U.S. and world news for June 18

Trump considers U.S. strike against Iran

President Trump reportedly is warming to the idea of using U.S. military assets to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, two officials familiar with the ongoing discussions told CNN. Although intelligence assessments showed Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon — and was up to three years away from being able to produce and deliver one to a target — Trump met with his national security team on Tuesday and spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also took to his social media site to demand Iran’s “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” and called Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an “easy target.” Trump may have some difficulty selling a war with Iran to the American people, however. A poll conducted last year showed many more Americans felt China (64%) and Russia (59%) were major military threats than Iran (42%). And only 37% of Americans said limiting Iran’s power and influence should be a “top priority.” In the meantime, Israel and Iran continued to trade strikes for a sixth day.

Israel attacks people waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza

Dozens of people were killed and more than 200 others injured by Israeli fire on Tuesday as they waited for aid trucks to arrive in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported. The casualties were taken to nearby Nasser Medical Complex, where one doctor described the influx of dead and wounded as “catastrophic beyond imagination,” and said the hospital’s morgue was full. The Israel Defense Forces said it was “aware of reports regarding a number of injured individuals from IDF fire following the crowd’s approach,” that “details of the incident are under review,” and that it “regrets any harm to uninvolved individuals and operates to minimize harm as much as possible to them while maintaining the safety of our troops.”

Senate passes bill regulating cryptocurrency tied to Trump

After months of negotiations, the Senate passed the GENIUS Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation that aims to create a framework for regulating stablecoins, a specific type of cryptocurrency. Stablecoins are tied to the value of another asset, such as the U.S. dollar or gold, so one stablecoin would be worth $1. Despite the bill’s passage, some Democrats remain concerned that it does not place sufficient guardrails on stablecoins, particularly since World Liberty Financial, a company tied to the Trump family, has issued its own stablecoin. The bill will now move to the House for consideration.

Indonesia volcano erupts

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Tuesday, sending an enormous ash column into the sky over the tourist island of Flores in south-central Indonesia. The eruption, which could be seen more than 90 miles away, caused the delay or cancellation of dozens of flights to and from the island of Bali. The 5,197-foot twin volcano erupted again this morning, spewing a smaller ash cloud. With such activity, officials decided to evacuate residents in two nearby villages. Last November, the volcano erupted multiple times, killing nine people and injuring dozens more.

Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup

The Florida Panthers are back-to-back NHL champions! For the second year in a row, the Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup Final. It’s been 32 years since a hockey team from Canada has won the championship in its own national winter sport. The Montreal Canadiens were the last such franchise to hoist the trophy named after Lord Stanley of Preston.

Sen. Cruz vs. Tucker Carlson

Sen. Rafael Cruz, a Republican of Texas, was interviewed by Tucker Carlson on Carlson’s internet program and they argued back and forth about Iran, with Carlson alleging that Cruz did not know anything about Iran and Cruz saying the same about Carlson. Carlson had worked for Fox News until being let go as part of the Fox settlement of the Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit. Carlson accused Cruz of wanting to overthrow the government of Iran but being ignorant about the country. Carson released excerpts of the interview yesterday and was due to release the entire interview today.