The U.S. launched retaliatory airstrikes on Iran overnight after a foiled attack on bases in Jordan, escalating Middle East tensions. Dr. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment over 100 times during a Senate hearing on COVID origins. A new Trump rule lets asylum officers bypass interviews, sending cases directly to immigration court where approval rates hit 20-year lows. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia expanded strikes into Iraq, targeting Iran-backed militias, creating a widening conflict that complicates the Iraqi PM's pledge to Trump to control these groups.