Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Trump's Iran Deadline Is Tonight
As President Trump's 7 pm deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approaches, Tehran rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal circulating through mediators last night and instead sent back a 10-point counteroffer demanding a permanent end to the war. Iran conveyed its response through Pakistan, one of the key go-betweens in the conflict, and the answer was unambiguous: no temporary pause, but a path to lasting peace. The ceasefire proposal had been drafted by Egypt, Pakistan, and Turkey and sent to both sides late Sunday as a last-ditch effort before Trump's deadline. Trump, speaking at a White House news conference yesterday, acknowledged the latest offer from Iran as "a significant step" but said it was "not good enough." When asked whether attacking civilian infrastructure would constitute a war crime, Trump said, "No. I hope I don't have to do it."
2 Artemis II Makes It Around The Moon, Now Headed Back To Earth
The four Artemis II astronauts made history yesterday when their Orion spacecraft swung behind the moon, taking them farther from Earth than any humans have ever traveled. Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Canadian Jeremy Hansen entered the moon's gravitational sphere of influence just after midnight yesterday, and around 6 pm Eastern Time the Orion began its pass behind the moon. The crew took pictures and video, and also conducted what scientists called the most critical part of their mission…describing their own observations of the surface. Just after losing communication with Earth, Orion passed within 4,070 miles of the Moon, the lowest point in its flyby, and also reached its maximum distance from Earth…252,760 miles. The crew’s busy day continued with another first for humans…around 8 pm, Orion aligned with the Sun and the moon, putting the crew inside a total solar eclipse. An Ipsos poll released yesterday found that 76-percent of respondents were proud of the accomplishments of the crew, and 80-percent had a favorable view of NASA.
3 Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Law To Label Terrorist Groups And Expel Student Supporters
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law yesterday giving him and other state leaders the power to officially label groups as domestic or foreign terrorist organizations and expel state university students who support them. Under the law, a top Florida law enforcement official can propose a designation, which the governor and his three-member Cabinet then vote on. Designated groups can be dissolved and cut off from state funding. Universities must also report expelled students on visas to ICE. Free speech advocates criticized the law's vague language, warning it could be used to suppress protest. DeSantis had previously designated two Islamic groups as terrorist organizations by executive order last December, but a federal judge temporarily blocked that order.