Why US judge ruled Trump's deployment of National Guard in California was illegal
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Thursday directing President Donald Trump to return control of the National Guard to California.
The order, which takes effect at noon Friday, said the deployment of the Guard was illegal and both violated the Tenth Amendment and exceeded Trump's statutory authority.
The White House had no immediate comment on the ruling, but the federal government immediately filed an appeal with the Ninth Circuit court.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said Trump overstepped his bounds in ordering the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles after protests erupted over the immigration crackdown.
It was not immediately clear how that would change the situation on the ground.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued to block the Guard's deployment against his wishes. California later filed an emergency motion asking the judge to block the Guard from assisting with immigration raids.
He argued that the troops were originally deployed to protect federal buildings and wanted the court to block the troops from helping protect immigration agents during the raids, saying that involving the Guard would only escalate tensions and promote civil unrest.
The Trump administration called the lawsuit a 'crass political stunt endangering American lives' in its official response Wednesday.
In a broad ruling, the judge determined Trump had not properly called the Guard up in the first place.
Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, speaking in an interview with The Associated Press and one other media outlet, said that as of Wednesday about 500 of the Guard troops have been trained to accompany agents on immigration operations. Photos of Guard soldiers providing security for the agents have already been circulated by immigration officials.
Sherman is commander of Task Force 51, which is overseeing the Guard troops and Marines sent to Los Angeles.
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Typically the authority to call up the National Guard lies with governors, but there are limited circumstances under which the president can deploy those troops. Trump federalized members of the California National Guard under an authority known as Title 10.
The lawsuit argued that Title 10 requires, among other things, that the president go through governors when issuing orders to the National Guard.
Brett Shumate, an attorney for the federal government, said Trump complied with the statute by informing the general in charge of the troops of his decision and would have the authority to call in the Guard even if he had not.
In a brief filed ahead of the Thursday hearing, the Justice Department said Trump's orders were not subject to judicial review.
'Courts did not interfere when President Eisenhower deployed the military to protect school desegregation. Courts did not interfere when President Nixon deployed the military to deliver the mail in the midst of a postal strike. And courts should not interfere here either,' the department said.
'Our position is this is not subject to judicial review,' Shumate told the judge.
Breyer, who at one point waved a copy of the constitution, said he disagreed.
'We're talking about the president exercising his authority, and the president is of course limited in that authority. That's the difference between a constitutional government and King George,' he said.
The protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles intensified after Trump called up the Guard and have since spread to other cities, including Boston, Chicago and Seattle.
Federal immigration agents have been arresting people at Home Depot parking lots and other businesses, sparking fear in immigrant communities, after the Trump administration said it wanted to dramatically increase arrests under its immigration crackdown.
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Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Bass and Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth.
The Marines have not yet been spotted in Los Angeles, and Guard troops have had limited engagement with protesters.
Dozens of mayors from across the Los Angeles region banded together Wednesday to demand the raids stop and the troops leave.
