Israelis across political and religious lines are worried about the weakening connection with younger Jewish Americans. A recent AP poll showed American Jews under 45 tend to consider support for Israel less crucial to their Jewish identity than older adults. Government officials, faith leaders and those working on exchange programs between the two countries consider a close relationship with diaspora Jews a “strategic asset” for both Israel and Jews worldwide. They're particularly worried about diaspora Jews losing the sense that Israel can be a homeland for them amid rising antisemitism.

Rock legend Patti Smith has met with Pope Leo XIV. She was giddy and almost at a loss for words when she greeted her fellow Chicagoan. She managed a soft “Hi” as she sat down across from him at his desk in the Apostolic Palace. Smith has become an increasingly visible presence at the Vatican thanks to her friendship with the undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture ministry. She has said that while she is not Catholic, she was drawn in particular to Pope Francis and his “gentle, open, and steadfast sense of humanity.”

Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed says his Muslim faith shapes his progressive views. Speaking recently to faith leaders in Detroit, El-Sayed emphasized accountability and helping others. El-Sayed supports “Medicare for All” and highlights growing inequality and the responsibility of the wealthy. As progressive Democrats gain traction, some connect their economic policies with religious beliefs. Faith-driven economic initiatives extend beyond elections, with some organizations supporting workers' rights. These efforts are being seen across the country. Religious support for labor movements is not new, even if it has ebbed and flowed in the U.S. over the centuries.

The U.S. military says it has completed what it describes as “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran” conducted in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan. U.S. Central Command said in a social media post early Thursday that over the span of two hours they struck “dozens” of targets belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, including military command centers as well as missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defense sites. The latest barrage came after the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Iran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

The U.S. military says it successfully intercepted an Iranian missile barrage and worked with Saudi Arabia’s forces to strike sites in Iraq that Tehran-backed militias have used to launch attacks in recent days. U.S. Central Command in a statement Tuesday says further attacks on American troops or Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure risked additional action and that U.S. forces “remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.” The U.S. and Iran had experienced a brief period of calm, during which neither announced attacks for days following weeks of escalation over the Strait of Hormuz. There was no immediate comment from Tehran on the U.S. military statement or the strikes.

Mediators have made progress in efforts to bring the United States and Iran back to negotiations and prevent an all-out war in the Middle East. That's according to two regional officials who spoke to The Associated Press. But scattered attacks by armed groups across the region underscored the lingering tensions. Neither the U.S. nor Iran have claimed any strikes for three days. Mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan are working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran. The U.S. has paused attacks after targeting Iranian areas in response to Iran firing at ships in the Strait of Hormuz.