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President Trump declared the Iran ceasefire is on "life support" as he departed Beijing Friday following high-stakes talks with Xi Jinping. Trump told reporters that Xi offered to help broker an end to the conflict and push for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump admitted he implemented the ceasefire "as a favor to Pakistan" but personally wasn't in favor of it, and vowed "complete victory" against Iran.
The Trump administration is backing a suspension of the 18.4-cent federal gas tax as prices nationally average $4.55/gallon due to the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz disruptions. Senator Hawley's Gas Tax Suspension Act would pause federal fuel taxes for 90 days with an optional 90-day extension, but Republicans in Congress remain divided. Speaker Johnson called it "intriguing" but won't commit to a floor vote.
The South Carolina Supreme Court unanimously overturned Alex Murdaugh's double-murder conviction for killing his wife Maggie and son Paul, ordering a new trial. The court ruled that former Colleton County Clerk Becky Hill exercised "improper external influences" on the jury, denying Murdaugh his right to a fair trial. AG Alan Wilson says the state will "aggressively seek to retry" Murdaugh, who remains in prison for financial crimes.
Benjamin Ellisten, a senior White House budget analyst, was placed on administrative leave after an undercover James O'Keefe journalist caught him on tape calling Trump a "madman" who is "f---ing it up for everybody." The White House confirmed Ellisten has no direct access to the President or senior staff and said his views are "not reflective of patriots who admirably serve in the Administration."
A confirmed Ebola outbreak in the remote Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed 65 people with 246 suspected infections. Neighboring Uganda has confirmed at least one imported Ebola death from a Congolese man. Africa CDC is convening emergency meetings with the DRC, Uganda, South Sudan, and global partners to coordinate cross-border surveillance and response.
The IDF eliminated Hamas military chief Essam al-Da'alis — described as the most senior figure of authority in the Gaza Strip — as Israeli airstrikes resumed after Hamas refused repeated hostage deal offers. The ceasefire collapse followed months of failed negotiations, with Israel signaling it will continue targeting senior Hamas leadership until hostages are released.
China's foreign ministry released a statement Friday saying the Iran conflict has "inflicted severe losses" on the region and "put a heavy strain on global economic growth, supply chains, and the stability of global energy supply." The statement represents a significant diplomatic shift, with Beijing effectively aligning with Washington's push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — a move that reportedly has Tehran panicking.
NASA's Perseverance rover spotted a shiny metallic rock nicknamed "Phippsaksla" that scientists believe could be a meteorite from an ancient asteroid. Tests revealed high levels of iron and nickel — elements found together only in meteorites formed deep within asteroids, not in native Martian rocks. Its location atop impact-formed bedrock outside Jezero crater could offer clues about Mars' geological history.
Governor Greg Abbott directed Texas state health agencies and public university systems to remove Chinese-manufactured patient monitors after the FDA and CISA discovered hidden backdoors that transmit patient data to IP addresses in China. The Contec CMS8000 and Epsimed MN-120 monitors are among devices flagged for unauthorized remote access vulnerabilities. Texas has expanded its prohibited technology list as part of its broader Cyber Command initiative.
Residents of Atlanta's Buckhead neighborhood are under siege by empty driverless Waymo vehicles stuck in a routing loop, endlessly circling their cul-de-sacs. One resident counted 50 cars passing between 6 and 7 AM; another reported eight Waymos simultaneously stuck trying to figure out how to turn around. A neighbor who tried blocking the street only created a bigger backup. Waymo says it has "addressed this routing behavior."