WASHINGTON – The U.S. military says the Asia-based USS George Washington aircraft carrier is now operating in the Middle East. The ship is relieving the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln following reports of mental health challenges and supply shortages aboard while it was supporting the Iran war. The Lincoln’s deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 250 days. It’s not clear when the USS Abraham Lincoln will return to the U.S., but it takes just over a month to get back. Several Democratic lawmakers are pressing for accountability over the conditions aboard, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said were misrepresented.
The United States’ debt has surpassed a record $40 trillion, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs and interest on the burgeoning deficit make up an enormous share of federal spending. Wednesday’s figure was recorded just five months after the U.S. hit a record $39 trillion debt in March. It reached $38 trillion five months before that, in October. The unprecedented $40 trillion figure highlights competing administration priorities, from boosting defense spending that the U.S. relies on to carry out President Donald Trump’s almost 6-month-old war in Iran to lowering the cost of gas and groceries.
LOS ANGELES – Emails reveal that Iranian officials had significant influence over which Iranian immigrants in the U.S. were sent back to their home country in 2025, despite tensions between the countries. The National Iranian American Council released hundreds of emails on Tuesday showing U.S. immigration officials working with Iran to deport over 100 Iranians on three flights. This cooperation marks a shift from the U.S.’s long-standing practice of welcoming Iranian dissidents. Human rights activists criticize the deportations to a country known for persecuting political opponents. The emails also suggest pressure from the Trump administration to prioritize these deportations, even during a brief war with Iran.
HONG KONG – A Chinese court has sentenced Hui Ka Yan, founder of property developer Evergrande, to life in prison. The court in the southern city of Shenzhen also fined Evergrande Group and Evergrande Real Estate group a total of $2.35 billion. Evergrande collapsed with more than $300 billion in liabilities after Chinese authorities cracked down on excessive borrowing in 2020. That triggered a property market downturn that has weighed on the economy ever since. The court accused Hui and Evergrande of inflating the group’s assets and concealing its liabilities. The official Xinhua News Agency said Hui’s sons were among more than 50 Evergrande executives and others who got prison terms of between 22 months and 18 years.
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip – Deadly airstrikes in Gaza on Wednesday have raised doubts about new U.S. efforts to advance a ceasefire there. Local hospitals and the Palestinian Red Crescent say at least 10 people were killed in two strikes, days after a U.S. envoy met with Israel’s prime minister. Witnesses said Israeli troops also crossed the ceasefire line and detained a Hamas police colonel. Israel’s military said the strikes targeted Hamas commanders involved in previous attacks. The Palestinian Red Crescent said a strike on a police station killed at least nine people. On the diplomatic front, ceasefire negotiations appear stalled, with disagreements over Hamas’ disarmament and Israel’s withdrawal.
– The Associated Press
