Category: USA Politics

Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday.

Trump’s announcement comes after a Lebanese official told Fox News that Lebanese President Joseph Aoun would not speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu until a ceasefire had been established.

“I just had excellent conversations with the Highly Respected President Joseph Aoun, of Lebanon, and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel. These two Leaders have agreed that in order to achieve PEACE between their Countries, they will formally begin a 10 Day CEASEFIRE at 5 P.M. EST,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

“On Tuesday, the two Countries met for the first time in 34 years here in Washington, D.C., with our Great Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. I have directed Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Rubio, together with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Razin’ Caine, to work with Israel and Lebanon to achieve a Lasting PEACE. It has been my Honor to solve 9 Wars across the World, and this will be my 10th, so let’s, GET IT DONE!” he added.

IRAN THREATENS TO END CEASEFIRE OVER HEZBOLLAH’S EXCLUSION FROM TRUCE DEAL

The ceasefire comes after Israeli and Lebanese officials met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House this week. Aoun also spoke with both Rubio and Trump in separate phone calls on Wednesday.

According to the Lebanese presidency’s official X account, Aoun thanked Trump for his efforts to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon and achieve what it described as a lasting peace and stability that could pave the way for a broader regional peace process.

Aoun, who previously served as commander of Lebanon’s U.S.-backed armed forces before becoming president last year, said an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon would be a necessary first step before Lebanese troops could fully deploy to the border region.

HEZBOLLAH, IRAN UNLEASH COORDINATED CLUSTER BOMB STRIKES ON ISRAEL IN MAJOR ESCALATION

The diplomatic dispute comes as the White House presses for a broader deal to end the regional war that erupted after the Lebanon-based, Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group entered the conflict on March 2 in support of Tehran.

Hezbollah’s intervention opened a new front in Lebanon just 15 months after the last major Israel-Hezbollah war.

Pakistan, which helped mediate the April 8 ceasefire between Israel and Iran, said ending the fighting in Lebanon is essential to preserving that agreement.

“Peace in Lebanon is essential for peace talks,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said.

Fox News’ Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

House Republicans blocked a new attempt by Democrats to halt the U.S. military campaign against Iran, standing by President Donald Trump, who has voiced confidence that the conflict in the Middle East could wrap up soon.

Lawmakers voted 213 to 214 against approving the resolution introduced by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., which would have required Trump to end hostilities with Iran absent congressional approval. Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, was the lone Democrat to join Republicans in opposing the measure. 

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who has repeatedly called on Congress to end the Iran conflict, was the sole Republican to back the war powers resolution. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, voted present. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could afford to spare just two GOP defections in a party-line scenario.

GOP BLOCKS BOOKER-LED PUSH TO CURB TRUMP’S MILITARY AUTHORITY IN IRAN

The failed vote comes as House Democrats have been engaged in a relentless pressure campaign to force Republicans to assert congressional oversight over the conflict.

“This is not a skirmish. This is not a military operation. This is a war,” Meeks said Thursday. “Now we’re not the Iranian parliament, and we should not be rubber stamps.”

But House Republicans are largely standing by the president and argue that a successful war powers resolution would undermine him.

“This has been the most successful military operation considering the breadth, the depth, the scope of the enemy that’s involved and the danger that they presented not only to the U.S. homeland and the U.S. military personnel, but to the entire region and world,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital on Wednesday.

“I believe we will be rewarded for the president’s efforts,” he added.

Trump told Fox Business on Monday that the conflict is “very close to over” with the U.S. military blockading Iranian ports. Hostilities are currently paused due to a two-week ceasefire, and the Trump administration has floated a second round of U.S.-Iran peace talks.

Democrats’ failed push comes after the party attempted to pass a war powers measure by unanimous consent last week during a brief pro forma session while the chamber was in recess. Republicans effectively blocked the request by refusing to recognize the group of Democrats in the chamber who were yelling “Shame!”

TRUMP PUSHED IRAN TO THE BRINK — BUT DID WE WIN ANYTHING THAT LASTS?

