Why this Juneteenth may feel ‘radically different'
CNN political historian Leah Wright Rigueur and senior political commentator Van Jones discuss Juneteenth and why this year's holiday may feel different.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
30 minutes ago
- CBS News
What to know about the MOP and the B-2, the bunker-buster bomb and plane that could be used to strike Iran
B-2 Spirit Bombers: The planes that could be used to target Iran's Fordo nuclear site Israel's strikes against Iran have killed a number of its top nuclear scientists and battered its nuclear facilities, but complete destruction of Iran's ability to make weapons-grade uranium is believed to be out of reach — unless the U.S. agrees to help. At least one key uranium enrichment site, Fordo, has so far been unscathed. Located 300 feet beneath a mountain and protected by Russian-produced air defenses, Fordo is believed by military experts to be key to Iran's nuclear program. Nuclear non-proliferation experts say this is where Iran has tried to enrich uranium for weapons purposes and expand its stockpile of enriched uranium. Israel's best chance at destroying the facility at Fordo could lie with a U.S.-produced bomb that's so heavy that it can only be dropped by a U.S. plane. At a hearing Wednesday, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire raised this with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. "It's being reported that the president is being asked to consider providing the bunker-buster bomb that is required to be carried only by the B-2 Bomber and would require a U.S. pilot," she said, asking Hegseth whether he had been asked to provide President Trump with options for striking the Middle East. He declined to answer. Mr. Trump is considering joining Israel's offensive against Iran, and approved attack plans Tuesday, but has not made a final decision, CBS News has reported. The White House said Thursday that the president would make a decision on whether to order a strike within the next two weeks. Sources told CBS News that the president had discussed the logistics of using bunker-buster bombs as he weighs whether to wade into the conflict between Iran and Israel. Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb In this photo released by the U.S. Air Force on May 2, 2023, airmen look at a GBU-57, or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri. U.S. Air Force via AP, File The bomb that Shaheen was referring to is the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, known as a MOP. It is designed to attack "deeply-buried facilities and hardened bunkers and tunnels," according to the Air Force. It's guided by military GPS and is meant to reach and destroy targets in well-protected facilities. The MOP measures about 20.5 feet in length and 31.5 inches in diameter, according to the Air Force. It weighs in at just under 30,000 pounds, including about 5,300 pounds of explosive material. The Air Force says that the MOP's explosive power is over 10 times that of its predecessor, the BLU-109. It's designed to penetrate up to 200 feet underground before exploding. The warhead is encased in a special high-performance steel alloy, which is meant to enable it to carry a large explosive payload while maintaining the penetrator case's integrity during impact, according to an Air Force fact sheet. Boeing developed the GBU-57, and as of 2015, the aerospace company had been contracted to produce 20 of them, according to the Air Force. Because of the GBU-57's weight — it's the heaviest bomb produced by the U.S. — the B-2 Spirit is currently the only aircraft in the Air Force that is equipped to carry and deploy it. B-2 Spirit A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber lands at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images One of the key attributes of the B-2 Spirit is its stealth — it's able to evade air defenses and reach heavily defended targets. It's aerodynamically efficient and its internal weapons bays can carry two of the GBU-57 bombs. Because of what the Air Force refers to as the plane's "low-observable technologies," the B-2 Spirit has a "high level of freedom of action at high altitudes." It's built with a combination of "reduced infrared, acoustic, electromagnetic, visual and radar signatures." This, along with composite materials, special coatings, wing design and other classified processes, make the B-2 difficult for even the most sophisticated defense systems to detect and track. Without refueling, its range is about 6,000 nautical miles. The B-2 took its first flight in 1989, in California, but now, Whiteman Air Force Base, in Missouri, is the only B-2 base. It's been used for airstrikes in the Kosovo War, in Afghanistan and in Iraq. The prime contractor for the B-2 is Northrop Grumman. For years, some lawmakers and defense experts have suggested that the U.S. provide Israel with GBU-57 bombs and jets capable of carrying them — but the idea is controversial, with critics arguing the move would be provocative.
