The Senate has passed a $70 billion Homeland Security funding bill extending through 2028, with Republicans securing increased ICE funding while blocking proposed restrictions on DOJ operations [UPI]. The win marks another legislative victory for the Trump administration on immigration enforcement priorities.

Overseas, concerns are escalating on multiple fronts. North Korea is quietly ramping up its nuclear program, intelligence shows [DW English], while the US is tightening pressure on Cuba with new sanctions targeting President Diaz-Canel [Al Jazeera]. Russia's Putin meantime slammed Western sanctions as economically damaging [PBS].

On the home front, a House committee voted to codify renaming the Department of Defense to the "Department of War" [UPI], signaling shifts in how the administration frames military priorities.

In public health, South Africa is rolling out a game-changing HIV shot despite funding shortfalls [NPR], while an Ebola outbreak continues to pose challenges in containing spread [BBC Africa].

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence safety is back in focus: Anthropic is urging a global pause on AI development, citing growth risks [CBS News].

Financially, markets are volatile—stocks are surging overall [CBS News], but cryptocurrency has cratered with $2 trillion wiped from the market [Newsweek]. Hawaii's loss of Medicaid fraud funding is raising red flags for other states like New York [Newsweek].

On voting rights, the Supreme Court's latest rulings have left limited legal alternatives for protecting minority voting access [NPR], a significant setback for civil rights advocates.