US Renews Iran Attacks; Tehran Says It Closed Strait of Hormuz

The United States launched a new wave of attacks against Iran on Wednesday night as efforts to end the three-month old war sputtered, and Tehran hit back by saying it will target any ship going through the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said American forces began "additional self-defense strikes" at 5:15 p.m. ET time, early Thursday in Iran, against multiple targets in Iran, in response to what it called Tehran's "unwarranted and continued aggression."

Iranian media reported explosions across the country's south near the Strait of Hormuz, the same area where U.S. forces had already bombarded air defense, radar and other sites on Tuesday. Iranian sources reported new hits by "enemy projectiles" in Qeshm, Kargan and Sirik.

The Iranian navy said it hit two ships trying to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, state television IRIB and the Mehr agency reported. Iranian media also reported that Iran had attacked the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, hitting communication antennas and radar facilities.

After the new American air strikes "any vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted," the Khatam al-Anbiya command said, according to Tasnim news agency. The strait is now closed "completely closed to all types of vessel," the command said.

But Centcom denied this, saying "commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz tonight."

President Donald Trump said that as the bombing was underway Iranian leaders called him directly in the White House Situation Room and asked him to halt the attack, Fox News reported.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards quickly denied Iran made such a request, the IRNA news agency said.

Trump said U.S. forces hit Iran with 49 Tomahawk missiles and some targets were as close as 40 miles (60 km) from Tehran, Fox said.

If Iran does not accept U.S. terms for ending the three-month-old war, "President Trump said, quote, 'We'll bomb the [expletive] out of them tomorrow night,'" said Fox News reporter Trey Yingst, who spoke to the president.

- 'Playing us for suckers' -

The second straight day of U.S. attacks followed Trump's complaint that Tehran's negotiators were taking too long and "playing us for suckers." Earlier this week he had suggested a peace accord was just days away.

"We hit them hard yesterday. We're going to hit them again hard today," Trump told reporters Wednesday morning. "We were really close to a deal, but they keep tapping us along."

War Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested the strikes could extend into a third night, saying they would be "strong" and "clear."

The escalation drew international calls for restraint on the eve of the World Cup, which the U.S. is co-hosting and Iran is participating in.

U.N. chief Antonio Guterres cautioned against a return to "full war."

Twenty-two countries including the United States and European nations also warned Iran on Thursday to stop attacking people "on our soil."

"Attempts to kill, kidnap, harass, intimidate, or otherwise attack people on our soil, undermines national sovereignty and international norms. These actions must stop immediately," they said in a joint statement.

Iran's U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, meanwhile, rejected Trump's threat, saying "no sustainable deal can be reached through threats, intimidation, or the use of force."

But diplomacy had not collapsed entirely, with Qatari negotiators traveling to Tehran "to meet with the Iranians in an effort to bridge the remaining gaps," a diplomat with knowledge of the situation said.

The war began with massive U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, rattling the region and global markets before an increasingly shaky truce took effect.

The conflict has driven energy prices higher since Tehran retaliated by virtually closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of global oil normally passes.

Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. military had secretly helped 100 million barrels of oil pass through the contested strait.

Global stocks mostly fell Wednesday as renewed fighting, higher U.S. inflation and weakness in technology shares weighed on sentiment, while oil prices climbed about two percent.

- Gulf on alert -

Iran said it attacked American bases in Jordan and Bahrain on Tuesday after U.S. strikes on the Islamic republic in retaliation for the earlier downing of a helicopter.

The Apache was the second crewed aircraft Washington has confirmed losing to Iranian fire during the war. Its two crew members were rescued, the US military said.

Bahrain said it intercepted and destroyed "a number of Iranian aerial attacks," while Jordan said it shot down five missiles, with no casualties or damage.

Kuwait's military said its air defenses were also engaging "hostile aerial targets."

Tehran's foreign ministry warned neighboring states against letting the US or Israel use their territory for attacks.

