THE WAR ROOM: The US yesterday struck Iranian missile and drone storage locations as well as coastal radar sites in what Central Command called a “powerful response” to the Iranian attack on a container ship Thursday in the Strait of Hormuz.

  The extent of the damage to Iranian targets is unknown, but it’s interesting that there are targets to hit despite claims by President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iranian military capacity is wiped out.

  Iran said that they in turn had struck back at US military sites in the Persian Gulf region. 

  Vice President JD Vance, who’s been leading US negotiations,  said in a social media post that the United States has “honored” the cease-fire agreement and warned that the US would respond to Iranian aggression. “If they have disagreements about how the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) is being applied, they can pick up the phone,” he said, “But violence will be met with violence.”

  Vance last night told comedy host Bill Maher that “America wins” even if Iran does not come to an agreement. “If we don’t make the final deal, their nuclear program is still destroyed, they’re still much weaker as a country,” Vance said. “So my attitude is America wins either way.” 

GUILTY AS CHARGED: Former National Security Adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty yesterday to mishandling classified information while he served in President Trump’s first term while making notes for his 2020 memoir, “The Room Where It Happened.” 

  The 77-year-old Bolton said before a federal judge that he did it, and “I’m sorry for it.” He faces up to five years in prison and a two and a quarter million dollar fine.

  Bolton was accused of using unsecured email sending notes to two family members. Although Bolton initially claimed he was the target of political prosecution for becoming a critic of Trump, the investigation began during the first Trump administration and continued through the Biden years.

  Trump denounced Bolton on Social media yesterday calling him “very dumb, unbalanced, and unskilled.” Bolton served Trump for 17 months.

THE OTHER WAR: Ukraine’s drone force has taken the war to Russian territory, including Moscow and occupied Crimea, now sharing five years of suffering with the Russian population.

  A drone swarm into Crimea was one of the biggest of the war and authorities there have declared a state of emergency. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a 40-day intermediate- and long-range campaign. Ukraine hopes that taking the war to their opponent’s civilian population will bring Vladimir Putin to the peace table. 

  The Institute for the Study of War says Ukraine has been hitting Russian ships and electrical facilities, among other targets. The ISW says, “The Ukrainian strike campaigns are causing fuel shortages, water supply issues, and a widespread exodus from the occupied peninsula.” 

CLIENT STATE: The massive earthquakes in Venezuela are a test for its country’s new government and for its parent state, the US, following President Trump’s removal of dictator Nicolas Maduro.

  Venezuela’s oil industry and public services were only in the stages of possible recovery … basically thinking about how to fix it all … when the quakes hit killing so far close to 1,000 people.

  If losses reach a bill of $100 billion, for instance, that’s the amount of money that’s been discussed to repair the country’s lucrative oil industry.

 INFINITE SCROLL: 

— The Trump administration’s Religious Liberty Commission issued a 224-page report saying the concept of  separation of church and state is a legal error and misunderstanding of the Constitution. It says that Americans should view religion as an “essential support” and always remember “the Creator who made us and bestows our rights,” a reference to the Declaration of Independence.

  The commission is composed of all conservative Christians and one Orthodox Jew.

  The report says faith-based groups working with the government shouldn’t have to accommodate civil rights laws or anything that conflicts with their religious beliefs; public schools should allow religious displays (it mentioned only the Ten Commandments); and soldiers punished for refusing to be vaccinated should have their positions restored and be financially compensated. 

  The report comes as some states are introducing Christian religion education and display of the 10 Commandments into public schools.

— President Trump revealed a special limited-edition passport for the country’s 250^th anniversary featuring a picture of himself scowling while leaning on the Resolute Desk. The Declaration of Independence is in the background and, of course, Trump’s giant signature is at the bottom.

— The NY Times reports that unsightly “nanobubbler” machines used to suppress algae in the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool were removed before President Trump’s birthday UFC cage fights at the White House. The next day the pool had turned green with algae.

THE SPIN RACK: A. single-engine aircraft crashed into Beijing’s tallest skyscraper yesterday and tumbled to the ground. Video captured the incident but police soon shooed away onlookers and reporters because bad news is not allowed in China. — The bodies of 117 dogs and 21 dog skulls were found in California’s northern Humboldt County at Miranda’s Rescue Animal Sanctuary, which advertised itself as a no-kill shelter. Other evidence of dogs being killed by gunshot was found in the barn. — Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that he and his husband had been separated from their 4-year-old twins after an anonymous “swatting” report that accused Buttigieg of being a threat to their children. The kids were returned and Buttigieg wrote on Substack that, “I’ve been through political attacks in office, death threats in public life, and rocket attacks in war, but this is the ugliest thing that has happened to me since my career in service began.”

BELOW THE FOLD: It’s only six days until Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get married.

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