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6 minutes ago
- News18
Israel hit by missiles as Iran retaliates for strikes on nuclear sites
Last Updated: Jerusalem, Jun 13 (AP) Air raid sirens have sounded across Israel as Iranian missiles struck the country in retaliation for deadly Israeli attacks on nuclear sites and military leaders. The rumble of explosions could be heard throughout Jerusalem on Friday, and Israeli TV stations showed plumes of smoke rising in Tel Aviv after an apparent missile strike. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The army said dozens of missiles were launched, and the army has ordered residents across the country to move into bomb shelters. Israel launched a wave of strikes across Iran that targeted its nuclear program and military sites, killing at least three top military officers and raising the prospect of an all-out war between the two bitter Middle East adversaries. It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq. The strikes came amid simmering tensions over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme. For years, Israel had threatened such a strike and successive American administrations had sought to prevent it, fearing it would ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East and possibly be ineffective at destroying Iran's dispersed and hardened nuclear program. ___ Here's the latest: Iran's supreme leader vows revenge for Israeli attacks In a recorded message to the nation broadcast as Iranian missiles flew toward Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the military was prepared to counterattack. 'Don't think that they (Israel) hit and it's over. No. They started the work and started the war. We will not allow them to escape safely from this great crime they committed," he said. Air raid sirens sound across Israel amid Iranian missile attack The rumble of explosions could be heard throughout Jerusalem, and Israeli TV stations showed plumes of smoke rising in Tel Aviv after an apparent missile strike. There were no immediate reports of casualties. The army said dozens of missiles were launched. The army has ordered residents across the country to move into bomb shelters. Israel says Iran has launched missiles The Israeli military's Home Front Command has instructed people to move into shelters ahead of an expected Iranian missile attack. The army says Iran has launched missiles, and the safety order applies to the entire country. Israel's Channel 13 TV says the missiles are expected to take about 10 minutes to arrive. Israeli military briefing cut short by possible incoming Iranian attack, official says Israel's military spokesman Brig Gen. Effie Defrin said that despite Israel's attack, 'Iran has capability to hurt Israel's civilian front in a meaningful way." Defrin's briefing was cut short. An Israeli military official says this was due to an incoming Iranian attack on central Israel. The official spoke on condition pending a formal announcement. Israel claims striking an Iranian nuclear site in Isfahan; Iran does not immediately acknowledge The facility in Isfahan, some 350 km southeast of Tehran, employs thousands of nuclear scientists. It also is home to three Chinese research reactors and laboratories associated with the country's atomic programme. France says conference on two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is postponed French President Emmanuel Macron says a top-level UN conference on a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians has been postponed because of renewed tensions in the Mideast. France and Saudi Arabia were due to co-host the conference in New York next week, and Macron had been scheduled to attend. Macron said Friday it was postponed for logistical and security reasons and because some Palestinian representatives couldn't come to the event. US fighter jets take flight to protect personnel and installations in Middle East American fighter jets are patrolling the sky in the Middle East to protect personnel and installations, according to a US official. The official spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations. It comes at the same time as the Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which is capable of defending against ballistic missiles, to begin sailing from the western Mediterranean Sea toward the eastern Mediterranean. A second destroyer also has begun moving forward so it can be available if requested by the White House. Iran reports explosions at another nuclear site The Fordo nuclear enrichment facility is buried hundreds of metres underground. Nour News, which is close to Iran's Supreme National Security Council, reported on its Telegram channel that two explosions were heard from the area nearby. Separately, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported that a radar site near Tabriz was attacked, according to an official in the East Azerbaijan province. Majid Farshi told IRNA that 11 military sites in East Azerbaijan province have been attacked, and that 18 people were killed, including one Red Crescent aid worker. Israel's military orders all residents to be close to protected areas and minimise movement Israelis are on high alert bracing for a larger response from Iran, which has already launched over 100 drones toward Israel in retaliation for Friday's attacks. Israel says it intercepts missile launched from Yemen, setting off sirens in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of casualties or fallen shrapnel in Israel. A loud boom could be heard in the Holy City, possibly from Israeli interceptor fire. