Middle East Crisis Deepens

Diplomacy is crumbling fast. After months of a fragile ceasefire, the U.S. and Iran exchanged some of the most intense attacks in months over the weekend—marking the third straight weekend of escalation [NBC News, NPR]. President Trump responded by reimposing a blockade on Iran and announcing tolls on ships, a dramatic hardening of U.S. posture that signals the risk of all-out war has returned [NPR].

Senate Succession Drama Unfolds

Trump's pick to fill Lindsey Graham's South Carolina Senate seat is raising eyebrows. The president wants Darline Graham Nordone—Senator Graham's sister—as interim replacement, a surprise move that's drawing criticism from Republicans [Fox News, Axios]. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) called Rep. Nancy Mace's interest in the seat "grotesque," signaling internal GOP friction over the succession [The Hill].

Meanwhile, Maine Democrats are scrambling to select a replacement for Senate candidate Graham Platner following his recent fall, as voters remain shaken by the incident [NPR Politics].

Global Crises Mount

Wildfires are ravaging Europe. A British couple has been confirmed killed in Spain's deadly blazes as authorities struggle to identify victims, with local officials describing conditions as "climate chaos" [Guardian]. France is deploying firefighting aircraft to battle a major wildfire south of Paris [UPI].

In Thailand, a deadly fire broke out at a Bangkok pub just after midnight, prompting a visit from the prime minister to survey the aftermath [BBC Asia].

Brussels Moves on Tech Regulation

The EU is considering restricting social media access for children under 13 and has sanctioned nine individuals and four entities over an alleged years-long Russian cyber-espionage campaign [UPI, Al Jazeera].