The U.S. military launched airstrikes and Iran retaliated following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that U.S. President Donald Trump blamed on the Islamic Republic. Iran launched attacks Wednesday morning in Bahrain and Kuwait, which both sounded alerts and fired air defenses in response. Iran also said it targeted an air base in Jordan hosting U.S. forces, which was not immediately acknowledged by American or Jordanian officials. The war that started Feb. 28 has shaken the global economy, and officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into a deal to permanently end the conflict.

A former Taliban commander has been sentenced in New York to 42 years in prison for crimes including the 2008 kidnapping of a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Haji Najibullah’s sentencing Tuesday capped a daylong proceeding in Manhattan federal court. The reporter, David Rohde, described how Najibullah took part in the abduction of him, another reporter and their driver. Rohde, who is MSNOW’s national security reporter and previously worked for The New York Times and other publications, told Judge Katherine Polk Failla that he was “surprised and disappointed” that Najibullah was trying to blame others and circumstances for his role in the crime. The three escaped from a Taliban-controlled compound in Pakistan's tribal areas after seven months in captivity.

The White House Correspondents Association dinner has been rescheduled for July 24. The event was initially disrupted in April by an assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, announced the new date and emphasized enhanced safety measures and new access procedures. Trump revealed on his Truth Social platform that the dinner would be held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. He said he has accepted an invitation to speak, and called the rescheduling a sign of strength. Jiang highlighted the dinner's purpose as a celebration of a free press and democracy, despite some critics questioning whether it should be held at all.

The Defense Department has declared its press office a classified space, barring journalists from entry. It was yet another move restricting journalists' access to Pentagon officials. Acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed the move on X, stating it was due to speechwriters handling classified material in the space. Valdez emphasized there was "nothing controversial" about the decision. This change comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. media and the second Trump administration. Last October, many reporters turned in access badges over new restrictions. The New York Times has sued the Defense Department twice, arguing these restrictions violate the First Amendment.

Attorneys say a woman fired by an Indiana university over her Facebook post criticizing Charlie Kirk will receive $225,000 in a legal settlement. The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana says Tuesday that Ball State University agreed to the payout to settle a First Amendment lawsuit by Suzanne Swierc. She was fired last September from her administrative job at Ball State. She was among many American public and private workers targeted by Kirk's supporters for making critical social media posts following Kirk's assassination last year. The president of Ball State defended the woman's firing in a statement, saying her post caused extraordinary damage to the school's reputation.

Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the Federal Communications Commission, is urging media companies to resist what she sees as the Trump administration's crackdown on free speech. Her focus is Disney, the parent company of ABC, which is under investigation by the FCC. Gomez sent a letter to Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro, accusing the FCC of censorship and intimidation. She criticized Disney's decision to settle a defamation case, arguing it set a bad precedent. Gomez's term ends June 30, but she may remain if not replaced.