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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.
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
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