Across the Capitol, Democrats in the upper chamber have been similarly thwarted by Republicans in their efforts to end the conflict.

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked another war powers resolution that would have halted Trump’s use of military force absent congressional authorization. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the lone GOP lawmaker to support the measure.

The resolutions are largely symbolic given that Trump would likely issue a veto if a measure were to reach his desk.

Still, congressional Democrats are vowing to keep forcing votes on ending the conflict, which they argue is putting increasing pressure on Republicans to break with Trump.

“We’re going to have a debate and a vote every week in the United States Senate until either this war comes to an end or our Republican colleagues decide to do their constitutional duty,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., told reporters.

Trump only has until April 28 before Congress will be forced to weigh in on a prolonged military campaign. Both chambers are required by the War Powers Act to authorize or block the use of force once hostilities hit the 60-day mark.

The Trump administration would have 30 days to withdraw forces in the event Congress were to vote to end the conflict.

The U.S. military carried out its third strike in days against suspected narco-terrorist targets in the Eastern Pacific, killing three men aboard an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in a lethal operation, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM).

The lethal kinetic strike targeted a vessel operated by what SOUTHCOM called Designated Terrorist Organizations, though it did not immediately provide additional details about the identities of those killed or the specific groups involved.

“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operation,” SOUTHCOM said in a statement on X.

“Three male narco-terrorists were killed during this action,” the command said.

HEGSETH SAYS US STRIKES FORCE SOME CARTEL LEADERS TO HALT DRUG OPERATIONS

No U.S. military forces were harmed during the operation, it added.

The latest strike comes after SOUTHCOM said the U.S. military conducted similar strikes in the Eastern Pacific earlier this week.

US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED CARTEL OPERATIVES IN LATEST EASTERN PACIFIC LETHAL STRIKE, SOUTHCOM SAYS

Two individuals believed to be involved in narcotics trafficking were killed in a strike on Monday, while four alleged narco-terrorists were killed in another strike on Tuesday, the command previously said.

The U.S. military has carried out dozens of strikes in recent months on suspected drug-smuggling vessels as part of a broader campaign to dismantle cartel-linked trafficking operations.

SOUTHCOM is responsible for military operations in Central and South America and the Caribbean, including counter-narcotics missions aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks that threaten U.S. interests.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Sinkewicz and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

If you missed the April 15 tax deadline, the clock is already ticking on penalties and interest — but there are still steps you can take to reduce the damage.

Experts say taxpayers should file immediately, even if they can’t pay their full bill, and pay as much as they can to avoid the steepest penalties. Those who still owe can apply for a payment plan to manage the remaining balance.

TAX DAY IS THIS WEEK: AVOID THESE 5 COMMON MISTAKES THAT CAN COST YOU MONEY

The IRS says most applicants receive immediate approval or denial when applying for a payment plan online.

“You can still file your return and at least eliminate the failure-to-file penalty, which can reach up to 25% of any tax owed, with interest compounding,” said Mark Steber, chief tax officer at Jackson Hewitt Tax Services.

The IRS can impose multiple penalties, including failure-to-file, failure-to-pay and underpayment penalties, which are assessed separately and can accrue interest daily, Steber said.

He added that consulting a tax professional early can help taxpayers navigate their options and potentially reduce the total cost.

THE SIMPLE TAX HABIT THAT COULD SAVE YOU THOUSANDS OVER YOUR LIFETIME

“In many cases, the total cost — including taxes, penalties, interest and professional fees — ends up being higher than if you had sought help earlier,” Steber said.

“The worst thing you can do is ignore the deadline,” he added. “Many people think they’ll deal with it later, but that can lead to mounting penalties and unnecessary financial risk.”

Filing as soon as possible and exploring IRS payment options can help taxpayers regain control of their situation and minimize added costs.

Steber said taxpayers should view filing as part of a long-term financial strategy, not just a once-a-year obligation.

