00:00A ceasefire deal in Lebanon is on the table, but Israel is still striking, Hezbollah is
00:06still firing, and President Trump is reportedly clashing with Benjamin Netanyahu.
00:10Plus, the Justice Department backs away.
00:13After weeks of criticism, the Trump administration pulls the plug on his controversial anti-weaponization
00:19fund.
00:20And a closed-door meeting inside CBS turns heated as Scott Pelley confronts his new boss,
00:25and the recording quickly escapes the building.
00:30The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world.
00:36These are your Unbiased Updates from Straight Arrow.
00:42Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli.
00:44Are the U.S. and Iran still talking?
00:47That question is front and center this morning after Tehran said it was pausing talks over
00:52Israel's operations in Lebanon, even as President Trump insists negotiations are moving forward.
00:58Trump says negotiations with Iran are continuing at, quote, a rapid pace.
01:04At the same time, Iran's semi-official mayor news agency reports that officials are still
01:09reviewing a final draft proposal for extending the ceasefire, despite earlier signals that
01:15talks could be put on hold.
01:17The diplomatic confusion comes just as Israel and Hezbollah agree to halt attacks on each
01:22other.
01:22But behind the scenes, there are signs of new friction between Washington and Jerusalem.
01:28CNN reports a phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu grew
01:33heated Monday, with Trump using expletives to express his opposition to planned Israeli
01:39operations in Lebanon.
01:40Sources said the president warned that further escalation could jeopardize broader negotiations
01:46in the region.
01:47After the call, Trump posted on Truth Social that it was productive and predicted Israeli
01:52forces would not advance on Beirut.
01:55Netanyahu confirmed the conversation, but made clear Israel is not changing course, saying
02:01the military will continue operations in southern Lebanon and will strike targets in Beirut if
02:06Hezbollah resumes its attacks on Israel.
02:09A controversial $1.8 billion fund created as part of President Trump's IRS settlement may be
02:16dead before it ever gets off the ground.
02:18The Justice Department is now backing away from the so-called Anti-Weaponization Fund,
02:23just days after announcing it.
02:25The program grew out of President Trump's settlement with the IRS over the leak of his tax returns
02:31and would have created a $1.8 billion fund for people who claimed they were targeted by
02:36government abuse or political prosecutions during the Biden administration.
02:40But the idea quickly ran into trouble.
02:43Critics warned the fund could end up sending taxpayer money to people convicted in connection
02:48with the January 6th Capitol attack.
02:50Senate Republicans also started asking questions about who would qualify for payments and how
02:55the money would be distributed.
02:57Then a federal judge stepped in, temporarily blocking the program and halting any transfers,
03:02claim reviews, or payouts while the court considers a longer-term injunction.
03:07The Justice Department says it disagrees with the ruling but will comply with the court order.
03:13And according to multiple reports, the administration is now moving away from the fund altogether.
03:18Now to another war that is still ongoing.
03:21Rescue crews are digging through rubble across Ukraine this morning after Russia launched one
03:26of its largest air assaults of the war.
03:29Ukrainian officials say Russia fired more than 600 drones and dozens of missiles overnight,
03:34killing at least nine people and injuring more than 100 others.
03:38Air defenses shot down or disrupted most of the incoming weapons,
03:42but strikes still hit dozens of locations across the country,
03:45leaving apartment buildings, homes, and other structures damaged or destroyed.
03:50Russia's defense ministry called it a massive strike and said it targeted Ukrainian military,
03:55defense industry, fuel, and transport facilities.
03:58Moscow said the attack was retaliation for what it described as terrorist acts carried out by Kyiv.
04:05The barrage comes as Ukraine continues to press its allies for more air defense support.
04:11Last week, President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed directly to President Trump
04:15and members of Congress for additional Patriot missiles,
04:18warning that Russia's missile and drone attacks are growing both larger and more frequent.
04:23A federal appeals court has dealt a new blow to the Trump administration's transgender military policy,
04:30ruling that the ban is likely unconstitutional.
04:33In a two-to-one decision, a panel of judges on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals said the
04:39policy
04:39appears to target service members based on their gender identity
04:43and may violate constitutional equal protection guarantees.
04:47The case was brought by more than a dozen transgender service members and military applicants
04:52who challenged a policy put in place after President Trump returned to office.
04:57The court left in place protections for the active-duty plaintiffs who sued,
05:02meaning they cannot be removed from the military while the case continues.