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen did not immediately claim the attack. A new wave of attacks appears to have begun in Tehran Civilian witnesses told The Associated Press they heard what sounded like loud explosions in neighbourhoods in the capital's east, west and centre, while an AP journalist in the city's north also heard a blast. Air defence systems were heard going off Friday night in Tehran. There was no immediate acknowledgement from authorities. Netanyahu says Israel informed US before attacking Iran In a video statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel told the US about its plans to attack Iran in advance. 'They knew about the attack. What will they do now? I leave that to President Trump." Netanyahu says Israel's attack on Iran was months in the making Netanyahu said he ordered an attack plan in November 2024, shortly after the elimination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah — one if Iran's strongest proxies. That's when Israel forecasted Iran would start rapidly advancing its nuclear programme. In a video statement circulated to journalists Friday evening, Netanyahu said the attack was supposed to happen in April but was postponed. Iran summons Swiss ambassador over Israeli attacks Since Tehran and Washington don't have diplomatic relations, Switzerland has looked out for America's interests in Iran since the 1979 US Embassy hostage crisis. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency says Isa Kameli, an assistant to foreign minister, told the Swiss ambassador that Friday's Israeli attacks were a crime and said, 'It is not possible to imagine that invasion acts by the Zionist regime have taken place without cooperation and coordination and at least green light from the US." Israel's military begins stationing troops in all combat arenas The military said it was calling up reservists from different military units as 'part of preparations for defense and offense" as its attack on Iran continues. The move comes as Israel braces for further counterattacks from Iran or Iranian proxy groups on Israel's borders. Iran says Israel will deeply regret' its attack Israel's targeted killings of officials and scientists were 'clear instances of state terrorism," Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter to the UN Security Council requesting an emergency meeting. In the letter obtained by The Associated Press, he said Iran affirms its right to self defence under the UN Charter. 'This right is non-negotiable," Araghchi said. 'Israel will come to deeply regret this reckless aggression and the grave strategic miscalculation it has made." The Iranian minister urged the Security Council, which will meet at 3 pm in New York, to 'take urgent and concrete measures to hold the Israeli regime fully accountable for its crimes". Israel seals off the West Bank Israel closed all checkpoints to the Israeli-occupied West Bank Friday as the country attacked Iran, a military official said Friday. The move sealed off entry and exit to the territory, meaning that Palestinians could not leave without special coordination. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military recommendations. Around 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank under Israeli military rule. With the world's attention focused on Gaza, Israeli military operations in the West Bank have grown in size, frequency and intensity. The crackdown has also left tens of thousands of Palestinians unemployed, as they can no longer work the mostly menial jobs in Israel that paid higher wages. In Tel Aviv, an eerie quiet and a cancelled Pride Parade Many Israelis are hunkered down close to home in Tel Aviv, the country's economic hub on the Mediterranean coast. Shops were open but the streets, beaches, and parks were mostly deserted. Earlier Friday, many people had rushed to supermarkets to buy bottled water and other supplies. The city cancelled its annual Pride Parade, which normally draws tens of thousands of people for a march and street party. Iran is restricting the internet after Israeli attacks Internet usage in Iran dramatically declined Friday after Iranian authorities restricted access in the country following the Israeli attacks, according to internet-access advocacy group Net The group shared the information in a graph posted to X Friday, saying their data corroborated 'user reports of poor service." Expert says Iran poses a bigger threat to US military than IsraelIran's current capabilities are potentially 'more threatening to the US military than to Israel," said Fabian Hinz, an air warfare expert at the International Institute of Strategic Studies in London. That's because there are multiple US military bases in the region and Iran has a 'huge arsenal" of shorter range missiles developed specifically to target US bases as well as 'lots of anti-ship capabilities," Hinz said. While Iran fired around 300 ballistic missiles at Israel last year, Hinz said, Tehran did not fire any of their short range missiles which could be used to attack US bases. 'Think of the Iranian shipping threat as similar in quality to the Houthi threat, but much larger in quantity," Hinz said. US shifts military resources in Mideast in response Iranian retaliation for Israel's attack Two US officials said Friday that the Navy has directed the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner to begin sailing toward the Eastern Mediterranean and has directed a second destroyer to begin moving forward, so it can be available if requested by the White House. President Donald Trump is meeting with his National Security Council principals to discuss the situation. The two US officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. The Hudner is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that is capable of defending against ballistic missiles. On Oct 1, 2024, US Navy destroyers fired about a dozen interceptors in defense of Israel as the country came under attack by more than 200 missiles fired by Iran. Iran calls for emergency UN Security Council meeting Iran's UN Mission said it has asked for an emergency meeting of the Security Council following the Israeli attacks. The emergency session is likely