US & Iran Trade Retaliatory Strikes, Primary Results In Four States, ICE Funding Bill

The U.S. and Iran have escalated tensions with a cycle of retaliatory strikes, beginning with a U.S. airstrike on Iranian air defenses after a helicopter crash near the Strait of Hormuz—though Iran denies involvement. The U.S. response, framed as a proportional measure to uphold credibility, triggered Iranian missile attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, raising fears of a spiraling conflict. Despite President Trump’s repeated claims that peace was imminent, this escalation undermines his messaging and exposes the limits of his rhetorical control over a volatile Middle East crisis. Meanwhile, primary elections in Maine, Nevada, North Dakota, and South Carolina have set the stage for key general election matchups, including a Democratic challenge to Republican Senator Susan Collins and a high-stakes gubernatorial race in Nevada. In Washington, Congress passed a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill through reconciliation, fully funding ICE and Border Patrol through 2029 with no spending deadlines or oversight requirements—marking a historic expansion of enforcement power and a major win for Trump’s agenda, despite Democratic opposition and lost provisions on body cameras, warrants, and detention oversight.