Israel and Iran appeared to back away from further strikes Monday, hours after they traded fire for the first time since the U.S. agreed to a ceasefire with Tehran two months ago. Both countries warned that they were ready to launch retaliatory attacks if provoked.
The renewed hostilities raised concerns that the Middle East could plunge back into a full-scale war.
Since the U.S. and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28, the war has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the world and made many basics, including food, more expensive. Officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into a deal to permanently end the conflict. The new attacks prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to call for an immediate stop to fighting between Israel and Iran.
—The Associated Press
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testifies during a Senate Committee on Appropriations subcommittee hearing to address the Trump administration s budget request for the Justice Department, Tuesday, May 19, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Trump formally nominates Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general
Blanche, a former personal lawyer for Trump, has been leading the Justice Department in an acting capacity since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April.
It’s unclear whether Blanche has enough Senate support to be confirmed. A key vote on the Judiciary Committee, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, has not said whether he will back Blanche’s nomination.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the committee, said Blanche is “well-qualified and has shown his dedication to restoring law and order across our country.”
Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the committee, said: “Donald Trump has been engaged in the most corrupt enterprise in the history of the Presidency,” adding, “Todd Blanche apparently has not noticed.”
—The Associated Press
Columbia College Chicago student Kailey Ryan reads a newspaper in Chicago, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)
Fewer Americans say democracy is central to country’s identity, AP-NORC poll finds
As the U.S. prepares for an extravagant celebration of its founding principles, fewer Americans see their country as exceptional, a new poll finds.
The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research highlights many Americans’ feeling of unease over the future of its representative government — particularly among young people. It presents a jarring contrast as communities around the country commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Only about one-quarter of Americans say the U.S. stands above all other countries in the world, the new poll found, while 44% say it’s one of the greatest countries in the world, along with some others. About 3 in 10 say there are better countries than the U.S., an increase from 19% in an AP-NORC poll conducted in June 2016.
—The Associated Press
Deadline looms for Congress to extend surveillance law amid debate over intel pick
Congress has just days left to extend a high-profile warrantless surveillance program before it expires Friday.
But the law — Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA — faces opposition on both sides of the aisle, with some lawmakers criticizing it as surveillance overreach and others citing concerns over President Donald Trump’s choice for acting national intelligence director, Bill Pulte.
On Monday, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., contended on social media that Trump could “help” prevent FISA from lapsing by canceling plans for Pulte to succeed outgoing director Tulsi Gabbard, who is stepping down June 30.
—Spectrum News’ Christina Santucci
More Monday reads
• Iran war is exacerbating humanitarian crises, aid group says
• Oil prices are volatile with potential easing of violence after exchange of strikes by Iran, Israel
• U.S. sanctions over 100 Nicaraguan officials and relatives with travel ban