to take place Friday afternoon, the mission said. Israel told Trump administration of attacks ahead of time Israel told the Trump administration that large-scale attacks were coming and expected Iranian retaliation would be severe, US officials said, leading the United States to order the evacuations of some nonessential embassy staffers and authorise the voluntary departure of military dependents in the region. The officials were speaking on condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic discussions. Special envoy Steve Witkoff still plans to go to Oman this weekend for talks on Tehran's nuclear programme, but it's not clear if the Iranians would participate, officials said. Yemen's Houthis condemn Israeli strikes The political office for Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis condemned Israel's attacks on Iran, saying that Iran has the 'right to defend itself and develop its nuclear programme." 'Israel is an aggressive entity that threatens not only Palestine but also the security and stability of the region and the entire nation," a statement read. 'Israel's claims about the Iranian nuclear program are baseless, and it has no right to be the region's policeman, given its nuclear arsenal." Israeli consular services close 'Israeli missions around the world will be closed and consular services will not be provided," according to a statement posted to the websites of Israeli embassies in Berlin, Stockholm and Rome. The statement, which appeared to come from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urged Israelis abroad to avoid displaying Jewish or Israeli symbols in public. Hamas expresses solidarity with Iran 'We declare our solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran in the face of the brutal Zionist aggression, which primarily stems from Iran's support for the Palestinian people and its significant backing of their honourable resistance fighters," said Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas's armed wing. He also mourned the deaths of senior Iranian leaders and others killed in the strike, condemning the attack as 'cowardly." Trump calls Israeli strikes on Iran excellent' and says more to come In an interview with ABC News, US President Donald Trump called the Israeli strikes on Iran 'excellent" and previewed more attacks. 'I think it's been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn't take it," Trump told ABC on Friday morning. 'They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come, a lot more." In a further post on the Truth Social platform, Trump added: 'Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to make a deal.'" 'They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn't get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!" he wrote Friday. Oil price surge may be temporary Oil prices have surged after Israel's attack on Iran, though analysts say the spike will likely be temporary if the fighting doesn't spread to other countries and disrupt oil shipments. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose 7.8% to $74.89. 'When Iran and Israel exchanged attacks previously, prices spiked initially but fell once it became clear that the situation was not escalating," says Richard Joswick, head of near-term oil at S&P Global Commodity Insights. Israel exports only very small quantities of oil and oil products, and China is Iran's only customer due to Western sanctions. China could find alternative supplies from other Middle East exporters or Russia. Iran's president warns of strong action against Israel Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian says his nation would 'strongly take action" against Israel after its attacks on the country. In a televised address Friday, Pezeshkian urged people to unite behind its theocratic government. The 'Islamic Republic of Iran will give a severe, wise and strong answer to the occupier regime," he said, referring to Israel. Iran confirms Hajizadeh killed Iran has confirmed that Israel killed Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's missile programme. Iranian state television made the acknowledgment Friday afternoon. The confirmation came a short time after Israel said its strikes killed Hajizadeh. Israeli military said it hit underground command centre The Israeli military said military jets hit a site where Revolutionary Guard officials had 'assembled in an underground command centre," allegedly 'to prepare for an attack on the state of Israel," and killed Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh along with two other senior officials. It did not offer details or information to support the claim. 'Hajizadeh publicly declared his commitment to Israel's destruction at various events in recent years and played a central role in developing the Iranian regime's plan for Israel's destruction," the Israelis said. It also linked those killed to an attack on Saudi Arabia in 2019. Israel claims it killed head of Revolutionary Guard missile programme Israel claimed Friday it killed Gen Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guard's missile programme in Iran. Iran did not immediately acknowledge his death officially, though rumors of his death had been circulating for some time online. Hajizadeh is a major commander within the Guard, overseeing its ballistic missile arsenal. Museums in Iran close after attacks Museums in Iran are taking the extraordinary step of closing down until further notice after attacks by Israel, and were transferring valuable items to secure vaults, officials announced Friday. The state-affiliated Borna news agency reported the order by Ali Darabi, Iran's deputy minister and cultural heritage chief. Such moves have been done only in extraordinary circumstances in Iran, including the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the coronavirus outbreak. Trump urges Iran to reach nuclear deal with Washington US