The U.S. military also said an American warplane fired on and disabled a tanker in the Gulf of Oman that was attempting to carry Iranian oil in violation of a U.S. blockade.

Iran has insisted that any deal to end the war must include a truce in Lebanon, drawn into the conflict when Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel on March 2.

 

The Associated Press Argues Against Itself in Court, Claims It Should Not Be Held to Its Own AP Stylebook

It has been an occasional point of contention for some (namely me) in the news business when running up against the gold standard of professional language – The Associated Press Stylebook.

 For generations, this ever-expanding tome has been the guiding force in journalistic language, but recently it has been morphed into another tool for media narrative-building. 

For instance, linguistic rectitude has frequently been pushed aside in favor of sensitive or woke terminology. Gender issues are to be treated with deference over accuracy. During the 2020 Summer of Love riots, the AP decreed that going forward, reports on race matters should have the word “Black” capitalized, out of some sort of heed being shown. At the same time, references to Caucasian individuals will remain diminished as “white.” And what would you know? As a result, we now have no racism in this country!

While I have at times bristled at having the AP standard applied to my content, I now have an ally in my resistance to the AP Stylebook – the AP itself. In a court case, the news syndicate has just presented a rather odd argument to a judge's panel: The AP says that it should not be held to its own language standards.

The issue involves a case where Zachary Young is suing the AP over the way he was portrayed in news reports. Young, you might recall, is the military veteran who successfully sued CNN for defamation over its portrayal of him as a “black market operator” (lower case applied) in facilitating the evacuation of individuals from troubled regions. Young’s professional business of exfiltrating people was impacted when the news channel framed him as an illegal opportunist, possibly extorting people in dire situations.

 

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READ MORE: A Defamation Case Against CNN Moves Forward; Network Accused of Actions It Slammed Fox News for Taking 

BREAKING: Jury Reaches Verdict in CNN Defamation Case 

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Now Young has a similar suit against the Associated Press, and Nick Fondacaro reports at NewsBusters that this is focusing on the way the news syndicate reported on his activities in a different fashion, describing it as a form of “human smuggling.” And, it so happens, this is the term that the AP is arguing against in its defense, doing so in a deeply curious fashion. Young’s legal team has cited that in the Associated Press stylebook, they address that particular term, and its description is that of an illegal activity. This is where the curiosity springs up.

The AP is not denying that it used the term. The AP is actually arguing that it should not be held to its own defined standard. Amazingly, the news source for all of the approved language in the media is claiming that it ought not be subject to its own standard.

Young’s counsel said to the three-judge panel:

"So the article says, 'Young's business helped smuggle people out of Afghanistan,' and then talks about the funding for that. So, those are the definitional elements of the crime of human smuggling as recognized by federal and international law and also as recognized in the AP Stylebook, which says, which talks about smuggling as being cross-border illegal transport — illegal movement of people across the border in exchange for money. And that’s exactly what AP reported, so they didn't report it in a rhetorical sense." 

The lawyer for the Associated Press attempted to say that it applies the term on an individual case basis, and it is not applicable to every story, somehow.

"Your Honor, we do this in our briefs every day, is to use the term consistently from case-to-case, moment-to-moment within it as you're walking through a brief. The AP did not use the terms in its Stylebook. The Stylebook is inapt as, it is inapplicable to the circumstances of this case."

If that feels like a dose of convenience, you are completely correct. The AP is essentially arguing here that it does not apply the standards outlined in its own stylebook to each of its reports. In other words, then, it is not a standard. In her rebuttal to this testimony, Young’s attorney Lisa Glass exposed the farce of this argument.

“Words matter. The AP created its own stylebook to ensure that. We provided 40 examples of recent reporting by the AP, which were reported both before and after the article at issue that used ‘human smuggling,’ ‘people smuggling’ in exactly the way that its stylebook was intended; to describe criminal conduct.”

One judge did ask why the public would care what the AP defines as “human smuggling” and what that has to do with what the public thinks. Glass explains that the AP is the source that sets the standard of the definition in news reports, and as a result, the public reading an AP usage of the term would establish its meaning in a hard news article.

