Supreme Court cases; U.S. air strikes on Iran : NPR

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Today’s top stories

The Trump administration has revealed new details about the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program, including that the operation was years in the making. In a briefing yesterday, President Trump’s top military adviser said B-2 pilots put bombs on the targets and returned safely during the airstrikes this past weekend. A clear assessment of the damage inflicted is still not available. The evidence shows the Trump administration hit their targets at three separate nuclear sites. But Trump said the Iranian program was completely wiped out.

A satellite photo of Iran’s Fordo fuel enrichment facility taken on 24 June shows debris (grey) from a U.S. strike employing several bunker-busting weapons. The Israeli air force destroyed additional roads and surface facilities in a subsequent strike.

Maxar Technologies

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Maxar Technologies

• 🎧 The big question that remains is the whereabouts of 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium, NPR’s Greg Myre tells Up First. International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Grossi said Iranian officials have told the agency they took protective measures for the enriched uranium, which could mean they hid it somewhere before the U.S. attacks. To prepare for the strike, the U.S. worked for years on developing a weapon that could reach its target deep inside a mountain. This led to the development of the 30,000-pound bunker-busting bomb.
• ➡️ The U.S. and Iran have had a tense relationship for decades. Listen to this Throughline episode to see where it all began. For deep dives into the origins of conflict in the Middle East, click here.

Today marks the final day of the Supreme Court’s term. Opinions are anticipated for the last six cases. Among these are some of the most significant cases argued this term, including a pivotal question concerning birthright citizenship. This case revolves around the constitutional phrase stating that “all persons born in the U.S. and subject to the jurisdiction thereof are citizens of the U.S.”

• 🎧 Trump issued an executive order saying that only some children in the U.S. can be citizens, and every judge who has ruled on it has said he’s wrong. The Justice Department, likely knowing it was going to lose this case, didn’t ask the court to reverse those decisions, NPR’s Nina Totenberg says. The Justice Department is instead arguing that the judges exceeded their authority when they made their rulings apply nationwide. With this argument, they aim to bar these kinds of nationwide injunctions. That would make litigating against the Trump administration policies extremely difficult.

The Trump administration says it’s allocating $30 million for a food program in Gaza that the United Nations has described as a death trap. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a group using American contractors, distributed boxes of food in four sites in Gaza a month ago as part of a plan Israel devised. The sites draw in thousands of hungry people every day. Gaza’s Health Ministry says hundreds of them have been killed and thousands wounded trying to reach the sites since the operations began.

• 🎧 This week, a dozen human rights and legal groups said that any country backing GHF could potentially be liable for complicity in war crimes. NPR’s Aya Batrawy says part of the reason it is so deadly to get food is that the GHF sites are in military zones where Israeli troops are positioned. Israel’s military says it has fired warning shots at crowds approaching troops, and it is working on reviewing its processes.

Life advice

Whether you saw it coming or were completely blindsided, getting laid off is one of the most stressful experiences in life. Career coach Octavia Goredema offers concrete advice on both logistical and emotional next steps.

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Westend61/Getty Images

Getting laid off can be a devastating experience, and it can make planning for the future difficult. Career coach Octavia Goredema offers a practical checklist of next steps to help you focus on your future rather than get bogged down by logistics.

• 💼 Be sure to thoroughly review your exit paperwork. If you need more time during the process, don’t hesitate to ask for it. Negotiate your terms; you might be able to secure a longer timeframe for receiving certain benefits.
• 💼 Apply for unemployment insurance. The state-run benefit will pay you a weekly amount based on how much you earned before filing for unemployment.
• 💼 Take time to reflect on what you want to do next. It can help to think about what you liked and disliked about your last job. This can help you focus your search.
• 💼 Create a monthly budget based on a realistic timeline for securing a new job. For instance, if you anticipate that finding your next job will take six months, divide your savings to cover expenses over a six-month timeframe.

For more guidance on how to get back on your feet after a layoff, listen to this episode of NPR’s Life Kit. Subscribe to the Life Kit newsletter for expert advice on love, money, relationships and more.

Weekend picks

Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in F1 The Movie.

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Warner Bros. Pictures

Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in F1 The Movie.

Warner Bros. Pictures

Check out what NPR is watching, reading and listening to this weekend:

🍿 Movies: Brad Pitt is in the driver’s seat, and, with fresh camera tricks, you can feel like you are in the car with him in F1. Plus, two other films hitting theaters this weekend.

📺 TV: Marvel’s fun new series, Ironheart, follows Riri Williams as she tries to fund her inventions, including a suit a lot like what Iron Man used to wear. She falls in with a gang of criminals who rob from the rich.

📚 Books: We are around halfway through the year, which makes it the perfect time for NPR staffers, including me, to tell you all about their favorite 2025 reads so far. This summer edition of Books We Love includes fiction and nonfiction picks.

🎵 Music: Lorde’s fourth album, Virgin, confronts her discomforts and insecurities in a humanizing album made by an artist who knows she doesn’t have it all figured out, NPR Music editor Hazel Cills says. Plus, more great music that was released at midnight.

🎭 Theater: At London’s Palladium theater, the latest production, Evita, is playing through early September. The musical about Argentina’s first lady in the 1940s and early 1950s is sparking buzz because the star sings the song “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina” offstage on a balcony over the street.

❓ Quiz: Welp, let’s just say it wasn’t my week. But, I bet it will be yours. Give it your best try.

3 things to know before you go

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon reacts at the end of her race after taking part in the “Breaking4” event, in an attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, at Stade Charlety on June 26, 2025 in Paris.

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Emma Da Silva/AFP via Getty Images

1. Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon attempted to become the first woman to run a mile in under 4 minutes yesterday, but her personal best came up short.
2. Anna Wintour announced yesterday that she would be stepping down as head of editorial content at American Vogue after nearly 40 years in the role.
3. Dune director Denis Villeneuve has signed on to lead the next installment of the James Bond franchise.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.