President Donald Trump is again urging Iran to reach a deal with Washington on its nuclear programme, warning that Israel's attacks 'will only get worse." In his first public comments since the Friday attacks, Trump said on his Truth Social platform that 'there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end." Hezbollah says Israel has crossed all red lines The Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has accused the US of providing 'approval, coordination, and direct cover-up" for Israel's strikes, adding that Israel 'has crossed all red lines, believing that by doing so, it will change the equations." In a statement, the group issued condolences to Tehran for the leaders who were killed, but did not threaten to join in the retaliation. Jordan says strikes push region into more tension Jordan's state media says the country's foreign minister has discussed Israel's strikes on Iran with his Egyptian counterpart, and warned that the attack pushes the region into more tension and conflict. Jordan News Agency said the ministers called the strikes a 'dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law." The ministers also said Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip should stop to and a two-state solution is needed to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East. Egypt and Jordan are among Arab countries that signed peace treaties with Israel and have normal relations with it. EU's top diplomat calls for de-escalation in the Middle East European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called the fresh outbreak of violence in the Middle East 'deeply alarming." 'Europe urges all parties to exercise maximum restraint, de-escalate immediately and refrain from retaliation. A diplomatic resolution is now more urgent than ever, for the sake of the region's stability and global security," she said in a post on the Bluesky social media platform. Iran names replacements for commanders killed in strikes Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has replaced two top military commanders killed in a wave of Israeli strikes on Friday. State TV said he tapped Gen Abdolrahim Mousavi as the new head of the armed forces, replacing Gen Mohammad Bagheri. Mousavi was previously the top army commander. Khamenei chose Mohammad Pakpour to lead the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, replacing Gen Hossein Salami. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution, is one of the main power centers within the country's theocracy. Israeli officials say they smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of strikes Israeli security officials say the country's Mossad spy agency smuggled weapons into Iran ahead of Friday's strikes that were used to target its defences from within. Two security officials spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss the highly secretive missions. It was not possible to independently confirm their claims. There was no official comment. The officials said a base for launching explosive drones was established inside Iran and that the drones were activated during Friday's attack to target missile launchers at an Iranian base near Tehran. They said Israel had also smuggled precision weapons into central Iran and positioned them near surface-to-air missile systems. They said it also deployed strike systems on vehicles. Both were activated as the strikes began, in order to target Iran's defenses, the officials said. Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem is closed to the public With gates to the Al-Aqsa mosque closed by Israeli police, only the guards and employees of the holy site will be present for traditional Friday prayers, the site's custodian said Friday. The mosque is the third holiest site for Muslims, and is located on the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount. The Waqf, the Islamic endowment which administers the site, said Israel has banned public gatherings. The call to prayer will sound as usual. Iraq calls on UN Security Council to deter this aggression The Iraqi government in a statement called Israel's attacks on neighbouring Iran 'a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations" and a 'threat to international peace and security, especially as it occurred during the period of US-Iranian negotiations." It called for the UN Security Council to convene immediately to take 'decisive and concrete measures to deter this aggression, ensure its non-recurrence, and restore the prestige of the international legal system." Baghdad, which has close ties with both the US and Iran, has attempted to maintain a difficult balancing act between the two. Iran says nuclear enrichment facility was damaged Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation said in a statement that parts of the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility were damaged during the Israeli strikes but that no nuclear radiation or chemical contamination has occurred. NATO chief calls on US, other Israeli allies to press for de-escalation NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called on Israel's Western backers to press for an end to the strikes. 'This was a unilateral action by Israel. So I think it is crucial for many allies, including the United States, to work as we speak to de-escalate," Rutte told reporters in Stockholm after talks with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. Asked whether a nuclear clash might be imminent in the region, Rutte said: 'No, we are not close." Israel's defence minister threatens further attacks against Iran In a statement soon after Israel's military said it had completed the attack on Iran, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the military would 'continue its activities to thwart the Iranian nuclear programme and remove threats on the State of Israel. 