Iran Strikes Kuwait's Main Airport, Killing One and Injuring Dozens, Amid Fragile US-Iran Ceasefire
Iran launched drone and missile strikes on Kuwait International Airport, killing at least one person and injuring more than 60, as the US-Iran ceasefire remains under pressure. Iran said the strikes were retaliation for earlier US military action.Iran struck Kuwait's main international airport with ballistic missiles and drones, killing at least one person and injuring more than 60 others, in what Kuwaiti officials described as a serious and ongoing assault. Kuwait condemned the attack in strong terms, calling it unprovoked and dangerous. Iran framed the strikes as retaliation for earlier US military action against an Iranian oil tanker and an Iranian-held island. The attack marks the first deadly strike in the Gulf since a ceasefire between the US and Iran came into effect in April. Despite the violence, the US said the ceasefire remains technically in force, describing the situation as ongoing and fragile. The strikes came on the same day Secretary of State Marco Rubio told senators the Iran conflict was concluded — a statement events quickly contradicted. Iran also reportedly fired on additional Gulf targets, including Bahrain, further straining the ceasefire framework. The episode underscores the volatility of the broader US-Iran standoff, which has drawn in regional US allies and complicated diplomatic efforts. Kuwait is a longstanding US ally and hosts American military personnel, making attacks on its territory directly relevant to US regional interests and military posture.
US House Votes to End Iran Hostilities in Rare Bipartisan Rebuke of Trump War Powers
The House passed a war powers resolution 215 to 208, directing the president to withdraw US forces from hostilities with Iran. Four Republicans joined Democrats in the vote, which has failed three previous times. The measure faces an uncertain path in the Senate and a likely veto.The US House of Representatives voted 215 to 208 to pass a war powers resolution directing President Trump to end US military hostilities with Iran. Four Republicans crossed party lines to support the measure alongside Democrats, making it a rare bipartisan rebuke of the administration's Iran policy. The vote had failed three previous times. Under the War Powers Resolution, Congress can direct the president to withdraw forces from unauthorized military engagements. However, the measure faces significant obstacles. Democrats have not been able to advance a similar resolution in the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority. Even if the Senate were to pass it, the White House has signaled it would likely face a presidential veto. The vote is therefore largely symbolic in immediate legal effect, but carries political weight as a formal congressional expression of opposition to the administration's conduct of the Iran conflict. The House action came on the same day the administration was grappling with fresh Iranian strikes in the Gulf, complicating its public framing of the conflict as concluded. Top House Democrats separately called on Senate Republican leadership to take up the resolution.
Ukraine Strikes Oil Terminal and Navy Base Near St. Petersburg as Russia Hosts Major Economic Forum
Ukrainian long-range drones struck an oil terminal and a navy base in the St. Petersburg region, setting facilities ablaze, as Russia opened its flagship annual economic forum. The drones traveled more than 600 miles to reach their targets.Ukraine conducted a long-range drone strike on oil storage facilities and a navy base in the St. Petersburg region of Russia, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirming the attack. Fires broke out at the oil terminal following the strike. The drones flew more than 600 miles to reach their targets, marking one of the deepest strikes into Russian territory in the ongoing conflict. The timing was notable: the strikes coincided with the opening of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, a high-profile annual gathering sometimes described as Russia's equivalent of the World Economic Forum in Davos. President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to address the event. The forum draws international business and political figures and serves as a showcase for Russian economic and diplomatic engagement. Russia had not publicly confirmed the full extent of the damage at the time of reporting. The attack demonstrates Ukraine's continued ability and willingness to strike strategic targets deep inside Russia, a capability that has expanded over the course of the war.
