The U.S. strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend followed a highly intricate plan that entailed more than 125 U.S. aircraft
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| “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.” |
— C.S. Lewis, "The Abolition of Man" |
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The U.S. strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend followed a highly intricate plan that entailed more than 125 U.S. aircraft and warships and layers of deception. Here is how it unfolded.
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Iran reserves “all options” to respond to U.S. military strikes on its nuclear facilities, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday morning.
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Three major U.S. cities indicated that they’re on heightened alert following U.S. military airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities on June 21.
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China is flooding Brazil with vehicle imports, drawing concerns from the domestic auto industry.
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🍵 Health: This 20-minute eye care routine can help protect against glaucoma and cataracts.
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| Ivan Pentchoukov National Editor |
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A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber performs a flyover of Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis on May 8, 2020. (Jeff Roberson/AP) |
The U.S. strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities overnight on June 21–22 followed a highly intricate plan that entailed more than 125 U.S. aircraft and warships and layers of deception, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Pentagon news briefing.
Hegseth said preparation for the mission—dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer—took place over the course of weeks and months, “so that we could be ready when the president of the United States called.” A week prior to the U.S. strikes, Israel launched a series of surprise airstrikes across Iran, aimed at degrading the country’s nuclear programs and military capabilities.
Joining the conflict that Israel initiated, U.S. military planners set Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment facility as their primary target. With the Fordow facility situated hundreds of feet underground in a mountainous region of Iran, U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers carrying 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs, called GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators, offered one of the best options to destroy the facility.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the operation was the longest B-2 bomber mission since 2001, the second longest B-2 mission ever flown, and the first operational use of the GBU-57 bombs. (More)
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The Department of Homeland Security is warning Americans of an enhanced threat environment for cyber attacks or violence within the United States as it monitors for any retaliation for the recent strikes on Iran authorized by President Donald Trump.
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law that would require all public school classrooms in his state to display the biblical Ten Commandments. The law, which goes into effect on Sept. 1, requires classrooms to display a poster or framed English translation of the commandments that is at least 16-by-20 inches and is able to be read from anywhere in the classroom.
Texas has more than 5.5 million students throughout its more than 9,000 public schools. Supporters of the legislation say the Ten Commandments are a key part of the foundation of the United States’ judicial and educational systems and should be displayed.
“The focus of this bill is to look at what is historically important to our nation educationally and judicially,” said Texas state Rep. Candy Noble, a Republican and co-sponsor of the bill, after it passed the House.
Opponents, including some Christian and other faith leaders, say the Ten Commandments and prayer measures infringe on others’ religious freedom. (More)
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Walmart has agreed to pay $10 million to settle charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission, which accused the corporation of turning a blind eye to scammers using its money transfer services to steal funds from customers, the agency said in a June 20 statement.
The lawsuit against Walmart was filed by the FTC in June 2022 at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. The Federal Trade Commissio alleged in the lawsuit that Walmart was “well aware” that fraudsters were inducing people to use the company’s money transfer services to “send money to domestic and international fraud rings.”
Despite this, Walmart “continued processing fraud-induced money transfers at its stores—funding telemarketing and other scams—without adopting policies and practices that effectively detect and prevent these transfers,” the complaint stated. “In some cases, Walmart’s practices have even made it easier for fraudsters to collect fraud-induced money transfers at a Walmart store.
“For years, it was Walmart’s policy or practice not to deny payouts to suspected fraudsters at its stores, but instead to have its employees complete those transactions. Even after it became illegal in June 2016 for cash-to-cash money transfers to be used to pay for telemarketing transactions, Walmart failed to take appropriate steps to prevent those types of transfers at its locations.” (More)
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As Brazil has become one of the most important target markets for China’s automakers seeking to manage their electric vehicle (EV) overcapacity, local auto industry and labor associations have expressed growing concerns over the impact of the flood of cheap Chinese cars.
China’s largest EV and plug-in hybrid car company, BYD, has shipped four batches of its products to Brazil so far this year, totaling about 22,000 vehicles.
The import of complete vehicles from China to Brazil will increase by nearly 40 percent to 200,000 vehicles in 2025, accounting for about 8 percent of the country’s light vehicle registrations, according to Brazil’s main auto association.
Brazil waived tariffs on BYD and other manufacturers in 2015 to promote EVs. In order to draw investment and develop Brazil’s domestic auto industry, in 2024 the Brazilian government restored the 10 percent tariff on foreign EVs and has planned to increase it every six months so it will reach 35 percent by 2026.
Brazil’s auto industry and labor groups are concerned that Chinese automakers are taking advantage of the window before the import tariffs are fully raised to dump vehicles in large quantities, rather than investing in building factories in Brazil and creating jobs for local communities.
BYD announced in 2023 that it had acquired Ford’s old plant in Bahia, Brazil. It was originally scheduled to be put into use in 2024, but because of an investigation into labor violations, the date for full production was postponed to the end of 2026.
A Brazilian labor prosecutor sued BYD in May over human trafficking, alleging that the Chinese workers in its factory in Brazil were like “slave labor.”
Another Chinese company, Great Wall Motor, has also delayed its plan to set up a factory in Brazil for more than a year and has not yet officially started production. (More)
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With the increasing use of electronic devices, many people are prone to experiencing prolonged eye strain and need effective eye care and protection. An effective, tailored set of eye exercises can be done at home to better support eye health. This routine may help improve a range of conditions, including glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, retinal detachment, and presbyopia.
Video demonstrations for each exercise are available in the article.
Massaging the Gallbladder 20 (GB20) Acupoint—Stimulating the Gallbladder 2 acupoint (Fengchi ) enhances blood flow through the vertebral arteries, improving blood circulation to the eyes. This technique can effectively reduce symptoms such as dry eyes, visual fatigue, and a sensation of pressure or discomfort in the eyes.
The Fengchi acupoints are located at the base of the skull, just below the occipital bone and within the hairline. To locate them, place your fingers at the back of your neck and slide them upward along either side of the spine.
Combing the Scalp With Fingers—This exercise activates key meridians (energy pathways) in the head and promotes the circulation of qi (vital energy) and blood to the scalp and facial area. Combing the scalp helps prepare the body for the eye care exercises that follow.
With regular practice, this exercise can also help clear the mind, boost alertness, and support smooth energy flow through the scalp’s meridian pathways.
Monocular Focus Training Using Small Text—This exercise primarily trains the ciliary muscles, which control the eye’s ability to focus. It can also help improve nearsightedness. (More) |
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Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day. |
—Ivan Pentchoukov, Madalina Hubert, and Kenzi Li. |
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