Middle East Attacks Intensify as Trump Rejects Iran Talks
Middle East fighting intensified as President Trump dismissed Iran’s attempts to negotiate and defended U.S. strikes as necessary, while Democrats pushed a War Powers resolution to limit his authority. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the strikes were preemptive to prevent higher U.S. casualties, but Sen. Mark Warner said lawmakers were shown no evidence of an imminent threat. Iran has launched missiles and drones at Israel and at countries hosting U.S. forces.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced bipartisan scrutiny in her first Senate oversight hearing since two U.S. citizens were killed by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. She declined to retract or apologize for describing the incident as “domestic terrorism,” saying she relied on chaotic early reports from agents on the ground. Lawmakers pressed her on ICE tactics, staffing levels in Minnesota, and reports of taxpayer-funded TV ads featuring her.
No. 03
Commerce Secretary Lutnick Agrees to Testify in House Epstein Probe
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has agreed to appear voluntarily before the House Oversight Committee as it investigates the government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to Chairman James Comer. Lutnick said he wants to “set the record straight” and has acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private island in 2012 with family members, which contradicted his earlier claim that he cut off contact in 2005. No interview date has been announced, and he has not been formally accused of wrongdoing.
No. 04
Stocks Slide in Volatile Trading as Iran War Lifts Oil Prices
U.S. markets swung sharply Tuesday as investors weighed the economic fallout from the war with Iran, with oil prices climbing and stocks falling. CBS reported the Dow closed down about 400 points after a volatile session, while other reports described steeper intraday declines across major indexes. Limited details were available from several sources due to access restrictions.
No. 05
OpenAI Revises Pentagon AI Deal After Backlash
OpenAI says it is making changes to its Pentagon agreement for classified use of its technology after criticism, with CEO Sam Altman saying the rollout looked “opportunistic and sloppy.” Altman said the system would not be “intentionally used” for domestic surveillance of U.S. persons, and that intelligence agencies like the NSA would need a follow-on contract modification to use it. The BBC reported a spike in ChatGPT uninstalls after the deal announcement, while Anthropic’s Claude rose in App Store rankings amid debate over AI use in war.
