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- Israel Foils Iranian Attack. What's Next?
Good morning and happy Monday. It's tax day, so make sure you get everything filed by midnight (or get an extension). On a lighter note: The annual Lyrid meteor shower begins tonight and will continue for the next two weeks. Here's everything you need to know to go stargazing. Have a great day!
In Today’s Brief
Cuban double agent: Gets 15 years
Australia: Fatal stabbing at mall
RFK Jr. Libertarian bid off table
U.S. Steel: Shareholders approve deal
The Masters: Scheffler wins again
... and more
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Top Tips
1) Iron stand
The world is on edge after Israel and its allies, including the U.S., rebuffed an Iranian attack.
What happened: Iran fired about 300 drones and missiles at Israel on Saturday, retaliating for an Israeli airstrike on its embassy in Syria. But Israeli air defenses and allied forces -- the U.S., United Kingdom, France and Jordan -- shot down almost all of them. A small number of projectiles reached Israeli territory; officials claimed one military base suffered minor damage and a child was severely wounded.
Early analysis: The attack was unprecedented; it is the first time Iran has directly attacked Israel rather than using regional proxies like Hamas or Hezbollah. But the operation appeared designed for optics more than impact. Iran backed up its threats to respond to the embassy attack, but its methods gave Israel hours of notice to utilize its Iron Dome anti-missile system and minimize casualties.
The response: Iran's attack received global condemnation. Israel has said it will respond, but its war cabinet reportedly is undecided on how and when. President Joe Biden reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be cautious and said the U.S. would not assist a counterstrike. Iran said it considers the matter over, but it would respond with significant force if Israel escalates.
Big picture: There have been fears of a wider war engulfing the Middle East ever since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began last October. A direct Iranian attack on Israel certainly ratchets up the tension, but it seems the Israelis control where things go next. Biden reportedly asked Netanyahu to "take the win" and move on without aggravating the situation further. Iran's attack could spur Congress to pass a stalled foreign military aid bill that would also help Taiwan and Ukraine.
2) In session
Former President Donald Trump's hush money trial will begin today in Manhattan.
The basics: It will likely take 1-2 weeks to select the jury pool of 12 jurors and six alternates; they will serve anonymously for safety reasons. The trial is expected to last 6-8 weeks in total, with proceedings four days a week (the off-day is Wednesday). Trump is required to attend the trial every day; the proceedings will not be televised.
The charges: Trump faces 34 counts of first-degree falsification of business records, a low-level felony. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg alleges then-candidate Trump violated campaign finance law by suppressing damaging information to hide it from voters. The case will center around a $130K payoff to porn star Stormy Daniels. If convicted, Trump could face prison time.
What to expect: Daniels and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen are expected to be top witnesses for the prosecution. Former Trump aide Hope Hicks is also expected to testify. Trump has said he will testify, but he is not obligated; his defense is expected to attack Cohen's credibility, as he handled the payments. Trump has blasted the case as politicized.
Big picture: Trump is the first former president to stand for a criminal trial, the first of four he currently faces. The attendance requirement will hamper his ability to campaign as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee; he has suggested he may do evening or virtual events.
3) School safety
President Biden's executive action on gun control last week coincided with a new survey on guns in schools.
The headline: About 25% of U.S. teachers said they experienced a gun-related lockdown during the 2022-23 school year, according to Pew Research Center. That includes incidents involving a gun or where there was suspicion of one. About 10% said they experienced more than one such lockdown. Over 30% of high school teachers said their school had at least one lockdown.
Other findings: About 60% of teachers surveyed said they are at least somewhat worried about a shooting at their school. But 60% also feel their schools have done a good (or better) job of preparing for a shooting. About 70% of teachers say improved mental health screening and treatment can help prevent shootings; about 50% want armed security or police officers to serve as in-school deterrents. Only about 10% think administrators or teachers should carry guns.