Fox News
33 minutes ago
- Fox News
Caroline Sunshine: I Don't See A Reason For The U.S. To Militarily Engage In The Middle East At This Current Moment
Former Trump 2024 Campaign Deputy Communications Director Caroline Sunshine joins Fox Across America With guest host Rich Zeoli to explain why she is opposed to the U.S. getting involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran. In our country, the government derives its power from the consent of the governed. And the power resides with us, the people, and we give that power. And we have given that power to President Trump because the leaders of the past have failed us, particularly on foreign policy. And a huge reason President Trump was elected was because the American people saw that prolonged conflicts in the Middle East have been costly to us in terms of blood, in terms treasure, in times of time. They haven't seen how they've in the interest, in our interest. And every conflict always starts with some big, bold promise or that it'll be quick, that it will be just a strike, that it would be five minutes, but then it fails to answer the question of then what. And our country doesn't have a good track record there. And so, like President Trump said, great nations don't fight prolonged conflicts. And I don't see a how it is directly in the interests of the American people to go get involved in this conflict right now. And I do see a huge downside, which is that getting involved in the conflict, I see derailing President Trump's domestic agenda, which is so important and another reason why he was elected. I think if we get involved with this conflict, this war will become a huge distraction. And President Trump's extremely popular agenda here at home of deporting the 15 million illegal immigrants that were let in under the previous administration, implementing tariffs, and rebuilding our middle class will get completely derailed. And those things are more directly in the interest of the American people than getting involved in a conflict again in the Middle East. Caroline Sunshine Reacts To The Trump-Elon Feud Check out the podcast to hear their full discussion!
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Athlete Sounds Off on ‘Weird' Moment With Trump at the White House
A member of the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team said he was 'caught by surprise' by the 'weird' press conference President Donald Trump held for him and his Juventus teammates in the Oval Office. The storied Italian soccer club was in Washington, D.C., for the FIFA Club World Cup and made a 15-minute appearance at the White House Wednesday afternoon. The president introduced the two Juventus players who also play for the national U.S. men's team—Tim Weah and Weston McKennie—and told journalists gathered in the Oval Office there would be a game that night. He then invited the reporters to ask questions about FIFA. But the political journalists in the room were more interested in asking about Iran and other political topics, forcing the players to stand by awkwardly while Trump discussed missile strikes, travel bans, and women playing men's sports. Speaking to reporters after the Juventus game, Weah said the White House visit was a surprise. 'They told us that we have to go and I had no choice but to go,' the 25-year-old said, according to The Athletic. 'I was caught by surprise, honestly. It was a bit weird. When he started talking about the politics with Iran and everything, it's kind of like, I just want to play football man.' Officials didn't give an explanation for who organized the visit or why, but sources told The Athletic that the White House extended the invitation. FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Exor chief John Elkann were also there and presented Trump with jerseys. Exor, which is a holding company controlled by the Elkann-Agnelli family, owns a majority stake in the club. Elkann has met with Trump repeatedly in Washington as the chair of Stellantis—the automaker conglomerate that owns the Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Fiat, Jeep, and Maserati brands, among others—and traveled to Saudi Arabia with him in May, the Italian news agency Ansa reported. During Wednesday's press conference, Trump took a press pool question about former President Joe Biden's administration and used it as an opportunity to grill the Juventus players on gender politics. After claiming the 'autopen' was running the Biden White House, Trump said, 'He wasn't making a decision… He was never for open borders and he was never for transgender for everybody, or men playing in women's sports.' The president then turned to the Juventus players and asked, 'Could a woman make your team, fellas? Tell me, what do you think?' A couple of players seemed to shrug and say yes, prompting Trump to say, 'You're being nice,' and then direct the question to the team's general manager, Damien Comolli. Comolli tried to deflect, saying, 'We have a very good women's team.' 'But they should be playing with women,' Trump said. When nobody answered, he turned to the press pool and said, 'See, they're very diplomatic.' The players then shuffled their feet and crossed their arms while the president answered questions about Iran and went on a tangent about the futility of war, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the American Civil War. 'You look right up there. I see the Declaration of Independence and I say, 'I wonder if the Civil War—it always seemed to me that could have been solved without losing 600,000-plus people.'' The Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, not the Civil War, though Trump was basically right that an estimated 620,000 to 750,000 people died during the Civil War. After the Juventus game, Weah told reporters it was his first time visiting the White House. 'I guess it was a cool experience being in the White House,' he said. 'But I'm not one for the politics, so it wasn't that exciting.' His fellow U.S. Men's National Team player McKennie also shook Trump's hand during the visit. During Trump's first term, McKennie had told a German media outlet that he didn't support the president.
