Before you brew your first cup of coffee and leave work early because you think it's Friday, but it's really Thursday, here are 10 things to keep you in the know to make you more informed than all your friends.
1. U.S.-Iran Trade Strikes
The United States military eliminated four Iranian drones that were threatening troops and shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. These renewed strikes are being called "self-defense" as Iran had targeted a US airbase in an undisclosed location, however reports indicate the attacks were around Kuwait. Despite related strikes from both countries, the ceasefire remains intact for now.
2. FBI Finds $40M of Gold Bars in Ex-CIA Official's Home
The FBI carried out a raid at the home of David Rush, a former high-ranking CIA official, where agents found $40 million worth of gold bars. Rush was later arrested for lying about his credentials to receive his massive fortune. Along with the 303 gold bars, $2 million in cash and three dozen luxury watches were also found in the raid, all of which are claimed to be "work-related expenses."
3. Jill Biden Expresses Concern Over Husband's 2024 Debate
Former First Lady Jill Biden said in a new interview that she believed her husband and former President Joe Biden was "having a stroke" during the debacle debate with Donald Trump in 2024. "It scared me to death," she explained during a sit-down with CBS News, when the then-President repeatedly froze on camera and stuttered through the debate.
4. DOJ Investigating E. Jean Carroll Over Possible Perjury
The Justice Department has begun a criminal investigation into author E. Jean Carroll and if she committed perjury in the lawsuits against President Donald Trump. The investigation is based on a theory that Carroll lied that $40 she received no outside funding for her two lawsuits against President Trump, accusing him of sexual assault and defamation.
5. 2 Dead, 9 Others "Unrecovered" in Washington Chemical Tank Implosion
Two people are dead and another nine people are "unrecovered" after an implosion of a chemical tank at a Washington paper mill, several others are injured as well. Officials treated the effort as a recovery operation when nine people were reported missing with the conditions remaining "extremely hazardous."
6. Pam Bondi Takes Treatment for Cancer
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi is taking treatment for a recent thyroid cancer diagnosis, shortly after she left the Justice Department in April. She underwent surgery just a few weeks after her termination as she's scheduled to testify at the House Oversight Committee tomorrow in the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
7. Trans High School Athlete Center of Supreme Court Ruling
A transgender high schooler won the state championship for girls' track as the Supreme Court ruling on state law over biological boys in girls sports looms. The 15-year-old is the only openly transgender athlete in West Virginia, when she won the girls' Class AAA State title for shot put.
8. Dems Separate Themselves from Maine's Graham Platner
Reports claim that top Democratic officials have broken their connection with Democratic Maine Senate candidate and oyster farmer Graham Platner after a series of scandals coming to light. After weeks of discovering hidden truths about Platner, from his alleged Nazi tattoo on his chest or his inflammatory comments after military veterans. Platner and his rise of popularity highlights a dramatic shift within the Democratic Party and a division within party lines.
9. Gavin Newsom Announces 100% Tax on Trump's "Slush Fund"
After President Trump announced a $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund for those politically targeted by the DOJ, California Governor Gavin Newsom relisted with a maximum tax on anyone in the state who will receive such funds. "Anyone from California that receives any of those funds, we want to tax 100% of those proceeds," Newsom exclaimed in a new conference.
10. Google Employee Accused of $1.2M Insider Trade Bet on Polymarket
Michele Spagnuolo, a software engineer at Google, is facing charges of allegedly betting on confidential company information on Polymarket, with winnings estimated at $1.2 million in profits. He allegedly places bets on whether celebrities would or would not place on the most searched people on Google in 2025.