Big picture: There are no consensus criteria on what defines a school shooting, but CNN counted a record 82 last year and reported 16 in 2024 as of March. Biden's move to close loopholes on gun purchases will play a prominent role in the general election, as will gun violence in schools.
Quick Tips
U.S. News
A former diplomat was sentenced to 15 years in prison for being a Cuban double agent for Cuba. Manuel Rocha will also pay a $500K fine and must agree with prosecutors; he was an ambassador to Bolivia and had posts in Argentina, Mexico and Havana in addition to time at the White House (More)
Four people are charged with the murders of two missing Kansas women, including the grandmother of one of the women's children. The women have been missing since March 30; their bodies have not been found (More)
Over 20 barges broke loose near Pittsburgh and floated down the Ohio River uncontrollably. A marina was damaged and two bridges were temporarily closed; heavy rains caused the breakaway (More)
World News
An Australian man stabbed and killed six people at a Sydney shopping center on Saturday. The man also injured 12 people before being fatally shot by police (More)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau insisted Canada's 2019 and '21 elections were "free and fair." Trudeau testified under oath as part of an election interference probe; he said China attempted to meddle in both campaigns but did not impact the vote (More)
Pope Francis will visit several Southeastern Asian countries in September. The 11-day trip to East Timor, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Singapore will be the longest of his papacy despite recent health issues (More)
Campaign News
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will not seek the Libertarian Party's presidential nomination. The independent candidate said his campaign will be able to secure ballot access in all 50 states (More)
High voter turnout this fall could favor former President Trump and Republicans, according to a 538 analysis. Trump has an almost 20% edge on potential voters who did not participate in the last three general elections (More)
There is a House GOP effort to strip George Santos of former member privileges. The former New York congressman was expelled from office last year and faces federal fraud charges (More)
Business & Markets
Major indexes closed lower on Friday. Inflation concerns contributed to the markets' worst day in months (Dow -1.24%, Nasdaq -1.62%, S&P 500 -1.46%).
U.S. Steel shareholders approved a $15B buyout acquisition by Nippon Steel. President Biden, labor leaders and other lawmakers oppose the merger, which is being probed on antitrust grounds (More)
Salesforce is reportedly in advanced talks to buy software developer Informatica. The customer relations software maker's bid is believed to be below the acquistion target's current stock price of about $38.50 (More)
Entertainment & Sports
Scottie Scheffler won The Masters for the second time in his career, pulling away for a four-stroke victory in the final round. Tiger Woods made the cut but finished the tournament a career-worse 16-over par (More)
Canada defeated the U.S. in overtime, 6-5, to win the Women's World Hockey Championship in Lake Placid. Danielle Serdachny had the power-play game-winner for the Canadians (More)
Bluey will return with new episodes. There had been speculation the Emmy Award-winning Australian children's animated program was ending its successful run (More)
Quick Hitters
Go Deep: Why do we want to squeeze and squish things we think are cute? Scientists say it is our brains trying to self-regulate intense emotion.
Let's Not: Humans have been trying to communicate with extraterrestrial life for decades. It would probably be for the best if we quit while we are ahead?
Weird Crime: A German art gallery worker was fired -- and reported to police -- for hanging up one of his own paintings. He may have committed property damage since he drilled two holes in the wall.
Take Note: Be careful about getting a bite to eat while riding Amtrak. Close to 3K complaints were filed last year about dining services on the rails.
Feel Good: An 81-year-old Canadian woman is believed to be the world record holder for blood donations. Josephine Michaluk has given over 200 pints of blood.
OPTIMIZE ME: Researchers “found convincing evidence that higher intake of ultra-processed foods was associated with 50% increased risk of cardiovascular disease-related death, a 48% to 53% higher risk of anxiety and common mental disorders, and a 12% greater risk of type 2 diabetes”
Want more health and wellness news? Subscribe to our brand new newsletter, Optimize Me, and start living a healthier life through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness:
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