05:06But the ruling does not open the door to new transgender recruits,
05:09and the broader policy remains in effect for now.
05:12Writing for the majority, Judge Robert Wilkins said,
05:15the government's explanation for the policy appeared to be a pretext
05:19and that the record showed evidence of animus toward transgender people.
05:23The Trump administration has argued the restrictions are necessary
05:27for military readiness and unit cohesion.
05:30Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaling the fight is far from over,
05:34posting just four words after the decision.
05:36See you at SCOTUS.
05:38He has repeatedly told military gatherings, quote,
05:40no dudes in dresses.
05:41The Supreme Court already allowed the military to enforce the policy
05:45while the legal challenges play out.
05:48Monday's decision sets up another likely showdown before the high court.
05:52CBS News is dealing with a new round of internal drama
05:56after a heated staff meeting inside 60 Minutes
06:00turned into a very public fight over the show's future.
06:04The confrontation happened Monday during a staff meeting
06:07called to introduce Nick Bilton, the tech journalist recently hired
06:11to run the long-running news magazine.
06:13The meeting came just days after CBS removed executive producer Tanya Simon,
06:18along with correspondents Sharon Alfonsi and Cecilia Vega,
06:21as part of a major shakeup inside the program.
06:24According to reports from the New York Times and CNN,
06:27veteran correspondent Scott Pelley challenged Bilton's qualifications
06:31and the direction of the network under CBS News chief Barry Weiss.
06:35At one point after Bilton said Weiss loved 60 Minutes,
06:39Pelley fired back that she was, quote,
06:41murdering 60 Minutes and had been brought in to kill it.
06:44New York Times first reported the exchange
06:46after obtaining a recording of the meeting.
06:49Bilton pushed back, telling staff he had no plans
06:52to turn the program into a social media product
06:55and promised that journalism would remain the priority.
06:58The dispute is the latest sign of a deep divide inside CBS News,
07:02as some staffers fear new leadership is changing the DNA
07:06of one of television's most successful news programs,
07:09while network executives argue the show must evolve
07:12to survive in a rapidly changing media environment.
07:16Finally this morning, what started as repairs to Notre Dame
07:20is turning into one of the biggest archaeological discoveries
07:24Paris has seen in years.
07:26Archaeologists are digging through the forecourt
07:28in front of Notre Dame Cathedral
07:31and keep finding new pieces of Paris history.
07:34Pretty fascinating, really.
07:35Beneath the surface, they've uncovered
07:36the foundations of medieval homes,
07:39a Roman-era street believed to be about 2,000 years old,
07:42and hundreds of artifacts.
07:44The excavation began after the devastating fire
07:47at Notre Dame in 2019.
07:49So far, researchers have recovered items
07:51including a 4th century coin bearing the image of Emperor Constantine,
07:56and pieces of pottery marked with symbols
07:58that experts are still trying to understand.
08:01It's a rare opportunity for us to work on something
08:05that's really tangibly going to make a difference
08:08on the history of Paris.
08:11Notre Dame reopened to the public in 2024,
08:13and officials eventually plan to add trees
08:16and shaded areas outside the cathedral.
08:19But before any of that happens,
08:21archaeologists want to make sure they know exactly
08:23what's been hiding under Paris for centuries.
08:26All right, before we head out,
08:27here's what we're tracking today.
08:29Voters head to the polls in six states,
08:31including New Jersey, California,
08:33Iowa, Montana, New Mexico, and South Dakota.
08:36At 10 Eastern, Secretary of State Marco Rubio
08:39testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
08:42and later the House Appropriations Panel.
08:44Later in Los Angeles, a judge will decide
08:47whether a woman accused of trying to kill singer Rihanna
08:49is competent to stand trial.
08:51At 1, Dr. Oz will hold a briefing
08:54in the White House Press Briefing Room.
08:56No noise, no sides.
08:58NewsGuard gives us a perfect score for reliability.
09:01All sides gives us a center rating
09:02with balance certification.
09:04We give you facts first.
09:05Have you signed up for our Unbiased Updates newsletter?
09:08It's a great way to start your day a bit smarter.
09:11Go to san.com slash newsletters.
09:13Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Tuesday.
09:16We'll see you back here tomorrow.
09:17For all of us here at Straight Arrow,
09:18I'm Craig DiGrelli.
09:19Have a great day.
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