Trump Confirms He Called Netanyahu 'Crazy' in Heated Phone Call Over Beirut Strikes
President Trump confirmed he used the word 'crazy' to describe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a tense phone call in which Trump told Netanyahu not to bomb Beirut. Trump said the two leaders remain on good terms despite the friction.President Trump acknowledged publicly that he called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'crazy' during a heated phone call, in which Trump reportedly told Netanyahu not to strike Beirut, Lebanon's capital. Trump confirmed both the characterization and the profanity used during the call, while maintaining the two leaders continue to have a functional working relationship. Netanyahu publicly laughed off reports of friction, though accounts suggest the call reflected genuine tension over Israeli military operations in Lebanon. The episode comes as the US is simultaneously managing a fragile ceasefire with Iran, navigating Israel's ongoing military campaign in Lebanon, and attempting to maintain regional diplomatic coherence. The exchange illustrates the strain in US-Israeli relations over the conduct and scope of Israeli operations in Lebanon, with the US seeking to contain escalation while Israel pursues its own military objectives. Sources differ on the precise tone and content of the call beyond what both sides have acknowledged.
Israeli Strikes Kill Nine in Lebanon as Hezbollah Fires Rockets Across Border
Israeli airstrikes killed nine people in Lebanon while Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel, straining a partial ceasefire agreed between the two sides earlier in the week.Israeli military strikes killed at least nine people in Lebanon, and Hezbollah responded by firing rockets across the border into northern Israel, in exchanges that put significant pressure on a partial ceasefire reached just days earlier. The ceasefire had been agreed between Israel and Hezbollah on Monday. The renewed violence came amid broader regional instability involving Iran, which has been conducting strikes on Gulf states, and ongoing US diplomatic efforts to manage the conflict. Israeli drone strikes also killed at least six people in southern Lebanon in a related incident, with additional strikes targeting a vehicle south of Beirut. The situation represents an active and evolving conflict zone directly involving US allies and adversaries and bearing on American military and diplomatic commitments in the region.
US and Iran Exchange Fresh Strikes as Gulf Region Tensions Escalate Despite Ceasefire
The US and Iran exchanged missile and drone strikes in the Gulf region, with Iran also hitting Kuwait's airport. A fresh Israel-Lebanon ceasefire was announced by the US and State Department even as regional hostilities continued.The United States and Iran exchanged fresh missile and drone strikes in the Gulf, further threatening the ceasefire that has nominally been in effect since April. Iran struck Kuwait's international airport, killing at least one person and wounding 63, and also targeted other Gulf states including Bahrain. The US confirmed it fired on Iranian assets in the Strait of Hormuz area. Iran also claimed it struck an American military vessel in the Gulf of Oman, a claim the US had not publicly confirmed at the time of reporting. Separately, the US State Department announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a new ceasefire, issued via a joint statement from Washington after talks. The ceasefire with Lebanon came as the existing partial truce between Israel and Hezbollah was already under strain from renewed exchanges of fire. The overlapping ceasefire agreements, ongoing strikes, and competing diplomatic statements reflect the complexity and fragility of the current moment in Middle East security, with direct implications for US forces and allies in the region.
Trump Administration Uses Forced Labor Law to Justify Tariffs, Resists Court-Ordered Refunds
The Trump administration has begun applying a forced labor statute as a legal basis for broad tariffs on dozens of trading partners, while separately resisting a court order to fully refund certain tariffs already paid by businesses.The Trump administration has settled on invoking forced labor laws as a legal and political framework to justify tariffs on roughly 60 trading partners, including the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Australia. Critics argue this framing is a pretext for broader protectionist trade policy rather than a genuine response to labor practices. The EU responded by saying it expected the US to respect its international commitments. In a separate but related development, the administration has begun partially repaying tariffs to businesses following a court order to do so, but has signaled it may create obstacles that prevent some businesses from reclaiming the full amounts they are owed. Together, the two developments reflect the administration's effort to find more durable legal footing for its tariff strategy while managing legal challenges from the courts. The tariffs affect a wide range of American businesses that import goods and have paid duties that are now subject to legal dispute.
