First Thing: Trump calls Iran’s leaders ‘scum’ and declares fragile ceasefire over | US news

Good morning. Conflicts have resumed between the USA and Iran. Tehran accused the United States of violating the agreement aimed at ending the war after the US military launched an offensive around the Strait of Hormuz and revoked a temporary sanctions exemption for Iran’s oil exports. The attacks were the latest in a series of ceasefire violations by the two sides despite a ceasefire taking effect in April, prompting an immediate 3% increase in oil prices.

Speaking at the NATO summit in Ankara, Donald Trump said the memorandum of understanding with Iran was over and described the country’s leaders as “evil, violent people” whom he would not deal with because they were, in the words of the US president, “scum”. However, he signaled that the talks would continue. NATO secretary general Mark Rutte backed the US strikes, saying: “Once the ceasefire is established and Iran is fundamentally violating the ceasefire, I think it is extremely important for the United States to react strongly.”

• What happened to break the fragile ceasefire? The US military said it struck more than 80 targets early Wednesday in response to Iran’s attack on three merchant ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Iran responded by attacking US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said 85 facilities were targeted.

Bernie Sanders calls on Graham Platner to drop out of Senate race

Progressive senator Bernie Sanders called on Graham Platner to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Maine, citing “very serious allegations” of sexual assault, hours before the candidate faces another allegation of sexual misconduct.

Platner has denied the latest allegations, reported by Politico and later by the Washington Post, but the initial report led leading Democrats to urge him to step aside as the party’s nominee in the resulting Senate contest. Platner said he was “taking time to consider the best path forward.”

• How can Democrats replace Platner? It’s possible Democrats will choose a new Senate candidate in Maine, but the clock is ticking. Under state law, Platner must end his campaign by 5 p.m. on July 13 before a new candidate can be voted on in the November midterm elections. That would give Democrats a two-week window, until July 27 at 5 p.m., to choose a replacement.

US appeals court rejects key part of Florida law restricting discussions of race and gender on campus

A federal appeals panel struck down a key part of Ron DeSantis’ so-called Stop Woke Act, again striking down the Republican Florida governor’s efforts to curb free speech in higher education.

In a scathing decision, 11th circuit appeals court judges ruled by a 2-1 majority that the law’s higher education component — which bars college and university professors from teaching or sharing ideas about concepts of race and gender — violated free speech rights guaranteed under the first amendment of the U.S. constitution.

• What did the judges conclude? Judge Britt Grant, who was appointed by Donald Trump and wrote the majority opinion, said the proposed law “is a breathtaking assertion of power to ban unpopular ideas from public discourse in places that are considered centers of inquiry in the state’s own statutes. The ideas Florida targets may well be harmful. Or they may not be. Either way, the first amendment in this context trusts students to figure it out for themselves.”

In other news…

• Prosecutors say the video shows the suspect in Charlie Kirk being killed as he climbed onto the roof. The Utah district attorney’s office says the evidence against Tyler James Robinson is sufficient for the case to proceed to trial.

• International Olympic Committee lifts penalty against RussiaIt paves the way for Russian teams to participate in the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

• US authorities announce charges against leader of an Indian crime group In connection with the political assassination of a prominent Sikh activist in Canada.

• Nigel Farage, pro-Trump British rightwing politician resigned from parliament A move aimed at forcing him to seek re-election seems likely to be boycotted by opponents as a publicity stunt.

• More than 400 people arrested during July 4 ‘TikTok takeover’ A beach view in California.

Status of the day: D.C. records world’s worst air quality for a city after 850,000 fireworks on July 4th

Washington D.C. residents breathed “unhealthy” air for hours after a 40-minute Independence Day fireworks display on the National Mall on Saturday night. The country’s capital briefly records the worst air quality of any major city in the world. This image emerged as the Trump administration rolled back an unprecedented number of pollution controls.

In fact: How to start volunteering?

Volunteering has mental and physical benefits, including increased quality of life, pride, empowerment, motivation, social support and a sense of community. So where to start? Madeleine Aggeler asked a group of experts.

Don’t miss this: The USA had the greatest opportunity in American football history and squandered it

The USMNT’s humbling exit from the country’s co-hosted Fifa Men’s World Cup is a missed generational chance to bring the sport to the forefront, writes Alexander Abnos. Meanwhile, Jeff Rueter, who was at Seattle Stadium to see the USA surrender to Belgium 4-1, complained that the injury of star player Christian Pulisic prevented him from showing his true potential during the tournament, while the future of coach Mauricio Pochettino looks uncertain.

…or this: Could Netflix reboot Little House? Prairie for the next generation?

The original books of the 1930s traded on a powerful, intoxicating myth of American resilience at a time when many were struggling and losing faith in those in power; The 1970s TV series is often cited as Ronald Reagan’s favorite show, and Netflix is ​​investing heavily in this new adaptation. Matthew Allan examines how a strange combination of cultural trends and political circumstances may have aided this rise.

Climate control: Water crisis deepens in the US West

Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the United States, is in danger of falling to unprecedented lows this year after historically dismal snowpack failed to raise water levels. That jeopardizes hydroelectric power and adds further uncertainty to already contentious negotiations over how to share an increasingly unreliable water supply used by 40 million people in seven states, dozens of tribal nations and two countries.

Latest Thing: Dolly Parton musical to hit Broadway this winter

Called “an extraordinary journey in the life of this trailblazing woman,” the incomparable Dolly Parton will celebrate her 81st birthday with the opening of a musical about her life on Broadway later this year. Parton, whose signature hits include I Will Always Love You, Jolene, Coat of Many Colors and 9 to 5, described the show’s arrival in New York as “a dream come true.”

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