Supreme Court cases; U.S. air strikes on Iran

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Today’s top stories

The Trump administration has revealed new details about the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program, including that the operation was years in the making. In a briefing yesterday, President Trump’s top military adviser said B-2 pilots put bombs on the targets and returned safely during the airstrikes this past weekend. A clear assessment of the damage inflicted is still not available. The evidence shows the Trump administration hit their targets at three separate nuclear sites. But Trump said the Iranian program was completely wiped out.

• The big question that remains is the whereabouts of 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, ‘s Greg Myre tells Up First. International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said Iranian officials have told the agency they took protective measures for the enriched uranium, which could mean they hid it somewhere before the U.S. attacks. To prepare for the strike, the U.S. worked for years on developing a weapon that could reach its target deep inside a mountain. This led to the development of the 30,000-pound bunker-busting bomb.
• The U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for decades. Listen to this Throughline episode to see where it all began. For deep dives into the origins of conflict in the Middle East, click here.

Today marks the final day of the Supreme Court’s term. Opinions are anticipated for the last six cases. Among these are some of the most significant cases argued this term, including a pivotal question concerning birthright citizenship. This case revolves around the constitutional phrase stating that “all persons born in the U.S. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the U.S.”

• Trump issued an executive order saying that only some children in the U.S. can be citizens, and every judge who has ruled on it has said he’s wrong. The Justice Department, likely knowing it was going to lose this case, didn’t ask the court to reverse those decisions, ‘s Nina Totenberg says. The Justice Department is instead arguing that the judges exceeded their authority when they made their rulings apply nationwide. With this argument, they aim to bar these kinds of nationwide injunctions. That would make litigating against the Trump administration policies extremely difficult.

The Trump administration says it’s allocating $30 million for a food program in Gaza that the United Nations has described as a death trap. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group using American contractors, distributed boxes of food in four sites in Gaza a month ago as part of a plan Israel devised. The sites draw in thousands of hungry people every day. Gaza’s Health Ministry says hundreds of them have been killed and thousands wounded trying to reach the sites since the operations began.

• This week, a dozen human rights and legal groups said that any country backing GHF could potentially be liable for complicity in war crimes. ‘s Aya Batrawy says part of the reason it is so deadly to get food is that the GHF sites are in military zones where Israeli troops are positioned. Israel’s military says it has fired warning shots at crowds approaching troops, and it is working on reviewing its processes.

Life advice

Getting laid off can be a devastating experience, and it can make planning for the future difficult. Career coach Octavia Goredema offers a practical checklist of next steps to help you focus on your future rather than get bogged down by logistics.

• Be sure to thoroughly review your exit paperwork. If you need more time during the process, don’t hesitate to ask for it. Negotiate your terms; you might be able to secure a longer timeframe for receiving certain benefits.
• Apply for unemployment insurance. The state-run benefit will pay you a weekly amount based on how much you earned before filing for unemployment.
• Take time to reflect on what you want to do next. It can help to think about what you liked and disliked about your last job. This can help you focus your search.
• Create a monthly budget based on a realistic timeline for securing a new job. For instance, if you anticipate that finding your next job will take six months, divide your savings to cover expenses over a six-month timeframe.

Weekend picks

3 things to know before you go

1. Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon attempted to become the first woman to run a mile in under 4 minutes yesterday, but her personal best came up short.
2. Anna Wintour announced yesterday that she would be stepping down as head of editorial content at American Vogue after nearly 40 years in the role.
3. Dune director Denis Villeneuve has signed on to lead the next installment of the James Bond franchise.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.