Iran Nuclear Site Assessment And Doj Fires Maurene Comey: Morning Rundown

A caller appraisal suggests Iran would beryllium capable to resume atomic enrichment wrong months, sources say. The Senate passes a spending cuts package that pulls backing for nationalist news outlets NPR and PBS. And a surrogate speaks retired aft she recovered retired nan mates she bore a kid for had 21 kids.

Here’s what to cognize today.

Iran could resume atomic enrichment wrong months, U.S. now assesses

The Fordo atomic tract is shown connected June 22, pursuing nan U.S.'s attack.Maxar Technologies

A caller appraisal of nan demolition caused by nan U.S. onslaught connected Iranian atomic sites past period wished that 1 enrichment tract was mostly destroyed, but 2 others were not arsenic severely damaged.

The sites person been degraded only to a constituent wherever atomic enrichment could resume successful nan adjacent respective months if Iran wants it to, 5 existent and erstwhile U.S. officials acquainted pinch nan appraisal said. The appraisal was briefed to immoderate U.S. lawmakers, Defense Department officials and allied countries successful caller days, 4 of nan sources said. 

A existent U.S. charismatic and 2 erstwhile U.S. officials besides told NBC News that U.S. Central Command had developed a overmuch much broad scheme to onslaught Iran. It would person progressive hitting 3 further sites successful an cognition that would person stretched respective weeks alternatively of a azygous night. President Donald Trump rejected that action because it was astatine likelihood pinch his overseas argumentation small heart to extract nan U.S. from conflicts abroad, arsenic good arsenic nan anticipation of a higher number of casualties connected some sides, 1 existent charismatic and 1 erstwhile charismatic said.

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While Trump has called nan onslaught connected Iran a "spectacular subject success" that resulted successful Iran's cardinal enrichment accommodation being "completely and wholly obliterated," nan reality gleaned done intelligence truthful acold appears to beryllium much nuanced.

It's imaginable nan U.S. could find itself backmost successful a conflict successful Iran, 2 of nan sources said, and location person been discussions wrong some nan American and Israeli governments astir whether further strikes could beryllium basal if Iran doesn't restart atomic woody negotiations, aliases if location are signs that nan Islamic Republic is trying to rebuild astatine 1 of nan less-damaged facilities. 

The U.S. strikes successful June targeted 3 enrichment sites successful Iran: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. Much of nan Trump administration's nationalist messaging astir nan strikes has focused connected Fordo, which has agelong been viewed arsenic a captious constituent of Iran's atomic ambitions. Even if nan Iranian sites were not wholly destroyed, U.S. officials and Republican advocates of nan cognition judge it was a occurrence because it has changed nan atomic equation for nan country.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

Senate passes $9 cardinal rescissions package

A sweeping spending cuts package is backmost successful nan House for different ballot aft nan Republican-led Senate passed nan measurement early Thursday. The rescissions package requested by Trump cancels antecedently approved backing for overseas assistance and nan Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which costs NPR and PBS. The 51-48 Senate ballot followed a 13-hour bid of votes connected amendments, pinch Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski joining each Democrats successful guidance to nan last bill. 

The package needs to walk again successful nan House earlier Trump signs it into law. Senators amended nan measurement to region $400 cardinal successful cuts to a overseas assistance programme to combat HIV/AIDS. Read nan afloat communicative here.

More authorities news:

• Vice President JD Vance offered an early glimpse of really Republicans waste Trump’s home argumentation package to voters up of nan 2026 midterms.

• A caller study warns that Medicaid cuts successful nan megabill could consequence successful much than 1,000 further deaths and astir 100,000 much hospitalizations each year.

• The Transportation Department said it’s revoking $4 cardinal successful national funding for California’s high-speed obstruction project.

• Fundraising reports revenge this week shed caller ray connected nan conflict for power of Congress successful 2026. Here are 5 takeaways.

• Trump said it was “highly unlikely” he would occurrence Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell contempt telling a room afloat of Republican lawmakers that he was considering doing so.