To hear the AP come out and declare that it can selectively decide that its own stylebook does not apply to its reporting — when convenient — is a tacit admission that the stylebook is not some sort of standard. The fluid approach to its own guidelines is more than an empty argument; it is desperation. As Glass showed, there were dozens of usages of “human smuggling” that all adhered to the same definition, but the news syndicate wants to cherry-pick a solitary instance from the middle of those examples and declare that one time its own standard is not applicable.

It is an amazing example of a news outlet wanting its own set of rules. That it is the very source that is setting down the linguistic rules for all news outlets to come out and declare it is exempted from the standards it lays out is a magnificent dose of elitist thinking. 

Orwell would be in awe of this approach…but, probably not too impressed by it.

 

Europeans Fall in Love With America While Touring the Country; Americans Need to Take Lessons

NPR is having a normal one, throwing shade at America as we host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to NPR's immigration correspondent Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, U.S. immigration policies are casting a pall over the entire affair. 

President Trump's restrictive immigration policies are already impacting this year's 2026 FIFA World Cup.

At least one referee from Somalia and one Iraqi team staff member were denied entry at U.S. airports in recent days, and dozens of fans from countries such as Morocco have been denied travel visas, despite being ticket holders.

Tickets for the opening match of the United States at the World Cup have still not sold out. The game will take place on Friday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Ca., which will be renamed Los Angeles Stadium for the tournament.

With just days left, the U.S. opening match at the World Cup is still not sold out

"I view the 2026 World Cup as a massive paradox," said Jules Boykoff, a professor and the author of Red Card: The 2026 World Cup, Sportswashing and the FIFA Greed Machine. "On one hand, it has more teams than ever participating. On the other hand, because of the policies of the Trump administration, it looks more like a World Cup of exclusion than inclusion."

Thank goodness a German X user named Freddy, and several other European visitors touring the U.S. ahead of the World Cup events, are paying no attention to the Debbie Downers at NPR and on the left. 

It will be three years since we traveled across the country from California to Alabama and took our time, like these young people are doing, to explore the heartland and connect with the people who live there. Even just our photo journey on social media inspired others and gave them a fresh viewpoint on the country that they didn't have before. America is a beautiful place, and its people are unique, diverse, and fully knit into the tapestry of our nation. What unites us is greater than what divides us, and what unites us is a shared aim to secure the blessings of liberty and defend and celebrate our freedoms. 

As my colleague Teri Christoph so beautifully penned, these tourists from Germany, Sweden, and even embattled Britain are having the time of their lives as they explore the sights, sounds, and foods that are uniquely American and that can only be experienced if you get out of the cities and cultivated silos and engage with your fellow Americans. 

Christoph wrote:

Let's face it, it's a beautiful thing to watch visitors from other countries discover and actually appreciate our country and all it has to offer. We've endured too many years of hearing leftists trash the U.S. – and watching too many of them physically try to burn it to the ground – that watching a visitor experiencing its many charms is a welcome change.

 

Much like parents rediscovering the joys of Christmas when they see it through their childrens' eyes and appreciate once again the magic that may have faded away over the years, we Americans clearly love seeing others appreciate what we love about our country. Yes, an abundance of food and entertainment choices, but also a patriotism that's always on display, but especially so right now as we prepare to celebrate our 250th birthday.

Amen to that. Christoph ended her VIP with Freddy's plans to head to the great state of Alabama, and to hit Buc-ees along the way. 

Well, achievement unlocked: 

Buc-ees brisket is divine any hour of the day, my friend.

And when Freddy reached Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL, to attend a World Cup goodwill game between champion Argentina and Iceland on Tuesday, Freddy was absolutely kvelling.

The release of War Eagle absolutely blew his mind.

And what a treat: Freddy got to see fireworks in a state that is wide open with minimal fire hazards and regulations.