Federal Reserve Chair Powell Signals September Rate Cut Is Possible
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell indicated a September interest rate cut is on the table, saying the labor market is not currently a significant source of inflation pressure.Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said an interest rate cut could come as soon as September, describing the labor market as not a significant driver of inflation at present. The comments suggest the Fed sees conditions improving sufficiently to consider easing monetary policy later this year. The Fed has kept rates elevated since its inflation-fighting campaign began in 2022, and any reduction would be closely watched by consumers, businesses, and financial markets. Powell's remarks did not commit to a specific timeline or guarantee a cut, but marked a more open posture toward easing than the Fed has taken in recent months.
SpaceX Sets IPO Price at $135 Per Share, Poised to Exceed Saudi Aramco as Largest Ever
SpaceX has priced its initial public offering at $135 per share, positioning it to surpass the 2019 Saudi Aramco IPO as the largest in history by both valuation and money raised.SpaceX has set the price for its initial public offering at $135 per share, according to reporting that puts the company on track to exceed the 2019 Saudi Aramco IPO as the world's largest public offering by both total valuation and capital raised. The offering represents a landmark moment for the private space and technology sector, and for Elon Musk's business empire. SpaceX has been one of the most closely watched private companies in the world, holding contracts with NASA and the US Department of Defense and operating the Starlink satellite internet network. The IPO's scale reflects investor appetite for aerospace and technology assets, and will subject the company to new levels of public financial scrutiny.
Alphabet Plans to Raise Up to $80 Billion in Stock to Fund AI Infrastructure
Google's parent company Alphabet announced plans to raise up to $80 billion in equity, described as the largest corporate stock sale ever, to fund artificial intelligence infrastructure investments.Alphabet, the parent company of Google, announced it plans to raise up to $80 billion through an equity offering to fund its artificial intelligence infrastructure buildout. Analysts described it as the largest equity fundraising in corporate history. The move reflects the enormous capital demands of AI development, including data centers and computing hardware. Berkshire Hathaway was cited in connection with the offering. The announcement raises questions among analysts about the economic returns on AI investment given the scale of spending now required across the industry. Alphabet's decision follows similar large capital commitments from other major technology firms and signals that the race to build AI infrastructure is intensifying significantly.
Trump Signs Order Removing Civil Service Protections from 8,000 Federal Employees
President Trump signed an executive order placing approximately 8,000 senior civil servants into a new employment category that allows them to be dismissed for any reason, removing standard federal job protections.President Trump signed an executive order reclassifying roughly 8,000 high-ranking federal civil servants into a new category of employees who can be fired at will, without the standard cause requirements that apply to most federal workers. The order revives and expands a policy framework known as Schedule F, which was first introduced late in Trump's first term and reversed by the Biden administration. Civil service protections have historically been designed to insulate federal workers from politically motivated firings and to ensure continuity of government expertise across administrations. Critics argue the move will politicize the federal workforce and reduce institutional independence. Supporters contend it gives the executive branch necessary flexibility to manage government employees. The order follows a broader pattern of executive branch workforce changes during the current administration, including mass layoffs of probationary employees that courts have at times found to be unlawful.
Trump Administration Tightens Medicaid Work Requirement Exemptions for People with Serious Illnesses
The Trump administration announced stricter rules for who qualifies as too ill to be exempt from Medicaid work requirements, potentially leading more people with serious conditions to lose coverage.The Trump administration issued new rules tightening the medical exemption criteria within Medicaid's work requirements, which mandate that most adult recipients work at least 80 hours per month to maintain coverage. Under the new guidance, adults with serious illnesses including cancer and HIV who cannot work will be required to formally demonstrate that they are too ill to meet the requirement, according to advocates and reporting. The administration has said that those who are genuinely unable to work will be able to prove it, but health advocates warn the bureaucratic burden will cause eligible people to lose coverage before completing the necessary steps. The changes represent one of the most significant restrictions on Medicaid eligibility in the program's history. Medicaid covers more than 80 million low-income Americans. The rule change is expected to face legal challenges and scrutiny from health policy researchers tracking coverage loss.
