The president secured a deal to significantly increase defense spending commitments from allies.
|
|
|
| “Some laws are not written, but are more decisive than any written law.” |
| |
|
-
President Donald Trump wrapped up a visit to the Netherlands for the NATO summit, securing a deal to significantly increase defense spending commitments from allies. Here are five takeaways from the whirlwind trip.
-
The U.S. airstrikes on Iran have sent a message to China.
-
President Trump accused Spain of wanting a “free ride” after it refused to agree to the 5-percent-of-GDP defense spending target, and has threatened to punish Madrid through trade.
-
The Trump administration is suing all 15 federal judges from the District of Maryland, alleging that the district issued an illegal order automatically blocking deportations for individuals who file lawsuits before the court.
-
🍵 Health: A growing numbers of cancer sufferers are trying the Tippens Protocol—a remedy not approved by the FDA—with oncologists reporting good anecdotal success.
|
☀️ Good morning! It’s Thursday. Thank you for reading the Morning Brief, an exclusive newsletter for Epoch Times subscribers. 👋 New to Morning Brief? Subscribe.
🎧 Prefer to listen? Get the podcast. |
|
|
| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
|
|
Chinese Foreign Minister Wag Yi (C) sits at the head of a meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov (Top R) and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazeem Gharibabadi (Top L) in Beijing on March 14, 2025. (Stringer/Getty Images) |
The short-lived war between Israel and Iran has highlighted Iran’s partnerships with other U.S. adversaries, mainly Russia and communist China. Though no formal alliance exists between Iran, China, Russia, and other aligned states, their political and economic relationships are often seen as a de facto coalition opposed to the U.S.-led West. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) publicly condemned the Israeli and American attacks on Iran’s nuclear and military installations as a violation of Iranian sovereignty.
The CCP’s “long-term interests” were damaged by the conflict, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Stu Cvrk, wrote in an op-ed for The Epoch Times. He noted the Chinese regime’s extensive investments in Iran, including its early aid to Tehran’s nuclear program and its massive consumption of Iranian crude oil.
Cai Shenkun, an overseas Chinese independent commentator, told The Epoch Times that the decision by President Donald Trump to launch a surgical strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities was not just to set back its nuclear program, but also to send a message to other governments with anti-U.S. leanings.
In previous months, Trump had earned a reputation as a businessman unwilling to involve the United States in military conflict, Cai said. “But now it’s clear that these dictators can’t predict his moves, so they’re genuinely afraid of him,” he said. “Trump acts decisively—if he says he’ll strike, he won’t hesitate.” He added that Trump’s willingness to aid Israel raises the possibility that his administration might not stand idle if the Chinese regime attempts to take Taiwan by force.
If Beijing were to “start a war in the Taiwan Strait, the United States could provide Taiwan with decapitation-strike weapons,“ he said, noting that “CCP officials fear decapitation strikes the most.” (More) More World News |
- On the final day of the NATO summit, members endorsed a defense spending target of 5 percent of GDP by 2035.
-
The White House clarified President Donald Trump’s remark that China could continue to buy oil from Iran.
-
Iranian and U.S. representatives are set to hold talks next week, according to President Trump.
-
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said new intelligence has shown that U.S. strikes on Iran set back the country’s capacity to produce nuclear weapons, disputing a report that it would only give the regime a few months’ delay.
|
The Trump administration is suing all 15 federal judges from the District of Maryland, alleging that the district issued an illegal order automatically blocking deportations for individuals who file lawsuits before the court.
“Every unlawful order entered by the district courts robs the executive branch of its most scarce resource: time to put its policies into effect,” the June 24 complaint by the Justice Department states. “In the process, such orders diminish the votes of the citizens who elected the head of the executive branch.”
The District of Maryland has multiple locations with judges who have issued injunctions against the administration’s immigration enforcement. It was the venue, for example, for the high-profile lawsuit challenging Kilmar Abrego-Garcia’s deportation under the Alien Enemies Act.
“Because this court and its judges are named defendants in this case, each judge in the District of Maryland is required to recuse from the matter,” the Justice Department filing said. The lawsuit comes after months of clashes between the judicial and executive branches, particularly over the Alien Enemies Act and how far judges could go in blocking the president’s policies.
One of the judges named in the administration’s lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Deborah Boardman, issued a nationwide injunction on Trump’s attempt to limit birthright citizenship.
That case and two others reached the Supreme Court, which held oral argument last month on the issue and the scope of judges’ authority. (More) More Politics: |
- A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from eliminating collective bargaining for hundreds of thousands of federal workers at 21 agencies, finding that unions suing the administration over the move were likely to succeed in their lawsuit.
-
Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) has introduced new legislation that would mandate harsher prison terms for those responsible for carrying out espionage for America’s top adversaries, namely China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.
-
In a pair of posts on his Truth Social platform, President Trump reacted to the upset New York mayoral primary victory of Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist. “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line,” Trump wrote on June 25, calling Mamdani a “communist.”
