The White House and other international leaders condemn Israel’s strike in Qatar. Trump’s tariffs showdown gets a date with the Supreme Court. Poland shoots down a "huge number" of Russian drones. And, giving the middle finger at a war memorial results in a tragic shooting death.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump issues rare rebuke against Israel after its strike on Qatar
Israel carried out a strike against Hamas' senior leadership yesterday in Doha, the capital of Qatar, the latest escalation in its multifront conflict in the region. The strike also fueled immediate political backlash, including rare public criticism of Israel's actions from the White House.
"I was very unhappy about it, very unhappy about every aspect, and we got to get the hostages back," President Donald Trump said. "But I was very unhappy about the way that went down."
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According to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter and a senior White House official, the Israeli government notified the U.S. that it was about to strike senior Hamas leadership. The officials said the U.S. had little notice and made it clear that America was not directly involved.
Hamas said in a statement Tuesday that its senior leadership had survived Israel’s attack in Doha.
In an interview with NBC News in Jerusalem on Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee declined to comment directly on the attack, deferring to the White House. But he said that "countries make decisions based on what they think their best interests are and that doesn’t mean everyone agrees."
A joint statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz described the attack as a retaliation for "murderous attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza." On Monday, two gunmen opened fire at a Jerusalem bus stop killing six people.
"Unilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a Sovereign Nation and close Ally of the United States, that is working very hard and bravely taking risks with us to broker Peace, does not advance Israel or America’s goals," Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the decision to carry out the attack.
The attack followed Trump’s warning to Hamas to agree to a proposed ceasefire deal that he said had been accepted by Israel. Suhail al-Hindi, a member of Hamas' political bureau, told Al Jazeera television that Hamas leadership were meeting to discuss Trump's proposal to end the war when they were struck.
Supreme Court agrees to expedite Trump tariffs decision
The Supreme Court agreed to swiftly make a decision on Trump’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs on imports from foreign nations, a signature policy of his second term.
The court will hear oral arguments in November on whether Trump has the power to unilaterally impose tariffs without congressional approval, under a law reserved for use in times of emergency. The tariffs, for now, remain in effect while the court decides the case.
The cases concern two sets of tariffs: the president’s “reciprocal” tariffs, which range from 34% for China to a 10% baseline for the rest of the world, and the 25% tariff imposed on some goods from Canada, China and Mexico for what the administration said was their failure to curb the flow of fentanyl.
Even if Trump loses at the Supreme Court, he has other avenues to impose additional tariffs.
More on the Supreme Court:
- The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to withhold $4 billion in spending on foreign aid that was appropriated by Congress.
- The court's latest ruling on immigration was the 18th time since Trump retook office that the court has sided with his administration in an emergency ruling.
Poland shoots down a 'huge number of Russian drones'
Poland said a number of Russian drones entered its airspace during an attack on Ukraine early Wednesday and were shot down with the help of NATO allies, a first since Moscow’s full -scale invasion of its neighbor.
Leaders across Europe condemned the incident as the latest sign of escalation from the Kremlin, which has rebuffed President Donald Trump’s bid to broker peace talks.
Russia labeled the accusations "groundless."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said his country was dealing with "a large-scale provocation," and that his military recorded 19 drone incursions overnight, four of which he said were shot down. "I have no reason to claim we’re on the brink of war, but a line has been crossed," he told the nation’s parliament. "This situation brings us the closest we have been to open conflict since World War Two."
Tusk said he had activated article four of NATO’s treaty, under which alliance members can demand consultations with their allies, and that he was in touch with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
NATO confirmed its assets were directly engaged with Russian targets, this for the first time since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
In politics news:
- The second installment of the "Make America Healthy Again" report — dubbed “Make Our Children Healthy Again” — calls for better nutrition, more exercise and a review of vaccines and drugs but many public health experts said the report’s ideas lack a clear strategy.
- A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order blocking Trump’s firing of Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook for now.
- House Democrats want a funding fight while averting a government shutdown. Their strategy to do that remains unclear.
- Trump declined to discuss the letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that House Democrats released, calling it a "dead issue."
- Democrat James Walkinshaw has won Virginia's deep-blue 11th Congressional District, NBC News projects, an expected win for his party that adds another Democrat to the narrowly divided House of Representatives.
- Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and challenger Josh Kraft will move on to November's mayoral election after securing the most votes in the preliminary top-two election.
Read All About It
- Protesters set fires as they blocked highways and gas stations across France as part of a new nationwide "Block Everything" movement. Authorities deployed 80,000 police, who made hundreds of arrests and fired tear gas to disperse crowds.
- The man accused of fatally stabbing a 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte Area Transit System train in North Carolina has been charged with a federal crime.
- Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli resigned after days of mass protests over a social media ban and official corruption in the Himalayan nation culminated in the torching of top leaders' homes, as well as the Parliament building.
- Police in Florida have charged a prominent Assemblies of God pastor with "knowingly and willfully" failing to report allegations of child sex abuse to authorities.
- A badly decomposed body was found at a Los Angeles impound lot in a Tesla belonging to the singer D4vd.
- Two former Meta employees alleged in sworn congressional testimony that the company’s virtual reality products have exposed children to adult content.
- Apple announced its newest generation of iPhones, which included a slimmer option called the iPhone Air at a live event yesterday.
- Cracker Barrel said it would not remodel its restaurants after conservative backlash to changes at the country-themed restaurant chain.
Staff Pick: The two sides of a war memorial shooting
A man in a small Tennessee town was known to residents for pacing around a war memorial and giving it the middle finger. Townspeople and his family said he kept to himself while on his tirades. But one day, his views on the military and government caught the attention of drivers passing by and led to a confrontation that left him with a fatal gunshot wound to the neck.
The tragic incident highlights the discourse about free speech and patriotism. In interviews with the shooter's wife, a resident of Crossville and video taken of the incident, reporter Melissa Chan was able to piece together what happened in the moments leading up to the chaotic scene. — Jessica Simeone, senior national editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Certain gel nail polishes were just banned in Europe. Find out more about the banned ingredient, plus what to use instead. Plus, a roundup of the best backpacks for college, including a wide range of designs and styles.
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