'The precise hit on the heads of the commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, the Iranian army and the nuclear scientists, who were all involved in promoting the plan to destroy Israel, is a strong and clear message — those who work to destroy Israel will be eliminated." Israeli military says widespread attack on Iranian air defences complete The Israeli military says it has completed a widespread attack on air defences in western Iran. It said Friday that it had destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers. Hamas condemns Israel's strikes on Iran The Palestinian group said Friday that the strikes 'form a dangerous escalation" that could lead to a regional war. Hamas added that the strikes reflect the Israeli government's intention to pull the region into an open war. Jordanian state media says country intercepting missiles and drones Jordanian state media said the country's Air Force is intercepting missiles and drones in its air space. The state news agency quoted an unnamed senior military official as saying that the interceptions were carried out based on military assessments indicating that the missiles and drones were likely to fall within Jordanian territory, including populated areas, posing a potential threat to civilian safety. The official added that the Jordan Armed Forces are operating 'around the clock to defend the country's borders by land, sea, and air and will not allow any violation of Jordanian airspace under any circumstances." Iranian drones tracked crossing Iraq's airspace Two Iraqi security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation said that more than 100 drones launched from Iran toward Israel were tracked crossing Iraqi airspace. Residents of Iraq's Diyala province, which borders Iran, reported hearing the sound of aircraft and explosions from strikes inside Iranian territory early Friday. Some later said they saw drones launched from Iran heading toward Israel. 100 drones launched at Israel, military says Brig Gen Effie Deffrin, the chief Israeli army spokesman: 'In the last few hours, Iran has launched more than 100 drones toward Israel, and all the defense systems are acting to intercept the threats. Iranian chief of staff killed in Israeli strike An Israeli airstrike killed Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of staff of Iran's armed forces, Iranian state television reported Friday. Bagheri is a former top commander within Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The state TV report offered no further details. Multiple military officials and scientists have been killed in the Israeli attack Friday on sites across Iran. Iran's supreme leader threatens severe punishment Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Friday that Israel will face 'severe punishment" over its attack on the country. Khamenei issued a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency. It also confirmed that top military officials and scientists had been killed in the attack. Israel 'opened its wicked and blood-stained hand to commit a crime against our beloved country, revealing its malicious nature more than ever by striking residential centers," Khamenei said. Strikes come days before Iran, US were to hold talks in Oman Israel's strikes come days before a sixth round of talks were planned between Iran and the US over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme this Sunday in Oman. US President Donald Trump's new administration has been seeking a deal that would halt Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. It wasn't immediately clear how the strikes would affect plans for the talks. Iran will offer decisive' response to Israel's attack Iran's state-run IRNA news agency is quoting an anonymous official saying Iran will offer a 'decisive" response to Israel's attack. The report did not elaborate. However, Iranian state television put a black band over the corner of its broadcast, suggesting the attack had been significant enough to spark public mourning. Black smoke seen over Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility Black smoke rose Friday over Iran's main nuclear enrichment facility at Natanz though it wasn't clear how bad the damage was. Iranian state television briefly showed the live picture with a reporter. Natanz is partially above ground, partially below ground, with multiple halls of centrifuges spinning uranium gas for its nuclear programme. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said Israel targeted the site in Friday's attack. Natanz previously has been targeted by the Stuxnet cyberattack and multiple sabotage campaigns likely carried out by Israel. Iranian state TV says head of Revolutionary Guard is feared dead Iranian state television says the head of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen Hossein Salami, is feared dead after an Israeli attack. It added that one other top Guard official, as well as two nuclear scientists, were also feared dead. The report offered few other details. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, created after its 1979 Islamic Revolution, is one of the main power centers within the country's theocracy. It also controls Iran's arsenal of ballistic missiles, which it has used to attack Israel twice during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. Headquarters of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is ablaze An Israeli attack on Iran has set the headquarters of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard ablaze, state television reported Friday. A reporter on air said he was unable to get closer due to the intensity of the fire in Iran's capital, Tehran. Multiple sites in the capital had been hit in the attack, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said targeted both sites of and officials leading Iran's nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal. Netanyahu says Israel struck nuclear and missile sites Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz and the country's ballistic missile program, as well as top nuclear scientists and officials. He said Iran was working on a new plan to destroy Israel after its old plan, its circle of proxies, failed. He called it an intolerable threat that must be stopped. Dozens of commercial flights over Iran as attack begins Dozens of commercial airliners were in Iranian airspace as the strikes took place, according to flight tracking websites. More than an hour after the Israeli attack, some were still making their way out of Iranian airspace, but some abruptly altered course to more quickly exit the area. Many nations' jets already did not overfly Iran because of regional tensions. Israel closes its airspace Israel closed its airspace in anticipation of Iranian retaliation. Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that attacks were expected. 'In the wake of the state of Israel's preventive attack against Iran, missile and drone attacks against Israel and its civilian population are expected immediately," he said in a statement. The statement added that Katz 'signed a special order declaring an emergency situation in the home front." Israeli official says Air Force is targeting nuclear and military sites An Israeli military official says that his country targeted Iranian nuclear and military sites, without identifying them. The official spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing operation. top videos View all The Israeli official said Iran poses three threats to state of Israel: First, he alleged that the Iranian government is advancing a 'secret program" to develop nuclear weapons. The US intelligence community assesses that Iran is not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. Second, the Israeli official said, Iran has thousands of ballistic missiles. Finally, he said Iran has been distributing weapons and arms to proxy groups across the region like Hezbollah and Hamas. (AP) SCY SCY (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) First Published: June 14, 2025, 01:15 IST News agency-feeds Israel hit by missiles as Iran retaliates for strikes on nuclear sites
NDTV
30 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump's Tax Bill Draws Rural Backlash Over Proposed Medicaid Reductions
Washington: Rural hospitals are sounding the alarm over proposed healthcare cuts in President Donald Trump's sweeping tax-cut and spending package, warning the changes could force them to scale back services or close their doors. The bill would reduce federal spending on Medicaid, the health program for low-income Americans, by tightening enrollment standards and limiting federal aid to states. That worries rural providers, who rely heavily on the program to serve a population that tends to be poorer and sicker than the nation as a whole. "We can't sustain serving our community the way we are with additional cuts," said Carrie Lutz, CEO of Holton Community Hospital in Holton, Kansas. The independent nonprofit hospital, which serves a farming community of 13,000, is asking voters for a quarter-cent sales-tax increase to help cover its costs, which outpace annual revenues in many years. Lutz's concerns highlight the delicate balancing act lawmakers face as they try to enact Trump's priorities. Republicans who control both chambers of the US Congress aim to cut Medicaid spending by $785 billion over a decade, to partly offset the cost of extending and adding to the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's signature first-term legislative achievement. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will add $3 trillion to the $36.2 trillion national debt over the next decade, when interest payments are taken into account. Independent analysts have said the bill will effectively boost incomes for wealthier Americans and reduce incomes for the less affluent, due to cuts to Medicaid and other safety-net programs. Republicans have set a July 4 deadline to pass the bill out of Congress, giving the Senate three weeks to make changes, pass it and send it back to the House of Representatives. No Democrats voted for the bill in the House, and no Democratic supporters for it have emerged in the Senate. So Republicans who hold a slim 53-47 Senate majority must reconcile demands of budget hawks who want deeper spending cuts against concerns of others worried about the toll on rural and working-class voters who helped elect Trump. An internal Republican poll in May found voters in the most competitive congressional districts would be less likely to vote for a Republican who supported cutting Medicaid to pay for tax cuts. Lobbying Pushback The upper chamber's slower pace has given interest groups time to seek changes to the 1,100-page bill. Multinational companies seek to neutralize a retaliatory tax they say could discourage investment in the US Some states are fighting a provision that would prevent them from regulating artificial intelligence. Solar-energy companies warn the bill could devastate their industry by revoking subsidies for green energy. Much opposition has focused on changes to Medicaid, which covers 71 million low-income Americans. The bill would cut spending on Medicaid, which represented about 9% of the $6.8 trillion federal budget last year, by requiring adult recipients to work, excluding non-citizens and limiting an accounting mechanism states use to boost the federal government's contribution. Overall, the bill would leave 10.9 million more people without insurance, CBO estimates. Any cuts to Medicaid would hit hard in rural areas and small towns, where roughly 18% of adults are enrolled in Medicaid compared with 16% for the country as a whole, according to Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families. Rural residents tend to be sicker, with higher rates of addiction, mental illness, and mortality from heart disease, cancer