So, from Freddy's and others' spontaneous experiences, this latest poll about how Americans are less than enthusiastic about celebrating our 250th Anniversary is hot garbage and needs to be thrown right in the trash can. 

Enthusiasm about the country’s upcoming 250th anniversary clearly reflects the partisan gap: more than twice as many Republicans (74%) as Democrats (35%) are excited about the milestone. Fully 84% of MAGA Republicans are excited compared to 57% of non-MAGA Republicans. More than half of veterans (55%), White men without a college degree (63%), and White evangelical Christians (70%) are also excited.

For those who are unenthused: You need to take a page from these European youngsters, hop in your car, and explore the real America. My husband and I did this quite often, even when we lived out West. Because California is so vast, we often didn't need to travel far. 

Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to find those small towns and cities around you where community, faith, and freedom are a way of life, and not just some tautological sign you place on your lawn to virtue signal. As long as people remain mired in the bigoted representations they hold or their carefully curated moments where they fly in, do their thing, fly out, and still claim they've explored the country, they will never get an appreciation of how uniquely connected we are or what it truly means to be an American. 

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Read More: German Tourist Charms the Internet As He Discovers the Wonders of the U.S.

Trump Admin Rejects Somali Referee Tied to Suspected Terror Groups

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This one post from Freddy truly shows the heartbeat of America: we love those who show appreciation for the land that we love, and we love to be of help whenever we can. 

Even Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy noticed Freddy's journey and applauded his experiences. Duffy also affirmed what many of us know: in order to love America, you have to get out and go see America.  

🇺🇸 HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? 🇺🇸

Meet FREDDY, he’s a German soccer fan in the U.S. for the World Cup and he is experiencing the BEAUTY of America from the road

Here are Freddy’s highlights:

⛰️BRASSTOWN BALD: THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN GEORGIA
🍽️ CHILI’S IN CHATTANOOGA
⚽️JORDAN-HARE… https://t.co/1kAHOfYNUn

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) June 10, 2026

🇺🇸 HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? 🇺🇸

Meet FREDDY, he’s a German soccer fan in the U.S. for the World Cup and he is experiencing the BEAUTY of America from the road

Here are Freddy’s highlights:

⛰️BRASSTOWN BALD: THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN GEORGIA

🍽️ CHILI’S IN CHATTANOOGA 

⚽️JORDAN-HARE STADIUM AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY 

⛽️BUC-EE’S IN ALABAMA  

There’s no better way to see our country than on a road trip! Because to LOVE AMERICA you have to SEE AMERICA 

Where should Freddy go next?

 

Jesse Watters Make a Fool Out of Jessica Tarlov Over the SPLC Case

It’s always thrilling to watch Greg Gutfeld tear Jessica Tarlov to pieces on The Five, but Jesse Watter did a fine job of it on Wednesday, and Tarlov's face when the camera found her said everything her words couldn't.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has long fancied itself as America's moral watchdog, a charity dedicated to tracking hate groups and protecting the vulnerable. But that facade has fallen apart.

"They're a charity and they defrauded their donors," Watters said. The charges include money laundering, bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy.

And, you know, funding the hate groups they claim to oppose.

"This is not the CIA," he continued. "It is a charity. If I give money to a charity, they can't give it to a guy to buy two by fours and kerosene to light a cross. That is crazy. They bought the white hoods for the Klan. They paid the Imperial Wizard. They paid the guy that organized Charlottesville."

Again, the organization that built its entire brand on fighting racism paid the people behind one of the most notorious white supremacist rallies in recent memory? That's the definition of a racket.

Watters kept the pressure on. "You can't pay the Klan to publish manifestos and recruit more racists," he said. "This is not paying an informant. This is growing the Klan."

ICYMI: Democrats Are Already Scheming to Remove Platner From the Race

That’s a critical point. Conservative critics have pointed out for years that the SPLC raises enormous sums of money largely by stoking fear about hate groups, and pretty much labeling any conservative group a hate group. If you were a donor to the SPLC (and if you’re reading, I’m sure you didn’t) and you thought the money you donated to fight extremism was actually used for growing it, you’d be quite cranky. The whole operation ran on manufactured outrage and real cash flowing in the wrong direction. And mainstream conservative groups got smeared in the process.

