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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.
A woman walks past an anti-U.S. and anti-Israel mural in Tehran on Tuesday. Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty ImagesNavy 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.
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.
A flag featuring Donald Trump waves amid a small group of his supporters near Mar-a-Lago in May 2024 in Palm Beach, Fla. Alon Skuy/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Alon Skuy/Getty ImagesThe 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.
Title: ICE Arrests at New York Court Credit: © Carol Guzy, ZUMA Press, iWitness, for Miami Herald Caption: Distraught girls cling to their father, Luis, as ICE detains him following an immigration hearing. Luis served as the sole breadwinner for his family. New York City, New York, United States, 26 August 2025. Story: In 2025, shifts in US immigration policy transformed courthouses into focal points for mass deportation efforts by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Masked ICE agents detained undocumented migrants immediately following their hearings, often leading to deeply traumatic family separations. These aggressive tactics, coupled with severely overcrowded and unsanitary conditions at the 10th-floor holding facility in the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York, prompted fierce public protests, class-action lawsuits, and the arrest of local elected officials demanding accountability. Carol Guzy/ZUMA Press, iWitness for Miami Herald hide caption
toggle caption Carol Guzy/ZUMA Press, iWitness for Miami HeraldAn 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.
Grey Henson stars in the musical Bigfoot! Marc J. Franklin hide caption
toggle caption Marc J. FranklinThis newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.