Things are heating up in the Middle East -- as the world studies a possible correlation between pizza orders and US military activity, the United States Air Force and Navy launch the largest B-2 operation in history, striking multiple sites in the nation of Iran. A curious trade group in Ghana protests a new tax regime. Over in Chicago, a long-serving legislator gets popped for frankly cartoonish levels of corruption. All this and more in this week's strange news segment.
P.M. Edition for June 23. President Trump said the U.S. received advance notice of Iran’s attack and thatno Americans were harmed and little damage was sustained. Trump said.and indicated that he believed the attack wouldn’t escalate the crisis in the region. WSJ national security reporter Lara Seligman joins to discuss how the U.S. might respond. Plus, investors prepare for the possibility that Iran could close the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s main energy shipping artery. We hear from WSJ investing columnist Spencer Jakab what impact this would have on oil prices and inflation. And fewer Chinese companies are listing on U.S. stock exchanges. James Areddy covers Chin a for the Journal and explains how the U.S.-China relationship fits into it. Alex Ossola hosts.
But U.S. crude oil futures tumbled and energy stocks posted muted declines after Iran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar and at Iraq. Plus: Tesla shares rose after it debuted its robotaxi service. And stock in Hims & Hers slid after Novo Nordisk ended their partnership. Danny Lewis hosts.
On Saturday night, June 22, President Donald Trump’s Operation Midnight Hammer sent a message to Tehran, and the world, that can’t be ignored.
Seven Missouri-based B-2 bombers dropped 14 bunker-busting bombs on Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, while U.S. Navy vessels launched a barrage of cruise missiles at other strategic nuclear infrastructure.
Victor Davis Hanson explains what just happened—and what could come next—on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”
“ [Iran] must know that people are angry. That over 50 years, nearly, they spent a trillion dollars subsidizing the Houthis, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Assad dynasty. And for what? It's all up in smoke. And then they probably lost another trillion dollars, over 50 years, through sanctions and oil embargoes. For what? It's up in smoke.
“ Right now the ball is in the court of Iran. Trump has said to them, you can come back and negotiate. But, what would they negotiate over? Their one card was that we have the specter of a nuclear bomb. So, you better come to us and talk. They don't have that anymore. At least not for the foreseeable future. The only negotiable item is whether they survive or not.”
(0:00) Trump's Bold Military Move in the Middle East
(0:57) Historical Context of U.S. Actions in the Middle East
(2:23) Details of the Recent Military Operation
(4:34) Potential Repercussions and Future Speculations
👉He’s also the host of “The Victor Davis Hanson Show,” available wherever you prefer to watch or listen. Links to the show and exclusive content are available on his website: https://victorhanson.com
Chicago’s queer neighborhoods have a long historical lineage in Chicago. From the early underground gatherings in Towertown to the rise of Boystown. Reset sits down with a Chicago queer history scholar Professor Jennifer Brier of UIC to trace how these communities formed, adapted, and flourished in the face of discrimination and displacement, revealing how geography, activism, and culture shaped Chicago as a hub of queer life in the Midwest.
For a full archive of Reset interviews, head over to wbez.org/reset.
The U.S. entered Israel's war against Iran over the weekend, dropping bombs and firing missiles on three Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities. We hear from some experts on whether they think the attacks were successful in damaging or destroying Iran's ability to make a nuclear weapon.
And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long had sights on attacking Iran but until recently that ambition seemed to be sidelined by President Trump. Now Netanyahu's basking in the moment after the U.S. joined in on the war against Iran.
Today, Iran fired missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar. Officials said Iran also fired on Iraq. The attacks were in retaliation for a strike over the weekend that hit three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, authorized by President Trump. WSJ’s Shayndi Raice reports on how Iran got backed into a corner and has been forced to decide whether or not to escalate into a broader war. Jessica Mendoza hosts.
Our socialist transit systems are an ongoing failure made worse by even more government intervention. We should not be surprised, then, when political leaders insist that the real problem is the lack of a political will to spend even more money on government enterprises.
When we last recorded Saturday night, the U.S. had just announced its strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The U.S. had entered the war. The restrainers had seemingly lost.
In the following hours, President Donald Trump said the mission was a “spectacular military success.” And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the program “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites.
But there’s much more to that story than meets the eye. As Jay Solomon wrote in our pages: Before the U.S. struck, 16 cargo trucks entered the fortified mountain complex and moved unidentified equipment to another location. Are the sites destroyed or merely damaged? Was enriched uranium smuggled out? It all remains unclear.
Now the war is heating up. Israel has expanded its bombing campaign beyond nuclear facilities to hit regime targets. Qatar has closed its airspace. And just as we write this, Iran has reportedly fired toward Qatar and Iraq.
It all begs the question: Was the strike on Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant the end of this war—or just the beginning? And what comes next?
To understand the state of the nuclear facilities and the state of the war, we’ve brought together three of the most well-read experts: Michael Oren, Jay Solomon, and Matti Friedman.
Oren is the former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. He served from 2009 to 2013. He is also a former Knesset member. He is the author of many books, including Ally: My Journey Across the American-Israeli Divide.
We’ll note we recorded this Monday morning, starting around 11 a.m. ET, as a Free Press Live event. To join these, you just need to do one thing—and that’s become a Free Press subscriber.
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