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A piece of suspected missile debris was found this morning floating in the water near the shore of the Kinneret. Israeli police marine officers and inspectors secured the area and removed the left over threat.

TRUMP ON FORDOW: The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!

Pete Hegseth on Iran: “We’re watching very closely what they do… our job is to be prepared… but the President has created the contours, the opportunity for a deal; for peace — and we got that peace, that ceasefire… because of strength.”

Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine demonstrates how GBU-57 MOPs work: “Unlike a normal surface bomb, you won’t see an impact crater because they’re designed to deeply bury and then function … All six weapons at each vent at Fordow went exactly where they were intended to go.”

Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth: “What President Trump accomplished in NATO yesterday was game-changing and historic … 32 NATO countries committed to spending 5% of their GDP on defense on actually investing in the NATO alliance.”

A former Venezuelan spymaster who was close to the country’s late President Hugo Chávez pleaded guilty Wednesday to drug trafficking charges a week before his trial was set to begin in a Manhattan federal court. Retired Maj. Gen. Hugo Carvajal was extradited from Spain in 2023 after more than a decade on the run from U.S. law enforcement, including a botched arrest in Aruba while he was serving as a diplomat representing current Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government. Carvajal pleaded guilty in court to all four criminal counts, including narco-terrorism, in an indictment accusing him of leading a cartel made up of senior Venezuelan military officers that attempted to “flood” the U.S. with cocaine in cahoots with leftist guerrillas from neighboring Colombia. In a letter this week to defense counsel, prosecutors said they believe federal sentencing guidelines call for the 65-year-old Carvajal to serve a mandatory minimum of 50 years in prison. Nicknamed “El Pollo,” Spanish for “the chicken,” Carvajal advised Chávez for more than a decade. He later broke with Maduro, Chávez’s handpicked successor, and threw his support behind the U.S.-backed political opposition — in dramatic fashion. In a recording made from an undisclosed location, Carvajal called on his former military cohorts to rebel a month into mass protests seeking to replace Maduro with lawmaker Juan Guaidó, whom the first Trump administration recognized as Venezuela’s legitimate leader as head of the democratically elected National Assembly. The hoped-for barracks revolt never materialized, and Carvajal fled to Spain. In 2021 he was captured hiding out in a Madrid apartment after he defied a Spanish extradition order and disappeared. Carvajal’s straight-up guilty plea, without any promise of leniency, could be part of a gamble to win credit down the line for cooperating with U.S. efforts against a top foreign adversary that sits atop the world’s largest petroleum reserves. Although Carvajal has been out of power for years, his backers say he can provide potentially valuable insights on the inner workings of the spread of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua into the U.S. and spying activities of the Maduro-allied governments of Cuba, Russia, China and Iran. He may also be angling for Trump’s attention with information about voting technology company Smartmatic. One of Carvajal’s deputies was a major player in Venezuela’s electoral authority when the company was getting off the ground. Florida-based Smartmatic says its global business was decimated when Fox News aired false claims by Trump allies that it helped rig the 2020 U.S. election. One of the company’s Venezuelan founders was later charged in the U.S. in a bribery case involving its work in the Philippines. Gary Berntsen, a former CIA officer in Latin America who oversaw commandos that hunted al-Qaida, sent a public letter this week to Trump urging the Justice Department to delay the start of Carvajal’s trial so officials can debrief the former spymaster. “He’s no angel, he’s a very bad man,” Berntsen said in an interview. “But we need to defend democracy.” Carvajal’s attorney, Robert Feitel, said prosecutors announced in court this month that they never extended a plea offer to his client or sought to meet with him. “I think that was an enormous mistake,” Feitel told The Associated Press while declining further comment. “He has information that is extraordinarily important to our national security […]

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Sen. Eric Schmitt: “Just think about that feat—of being in the air for 30 hours… and execute something that precise… we accomplished that particular goal, and then immediately moved toward peace and a ceasefire. It’s pretty remarkable.”

HEGSETH: “When someone leaks something, they do it with an agenda. When you leak a portion of an intelligence assessment but just a little portion… that makes it seem like maybe the strike wasn’t effective, then you start a news cycle.”

HEGSETH: “When someone leaks something, they do it with an agenda. When you leak a portion of an intelligence assessment but just a little portion… that makes it seem like maybe the strike wasn’t effective, then you start a news cycle.”

