00:00The ceasefire with Iran is over. President Trump says U.S. airstrikes are back on after
00:06commercial ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Plus, what's really going on with
00:12Mitch McConnell? Top Republicans say they've spoken with the hospitalized senator as they
00:16push back on growing online rumors. And Democrats are already looking past Graham Plattner,
00:22the latest big-name supporter, to tell him to quit and who's emerging as a possible replacement.
00:30The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world.
00:35These are your Unbiased Updates from Straight Arrow.
00:41Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. This morning, President Trump says the ceasefire between the
00:46United States and Iran is over after the two countries traded new strikes overnight. Iran's
00:52military says it targeted 85 U.S. military sites in Kuwait and Bahrain overnight, retaliating for a
00:59wave of American strikes. U.S. Central Command then confirmed American forces hit more than 80
01:05targets in what it called an immediate response to Iran's attacks on three commercial vessels in
01:11the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. also reimposed sanctions on Iranian oil, helping push global oil
01:17prices up nearly 6 percent. President Trump says he's still open to negotiations, but believes the
01:24ceasefire is finished. To me, I think it's over. I don't want to deal with them anymore. They're
01:30scum. You know what scum is? They're scum. They're sick people. They're led by sick people.
01:36And they're vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they'd use it. As far as I'm
01:42concerned, it's over. I'll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate. They're good people.
01:47Steve Whitcoff, Jared Kushner. But they have to come back to me. As far as I'm concerned, it's just
01:54a waste of time dealing with them. They're liars. Iran accused the United States of breaking the
01:59ceasefire first, while NATO Secretary General Mark Ruda backed the U.S. response, calling the strikes
02:05absolutely necessary. In a related story, as the NATO summit enters its final day in Turkey,
02:12President Trump says he's not happy with some of America's allies. Trump criticized NATO countries
02:18for what he called their lack of support during the Iran conflict, then renewed his call for the
02:23U.S. to take control of Greenland. The president also revived his threat to pull American troops out
02:29of Europe over the issue. Greenland doesn't help Denmark. Denmark doesn't spend money to really help
02:38Greenland, but it's an important part for the United States. And it's surrounded by China ships
02:44and Russian ships. And that's not going to happen. The ships is, it's not going to happen.
02:50It was Greenland that, and it continues to be, that should be controlled by the United States,
02:57not by Denmark. And when they wouldn't go along with it, and with all the money we spend to help
03:01them with Russia, and we don't have to spend any money, we could remove all of our soldiers out of
03:07Europe.
03:09Denmark's prime minister fired back saying Greenland is not for sale and calling on NATO allies to
03:15stand together in defense of the alliance. I think the U.S. position is unfortunately very clear on
03:23this topic. And our position is as clear as it has been all through. Greenland is, of course,
03:30not for sale. We are ready to defend every inch of NATO, including our own territory. But one of the
03:40reasons why we have built NATO many, many years ago is if anything happens to one of us, then everybody
03:47should stand up for each other. Trump also singled out Spain, calling it a terrible partner over its
03:54refusal to support U.S. actions against Iran and revived an earlier threat to cutoff trade. At the
04:00same time, he praised Turkey as a stronger ally than some European countries, announcing he will
04:05lift sanctions on Ankara and will consider allowing Turkey to buy F-35 fighter jets again, a move some
04:12NATO allies, including Greece, are urging him to reconsider. For weeks, there have been more
04:18questions than answers about Senator Mitch McConnell's health. Now Republican leaders are pushing back
04:24against the rumors, saying they've spoken to him directly. After days of online speculation about
04:30McConnell's condition, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Majority Whip John Barrasso, and longtime
04:36McConnell ally, CNN commentator Scott Jennings, all said they spoke with the Kentucky Republican this week
04:42while he continues recovering in the hospital. Thune's office said the two had a lengthy and
04:48substantive conversation about national security. Barrasso's office said McConnell was, quote,
04:53fully engaged and eager to return to the Senate. Jennings posted that he and McConnell talked for
04:59nearly 20 minutes about Iran, Ukraine, Maine, and Senate history. The new statements come after days
05:05of unverified claims online about McConnell's health, including posts from far-right activists and
05:11Trump ally Laura Loomer that weren't backed by evidence. The 84-year-old former Senate Majority
05:17Leader has been hospitalized since June 14th, when paramedics were called to his home in Washington.
