Key Takeaways
- President Trump weighs military action against Iran despite regime change warnings.
- Amazon is now a major customer for a new U.S. copper mine, driven by AI data centers.
- Federal prosecutors revealed new details in a sprawling basketball betting scandal.
- White House released a "Great Healthcare Plan" to codify actions on healthcare costs.
- President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota.
Deep Dive
- U.S. and Middle Eastern officials advised the White House that a large-scale strike on Iran was unlikely to cause the regime's fall and could spark broader conflict.
- White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt stated military action against Iran was not off the table, citing "grave consequences" if the killing of protesters continued.
- The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier is expected to be sent to the Middle East.
- U.S. forces seized six oil tankers in a campaign against a dark fleet transporting sanctioned oil.
- President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota if local officials did not stop agitators attacking ICE.
- The Insurrection Act, a law from 1807, allows the president to use the military for domestic law enforcement.
- It has been rarely used in modern history, with the last instance in 1992 during Los Angeles civil unrest.
- Invoking the act could face legal challenges arguing abuse of power or bad faith suppression of dissent.
- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz appealed to Trump to de-escalate.
- An Arizona copper mine, the first new U.S. source in over a decade, secured Amazon as its first major customer for AI data centers.
- Demand for copper is high due to increased power grid needs, developing nations acquiring appliances, and the AI boom.
- An existing 50% import tax on copper products increases focus on U.S. production.
- The Arizona mine is trialing new techniques using bacteria and acid to extract pure copper from ores, potentially opening new sources.
- Federal prosecutors revealed new details in a basketball betting scandal, alleging a conspiracy to rig games across U.S. college basketball and China's top professional league.
- The investigation now implicates at least 39 players on 17 Division I teams for manipulating contests in 2024 and 2025.
- The probe previously led to indictments of an NBA coach and player.