The House adopted a Republican-only $95 billion budget proposal Wednesday, a long-shot effort to fund the Iran war and other White House priorities over objections from Democrats and a few GOP holdouts in a final push before the midterm elections. House Republicans were divided over the plan, with conservatives wary because there are no offsetting budget cuts. But Speaker Mike Johnson viewed it as the best chance to usher President Donald Trump’s priorities through a split Congress despite skepticism in the Senate.
Trump paid respects to four U.S. service members who were killed in the Middle East and returned to their families at an Air Force base in Delaware. It was the third dignified transfer that Trump has attended since he launched the war in Iran in February.
Earlier in the day, Trump warned Iran that the U.S. will destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The warning came after the U.S. carried out another wave of strikes on Iran, where air defenses opened fire over the capital, Tehran.
Here’s the latest:
US-Canada bridge has been years in the making. But tension between countries is sapping the joy
The strained relationship between the North American neighbors is spoiling the celebration of an extraordinary project: a new six-lane bridge named for a famous Canadian who played hockey for the Detroit Red Wings.
After years of planning and billions of dollars in construction, the Gordie Howe International Bridge is ready for business, rising high over the Detroit River between Michigan and Ontario.
But a ceremony planned for Friday, with dignitaries from both countries meeting in the middle, has been scratched after Trump announced 50% tariffs this week on most Canadian goods.
A spokesperson for the Canadian minister of infrastructure said joint festivities now would be “inappropriate,” though a separate event in Windsor, Ontario, is scheduled. The bridge still is expected to open to car and truck traffic on Monday, followed by pedestrian and bike crossings starting Aug. 5.
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Democrats press ICE on oversight, say 1 officer referred for discipline over use of force
One Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer has been referred for discipline over a use of force incident since the beginning of the Trump administration, Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee said after a briefing with ICE officials about body cameras, vehicle stops and training.
The briefing came in the wake of two recent fatal shootings of immigrants by ICE officers, raising concerns over agency tactics at a time when it is ratcheting up arrests.
The shootings have led to fierce criticism that there is not enough oversight of the agency, which is key to Trump’s mass deportation agenda. At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration agents during the crackdown.
ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment. Officials have promised to hold responsible officers who violate policy. But they have also defended officers as operating in a dangerous environment.
UK withdraws embassy staff from Iran
Diplomatic staff at the British Embassy in Tehran have been temporarily withdrawn amid growing escalations between the U.S. and Iran, including recent strikes in the Iranian capital. The United Kingdom said it was due to “the security situation.”
The country made a similar move in the days leading up to the beginning of U.S. and Israeli combat operations in late February. Other Western embassies have continued to operate in Tehran.
Questions about what prompted the decision were not immediately answered by U.K. officials.
Judge questions difference between Hegseth’s testosterone policy and transgender care for troops
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s new initiative to test and treat troops for low testosterone has prompted a federal judge to question the differences between that kind of testosterone replacement therapy and hormone treatment for transgender men in the military.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington raised the question Wednesday in an ongoing lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender troops. Reyes noted that the ban says “the Armed Forces must adhere to high mental and physical health standards … without the benefit of routine medical treatment or special provisions.”
Reyes ordered both parties in the lawsuit to address “the similarities and differences in administering TRT, both medically and logistically, for trans men compared to other service members, including cis individuals.”
She also requested information on the Pentagon’s “basis for treating trans men and other service members differently between this new policy and the Military Ban.”
Judge weighs tribe’s request to block construction of a border wall across its reservation
