[CRAIG NIGRELLI]
IRAN STRIKES A HOSPITAL OVERNIGHT
… ISRAEL HITS BACK
AND TRUMP’S MESSAGE TO NETANYAHU: “KEEP GOING”
PLUS: INSULT TO INJURY.
AS MOURNERS GATHER FOR A MURDERED LAWMAKER IN MINNESOTA… SOMEONE BREAKS INTO HER HOME..
AND IT’S NOT EVEN SUMMER YET
… BUT TRIPLE DIGITS AND TROPICAL HUMIDITY ARE MOVING IN
WHO’S ABOUT TO BAKE… AND FOR HOW LONG?
L3: ISRAEL ACCUSES IRAN OF WAR CRIMES AFTER HOSPITAL ATTACK
ISRAEL IS ACCUSING IRAN OF “WAR CRIMES OF THE MOST SERIOUS KIND” THIS MORNING … AFTER A MISSILE HIT THE MAIN HOSPITAL IN SOUTHERN ISRAEL OVERNIGHT.
IT WAS ONE OF DOZENS OF BALLISTIC MISSILES LAUNCHED BY IRAN ON THURSDAY, ACCORDING TO THE ISRAELI MILITARY.
ANOTHER STRIKE AT A HIGH-RISE BUILDING, WHILE RESIDENTIAL AREAS NEAR TEL AVIV WERE ALSO TARGETED.
ISRAELI EMERGENCY SERVICES SAY AT LEAST 65 PEOPLE WERE WOUNDED IN THE WAVE OF ATTACKS.
ISRAEL RESPONDED OVERNIGHT.. STRIKING THE HEADQUARTERS OF IRAN’S STATE BROADCASTER IN TEHRAN
… AND LAUNCHING MISSILES AT IRAN’S INACTIVE HEAVY WATER REACTOR… PART OF ITS NUCLEAR INFRASTRUCTURE.
ISRAEL’S DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU HAS ORDERED AN **INTENSIFICATION OF STRIKES** INSIDE IRAN FOLLOWING THE HOSPITAL ATTACK.
MEANWHILE — VARIOUS NEWS OUTLETS REPORT PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP APPROVED U-S ATTACK PLANS ON IRAN TUESDAY NIGHT, BUT STOPPED SHORT OF GIVING THE FINAL GO-AHEAD.
THE WHITE HOUSE HAS NOT COMMENTED, BUT THE PRESIDENT TOLD REPORTERS YESTERDAY HE HASN’T MADE A DECISION YET:
“I HAVE IDEAS AS TO WHAT TO DO BUT I HAVEN’T MADE IT FINAL. I LIKE TO MAKE A DECISION ONE SECOND BEFORE IT’S DUE BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE. ESPECIALLY WITH WAR.. .THINGS CAN GO FROM ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER. WAR IS VERY BAD.”
AND IN A BIT OF A STRANGE TWIST, PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS VLADIMIR PUTIN OFFERED TO MEDIATE THE ISRAEL-IRAN CRISIS … BUT TRUMP SAYS HE DECLINED,. TELLING HIM TO FOCUS ON ENDING THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR FIRST.
L3: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION RESUMES STUDENT VISA PROGRAM WITH SOCIAL MEDIA STIPULATION
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS RESUMING THE STUDENT VISA PROCESS FOR FOREIGN NATIONALS.. BUT WITH A NEW REQUIREMENT:
… APPLICANTS MUST NOW GRANT ACCESS TO THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT SAYS CONSULAR or foreign service OFFICERS WILL BE LOOKING FOR POSTS, MESSAGES, AND ACTIVITY THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED HOSTILE TO THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING ITS GOVERNMENT, CULTURE, OR CORE VALUES.
IN A NOTICE RELEASED WEDNESDAY, THE DEPARTMENT WARNED THAT ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO MAKE THEIR ACCOUNTS PUBLIC MAY BE DENIED A VISA… SAYING THAT IT COULD SIGNAL AN ATTEMPT HIDE ONLINE BEHAVIOR.
LAST MONTH — THE ADMINISTRATION TEMPORARILY HALTED NEW STUDENT VISA INTERVIEWS TO PREPARE FOR THIS EXPANDED SCREENING PROCESS.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN BATTLING WITH UNIVERSITIES INCLUDING HARVARD AND COLUMBIA, SINCE LAST SCHOOL YEAR OVER STUDENTS HOLDING LARGE AND LOUD PRO-PALESTINE RALLIES ON-CAMPUS WITH JEWISH STUDENTS FEELING UNSAFE.
L3 MINNESOTA MOURNS REP. HORTMAN AS BREAK-IN REPORTED AT HER HOME
A SOMBER NIGHT IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA…
HUNDREDS GATHERING ON THE CAPITOL STEPS TO REMEMBER REP. MELISSA HORTMAN AND HER HUSBAND MARK, GUNNED DOWN IN WHAT’S BEING CALLED A POLITICAL ASSASSINATION.
THERE WERE NO SPEECHES.
NO SIGNS.
JUST CANDLES, STRING MUSIC, AND TEARS.
GOVERNOR TIM WALZ AND HIS WIFE HUGGING MOURNERS, AS THE CROWD SANG AMAZING GRACE. (see him at :13 sec in)
FLOWERS, FLAGS, AND HANDWRITTEN NOTES NOW COVER THE CAPITOL STEPS.
