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Today's top stories
Tensions are rising in the two ceasefires in the Middle East. Iran has not officially recognized the ceasefire that President Trump unilaterally extended this week. Yesterday, Iran attacked at least three commercial ships and seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The move jeopardized potential U.S.-Iran peace talks and came after a senior Iranian official said that Trump's ceasefire extension "means nothing." Meanwhile in Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes killed at least five people, including Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil. Israeli and Lebanese diplomats are expected to meet in Washington for a second round of talks aimed at extending a truce and paving the way for future talks.
Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his position "effective immediately," according to an X post from the Pentagon yesterday. Phelan served as the Navy's top civilian leader, overseeing its budget, its personnel and an effort to build more ships. His exit marks the latest in a series of high-level dismissals at the Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and it comes as the Navy plays a crucial role in the war in Iran.
- 🎧 There were signs of tension between Phelan and Hegseth, seemingly stemming from both personal conflicts and disagreements over how the shipbuilding effort was being handled, NPR's Greg Myre tells Up First. Upon arriving at the Pentagon, Hegseth immediately began dismissing senior officials, often without explanation, demonstrating his desire to reshape the Pentagon leadership. Myre says that the dismissals aren't a great optic during a time when the U.S. is in the middle of a war with Iran. He adds that, for the time being, Hegseth seems to have Trump's full support.
Senate Republicans introduced a budget resolution Tuesday to fund immigration enforcement agencies. It's the first step in a lengthy budgetary process to end the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. After federal immigration agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year, congressional Democrats said they would not fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection until significant reforms are made. Republicans plan to use a budget tool called reconciliation to fund the remaining DHS agencies, allowing them to proceed along party lines without Democratic support. The process can be complicated and lengthy. Here's a look at what's involved.
In their quest to regain control of Congress, Democratic candidates are outpacing Republicans in midterm fundraising for key House and Senate races. This enthusiasm comes even as the party grapples with record-low voter approval ratings. But Republican-aligned committees have a massive cash advantage over Democrats. GOP committees and super PACs are sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in reserves. Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC holds nearly $350 million in cash, which could influence what his last two years in office look like — if he decides to use it. Here are four charts that illustrate the current political landscape surrounding control of the House and Senate.
Deep dive
The Trump administration is arguing that a nearly 50-year-old law requiring the preservation of presidential records is unconstitutional. Historians are taking legal action, warning that the fate of millions of papers and electronic messages is at stake — not only for Trump's second term, but also for future presidents and people who want to understand them.
- ➡️ The origin of the PRA dates back to July 1974, when the Supreme Court ordered President Richard Nixon to turn over White House recordings. When Nixon left office, Congress passed a law putting Nixon's presidential papers in the custody of the National Archives. In 1978, Congress acted again to apply that law to future presidents.
- ➡️ Trump's Justice Department says the PRA is unconstitutional because it violates the separation of powers.
- ➡️ The American Historical Association last week asked a federal judge to block government employees from discarding presidential materials.
- ➡️ White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a written statement that staff members will receive training on document preservation. However, lawyers for the historical association and watchdog group American Oversight noted that this training seems to exclude the country's top leaders, Trump and Vice President Vance.
- ➡️ Historians use presidential documents to understand key moments in history, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Columbia University history professor Matthew Connelly questions whether targeting orders and other operations could remain secret forever if Trump's interpretation of the PRA prevails.
Picture show
An image of a family being separated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has been named World Press Photo's 2026 Photo of the Year. Separated by ICE was captured by four-time Pulitzer Prize winner Carol Guzy, ZUMA Press, iWitness, for the Miami Herald. The photograph captures a moment inside one of the few U.S. federal buildings that allowed photographers access. In a single hallway, Guzy and others showed up day after day, determined to document the unfolding events. Executive director of World Press Photo, Joumana El Zein Khoury, said the image " shows the inconsolable grief of children losing their father in a place built for justice." Guzy spoke with Morning Edition about the photo, which is part of a larger body of work, and the story's global significance. Read what she had to say on the topic and see more of the images from Ice Arrests at New York Court.
3 things to know before you go
- Bigfoot is experiencing a renaissance. The mysterious and elusive creature is popping up everywhere, from low-budget horror films and festivals around the country to a critically acclaimed musical. There has even been a wave of alleged sightings in northeast Ohio recently.
- Researchers have found that an experimental gene therapy appears safe and highly effective for restoring hearing in individuals born with a rare form of deafness.
- In this week's Far-Flung Postcard, reporter Betsy Joles takes readers to her favorite park in Pakistan's capital city. Haunted Hill Park is within walking distance of where inconclusive Iran-U.S. peace talks took place this month.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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