05:23Dispatch audio revealed a person there was unconscious and in cardiac arrest. His office
05:28has said only that he continues to improve and is working with staff, but has not disclosed why he
05:34remains hospitalized. McConnell has not cast a Senate vote since June 11th, leaving Republican leaders to
05:40navigate a narrow majority, while one of the chamber's most influential voices remains out of public view.
05:47In Maine, the race to replace Graham Plattner is already underway, even though he has not officially
05:53left the race. Democrats are increasingly acting as though Plattner's exit is only a matter of time
05:59after another day of high-profile defections. The latest came from Senator Bernie Sanders,
06:05one of Plattner's earliest and most prominent supporters, who said Tuesday he told Plattner to
06:10step aside in light of the sexual assault allegation against him. Plattner has denied the rape
06:16allegation. With the July 13th deadline fast approaching, Democrats are now focusing on who could take his
06:22place in the race against Republican Susan Collins. Three names are getting the most attention. Former
06:28Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, former state health director Nirav Shah, and Secretary of State
06:33Chenna Bellows. Jackson has already filed paperwork to create a Senate Exploratory Committee, and supporters
06:40have launched a Draft Troy website urging him to enter the race. Meanwhile, Shaw on Tuesday called for an
06:46open selection process that would include a televised debate and town halls before Democrats pick a nominee.
06:53One name that does not appear to be gaining traction is Governor Janet Mills. Both the New York Times and
06:58the Washington Post report, there is little expectation she will re-enter the race after withdrawing earlier this
07:05year. Under Maine law, Plattner has until Sunday to drop out. If he does, Democrats would have two weeks to
07:12choose a new
07:12nominee. Maine could help decide which party controls the Senate after the midterms.
07:18The Justice Department is putting election officials across the country on notice, warning they could face criminal
07:25liability if they knowingly allow non-citizens to remain on voter rolls or help them receive
07:25criminal consequences over non-citizen voting. The letters signed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dillon
07:31went to elections officials in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The DOJ is giving states five days to
07:38explain how
07:39they will enforce federal voter eligibility laws and keep what it calls clean voter rolls. The Justice Department says
07:47elections officials could face criminal liability if they knowingly allow non-citizens to remain on voter rolls or help them
07:54receive or cast ballots. Voting by non-citizens in federal elections is already illegal. The dispute now
08:01centers on how much authority the federal government has to require states to share their voter data. The DOJ
08:08has sued 30 states and Washington, D.C. after they refused those requests. So far, federal courts have rejected
08:14several of the department's efforts. Finally this morning, if you're like me and still mail letters and cards,
08:21especially around Christmas, get ready to pay a little more for a first-class stamp, or as they're
08:27now known, a forever stamp. Starting this Sunday, the cost of a forever stamp will rise from $0.78 to
08:34$0.82.
08:34That means a book of 20 stamps will go from $15.60 to $16.40. The U.S. Postal Service
08:42has now raised stamp
08:43prices at least a half dozen times over the past five years as it tries to address ongoing financial
08:49losses. Last year, the USPS reported a $9 billion loss, citing declining mail volume along with higher
08:56health care costs for both current and retired employees. One bit of good news, if you've got a
09:02stash of forever stamps already, they're still good. You can keep using them after the new price takes effect
09:08this Sunday. I think I have like four left. I had to pay a bill last night, and I counted
09:13four. So,
09:14all right, I'll still use them. Good for me, I guess. All right, before we head out, here's what we're
09:18tracking today. At 11 Eastern, President Trump wraps up the NATO summit and heads back to Washington after
09:24high-stakes talks with allies. At 1130, we're watching the Emmy nominations to see which shows,
09:30stars, and streaming giants make the cut. And later today in Utah, the preliminary hearing continues
09:36for the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk, as prosecutors continue
09:41laying out their case. No noise, no sides. Unbiased Updates gives you the facts first.
09:47You can watch us anytime at SAN.com or on the app. And a special thanks to our listeners on
09:52Spotify,
09:52where more and more of you are choosing to start your mornings with us, so we certainly do. Thank you.
09:58Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Wednesday. We'll see you back here tomorrow. For all of us here at
10:02the Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DeGrowley. Have a great day.
Comments