DOJ fires an Epstein charismatic and girl of Trump foe

The Justice Department has fired national charismatic Maurene Comey, according to 4 sources acquainted pinch nan matter. Comey, who worked successful nan Southern District of New York, prosecuted Sean "Diddy" Combs and played a domiciled successful nan prosecution of nan precocious financier Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell. While it is not clear why Comey was fired, 1 root said that Article II of nan Constitution, which establishes nan executive powerfulness of nan president, was cited.

Trump antecedently accused Comey’s father, erstwhile FBI Director James Comey, arsenic good arsenic erstwhile Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, of making up Epstein documents, without citing evidence. The Justice Department last week confirmed a criminal investigation of James Comey, though precisely what prompted that determination is unclear.

The latest firing comes arsenic Trump is nether intensifying governmental unit from his MAGA guidelines to merchandise accusation related to nan Epstein investigation. The president yesterday disavowed his supporters, calling them “weaklings” who person bought into “bull----“ astir Epstein, nan convicted activity offender whose 2019 decease by termination has fueled conspiracy theories. His comments person besides put MAGA-aligned media successful a bind, pinch outlets and figures torn betwixt nan president and his base.

Surrogate horrified to study mates she bore a babe for had 21 kids

Kayla Elliot said she thought she was helping a family who couldn’t conceive erstwhile she agreed to beryllium a surrogate for a mates successful California. Now, she’s moving to summation custody of nan kid she birthed aft constabulary discovered 21 children, immoderate of whom were calved to different surrogate mothers, surviving successful a Los Angeles-area home.

The home’s residents, Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, were arrested successful May connected suspicion of felony kid endangerment and neglect aft a section infirmary called constabulary to study that a 2-month-old babe had arrived pinch caput injuries. The investigation led to nan find of much than a twelve children successful nan couple’s Arcadia home, northeast of Los Angeles. A warrant has been issued for a nanny who worked pinch nan mates and is suspected of violently shaking nan child.

Elliot said successful an question and reply yesterday that thing seemed disconnected erstwhile she gave commencement successful March. But she was still amazed to study astir nan allegations against Zhang and Xuan. “You conscionable don’t expect that you’re going to spell done a gestation and a transportation and past manus nan babe complete to their parents and past each of a abrupt find retired that location was maltreatment and neglect going on,” Elliot said.

Read nan afloat communicative here.

Read All About It

• One personification died and 13 others were injured aft a group of group were struck by lightning astatine a New Jersey archery range.

• The ICE supplier who oversaw nan apprehension of Tufts University doctoral student Rumeysa Öztürk said successful a national proceedings that nan Trump administration’s petition was truthful unconventional that he asked a lawyer if nan apprehension was moreover legal.

• Trump said Coca-Cola has agreed to commencement utilizing cane sweetener successful sodas sold successful nan U.S. — but nan institution hasn’t explicitly said it would.

• Three existent and erstwhile Louisiana constabulary chiefs, a U.S. marshal and a businessman were federally charged pinch participating successful an migrant visa fraud scheme.

• Barack and Michelle Obama laughed disconnected divorcement rumors connected a caller section of her podcast.

Staff Pick: The 33-second segment deemed ‘overly sensual’ successful India

David Corenswet arsenic superman and Rachel Brosnahan arsenic Lois Lane successful “Superman.”Warner Bros. Pictures

July has been a blockbuster period successful India for Hollywood. "Superman" and "F1: The Movie" person been a deed successful nan state but cinemagoers I said to location person been furious astatine Indian censors owed to abrupt cuts successful some movies. In James Gunn's Superman, a 33-second midair buss betwixt Lois Lane and Clark Kent was deemed "overly sensual," and Indian authorities besides took rumor pinch nan mediate digit successful F1, replacing it pinch a fist successful a segment that showed it arsenic an emoji. Censorship is regular for Indian cinemagoers, who impeach authorities of forcing arbitrary and moralistic changes connected Hollywood films, while adopting double standards for Bollywood films, which are often laced pinch innuendoes, misogyny and sensual scenes.

— Mithil Aggarwal, reporter

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