“Your tax return is one of your largest financial transactions each year,” he said. “Giving it proper attention can pay dividends over time.”

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas issued a blistering critique of modern-day progressivism in a rare public speech on Wednesday, describing the modern political philosophy as a threat to America’s founding principles.

Speaking to a packed auditorium of students and faculty at the University of Texas at Austin to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas, the Supreme Court’s longest-serving justice, urged the nation to revisit the philosophical foundations of U.S. governance.

He said Wednesday that values embraced by the nation’s founders have “fallen out of favor” in recent decades, and urged younger fenerations to stand up for their principles.

“I think if we don’t stand up and take ownership of our country, and take responsibility for it, we are slowly letting others control how we think and what we think,” he told the audience. 

SUPREME COURT SKEPTICAL OF TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER, ROBERTS QUESTIONS ARGUMENT IN LANDMARK CASE

“Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence, and hence our form of government,” Thomas said Wednesday evening, drawing a direct line between contemporary political movements and what he described as a departure from the Constitution’s original meaning.

“It holds that our rights and our dignities come not from God, but from the government,” Thomas. “It requires of the people a subservience and weakness incompatible with a Constitution premised on the transcendent origin of our rights.”

The conservative justice also lamented what he said was the growing prevalence of “cynicism, rejection, hostility and animus” in the U.S., and perpetuated “by Americans,” and particularly, so-called “pragmatists” or self-described intellectuals.

SUPREME COURT SIGNALS IT MAY LIMIT KEY VOTING RIGHTS ACT RULE

“They recast themselves as institutionalists, pragmatists or thoughtful moderates, all as a way of justifying their failures to themselves, their consciences, and their country,” he said.

Thomas’s remarks were part of a broader lecture series marking the Declaration’s 250th anniversary.

And though the tone of his remarks was somber, Thomas closed them with a soaring call to action, urging law students in the audience, and viewers watching the televised address at home, to have courage and stand up for their principles and ideals.

“In my view, we must find in ourselves that same level of courage that the signers of the Declaration have so that we can do for our future what they did for theirs,” he said. 

The durability of American democracy, Thomas added, depends on it.

SUPREME COURT SKEPTICAL OF TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER, ROBERTS QUESTIONS ARGUMENT IN LANDMARK CASE

“I think if we don’t stand up and take ownership of our country, and take responsibility for it, we are slowly letting others control how we think and what we think,” he said. 

“If you think it’s losing confidence, then you get up and you participate. You don’t sit on the sidelines.”

Four Democrat-led states that rejected President Donald Trump‘s policy of no taxes on tips and overtime pay are getting called out by Republicans for going against efforts to increase affordability.

The governors of the three largest Democrat-run states, California, New York and Illinois, are continuing to tax tips and overtime against Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, while Colorado will require taxpayers to report how much is deducted federally so it can be added back for state taxes in future years.

“Gov. Hochul and Albany Democrats believe your money is their money: They are picking the pockets of waitresses, bartenders, and first responders who work overtime just to make ends meet in a state that already has the highest tax burden in the country,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital.

“No wonder working people and jobs continue to flee New York in record numbers, and we’re consistently among the worst in outmigration every year.”

AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700 MIDWAY THROUGH FILING SEASON, TREASURY SAYS

With “affordability” a key political issue, Republicans countered with a Tax Day narrative against the governors of those four blue states that are facing midterm gubernatorial campaigns, including Hochul, who is running for reelection and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who terms out this year.

“California Democrats talk a lot about making life more affordable, but when given the chance to let hardworking Californians keep more of what they earn, Gov. Newsom and the state legislature refused to update the state’s tax code,” Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital.

“No tax on tips or overtime would provide real relief to service workers, first responders, and families across our state, and it’s disappointing to see Sacramento turn its back on them.”