Secretary of Defense Hegseth reads intelligence assessments that confirm the Iranian regime’s nuclear facilities have been obliterated: “Rendered the enrichment facility inoperable” “Enormous damage to Iran’s nuclear sites” “Destroyed Iran’s centrifuge enrichment program” “Destroyed”

Secretary of Defense Hegseth reads intelligence assessments that confirm the Iranian regime’s nuclear facilities have been obliterated: “Rendered the enrichment facility inoperable” “Enormous damage to Iran’s nuclear sites” “Destroyed Iran’s centrifuge enrichment program” “Destroyed”

Ayatollah Khanemei delivered a live televised speech, his first public statement since the ceasefire was declared. Unsurprisingly, Khamenei spouted lies and propaganda about Iran’s “victory” and even claimed that the Islamic Republic delivered a “harsh slap to America’s face” and “crushed the Zionist state.” He added that the US felt forced to join the war out of fear that “the Zionist regime would be totally destroyed.”

Ayatollah Khanemei delivered a live televised speech, his first public statement since the ceasefire was declared. Unsurprisingly, Khamenei spouted lies and propaganda about Iran’s “victory” and even claimed that the Islamic Republic delivered a “harsh slap to America’s face” and “crushed the Zionist state.” He added that the US felt forced to join the war out of fear that “the Zionist regime would be totally destroyed.”

President Donald Trump responds to questions on the impact of the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and his position with Russia.

WATCH:

Neera Tanden, who previously held a senior position in President Joe Biden’s administration, appeared before Congress and acknowledged that she had the authority to initiate the use of an autopen for the president’s signature. However, she admitted she was not aware of who ultimately gave the go-ahead for using the device.

Tanden, who oversaw the Domestic Policy Council during her time in the White House, told lawmakers that Biden’s team made use of a mechanical signature tool that enabled staffers to sign official papers—including pardons and memoranda—on the president’s behalf. Despite being involved in the process, she stated that she did not know who exactly authorized each instance. As Fox News reported:

“During Tanden’s interview before Congress, which lasted more than five hours, she told lawmakers that, in her role as staff secretary and senior advisor to the former president between 2021 and 2023, she was authorized to direct autopen signatures on behalf of Biden, an Oversight Committee official told Fox News.

“Tanden, who reportedly said during her testimony that she had limited interactions with Biden in her role, according to sources familiar with her testimony, described an approval process that left her – at least partly – in the dark about who specifically was giving final approval on the decisions to use the automatic signature tool, even though she simultaneously insisted Biden was in charge.

“Tanden reportedly testified that to get approval for the use of autopen signatures she would send decision memos to members of Biden’s inner circle. However, she added that she was not aware of what actions or approvals took place between the time she sent the decision memo and the time she received it back with the necessary approval, according to the source familiar.”

One lawmaker from the minority side of the Oversight Committee dismissed Tanden’s statements, calling them untruthful. According to a former White House staffer, “written sign off [from Biden] on every executive action she presented him with” was always obtained.

“Any other characterization is a distortion of the testimony,” the official added. “To intimate that Neera Tanden said President Biden did not approve every single presidential decision and sign off on every executive action coming out of the White House is a lie.”

Tanden’s lawyer, Michael Bromwich, aligned with that version of events. He emphasized that the autopen was only used after Biden had reviewed and approved the decision personally.

“The autopen was used … only after the President personally approved the decision,” Bromwich said. “Aides at no time signed these documents on President Biden’s behalf.”

MASSIVE OUTAGE: Nearly 6,500 customers in Lakewood and Jackson are without power this morning, as JCP&L continues to fail in its basic job of keep the lights on. ETA for restoration is currently 10:30 am.

MASSIVE OUTAGE: Nearly 6,500 customers in Lakewood and Jackson are without power this morning, as JCP&L continues to fail in its basic job of keep the lights on. ETA for restoration is currently 10:30 am.