and stroke, the center found. The National Rural Health Association said the bill could force providers to cut services or close. Nearly half of rural hospitals currently lose money, and 120 have closed or stopped offering inpatient services over the past decade, the trade group says. The cuts could be especially acute in Kansas. The state recently increased its tax on Medicaid providers from 3% to 6%, an accounting maneuver that would effectively boost the federal government's contribution. The provider tax has been widely criticized as a gimmick or loophole that does not accurately reflect how much money is actually being spent on medical care. The bill would block that increase, freezing the state's provider tax at a lower level than in many other states. Lutz said that would reduce Holton Hospital's $22 million annual revenue by roughly $1 million - a significant hit for an organization that typically spends more money than it takes in each year. Tighter Medicaid enrollment standards, meanwhile, would increase red tape for hospital staff, while the citizenship provisions could exclude the town's Guatemalan immigrants, she said. With those changes, she said, the hospital would have to treat more uninsured patients. 'Don't Cut Into The Bone' At least 41 of the Senate's 53 Republicans represent rural states, and several said they will work to remove the bill's limits on the provider tax. "Leave the provider tax alone. Put the work requirements in and all that kind of stuff. But for God's sakes don't cut into the bone," said Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia. The Senate Finance Committee could unveil changes to the House-passed bill in coming days. Failure to tackle that issue, they say, could leave many of their residents without reliable access to care. "If we don't get it right, doctors do not have to serve Medicaid patients and so in rural areas we could have doctors exit and I don't think our members from rural states would want that," said Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
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Trump Urged Ergen, Carr to Cut a Deal on EchoStar Spectrum
President Donald Trump has intervened to push EchoStar Corp. and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to resolve a dispute over the satellite communications company's valuable spectrum licenses. The FCC in May launched an investigation into whether EchoStar was meeting certain obligations for its wireless and satellite spectrum rights. In response, EchoStar has been skipping bond coupon payments and is considering filing for bankruptcy. The company has said the FCC's threats have 'effectively frozen our ability to make decisions' about its 5G network buildout. After multiple rebuffed attempts to speak directly to Carr, EchoStar President Charlie Ergen finally sat down with the chairman late Wednesday afternoon in the FCC's Washington headquarters, according to people familiar with the meetings. Carr told Ergen that EchoStar needs to start selling some of its spectrum licenses, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private information. Otherwise, Carr told Ergen, the company risks losing them. The next day, Ergen met with Trump at the White House to make his case, the people said. The president said he didn't want a major American company to go bankrupt, as it would create uncertainties for other businesses. In the midst of the conversation, Trump telephoned Carr, who came to the Oval Office and joined the meeting. The discussions included a brief exchange about Ergen's political donations and whether he gave to both Republican and Democrat candidates, some of the people said. At one point Trump also called Newsmax Inc. founder Chris Ruddy to ask if EchoStar's DISH satellite TV service carried conservative news outlets like his, according to people familiar with the matter. 'Newsmax has had a very positive relationship with the DISH network and we appreciate them giving diverse voices, including us, the ability to reach their subscribers,' Ruddy said in a statement, when asked for comment about the meeting. The meeting concluded with the president encouraging Carr and Ergen to work together and reach some kind of deal, the people said. EchoStar declined to comment. Carr and representatives for his office didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. The White House didn't immediately respond to a request to comment on the specifics of the meeting between Ergen and the President. The FCC initially blessed EchoStar's ambition to become a fourth national wireless carrier, using pioneering technology that lets more companies participate in the buildout of the network. But in a letter sent to Ergen last month, Carr questioned whether EchoStar has adequately made use of its spectrum licenses, including a portion of the airwaves that has been long coveted by Elon Musk's satellite communications company SpaceX. EchoStar owns the Dish Network pay-TV brand and the Boost Mobile wireless service. It has spent billions of dollars and several years trying to build a nationwide communications network to compete with AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and T-Mobile US Inc. But Carr has suggested EchoStar is moving too slowly and not achieving agreed upon targets for coverage, leading to 'spectrum warehousing,' or unused portions of spectrum. Starlink has publicly pointed to what it characterizes as EchoStar's wasted bandwidth to argue for regulatory action. In the worst-case scenario for EchoStar, the FCC could find that it has not met obligations to use its spectrum licenses and reclaim at least some of them. Former FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington, a Republican who recently left the agency, wrote in an opinion piece that Carr should drop the probes. With assistance from Hannah Miller. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