DOORDASH DRIVER HAILS KEY TRUMP POLICY AFTER DELIVERING MCDONALD’S TO WHITE HOUSE: ‘I’M GOING TO ENJOY IT’

Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi says that while Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker is running for reelection in the nation’s third-largest blue state, he is really positioning himself for a 2028 presidential campaign on the agenda of obstructing Trump.

“Last year, President Trump delivered the largest tax cut in American history, putting millions of dollars back in the pockets of Americans; this commonsense legislation is good for Illinois, but wannabe president, JB Pritzker would rather slam the door shut on opportunity and relief, knowing full well that he supported and empowered Joe Biden’s economic disaster,” Salvi told Fox News Digital.

“The sad truth is that if President Trump is for it, JB Pritzker will always be against it.”

NASHVILLE ARTISTS PRAISE TRUMP’S NO-TAX-ON-TIPS POLICY ONE YEAR INTO PRESIDENCY

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who is termed out and among names potentially running in the 2028 Democrat presidential primary, was called out by Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Colo., for action to tax overtime pay in future years.

“As a former cop in Colorado, I know firsthand how important overtime pay is to first responders, blue collar workers, and hardworking families across America — that’s why I was proud to stand with Republicans to deliver no tax on overtime at the federal level,” Evans told Fox News Digital.

“But while we fought to give Coloradans relief, Gov. Polis and state Democrats held a special session to re-tax overtime pay, ensuring families never see the benefits they earned. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Hochul, Newsom, Pritzker, and Polis for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

SCOOP: HOUSE SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON’S ALLIES UNLEASH $10M CAMPAIGN TO SPOTLIGHT TRUMP TAX CUTS

While the governor’s seats in those four blue states are likely safe due to deep Democrat voter registration advantages, down ballot races do have a narrative to carry under the Trump banner and the no tax on tips or overtime policy.

The Senate Finance Committee charted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act “wins” in all 50 states, including those four blocked by Democrat leaders where there still remains a permanent 20% deduction for many small business owners and a $1,500 increase in the standard deduction for millions of families.

Rama Duwaji, wife to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, apologized for old social media posts that included racial slurs and celebrations of Palestinian terrorists in an interview published Wednesday.

Duwaji, a Texas-born Syrian-American, expressed her regret for language she used in old social media messages during an interview with online publication Hyperallergic, her first public interview since her husband became mayor in January.

“When a tabloid recently published old tweets I wrote as a teenager, I felt a lot of shame being confronted with language I used that is so harmful to others; being 15 doesn’t excuse it,” she told the outlet.

In March, the Washington Free Beacon published an expose revealing a number of Duwaji’s old posts on X, formerly Twitter, and the blogging website Tumblr.

NYC MAYOR MAMDANI’S WIFE LIKED POSTS CELEBRATING OCT 7 TERROR ATTACKS BUT GETS SOFT TREATMENT FROM THE PRESS

The posts included celebrations of U.S.-designated terrorist groups and individuals who had committed acts of terror. In March 2015, when Duwaji was 17, an X account the Washington Free Beacon connected to Duwaji reposted a photo of Shadia Abu Ghazaleh with a caption that extolled her as a resistance fighter.

Ghazaleh was a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a U.S. and globally-designated terrorist group. Revered as a martyr in Palestine, many pro-Palestinians laud her for participating in a bombing of an Israeli bus. Ghazaleh died in 1968 when a bomb she had planned to use on a building in Tel Aviv exploded in her home.

Another Duwaji post the Free Beacon unearthed showed her allegedly using a racial slur.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS ON MAMDANI OVER REPORTS HIS WIFE LIKED PRO-OCTOBER 7TH POSTS: ‘THIS IS WHO THEY ARE’

And another post appeared to show her using a derogatory word for gay people.

According to the Beacon’s investigation, she allegedly reposted another user saying that the Israeli city Tel Aviv “shouldn’t even exist in the first place.”

NYC MAYOR MAMDANI’S WIFE GLORIFIED TERRORISTS IN ONLINE POSTS, CRITICIZED US MILITARY: REPORT

“I’ve read and seen a lot of what others have had to say in response, and I understand the hurt I caused and am truly sorry,” Duwaji told Hyperallergic. “My focus isn’t on being a public figure, but continuing my work with care and responsibility, and allowing my art to speak for itself.”