Supreme Court Allows Alabama to Use Congressional Map Ruled Racially Discriminatory by Lower Court
The Supreme Court cleared the way for Alabama to use its preferred congressional district map for upcoming elections, overriding a lower court ruling that found the map racially discriminatory under the Voting Rights Act.The Supreme Court permitted Alabama to proceed with its preferred congressional district map despite a lower court finding that the map was racially discriminatory and violated the Voting Rights Act. The decision means Alabama can use the contested map in the next election cycle rather than drawing a new one as the lower court had ordered. The case is part of a longer legal battle over Alabama's congressional districts and the application of the Voting Rights Act to redistricting. Civil rights advocates and voting rights groups had urged the court to block the map. The ruling drew public commentary including remarks from Usha Vance calling for respect for the court. The decision adds to ongoing national debate about the scope of the Voting Rights Act following the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Allen v. Milligan, which had initially appeared to require Alabama to draw a second majority-Black district.
Ebola Outbreak in Congo Expands as Testing Shortfalls Limit Response
An outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in Congo is widening rapidly, hampered by a severe shortage of adequate diagnostic tests. Scientists are working to develop vaccines and treatments for a virus strain that has previously caused only two small outbreaks.An outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus in Congo has grown into a rapidly expanding epidemic, presenting significant challenges for health responders. The Bundibugyo strain is a less well-known type of Ebola that has previously caused only two limited outbreaks and for which vaccines and proven treatments are not as developed as for other strains. A chronic lack of investment in diagnostic testing has left clinicians with limited ability to accurately identify cases, which allows the virus to spread unchecked. Scientists are racing to develop and deploy vaccines and treatments, though the less-studied nature of this strain makes that effort more complex. The testing gap represents a systemic failure of global health investment in preparedness for lower-profile but potentially deadly pathogens. The outbreak is centered in Congo but carries implications for global health preparedness, and US institutions are among those involved in response and research efforts.
Studies Show GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs May Reduce Cancer Risk by Up to 30%
A series of studies presented at a major oncology conference found that GLP-1 weight-loss medications, already widely used for obesity treatment, may reduce the risk of developing or dying from certain cancers by up to 30%.Multiple studies presented at the world's largest oncology conference found that GLP-1 receptor agonist medications — the class of drugs that includes widely used weight-loss treatments — may reduce the risk of developing or dying from cancer by up to 30 percent. The findings suggest these drugs, which millions of Americans already take for obesity and diabetes management, could have a significant role in cancer prevention and treatment beyond their primary indications. The research was presented at a major conference, lending it visibility among specialists, though the studies have not been independently replicated. Researchers cautioned that more work is needed to understand which cancers are most affected, which patient populations benefit most, and the mechanisms involved. The findings add to growing scientific interest in the broader health effects of this drug class beyond weight loss.
Trump Signs Executive Order Establishing Federal Oversight of AI Models
President Trump signed an executive order directing federal oversight of artificial intelligence models, a shift from the administration's earlier hands-off posture toward AI regulation. The order followed internal debate about balancing oversight with innovation.President Trump signed an executive order establishing a framework for federal oversight of AI models, marking a shift in the administration's approach to artificial intelligence governance. Previously, the White House had taken a relatively hands-off stance toward AI regulation, emphasizing not impeding innovation. The new order signals that the administration now sees some level of government oversight as necessary, though the specific mechanisms and requirements are subject to further implementation. The move follows months of debate within government and industry about how to regulate AI systems that are becoming rapidly more capable and widely deployed. The order comes amid broader national and international conversations about AI safety, including separate legal and legislative activity in states such as Florida and California. The administration's approach will be closely watched by technology companies, international competitors, and policymakers.