Watters then made that point with a comparison aimed squarely at Tarlov: "Say Turning Point was funding Antifa … that we thought was going to young conservatives and they were sending it to people to buy all black and they were busing them to Portland to commit crimes. And then they were raising money off this crazy Antifa stuff."

 

Believe me, the camera caught Tarlov's face, and it was priceless.

Watters closed with one more illustration. "Let's just say there's a lot of litter," he said. "And I give to a litter charity, pick up the trash, right? Then they take my money and they give it to litter bugs. And then they trash the park. And then the next year they come knocking on my door. You know what? Hit me up again. We need more cash."

"If I give money to a charity, they can't give it to a guy to buy two-by-fours and kerosene to light a cross?! That is crazy!"@Jessebwatters on the SPLC secretly funding hate groups like the KKK. pic.twitter.com/BWHwQRm70h

— The Five (@TheFive) June 10, 2026

The SPLC spent decades hiding behind its reputation, pretending it wasn’t just a far-left organization. The whole time, it was quietly building a financial empire built on fraud and funding hate groups. Watters called it like it was, and Tarlov looked foolish again.

 

The Reactions to Karmelo Anthony's Guilty Verdict Are Predictably Out of Control

Karmelo Anthony is heading to prison to serve a 35-year sentence for murdering Austin Metcalf, 17, whom he fatally stabbed in 2015. The incident took place at a track meet at Memorial High School in Frisco, Texas. The case attracted national attention, and the verdict was announced yesterday, causing the Left to erupt into a frenzy of incoherent screaming and chaos. 

The irony was thick when Elijah Schaffer,

 

an independent reporter, tried to film Anthony’s family, who had gathered under a tent. Anthony murdered Metcalf when the former refused to leave a tent at the school.

The irony here is 4 inches deep…

Karmelo Anthony’s own family members cursed out and assaulted a journalist @ElijahSchaffer simply for standing near their tent in a public space.

Yet those same family members are passionately defending Karmelo for refusing to leave another… https://t.co/ihB67EGcdW pic.twitter.com/ejb8uU3qck

— MJTruthUltra (@MJTruthUltra) June 9, 2026

SICKENING: A black man assaulted a white man after he mistakenly identified him as a juror in the Karmelo Anthony murder trial.

The lady can also be heard saying “He’s a Vet”

🎥: @TPostMillennial pic.twitter.com/TztY58JrL0

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 10, 2026

Former Dallas City Council candidate Davante Peters calls to dig up Austin Metcalf’s grave, stab him again, and free Karmelo Anthony pic.twitter.com/3Tfnnii7PF

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 10, 2026

Just to clear things up… pic.twitter.com/dk31sc3NVi

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 10, 2026

Not all reactions were bad, however:

Black woman reacts to Karmel Anthony reactions of other black women - and she's absolutely spot on: 💯 pic.twitter.com/kxzXdMwGh7

— AlphaFox (@alphafox) June 10, 2026

 

Jimmy Kimmel mocks Pratt with rented U-Haul following L.A. mayoral primary loss

 

TV host Jimmy Kimmel mocked Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt by renting him a U-Haul following his loss in the primary.

The left-wing host’s Tuesday monologue capitalized on Pratt’s previous campaign statement, where Pratt said that he would leave Los Angeles if incumbent Mayor Karen Bass or city councilwoman Nithya Raman won the race.

“He clearly promised that if Karen Bass or Nithya Raman were elected mayor, he was going to move out of LA, he said he was done with LA. Spencer, If you’re watching, we are so so sorry to see you go,” joked Kimmel on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“You’re a man of your word and you’ve gotta go. You said you were gonna go. And I know things might be tight right now, especially [because] out-of-state donation money is running out. Moving is expensive, so to help you out, we rented you a U-Haul,” he added.