The X account associated with Duwaji was deleted shortly after the Beacon published their investigation. Her Wednesday apology appears to be her first public acknowledgment of the posts.

An artist by trade, Duwaji has been an outspoken critic of Israel during her husband’s political career. In February, just one month after Mamdani’s inauguration, Duwaji came under fire for contributing an illustration to an essay about a Gaza refugee camp written by an author who celebrated the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

ISRAELI COMEDIAN DROPS OUT OF PASSOVER EVENT AFTER LEARNING OF MAMDANI’S ATTENDANCE

Susan Abulhawa, the author of the essay attached to Duwaji’s illustration, called Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack at a music festival in Israel that killed more than 1,200 people “a spectacular moment that shocked the world.” She has also referred to Israelis as “rootless, soulless ghouls” and “Jewish supremacist demons” in social media posts that are still active.

Mamdani condemned the comments and claimed Duwaji contributed the illustration through a third party service.

“I think that that rhetoric is patently unacceptable. I think it’s reprehensible,” he said in March. “And as is common for freelance illustrators, the First Lady was commissioned to illustrate an excerpt of a book by a third party. She has never engaged with or met with the author, nor had she seen the tweets that you’re referring to.”

Fox News Digital contacted a representative of Mayor Mamdani for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Republicans are betting tax cuts they championed will be a difference-maker in November’s midterm elections amid a rise in refunds this filing season.

But Republicans still face a key challenge — convincing voters to credit them for the tax relief when they head to the ballot box.

“You can talk about it, but you’ve got to feel it and that’s what’s going to happen,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital in an interview on Wednesday, referring to the slate of new tax breaks signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. 

“We believe by the time of the midterms, people are not only going to be talking about it, they are going to feel it,” Emmer insisted.

STRATEGY SESSION: TRUMP’S TEAM HUDDLES ON MIDTERM MESSAGING WITH SPOTLIGHT ON ECONOMY

As they look to defend their slim House majority, the GOP is ramping up its messaging to promote the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also known as the Working Families Tax Cuts. Republicans spent Tax Day on Wednesday touting larger refunds this year while highlighting Democratic lawmakers’ opposition to the tax bill that passed with solely GOP votes. 

The average refund this year is over $3,400, amounting to an 11% increase compared to last tax season, according to data released by the Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday.

Republicans have pointed to those returns as early proof their tax policy is reaching voters’ wallets.

A vast swath of Americans is also benefiting from new tax cuts that Trump first floated on the 2024 campaign trail.

More than 53 million tax filers claimed new deductions for tips, overtime pay, automobile loans or being over the age of 65, according to the Treasury Department. Some are also receiving a larger child tax credit and relief for state and local taxes.

“When you’re seeing it in your tax return, when you’re seeing it in your paycheck, when you’re actually able to feel that, I think that’s going to make a difference to put us in a good spot for 2026,” Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., said Wednesday.

Democrats, however, argue those benefits may not be enough to overcome Americans’ broader economic concerns.

The party is voicing increasing confidence it will retake House control and put the Senate in play this November, citing voter discontent about cost-of-living issues and Trump’s declining approval ratings. Republicans must also overcome the trend of the party in power shedding seats during a midterm year.

“A lot of people want to count us out in November,” Emmer said during a GOP messaging event highlighting the new tax benefits on Wednesday. “We’re going to be just fine, because we’ve got a great map in the House. We’ve got great candidates across the country.”

AVERAGE TAX REFUND TOPS $3,700 MIDWAY THROUGH FILING SEASON, TREASURY SAYS

Democrats have largely opposed the tax cuts, arguing they disproportionately benefit corporations and the wealthy. 

But Republicans say working Americans and small businesses will see a smaller tax bill this year as a result of their policies. 

Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman told Fox News Digital that the overtime deduction has been a “morale booster” for law enforcement putting in extra hours.

More than 25 million Americans have claimed the new tax break with an average deduction of more than $3,100, according to the IRS. 

Republicans are also highlighting a slate of business tax breaks, which beneficiaries argue could boost job growth and provide economic benefits to their community.

“It gave me the certainty and the confidence to go out and make capital investments,” Courtney Silver, who owns a machine shop in North Carolina and invested more than $1 million in equipment following the passage of the tax bill, told Fox News Digital.

“For everything we invested in, we need to create those new positions on our team,” Silver added. 

The United States could have shed nearly 6 million jobs if Republicans had failed to extend the 2017 tax cuts through the party’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the National Association of Manufacturers.

Still, seven in 10 Americans say their taxes are too high, the highest dissatisfaction in more than two decades, according to a recent Fox News poll. 

Some Democratic-led states have notably refused to conform to the new federal tax breaks enacted by Republicans, citing concern about their impact on state revenue. GOP lawmakers have argued it’s an attempt by Democrats to prevent voters from feeling the tax relief passed by Republicans.

“I’ve got a governor that refuses and a Democrat-controlled legislature that refuses to do tax compliance, so I’m not getting the benefit, nor is any other Minnesotan,” Emmer said, referring to the average increase in returns. “That’s a game changer and my state’s not getting that.”

Trump is heading to Nevada and Arizona beginning Thursday to highlight his “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime” policies as he goes to bat for Republicans to help them keep their bicameral congressional majority in this year’s midterm elections.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iranian leaders to “choose wisely” on whether to accept a peace deal with the U.S. on Thursday.

Hegseth made the comments during a press briefing at the Pentagon, saying the U.S. military is “locked and loaded” and prepared to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure.

“We’ll start with a message to Iran’s military leadership,” Hegseth said. “We’re watching you. Our capabilities are not the same, our military and yours. Remember, this is not a fair fight, and we know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving them to while you are digging out, which is exactly what you’re doing. Digging out of bombed out and devastated facilities.”

“We are only getting stronger. You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them. You have no defense industry, no ability to replenish your offensive or defensive capabilities. You only have what you have. You know that. And we know that you can move things around, but you can’t actually rebuild. You can dig out for now, but you can’t reconstitute. But we can,” he said.

TRUMP DETAILS SWEEPING ‘ALL OR NOTHING’ BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ AFTER FAILED IRAN TALKS

“If Iran chooses poorly, they will have a blockade and bombs dropping on infrastructure, power and energy,” Hegseth added.

IRAN THREATENS TO HALT RED SEA TRAFFIC IN RESPONSE TO US MILITARY BLOCKADE OF PORTS

Hegseth was joined at Thursday’s briefing by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper, who recently returned from the front lines.

Hegseth said Cooper is making sure the U.S. military “continues to implement an ironclad blockade and ensures that our forces are maximally postured to restart combat operations should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal.”

“We are reloading with more power than ever before and better intelligence, even more importantly, better intelligence than ever before,” he said in his message to Iran.

“As you expose yourself with your movement to our watchful eye, we are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation and on your energy industry. We’d rather not have to do it, but we’re ready to go at the command of our president and at the push of a button,” he also said.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

A federal judge this week blocked Indiana from enforcing a law that bars college-issued student identification cards from being used for voting, ruling that the measure likely violates the constitutional rights of students and young voters.

U.S. District Judge Richard Young granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday against Senate Bill 10, a 2025 law that removed student IDs from Indiana’s list of acceptable voter identification even though such cards had been accepted for nearly two decades if they included a voter’s name, photograph, expiration date and were issued by the state or federal government.

“Plaintiffs have shown that they are likely to succeed on their claim that SB 10 imposes unconstitutional burdens on students and young voters in violation of the First and Fourteenth Amendments,” Young, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, wrote in a 34-page order. “They have also established irreparable harm and satisfied the remaining requirements for a preliminary injunction.”