One key unsettled issue stalling progress on President Donald Trump’s big bill in Congress is particularly daunting: How to cut billions from health care without harming Americans or the hospitals and others that provide care? Republicans are struggling to devise a solution to the health care problem their package has created. Already, estimates say 10.9 million more people would be without health coverage under the House-passed version of the bill. GOP senators have proposed steeper reductions, which some say go too far. “The Senate cuts in Medicaid are far deeper than the House cuts, and I think that’s problematic,” said GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Senators have been meeting behind closed doors and with Trump administration officials as they rush to finish up the big bill ahead of the president’s Fourth of July deadline. Much of the package, with its tax breaks and bolstered border security spending, is essentially drafted. But the size and scope of healthcare cuts are among the toughest remaining issues. It’s reminiscent of the summer during Trump’s first term, in 2017, when Republicans struggled to keep their campaign promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, only to see the GOP splinter over the prospect of Americans losing health coverage. That legislation collapsed when then-Sen. John McCain famously cast a thumbs-down vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is determined to avoid that outcome, sticking to the schedule and pressing ahead with voting expected by the end of the week. “This is a good bill and it’s going to be great for our country,” Thune said Wednesday, championing its potential to unleash economic growth and put money in people’s pockets. The changes to the federal health care programs, particularly Medicaid, were always expected to become a centerpiece of the GOP package, a way to offset the costs of providing tax breaks for millions of Americans. Without action from Congress, taxes would go up next year when current tax law expires. The House-passed bill achieved some $1.5 trillion in savings overall, a large part of it coming from changes to health care. The Medicaid program has dramatically expanded in the 15 years since Obamacare became law and now serves some 80 million Americans. Republicans say that’s far too high, and they want to shrink the program back to a smaller size covering mainly poorer women and children. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans are “trying to take away healthcare from tens of millions of Americans.” Democrats are uniformly opposed to what they call the “big, ugly bill.” Much of the health care cost savings would come from new 80-hour-a-month work requirements on those who receive Medicaid benefits, even as most recipients already work. But another provision, the so-called provider tax that almost all the states impose to some degree on hospitals and others that serve Medicaid patients, is drawing particular concern for potential cuts to rural hospitals. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said several senators spoke up Wednesday during a private meeting indicating they were not yet ready to start voting. “That’ll depend if we land the plane on rural hospitals,” he said. States impose the taxes as a way to help fund Medicaid, largely by boosting the reimbursements they receive from the federal government. Critics decry the system as a type of “laundering” […]

One key unsettled issue stalling progress on President Donald Trump’s big bill in Congress is particularly daunting: How to cut billions from health care without harming Americans or the hospitals and others that provide care? Republicans are struggling to devise a solution to the health care problem their package has created. Already, estimates say 10.9 million more people would be without health coverage under the House-passed version of the bill. GOP senators have proposed steeper reductions, which some say go too far. “The Senate cuts in Medicaid are far deeper than the House cuts, and I think that’s problematic,” said GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. Senators have been meeting behind closed doors and with Trump administration officials as they rush to finish up the big bill ahead of the president’s Fourth of July deadline. Much of the package, with its tax breaks and bolstered border security spending, is essentially drafted. But the size and scope of healthcare cuts are among the toughest remaining issues. It’s reminiscent of the summer during Trump’s first term, in 2017, when Republicans struggled to keep their campaign promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, only to see the GOP splinter over the prospect of Americans losing health coverage. That legislation collapsed when then-Sen. John McCain famously cast a thumbs-down vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune is determined to avoid that outcome, sticking to the schedule and pressing ahead with voting expected by the end of the week. “This is a good bill and it’s going to be great for our country,” Thune said Wednesday, championing its potential to unleash economic growth and put money in people’s pockets. The changes to the federal health care programs, particularly Medicaid, were always expected to become a centerpiece of the GOP package, a way to offset the costs of providing tax breaks for millions of Americans. Without action from Congress, taxes would go up next year when current tax law expires. The House-passed bill achieved some $1.5 trillion in savings overall, a large part of it coming from changes to health care. The Medicaid program has dramatically expanded in the 15 years since Obamacare became law and now serves some 80 million Americans. Republicans say that’s far too high, and they want to shrink the program back to a smaller size covering mainly poorer women and children. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans are “trying to take away healthcare from tens of millions of Americans.” Democrats are uniformly opposed to what they call the “big, ugly bill.” Much of the health care cost savings would come from new 80-hour-a-month work requirements on those who receive Medicaid benefits, even as most recipients already work. But another provision, the so-called provider tax that almost all the states impose to some degree on hospitals and others that serve Medicaid patients, is drawing particular concern for potential cuts to rural hospitals. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said several senators spoke up Wednesday during a private meeting indicating they were not yet ready to start voting. “That’ll depend if we land the plane on rural hospitals,” he said. States impose the taxes as a way to help fund Medicaid, largely by boosting the reimbursements they receive from the federal government. Critics decry the system as a type of “laundering” […]