
Israel has given no assurances it won’t target Iran’s nuclear facilities, top State Department official tells CNN
CNN
Israel has not given assurances to the Biden administration that targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities is off the table in retaliation for the Iranian ballistic missile strikes earlier this week, a top US State Department official told CNN on Friday.
Israel has not given assurances to the Biden administration that targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities is off the table in retaliation for the Iranian ballistic missile strikes earlier this week, a top US State Department official told CNN on Friday. The official added that it is “really hard to tell” if Israel will use the anniversary of Hamas’ October 7 attacks to retaliate. “We hope and expect to see some wisdom as well as strength, but as you guys know, no guarantees,” the official said when asked by CNN if Israel has assured the US that Iran’s nuclear sites are off the table. US officials have voiced support for Israel responding to Iran’s missile attack earlier this week, with multiple officials publicly saying there must be consequences. At the same time, officials have also voiced concerns about a regional conflagration as they grapple with an increasingly volatile Middle East. President Joe Biden said earlier this week the US would not support Israel targeting Iran’s nuclear program. “If I were in their shoes, I’d be thinking about other alternatives than striking oil fields,” Biden said at a press briefing Friday.

Dismantling of Education Department puts future of trillions of dollars in student loans in question
As President Donald Trump prepares to order the dismantling of the Department of Education, the financial arm of the agency – which makes loans directly to borrowers and manages trillions of dollars in student debt – faces an uncertain future, with steep staff cuts and lack of communication exacerbating the uncertainty, according to interviews with more than a dozen current and former department employees.

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday suspending the security clearances of employees at Perkins Coie, citing the law firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion practices.

Special counsel Hampton Dellinger says he is dropping his lawsuit to try to keep his job after President Donald Trump fired him. His decision comes a day after the federal appeals court in Washington temporarily removed him from the position, and ends what was poised to be a major test of Trump’s power to fire officials with some independence in the federal government.