest nation and be represented by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, three sources said. A Syrian official said Syria’s participation in the talks would likely focus on the country’s role as a “potential strategic hub for supply chains” following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Feras Dalatey reports for Reuters.
The U.N. General Assembly yesterday voted 141-8 to adopt a resolution backing a 2025 International Court of Justice opinion that countries have a legal obligation to address climate change. While not legally binding, the opinion is expected to be cited in climate-related legal cases worldwide. The United States joined Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, Iran, Yemen, Liberia, and Belarus in opposing the resolution. Valerie Volcovici reports for Reuters.
Myanmar’s military-backed government said today that it has regained control of two towns near the country’s borders with India and Thailand. AP News reports.
TECH DEVELOPMENTS
Meta began laying off thousands of employees yesterday morning and reassigning thousands of others to AI-focused roles, according to an internal memo and sources. Meta’s chief people officer told staff last month that layoffs would affect 10% of the company, or roughly 8,000 employees. The company is reorganizing its workforce to compete with AI-native startups and offset increasing AI infrastructure spending. Meghan Bobrowsky and Raffaele Huang report for the Wall Street Journal.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Trump said yesterday that he is preparing to speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te as part of his decision process on whether to approve a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan. Direct leader-to-leader communications between the United States and Taiwan have been almost nonexistent since Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. Phelim Kine and Gregory Svinorvskiy report for POLITICO.
U.S. IMMIGRATION DEVELOPMENTS
Nine migrants deported from the United States arrived in Sierra Leone yesterday. Five migrants are from Ghana, two from Guinea, one from Senegal, and one from Nigeria, the Ministry of Information said. Sierra Leone’s foreign minister, Timothy Kabba, told local media the government has agreed to temporarily receive migrants deported by the Trump administration, saying it only accepts West African nationals and the agreement is supported by a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. government. Kemo Cham and Mark Banchereau report for AP News.
U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Colorado Gov. Jack Polis (D) was censured by the Colorado State Democratic Party last night over his decision to free Tina Peters, a high-profile election denier and supporter of Trump who had been serving a nine-year prison sentence for tampering with voting machines. The censure is largely symbolic, but it does bar Polis from speaking at Democratic Party events. Jack Healy reports for the New York Times.
The Justice Department has charged a former prosecutor with stealing records related to former special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation of Trump’s mishandling of classified documents. The DOJ accused Carmen Lineberger of defying a Jan. 21, 2026, order sealing Jack Smith’s final report. Prosecutors said Lineberger emailed an internal memorandum and a report to a personal address, concealing the files’ content by naming them “chocolate cake recipe” and “bundt cake recipe. Chris Cameron reports for the New York Times.
Senate Republicans yesterday dropped a $1 billion Secret Service funding request tied to Trump’s White House ballroom project after the Senate parliamentarian last week ruled it violated budget rules, and several GOP senators objected to using taxpayer money for the renovation. Jordain Carney and Jennifer Scholtes report for POLITICO.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) yesterday introduced legislation to block the Justice Department’s new $1.776 billion compensation fund, arguing it could improperly funnel taxpayer money to Trump allies and Jan. 6 defendants. Raskin also failed in an 18–17 House Judiciary Committee vote to subpoena Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and IRS Commissioner Frank Bisignano over the fund and related DOJ actions. Rebecca Beitsch reports for The Hill.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
U.S. Cyber Command is launching a task force to speed up the adoption of AI tools with powerful hacking capabilities, according to three sources. The task force was announced to staff two weeks ago, two sources said. John Sakellariadis, Maggie Miller, and Jacob Wendler report for POLITICO.
A draft Trump administration executive order, which could be released as early as today, would expand federal oversight of advanced AI systems by asking tech companies to voluntarily submit powerful frontier models for government review up to 90 days before public release, according to multiple sources. Jacob Wendler, Dana Nickel, Dasha Burns, and Josh Hewitt Jones report for POLITICO.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
A federal judge yesterday ordered the White House to preserve all presidential records, including text messages exchanged among its top officials. The ruling blocked a Justice Department memo and White House guidance in April, maintaining that Trump’s White House records were his private property and that officials did not need to comply with the Presidential Records Act. Minho Kim reports for the New York Times.
Two police officers, who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, filed a lawsuit yesterday against the Trump administration to block the creation of the nearly $1.8 billion ‘anti-weaponization’ fund. The suit alleges that the Trump administration has created a “slush fund to finance the insurrectionists and paramilitary groups that commit violence in his name.” Luke Broadwater reports for the New York Times.
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