Photo: Science Photo Library RF
1 Israel Retaliates Against Iran
Late last night US time, Israel launched an attack against Iran in response to the attack from Iran last weekend. The attack, launched on the 85th birthday of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and appeared to have been launched at the area of the city of Isfahan, with initial reports saying that all nuclear facilities in the country were safe. While the US didn’t participate or condone the attack, officials confirmed to the press that there was a pre-attack notification to the US from Israel before the attack was launched. Later in the night, Iranian television reported that Iran had destroyed three Israeli drones that were part of the attack. Sources told NBC News that Israel carried out a limited military strike, but gave no other details. Earlier yesterday, Iran’s foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian issued a warning during an interview with CNN, saying that Iran’s response to any attacks would be “decisive, definitive, and regretful.”
2 Trump Trial: Day Three
A full twelve-person jury and one alternate were seated yesterday for the “hush money” trial of former President Donald Trump. “We have our jury,” Judge Juan Merchan said after the 12th juror was confirmed, then followed by saying “I am hopeful we will finish tomorrow.” Five more alternates will have to be seated before the trial can begin, but if those five are sworn in today, opening arguments in the trial could start as early as Monday. After the court adjourned for the day, Trump addressed reporters, complaining that he was “supposed to be a lot of different places campaigning,” then repeated his claims that the proceedings are “a very unfair trial.”
3 The House Has Attached A TikTok Ban To The Foreign Aid Package
A potential ban on the social media app TikTok is now attached to House Republicans’ $95-billion foreign aid package to provide funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The text of the “21st Century Peace Through Strength Act” includes a modified version of the TikTok ban the House passed earlier this year. The new bill would give ByteDance 270 days from the date of enactment to divest from the app or face a ban in the US, with an option for the President to add three months to the deadline, extending it to a full year. Speaker Mike Johnson plans to send all four bills to the Senate as a complete package, which means that the Senate couldn’t remove the TikTok ban.