 

Pratt quickly fired back on X, stating, “Jimmy Kimmel I guess you missed the part of the story I don’t need a U-Haul… I have nothing left to pack.” 

The reality TV alum’s response referenced the tragic destruction of his Pacific Palisades home in the previous year’s wildfires.

 

The mayoral candidate ultimately fell behind Raman in the primary. Raman and Bass will now face off against one another in the L.A. mayoral runoff on November 3^rd.

Florida AG Uthmeier Subpoenas NFL Over Rooney Rule

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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has trained his sights on the NFL’s diversity playbook, issuing a subpoena that accuses the league’s Rooney Rule and other diversity hiring policies of running afoul of state law and the Constitution. This isn’t just another PR dust-up — it’s a legal challenge that asks whether race-conscious hiring rules should survive scrutiny when tested by a state attorney general.

What the subpoena is actually after

The subpoena reportedly seeks documents, communications, and internal policies tied to how the NFL implements the Rooney Rule and broader diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. In plain terms: the state wants to know who decided what, why they decided it, and whether those decisions amount to unlawful discrimination against non-minority applicants. That line of inquiry treats the league’s hiring rules like any other policy — subject to the rule of law, not virtue signaling memos.

Why this matters beyond locker rooms

Lots of Americans don’t follow the minutiae of executive hiring, but they feel the consequences. Coaches and front-office hires shape ticket prices, team success, and local economies. College coaches and assistant-level staff eye the same pipeline; if a legal precedent changes how organizations can consider race, it will ripple through hiring decisions at every level of sports and business. And remember: the NFL is big business operating in states that pay taxes, run stadiums, and influence local labor markets.

The constitutional battleground

At the heart of this fight is a constitutional question many Americans have wrestled with since affirmative action became a national debate — when does an effort to remedy past inequality cross the line into unlawful preference? The AG is arguing the Rooney Rule amounts to race-conscious decision-making that violates Florida law and, by extension, constitutional protections. The league will argue it needs tools to combat entrenched exclusion and to ensure equal opportunity for those shut out of the sport’s power centers.

So what happens next — and who wins?

This will not be decided in headlines but in court filings, depositions, and probably appeals. If the state wins, expect the NFL and other organizations to rework hiring practices, perhaps leaning more on neutral, skills-based metrics — or funneling diversity work into non-hiring initiatives. If the league wins, it will be a green light for similar rules nationwide. Either way, the ordinary American on the sideline should care: this isn’t just about football. It’s about whether institutions can lawfully design hiring to achieve racial outcomes, or whether everyone is judged solely by qualifications on the balance sheet.

Is America going to trust institutions to pick from a merit-based pool, or will we keep sorting candidates by race in the name of diversity? That question is headed from the locker room to the courthouse — and it won’t leave anyone untouched.

 

Virginia courts block Democratic map, old map stays for midterms

The Virginia redistricting fight just hit a legal speed bump that Democrats will not like. The Supreme Court of Virginia threw out a voter‑approved referendum that would have installed a new Democratic‑drawn congressional map. The U.S. Supreme Court declined an emergency request to reverse that decision, which means Virginia will use the existing map for the upcoming midterm elections.

What the courts actually decided

The Virginia Supreme Court, in a 4–3 ruling, said the process used to push the amendment and map across the finish line violated the state Constitution. Justice D. Arthur Kelsey wrote that the General Assembly rushed the vote after early voting had already started for the “intervening election” and that rushed timetable “incurably taints” the referendum. In plain English: rules matter, and you can’t fast‑track a constitutional change in the middle of an election cycle and call it legitimate.

The U.S. Supreme Court was asked to step in on an emergency basis. Chief Justice John Roberts sent the request to the full Court, and the Court declined to give emergency relief. That denial is one line in the federal docket, not a full hearing on the merits. But the practical result is the same for now — the new Democratic map stays grounded, and the old map runs the midterms.

