ReadNOW

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Today’s top stories

Last night, President Trump announced on social media that a ceasefire has been established, ending the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran. The war began when Israel attacked Iran, damaging its nuclear facilities and killing several scientists and military officials. Over the weekend, the U.S. became involved by dropping bunker-buster bombs on important nuclear sites in Iran.

• 🎧 Despite the ceasefire agreement, Israel intensified its strikes on Iran just before the ceasefire was set to take effect, ReadNOW’s Tamara Keith tells Up First. As the ceasefire was supposed to be implemented, Israel reported that Iran launched a barrage of missiles towards Israel, a claim that Iranian state media denied. According to Keith, conflict is often dicey and uncertain at the start of any ceasefire. In regard to yesterday’s Iranian strike on a U.S. airbase in Qatar, Trump called it weak. But it could be symbolic, Keith says, since Iranians fired at an air base where the president delivered a speech to U.S. troops last month.
• ➡️ Lawmakers have been highly critical of Trump’s decision to launch airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities without first consulting Congress, saying the move bypasses their constitutional authority to declare war. Here’s what we know about who holds war powers.

Yesterday, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling blocked a lower court order that required 15 days’ notice to people the Trump administration is trying to deport to countries other than where they are from. A federal judge had put the practice on hold, stating that deportees were being denied due process. With the Supreme Court reversing that decision, those deportations have been enabled to continue.

• 🎧 Immigrant rights advocates have called the ruling disastrous, saying that thousands of migrants could be sent to countries where they might be at risk of torture or inhumane treatment, ReadNOW’s Tovia Smith says. The Department of Homeland Security called yesterday’s order from the Supreme Court a victory for public safety and national security. Smith says though the order comes from the Supreme Court, it isn’t the last word on the legal dispute. The underlying issue of what is adequate due process for deportees is pending in a federal appeals court.

New Yorkers are heading to the polls today to cast their ballots in the Democratic mayoral primary. The winner of today’s primary will go up against the one Republican candidate and current New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who is now running as an Independent. There are a total of 11 Democratic candidates, and the top candidates are current member of the New York State Assembly Zohran Mamdani and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

• 🎧 The big issues coming up in the campaign are housing and the cost of living in New York, as well as public safety and education, ReadNOW’s Sarah Ventre says. Cuomo is campaigning as a centrist, while Mamdani is more progressive. Ventre says New York City’s ranked-choice voting involves picking your top five candidates in order. The votes are counted and if one candidate has more than 50% of the vote, that person wins. If not, the candidate in last place is removed, and the votes are counted again.

Living better

Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.

There are early signs that tick bites could be bad this year. According to the CDC, last month, the rate of people seeking emergency care for tick bites was the highest it’s been since 2019. Not every tick bite yields disease; however, most reported cases of vector-borne disease come from ticks. Here are the facts to know about these critters and tips to help you stay safe:

• ➡️ If you are spending time outside, make sure to do frequent tick checks on yourself, family members and pets. If you find a tick on you, take it off as soon as possible.
• ➡️ If bitten, after removing the tick, try to identify key information about the critter to help determine your risks. This includes what kind of tick it is and how long it has been feeding on you. You can figure this out on the Tick Encounter website.
• ➡️ The risk of getting a tick-borne disease like Lyme varies by location, which the CDC divides into three regions: North, South and West. Tick bites are most common in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest, with much of the region considered high risk for Lyme disease.

Today’s listen

Recent Columbia University graduate student and pro-Palestinian protest leader Mahmoud Khalil has been released on bail after 104 days in a Louisiana immigration detention center. He is a legal permanent resident who is married to a U.S. citizen and became the face of the Trump administration’s crackdown on student protesters opposing Israel’s war in Gaza. Khalil was one of the first of several students across the country who were detained and threatened with deportation. Now, he has opened up about what happened to him with Morning Edition host Leila Fadel. From his arrest, which he says felt like a kidnapping, to his time in detention and why he believes the government targeted him, listen to him share his experience.

3 things to know before you go

1. Prediction market Kalshi hired advertising veteran P.J. Accetturo to make an unhinged NBA Finals commercial with the energy of Grand Theft Auto and internet memes. Accetturo says the ad might suggest weeks of work, but he used AI tools instead. He says he can see AI being a big part of the industry’s future.
2. The Fourth of July is quickly approaching and as many Americans plan to celebrate the holiday, ReadNOW wants to know: What does freedom mean to you? Share your response and you could be featured in this newsletter.
3. Last month was the slowest May for existing home sales in the U.S. since 2009, with a 0.7% decline compared to May of last year.

This newsletter was edited by Yvonne Dennis.