-
Florida is building an illegal immigrant detention center dubbed as the “alligator Alcatraz.” Here’s what we know about the project.
-
The Federal Reserve has adopted a draft proposal to ease a key capital requirement for the nation’s largest banks, aiming to reduce regulatory pressure that discourages them from holding low-risk assets such as U.S. Treasurys and to make it easier for these institutions to act as intermediaries in the Treasury market during times of stress, when liquidity is most needed.
|
By the time many children turn 10, they may already be on a path that doubles—or even triples—their risk of suicide.
A new study published Wednesday found that young people who compulsively use phones, video games, or social media face significantly higher risks of suicidal ideation and emotional distress by early adolescence.
“The most important takeaway is that it’s not the amount of screen time that puts youth at risk—it’s how they use screens that matters most,” Yunyu Xiao, lead author and assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medical College, told The Epoch Times in an email.
Children who felt upset when separated from their phones, struggled to stop using apps, or turned to screens as a coping mechanism were most likely to use screens compulsively, which predicted later mental health challenges.
“This shifts the conversation away from concerns about screen exposure and toward a more precise focus on addictive use,” Xiao said. (More)
|
| Sponsored Message |
|
Make America Healthy Again starts with access
At All Family Pharmacy, we make it easy to stay prepared.
Stock your medicine cabinet with essentials like Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, antibiotics, daily meds, and more, all with the doctor’s prescription included.
Whether you're prepping for a future emergency or just want to feel safe and in control, we’ve got you covered. No insurance needed. Fast shipping. Over 200 medications available.
Be ready before you need it. Go to allfamilypharmacy.com/EPOCH and use code EPOCH20 to save 20% today.
Your health. Your choice. Your pharmacy.
|
|
📷 Photo of the Day: A Sofia Zoo employee sprays water on Chiko, a white rhino, to cool him off during a heatwave with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, in Sofia, Bulgaria, on June 25, 2025. (Nikolay Doychinov/AFP via Getty Images) |
📸 Day in Photos: Protests in Kenya, Astronauts Fly to ISS, and UK’s Largest Music Festival (Look)
✍️ Opinion: The Dire Shortage of Actual American Workers—by Jeffrey A. Tucker (Read)
🎵 Music: Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 6 (Listen)
💊 (Sponsored) Tired of being told NO? Get Ivermectin, Mebendazole, HCQ, Methylene Blue & more. Fast, reliable, and shipped to your door. Stay stocked and let's Make America Healthy Again. Go to allfamilypharmacy.com/epoch and save 20% with code EPOCH20.
… and don’t forget:
♥️ Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, or Truth Social
📫 Forward this email to a friend and tell them to subscribe. (Here)
☕ Love coffee, mugs, stickers, and clothes? Check out our shop.
💬 Feedback? Reply to this email or write to ivanmb@epochtimes.nyc |
U.S. Navy SEALs emphasize honor, courage, and commitment to the mission. (petesphotography/Getty Images) |
When Dan Cnossen opened his eyes, he saw the sterile walls and beeping medical devices of a hospital room. He also saw his mother’s face, just a few feet from him, looking into his own. How could she be here, in Afghanistan? But then Cnossen realized he wasn’t in Afghanistan anymore. He was back in the United States. Then the memories began to flood.
In 2009, during a nighttime operation in Afghanistan, Cnossen stepped on a pressure plate, igniting an IED that cost him both his legs. His comrades-in-arms transported him down the rocky face of a craggy hill, each step they took jarring his body, engulfing him in indescribable pain. The last thing he remembered before waking up in the hospital was being loaded onto a chopper.
Cnossen chose to tackle his recovery with the same determination and grit that had carried him through the notoriously grueling training to become a U.S. Navy SEAL and subsequent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Cnossen not only recovered from his wounds, but went on to become a Paralympic athlete of the highest order, winning multiple gold medals in skiing. All these experiences have honed Cnossen’s resilience to a diamond-hard edge. Drawing on his past, Cnossen shared five rules for resiliency.
Find Your Cohort—Surrounding yourself with likeminded individuals who share your goals is a key to getting through challenges. When Things Get Tough, Sharpen and Narrow Your Focus—Try to “think small.” What can I do right now? What’s the next step, the next thing to work on?
Shatter Negative Perspectives—To build mental toughness, we have to learn to break out of a single, narrow perspective of some difficult or tragic circumstance. (More)
|
|
|
Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day. |
—Ivan Pentchoukov, Madalina Hubert, and Kenzi Li. |
|
|
Copyright © 2025 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is: The Epoch Times. 229 W. 28 St. Fl. 7 New York, NY 10001 | Contact Us
Our Morning Brief newsletter is one of the best ways to receive the most up-to-date information. Manage your email preferences here or unsubscribe from Morning Brief here.
|
|
|
|