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office said Wednesday it intends to appeal, arguing that the state’s voter ID law should not be weakened by court-ordered exceptions.

GOP GOVERNORS, AGS BACK TRUMP SAVE ACT PUSH, WARN SYSTEM GIVES ‘UNDUE INFLUENCE’ TO STATES WITH ILLEGAL ALIENS

“Indiana’s voter ID law is critical to election security and integrity,” the office told the Indiana Capital Chronicle in a statement. “Courts shouldn’t be watering the law down by doling out special exemptions to some students and faculty. We’ll keep fighting to uphold commonsense election rules.”

Notably, out of state college students might be registered in another state, perhaps a nexus for the state’s requiring a state or federal-issued ID.

Still, Young concluded that rejecting student IDs for voters “is probably unconstitutional.”

FLORIDA, MISSISSIPPI JOIN WAVE OF STATES TIGHTENING VOTER CITIZENSHIP RULES

“While it’s true that an injunction would override a democratically adopted law, Indiana has no valid interest in enforcing ‘a statute that is probably unconstitutional,’” Young wrote.

The ruling is a setback for Republican state lawmakers who approved SB 10 last year after arguing that student IDs were not issued with the same rigor as Indiana driver’s licenses and state identification cards. Young found the state’s position undercut by the fact that Indiana still allows other non-driver forms of identification — including military, Veterans Administration and tribal IDs — many of which, he wrote, are “less uniform than student IDs.”

“By eliminating student IDs as an acceptable form of identification, Defendants selectively excluded a form of identification that otherwise complies with the neutral criteria established by Indiana’s voter ID law and that has been accepted as a form of voter identification for nearly two decades,” Young wrote.

CONSERVATIVE GROUP LAUNCHES $5M AD BLITZ PRESSURING SENATE ON VOTER ID AS GOP EYES SAVE AMERICA ACT PUSH

The judge said he did not need to decide, at this stage, a separate claim that the law intentionally discriminates on the basis of age in violation of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment.

The lawsuit was filed in May 2025 by Count US IN, Women4Change Indiana and Indiana University student Josh Montagne, who had used his IU-issued student ID to vote three times but said he lacked another form of qualifying identification after the law took effect.

Young’s order described student IDs as a long-standing, widely used tool for voting on Indiana campuses. The opinion cited evidence that nearly 200,000 students attend Indiana public universities whose IDs previously qualified under the voter ID law, and noted a Monroe County election supervisor’s estimate that about two-thirds of voters at an on-campus Indiana University polling place used student IDs in the 2024 general election.

DAVID MARCUS: SENATE GOP SHOULD TAKE FETTERMAN’S DEAL ON VOTER ID

The judge estimated that the actual number of students affected by the ban was likely about 40,000, though he noted the plaintiffs’ expert had produced higher estimates. He said the record showed the law falls hardest on college students and younger voters because they are less likely than the general electorate to possess Indiana driver’s licenses or state IDs and often face added hurdles in getting alternative documentation.

Young rejected the state’s argument that the public interest in election integrity justified the change, writing that Indiana had produced no evidence that student IDs had been used in voter fraud or that they had caused meaningful problems for election administration.

TRUMP-BACKED VOTER ID BILL FACES GOP RESISTANCE AS TILLIS VOWS TO STOP IT

“To eliminate the ID that students and young voters are far more likely to rely on, Defendants must better document the unique problems student IDs raise,” Young wrote. “On this record, SB 10 looks more like a solution in search of a problem.”

The court also concluded that blocking the law weeks before Indiana’s May 4 primary would not create the kind of disruption federal courts are warned to avoid close to an election. Young said the injunction would mainly restore a practice Indiana had followed for years and would require only minor updates to election materials and training.

Because the case is at the preliminary injunction stage, the ruling does not permanently strike down the law. But it means student IDs that otherwise satisfy Indiana’s voter ID requirements can be used in the upcoming elections while the lawsuit moves forward.