5 things to know for June 23: US-Iran, Israel-Iran, Church attack, Mahmoud Khalil, Ten Commandments

CNN

4 hours ago

From digging into President Donald Trump's battle with the courts to deciding whether people can be required to identify themselves before viewing porn online, the Supreme Court in the coming days is set to deliver its most dramatic decisions of the year.
Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
As President Donald Trump weighs the idea of regime change in Iran, the Iranian power structure appears to be more focused on how it will respond to America's attack on its nuclear facilities. The Iranian envoy to the UN condemned the US and Israel for their 'acts of aggression' and asked the Security Council to address such 'injustice and gross violations.' Iranian hardliners and members of parliament took to social media to call for retaliation after the US strikes, including attacks on American bases in the region, the disruption of oil shipments in the Strait of Hormuz and a possible withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The attacks have also inspired thousands of Iranians to demonstrate against Trump and the US. One Iranian politician said even people critical of the regime were protesting.
With the Israel-Iran conflict in its 11th day, both countries have launched a fresh wave of strikes on each other. About 20 Israeli fighter jets attacked military targets in Tehran and the western Iranian city of Kermanshah. The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes took out several surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites. Six Iranian airports were also targeted overnight and at least 15 fighter jets and helicopters were reportedly destroyed. In retaliation, Iran reportedly fired missiles at Israel, prompting people across the country to take shelter. Although the IDF attributed the sounds of explosions to interceptions or fallen projectiles, teams of first responders were still dispatched to reported impact sites.
A suicide bomber attacked a Greek Orthodox church in Syria on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and injuring dozens more, the country's health ministry said. The attacker reportedly opened fire on the congregation of Mar Elias Church in Damascus and then blew himself up using an explosive vest. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Syria's Ministry of Interior Affairs told CNN that it was carried out by a 'suicide bomber affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS.' The United States' Special Envoy for Syria, Thomas Barrack, called the attack an act of 'cowardice.'
Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil reunited with his wife and met his newborn son for the first time after being detained for 104 days at an ICE facility in Louisiana. A judge ordered Khalil's release on bail Friday after finding he was not a flight risk nor a danger to public safety. The Columbia University graduate played a central role in negotiations on behalf of pro-Palestinian student protesters last year. Although he is a lawful permanent resident and is married to a US citizen, Khalil was one of the first people the Trump administration arrested in its crackdown on student activists. 'Trump and his administration, they chose the wrong person for this,' he said. 'That doesn't mean that there is a 'right' person for this. There's no right person who should be detained for actually protesting a genocide, for protesting their university.'
A panel of three federal appellate judges ruled on Friday that a Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms is unconstitutional. 'This is a resounding victory for the separation of church and state and public education,' said Heather L. Weaver, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. '…The Fifth Circuit has held Louisiana accountable to a core constitutional promise: Public schools are not Sunday schools, and they must welcome all students, regardless of faith.' Over the weekend, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a similar bill requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public school classrooms. He also signed legislation that allows school districts to provide students and staff with a daily voluntary period of prayer or time to read religious texts during school hours.
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'No more war!'Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders was holding a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, over the weekend when he learned about President Trump's attack on Iran. In reacting to the news, Sanders and the audience did not mince words.
5 Things AM is edited by CNN's Andrew Torgan.