What this means for Virginia voters and the midterms

Under the map that remains in place, Virginia’s U.S. House delegation is roughly split six Democrats and five Republicans. The proposed map that was blocked had been projected to flip multiple seats toward Democrats — reports even suggested it could have swung as many as four seats. So yes, this ruling preserves the status quo and prevents a sudden partisan lurch right before voters go to the polls.

Attorney General Jay Jones called the Supreme Court’s refusal to act “deeply troubling” and said it erased the will of millions of Virginians. Governor Abigail Spanberger accused the courts of nullifying an election. Their outrage is loud and predictable. But the heart of the decision wasn’t about who should win or lose. It was about whether the General Assembly followed the rules the state wrote for changing the constitution. They didn’t, and courts exist to enforce rules — even when one side doesn’t like the outcome.

Why the ruling matters beyond Virginia

This fight is part of a larger national trend. Mid‑decade map changes have become a tool for parties to try to seize power between censuses. That tactic raises a simple question: should lawmakers be allowed to redraw districts whenever they think it will help them win more seats? The Virginia court’s answer is that the state’s own amendment rules limit that kind of midnight surgery. Federal courts typically shy away from second‑guessing a state court’s reading of its own constitution, which made the federal emergency appeal a long shot from the start.

What happens next — and the politics to watch

Democrats still have options. They can press federal claims if they believe federal rights were violated, or they can take the political route and try to win under the old map. Either way, the short‑term result is clear: no last‑minute map swap before the midterms. That should be a reminder to every political actor — follow the rules or expect the courts to stop you. For voters tired of partisan map games, this was a welcome check on a too‑familiar playbook. And for Democrats who hoped to game the system midstream, well — the referee blew the whistle.

 

CartoonDems

 

Iran Threatens Retaliation After US Strikes Over Apache Shootdown

 

Iran threatened further retaliation Tuesday after U.S. strikes over the downing of an American Apache helicopter, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran "will leave no attack or threat unanswered," according to the Associated Press.

The warning came as U.S. Central Command said American forces carried out what it described as "self-defense" strikes ordered by President Donald Trump. This was in response to an Apache helicopter being shot down near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit chokepoint.

Trump said earlier Tuesday that the United States had to respond after being informed that Iranian forces were responsible for bringing down the helicopter. Both crew members survived and were rescued.

CENTCOM described the operation as a "proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression," saying the strikes targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including radar and air-defense systems. U.S. officials said the action was limited in scope and intended to deter further attacks rather than signal a broader campaign.

Iranian officials have issued repeated warnings of counterstrikes following recent U.S. military action in the region, according to reporting by The Washington Post, which has described Tehran as signaling a broader readiness to escalate in response to continued American operations.

Separately, Yahoo News has reported that Iranian officials have warned they would expand their response if U.S. strikes continue, framing the exchanges as part of a broader pattern of escalating tit-for-tat military actions between the two countries.

 

The latest exchange follows a series of recent confrontations in which Iranian officials have threatened retaliation after U.S. strikes on Iranian targets, including earlier operations Washington said were intended to protect American troops from emerging threats.

The Apache incident marks one of the most direct recent clashes between the two countries since an April ceasefire intended to reduce hostilities after months of fighting involving Iran, Israel and U.S. forces operating in the region.

The helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly a fifth of global oil shipments pass, renewing concerns about maritime security in the Gulf.

Iranian officials have disputed U.S. accounts of several recent military incidents and suggested the circumstances surrounding the Apache shootdown remain unclear. Washington, however, has blamed Tehran-linked forces and moved quickly to retaliate.

Despite the escalation, Trump has repeatedly said in recent days — including as recently as Tuesday — that diplomatic talks with Iran are continuing and that a potential agreement could be reached within days, even as military exchanges between the two sides have intensified.

The latest escalation has heightened concerns that even limited exchanges could spiral into a broader conflict, as both sides continue to signal readiness to respond while insisting they do not seek full-scale war.

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