“WE GOT THIS FROM HERE,” ONE READ. “THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
AND JUST HOURS EARLIER, ANOTHER UNSETTLING TURN.
POLICE SAY SOMEONE BROKE INTO THE HORTMAN HOME…. PRIED OFF PLYWOOD AND SHATTERED A BACK WINDOW.
THE FAMILY SAYS NOTHING WAS TAKEN, BUT NEIGHBORS ARE FURIOUS… CALLING IT A VIOLATION.
THE HOUSE HAD ALREADY BEEN CLEARED BY INVESTIGATORS , NOW POLICE ARE BACK, ASKING NEARBY RESIDENTS TO CHECK THEIR CAMERAS.
L3 NO RELIEF IN SIGHT AS DANGEROUS HEAT DOME BUILDS ACROSS U.S.
THE FIRST OF TWO ROUNDS OF EXTREME HEAT IS ROASTING THE EASTERN U.S. WITH A BRUTAL HEAT DOME BUILDING THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
MORE THAN 15 MILLION PEOPLE… FROM D.C. TO FLORIDA… ARE UNDER A MAJOR HEAT RISK RIGHT NOW.
IT MAY BE 90 ON THE THERMOMETER, BUT IT FEELS LIKE 105 IN SOME PARTS, THANKS TO ALL THAT HUMIDITY.
BY EARLY NEXT WEEK, CITIES FROM ST. LOUIS TO NEW YORK COULD BREAK RECORDS, WITH THE HEAT INDEXES PUSH 110
AND AT NIGHT? IT WON’T COOL OFF MUCH…
EXPERTS SAY THIS IS JUST A PREVIEW OF WHAT’S AHEAD.
SO HYDRATE, STAY SHADED, AND DON’T UNDERESTIMATE HOW SERIOUS THIS HEAT CAN BE.
L3: TRUMP ADMIN. TO END LGBTQ+ SUPPORT ON 988 LIFELINE
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS SHUTTING DOWN SPECIALIZED SUICIDE PREVENTION SERVICES FOR L-G-B-T-Q-PLUS YOUTH ON THE 9-8-8 SUICIDE AND CRISIS LIFELINE.
*ANYONE* IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS CAN STILL CALL OR TEXT 9-8-8 TO BE CONNECTED TO A TRAINED COUNSELOR.
THE LIFELINE OFFERS TAILORED SUPPORT FOR CERTAIN HIGH-RISK GROUPS.. INCLUDING VETERANS AND LGBTQ-PLUS YOUTH.
BUT THAT LGBTQ+ SERVICE IS COMING TO AN END.
THE LAST DAY FOR ACCESSING IT WILL BE JULY 17-TH.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES DURING PRIDE MONTH — AND also FOLLOWS A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION DECISION TO RENAME THE U-S-S HARVEY MILK, A NAVY SHIP HONORING THE GAY RIGHTS ICON.
L3 FDA APPROVES GAME-CHANGING HIV PREVENTION DRUG
MORE THAN FOUR DECADES AFTER THE FIRST KNOWN CASES OF HIV IN THE U.S., THE FDA HAS APPROVED A TWICE-A-YEAR INJECTION THAT DOCTORS SAY IS A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN PREVENTION
IT’S AN INJECTION CALLED LEN-UH-CAPP-A-VEER. A LONG-ACTING MEDICATION THAT, WHEN TAKEN JUST TWICE A YEAR, HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE NEARLY 100% EFFECTIVE AT PREVENTING HIV INFECTION.
THE DRUG COULD BE A GAME-CHANGER, ESPECIALLY FOR PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE TO TAKE DAILY PREP PILLS.
THE FIRST KNOWN CASES OF AIDS IN THE U.S. WERE IDENTIFIED IN 1981. IT TOOK SIX YEARS BEFORE THE FIRST TREATMENT WAS APPROVED.
THE DRUG’S MAKER SAYS LEN-UH-CAPP-A-VEER COULD BE THE TOOL THAT FINALLY ENDS THE HIV EPIDEMIC.
BUT IT WON’T BE CHEAP… EXPERTS SAY THE TREATMENT COULD COST UPWARDS OF 25-THOUSAND A YEAR.
L3 WHITE HOUSE RENOVATION: TRUMP ADDS NEW FLAGPOLES
WHILE THE WORLD WAITS ON WHETHER PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL GREENLIGHT MILITARY ACTION ON IRAN… HE’S ALREADY GEENLIT SOMETHING ELSE: A COUPLE OF MASSIVE FLAGPOLES ON THE WHITE HOUSE LAWN
THE PRESIDENT PERSONALLY OVERSEEING THE INSTALLATION… CALLING THEM THE BEST POLES ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
TRUMP SAID HE’S HAD THE IDEA FOR YEARS..
AND YES, HE PAID FOR THEM HIMSELF…
SAND-FILLED, NEARLY 100 FEET TALL, AND JUST A COOL 50-GRAND APIECE.
NEXT UP ON HIS RENOVATION LIST?
A NEW PATIO IN THE ROSE GARDEN… AND MAYBE EVEN A BALLROOM.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU’RE A REAL ESTATE GUY AT HEART… THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR A LITTLE REMODEL.
THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES FOR THIS THURSDAY.
WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.
FOR ALL OF US HERE AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS — I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.
HAVE A GREAT DAY