1 President Announces Release Of US Citizen Held In Iran Since 2024
President Trump announced last night that Iran has freed a U.S. citizen detained since December 2024, calling it a gesture of goodwill amid heightened tensions between the two countries. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the American, whom he did not name, is safely out of Iran and in good condition, and thanked Iran for the move. Her lawyer, Jared Genser, later identified her as Dena Karari, a dual U.S. and Iranian citizen, and said she is safe and traveling back to the United States. According to her lawyer, she was subject to a coercive exit ban that blocked her from leaving the country, though she was never physically detained. Trump made the announcement as the U.S. launched new strikes on Iran, with Central Command saying it hit Iranian command centers, air defenses, and missile sites to weaken Iran's ability to threaten commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
2 Sources Say Trump Will Allege Chinese Meddling In US Elections During Tonight's Address
President Trump is expected to allege Chinese meddling in U.S. elections during a primetime speech tonight, according to sources familiar with the matter. One part of the address is said to claim that Beijing compromised U.S. voter data, and that the CIA knew about it but did not share the information with Trump during his first term. The audience is expected to include members of his cabinet, with invitations extended to the heads of the CIA, FBI, and other agencies. The White House said no one yet knows what Trump will ultimately say and urged people to tune in. Notably, a 2021 intelligence assessment concluded with high confidence that China did not try to influence the 2020 election's outcome or interfere with voting infrastructure, though a minority view held that Beijing may have tried to undermine Trump through social media.
3 Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Says Military Will Start Testing Service Members' Testosterone Levels
The U.S. military will begin annually testing some service members' testosterone levels and offering hormone therapy if needed, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced yesterday. Under the new policy, troops age 30 and older will be screened for testosterone deficiency as part of their routine yearly health assessments, while those under 30 can opt in. Any treatment that follows, including testosterone replacement therapy, would be up to the individual. Hegseth, who branded the effort "High-T," framed it as a way to keep war fighters on the leading edge of lethality, not artificial enhancement. The move comes amid a broader Trump administration push to expand access to testosterone therapy. Critics, including Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran, likened it to gender-affirming care and called for hormone screenings for both men and women to catch fertility issues.