Friday morning news: June 13, 2025

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Israel strikes Iran » Explosions rang out in Iran last night as Israeli Defense Forces launched air strikes aimed at crippling Iran’s nuclear program.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that the IDF was carrying out what he called “Operation Rising Lion.”

NETANYAHU:  We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program.

The prime minister said the operation will continue “for as many days as it takes” to eliminate the threat of Iran becoming a nuclear power.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon:

DANON: We saw a few months ago, they sent hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel. So we cannot wait for them to have nuclear capability.

The United States says Israel acted unilaterally and the U.S. military was not involved in the operation.

President Trump had previously asked Netanyahu not to strike Iran during US nuclear negotiations with Tehran. But with progress in those talks reportedly stalled, it’s unclear if the president withdrew his objection.

Trump had been warning for days that an airstrike could come soon if Tehran did become more cooperative. He told reporters just yesterday:

TRUMP:  I don't wanna say eminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen. Look, it's very simple, not complicated. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

The airstrikes came just hours after Iran defiantly announced that it has built and will activate a third nuclear enrichment facility after a rare censure from the UN’s nuclear watchdog agency for a lack of cooperation.

India plane crash » Families are morning in India and beyond after a commercial jetliner crashed Thursday killing more than 240 people.

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson:

WILSON:  I would like to express our deep sorrow about this event. This is a difficult day for all of us at Air India, and our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of our passengers, crew members, their families, and loved ones.

The Air India flight had just taken off from Ahmedabad en route to London when the Boeing 787 Dreamliner began losing altitude and slammed into a residential building.

Authorities say at least 5 people were killed on the ground, with dozens more injured.

At least one person aboard the plane miraculously survived. Police say he managed to escape by jumping out of an emergency exit.

Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash.

Aviation consultant John M. Cox with Safety Operating Systems reacted to video footage of the crash.

COX: The image shows the airplane with the nose rising and it continuing to sink. That says that the airplane is not making enough lift. And the slats and flaps are positioned so that the wing makes more lift at lower speeds.

The pilots sent out a mayday call shortly before impact.

This is the first fatal crash involving a Boeing Dreamliner jet.

Trump on California electric vehicle mandate » President Trump held a signing ceremony at the White House Thursday, where he signed a resolution blocking California’s first-in-the-nation rule, banning the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.

TRUMP:   I wanna thank everybody for being here. We officially rescue the US auto industry from destruction by terminating California electric vehicle mandate once and for all.

Trump called the regulations “crazy.”

But the state quickly challenged the move in court.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta:

BONTA:  Were filing a lawsuit against the federal government for its unlawful use of the Congressional Review Act or CRA to attack California's clean vehicles program.

Congress approved the resolution last month. 

Trump also signed measures to overturn state policies curbing tailpipe emissions in certain vehicles and other environmental regulations on trucks.

Texas governor deploys guard ahead of protest » After nearly a week of violent protests in LA against Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the unrest has spread to major cities from coast to coast.

And ahead of an organized national protest tomorrow, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the deployment of 5,000 National Guard troops, along with 2,000 state police to back up local law enforcement.

ABBOTT:  It does not do any good to have the National Guard not deployed, uh, and have a city catch on fire, have crime and chaos break out and take a day or two to get them there.

The Republican Texas godvernor's move stands in sharp contrast to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat.

Newsom sued President Trump over the deployment of the National Guard to LA last week.

Senator forcibly removed from DHS press conference » Democrats are demanding a full investigation after U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed from a news conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Padilla said he was merely trying to ask a question:

PADILLA:  I was almost immediately forcibly removed from the room. I was forced to the ground and I was handcuffed.

But Secretary Noem says the Democratic senator’s remarks are misleading.

NOEM:  This man burst into the room, started lunging towards the podium, interrupting me and elevating his voice, and, uh, was stopped, did not identify himself, and was removed from the room.

In Washington, some Senate Democrats skipped their traditional Thursday flights home and stayed on the floor to speak out against the incident.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Culture Friday with John Stonestreet. Plus, the musical legacy of Brian Wilson.

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