A poll conducted by ABC News, Washington Post, and Ipsos shows that supporters and opponents of President Trump primarily view immigration as his most significant accomplishment or failure since January 2025. Trump approvers mostly cited border security and immigration enforcement as his best actions, while disapprovers mainly criticized immigration policies, along with tariffs, the economy, and accusations of corruption and politicization of agencies. Overall, Trump has a 60% disapproval rating, with opinions largely divided along partisan lines.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard conducted military drills along its southern coast, showcasing advanced missile and drone technologies amid increased U.S. military presence in the region. Concurrently, Iran is nearing a deal to purchase Chinese anti-ship missiles and has received a Russian agreement to supply surface-to-air missile systems. Domestically, protests against the government continue, with reports of arrests, a potential death sentence for a detainee, and clashes at universities, as Iran faces ongoing internal unrest.
At the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized a vision of the transatlantic alliance rooted in shared Christian values and national sovereignty, criticizing reliance on global institutions and mass immigration. His stance aligns with the Holy See's call for Europe to pursue moral strategic autonomy through dialogue and solidarity rather than military escalation. This reflects a broader shift away from Cold War-era Atlanticism towards a renewed focus on cultural and religious roots as foundational to Western unity.
A Department of Justice database related to Jeffrey Epstein's case reportedly omits or removes files involving President Donald Trump, including allegations of sexual abuse, despite Trump’s previous claims of exoneration. Some files were temporarily reuploaded but many remain inaccessible or unseen by the public, with lawmakers suggesting a possible cover-up. Trump has downplayed the significance of the files, calling them a political hoax, while polling indicates widespread voter distrust and calls for further investigation into his connections to Epstein.
The Senate is scheduled to vote on DHS funding amid an 11-day partial government shutdown, which is mainly due to disagreements over immigration agency reforms, particularly involving ICE and CBP. Democrats demand reforms such as judicial warrants and independent investigations, while Republicans focus on recent immigration enforcement efforts. The shutdown is affecting DHS components like FEMA and TSA, with some services temporarily paused, though immigration enforcement continues largely unaffected.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that although President Trump prefers diplomatic solutions, all options, including the potential forceful removal of Iran's Khamenei, remain on the table. She also mentioned that an attack on Iran could be imminent, with a specific date being revealed.
California is co-leading a multi-state lawsuit against the CDC and the federal government, including U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for allegedly violating federal law by removing seven childhood vaccines from the recommended schedule without scientific justification. The lawsuit argues that these actions, taken without proper scientific deliberation, undermine public health and violate the authority of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. California has implemented several measures to strengthen public health and promote science-based decision-making amid concerns over increases in preventable disease outbreaks.
A multistate lawsuit led by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes challenges the Trump Administration's overhaul of the national childhood immunization schedule, alleging that it unlawfully removed seven vaccines from universal recommendation and replaced the CDC's advisory panel with unqualified members. The complaint claims these actions bypass scientific evidence, endanger children's health, and are not based on new data, relying instead on superficial comparisons to other countries. The lawsuit seeks to declare the new schedule and appointments unlawful and to vacate the changes, with support from attorneys general of multiple states.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt avoided addressing contradictions between Trump's claim that Iran's nuclear facilities were "obliterated" in Operation Midnight Hammer and remarks by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff that Iran was close to obtaining bomb-making material. Leavitt defended Trump's record, criticized the media for reliance on anonymous sources, and emphasized Trump's focus on diplomacy amid a significant U.S. military buildup near Iran.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened to cancel Anthropic's $200 million military contract by Friday unless the company relaxes its safety standards, allowing for AI use in all "lawful" purposes, including surveillance and warfare. Anthropic has refused to cross ethical boundaries related to domestic surveillance and AI-controlled weapons, which has led to tensions with the Trump administration, who label such safety measures as "woke AI." Anthropic's stance contrasts with other AI firms like OpenAI, Google, and xAI, which have agreed to broader government uses of their AI tools in classified settings.
Anthropic has been given a deadline of Friday by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide the U.S. military broad access to its AI models, with failure potentially leading to a "supply chain risk" designation or invocation of the Defense Production Act. The company’s negotiations with the Department of Defense have stalled over concerns about limiting the use of its models for autonomous weapons and mass surveillance, while the DoD seeks unrestricted access. Anthropic, known for its AI model Claude, was the only company authorized to deploy on classified networks until Elon Musk’s xAI recently gained similar access. Despite the potential loss of this contract, Anthropic maintains other significant enterprise clients and secured a $30 billion funding round earlier this month.
Plans are underway to build Australia’s tallest tower, a 91-story Trump International Hotel & Tower in Gold Coast, featuring luxury hotel accommodations, retail, restaurants, and residential apartments. The development has faced opposition from a petition with over 26,000 signatures, with critics opposing the Trump brand, while supporters cite economic benefits and tourism potential. The project is still pending approval from the Gold Coast City Council, but its developer aims to complete it before the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
