Trump Brokers Iran-Israel Ceasefire
After less than two weeks of intense conflict, President Trump, with help from Qatar, successfully negotiated a full ceasefire between Iran and Israel, bringing an abrupt end to what he dubbed "THE 12 DAY WAR.”
How It Unfolded:
- Last weekend, U.S. B-2 bombers struck two of Iran's three main nuclear facilities with massive bunker-buster bombs and followed up with cruise missiles at the third main site.
- Iran and Israel traded missiles, with Israel striking military targets in Tehran and Iran targeting Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and a biological research center, among other targets.
- Iran retaliated by firing 14 missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar (all intercepted, no casualties), and Iran gave advance warning of the attack through back-channel communications via Qatar.
- President Trump announced Monday evening in Washington that Israel and Iran had reached a formal agreement to implement a complete and total ceasefire.
- Only hours into the shaky ceasefire agreement, Iran violated the ceasefire agreement, sending three rockets over to Israel. Initially, Israel prepared a robust retaliation, but President Trump pressured Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to effectively end the strike.
Since then, the ceasefire has held, and normal life has resumed in Israel as airports reopened, Israel's Home Front Command lifted restrictions on movement in the country, shops and restaurants reopened, and Israelis returned to Tel Aviv's beaches.
What's Still Unknown: Intelligence agencies are still assessing the full extent of damage to Iran's nuclear program, and the White House maintains that the nuclear program was “obliterated.” A preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report was leaked to the media which seemed to indicate that the program was not hit as hard as originally represented. The White House said the report was only an assessment of an aerial image and therefore not conclusive, chalking up the leak to sabotage of the administration. Questions still remain whether Iran had removed the existing 60% enriched uranium from the sites before their purported destruction.
🗽 Muslim Democratic Socialist Upsets NYC Mayoral Race
Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim Democratic Socialist and state assemblyman from Queens, rose in the NYC mayoral primary to defeat former Governor Andrew Cuomo, 44% to 36%.
What Makes This Victory Remarkable:
- Mamdani's grassroots campaign energized Gen Z voters with populist messaging perfectly tailored for TikTok.
- Despite being outspent significantly, he overcame Cuomo's establishment backing from figures like Bill Clinton.
- His progressive platform promises rent freezes, free city buses, and city-run grocery stores funded by $10 billion he plans to make by raising corporate taxes from 7.25% to 11.5%. (And he says that businesses won’t be able to relocate to avoid the increased taxation…)
The Business Community's Reaction: Wall Street is deeply suspicious of Mamdani’s extravagant promises. Jim Bianco of Bianco Research warned that “NYC is electing to commit suicide by Mayor,” while longtime business advocate Kathryn Wylde said leaders were “terrified” of Mamdani's rise.
The Jewish Community Divide: Mamdani's victory in the city with the world's largest Jewish population highlighted a generational shift in Democratic politics around Israel. Despite his outspoken anti-Zionist activism, polling suggested that Mamdani won roughly one in five Jewish Democrats and earned endorsements from Jewish leaders, including Comptroller Brad Lander and Representative Jerrold Nadler. Mamdani's victory also comes in a city that just over 25 years ago suffered the deadliest Islamic terrorist attack in history, further underscoring a larger generational divide.
What's Next: While Mamdani's victory remains unofficial pending the tabulation of ranked-choice ballots, experts say it would be exceedingly difficult for Cuomo to overcome Mamdani's seven-point lead. The general election will likely feature a crowded field with incumbent Mayor Eric Adams running as an independent, Republican Curtis Silwa, and potentially former Governor Cuomo if he decides to mount an independent campaign.
🏛️ SCOTUS Severely Limits Universal Injunctions
In a landmark 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court significantly restricted federal lower courts’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions against actions made by the Executive Branch. The ruling emerged from challenges to Trump's birthright citizenship executive order but has far broader implications, affecting over 300 federal lawsuits currently challenging Trump administration policies.
The Key Clarifications:
- Federal judges must focus on providing relief specific to specific plaintiffs’ cases.
- The ruling greatly limits when lower courts may issue universal injunctions and creates a 30-day delay before such orders can be enforced.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett: Writing for the majority, she emphasized that "Congress has granted federal courts no such power" to issue universal injunctions, calling them an overreach of judicial authority.
The Dissent's Warning: Justice Sotomayor delivered the dissent, calling the decision “an open invitation for the Government to bypass the Constitution.”
What the Ruling Does Not Adjudicate: The Supreme Court’s decision does not address the constitutionality of the birthright citizenship executive order, but rather rules on a lower court’s ability to issue a nationwide injunction on this case and the many other cases challenging the policies of the administration.
📸 The World’s Largest Digital Camera
The largest digital camera ever built has released its first shots of the universe — including colorful nebulas, stars and galaxies. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, located on a mountaintop in Chile, was built to explore hidden corners of the night sky.
