News for July 13, 2026
Trump Ends Ceasefire with Iran, Calls Rogue Nation’s Leaders “Scum”
For more than four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been a festering wound in the Middle East. Since 1979 — when Americans watched in disbelief as our citizens were held hostage for 444 days — every president has grappled with the same maddening question: can this regime ever be reasoned with? Generation after generation, Tehran answers with terrorism, nuclear deception, and that tiresome chant that never changes: “Death to America.” You’d think we’d have learned by now.
And yet, because Americans are a fundamentally hopeful people who believe in the power of honest negotiation, we keep coming back to the table. We extend the hand. We make concessions. We draft agreements. We hope — genuinely hope — that maybe this time, reason will win out over fanaticism. But hope without discernment is just self-deception. And what unfolded this week should shatter whatever illusions remained about the nature of this regime.
The U.S.-brokered interim ceasefire with Iran is now over. President Donald Trump made the declaration Wednesday, telling reporters at the NATO defence summit in Ankara, Turkey: “These are evil, sick people,” before describing Tehran’s negotiators as scum and a cancer that needs to be excised.
A clearly angry Trump further added he didn’t “want to deal with them any more” after launching overnight strikes on the totalitarian Islamic republic after it attacked commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The ceasefire lasted only three weeks.
The deal signed on June 17 had broad American support — around 67 percent of the public backed it. People across the political spectrum wanted peace. President Trump wanted peace. His negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, worked to secure it. None of that mattered to Tehran.
Within days, Iran launched attacks on commercial shipping in one of the world’s most vital waterways, targeting vessels crewed by innocent civilians. Not military ships. Commercial ones. Carrying people just doing their jobs.
Then came the part that truly defies belief. Trump recounted it himself: “Everyone’s agreed, no nuclear weapon. We make a deal. They go outside, joke to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There’s something wrong with them, they’re cuckoo.”
Again…Iranian negotiators agreed to terms across the table, presumably with straight faces, and then walked outside and flatly denied the agreement existed. That isn’t a miscommunication. That’s institutional dishonesty baked into the DNA of a regime that treats deception as statecraft.
Then came the part that truly defies belief. Trump recounted it himself: “Everyone’s agreed, no nuclear weapon. We make a deal. They go outside, joke to the press, they say we never even talked about it. There’s something wrong with them, they’re cuckoo.”
Read that again. Iranian negotiators agreed to terms across the table, presumably with straight faces, and then walked outside and flatly denied the agreement existed. That isn’t a miscommunication. That’s institutional dishonesty baked into the DNA of a regime that treats deception as statecraft.
Gov. Greg Abbot investigates booming birth tourism business at Texas hospitals after billboards seen advertising low-cost US births to Mexican moms
Multiple instances of Texas hopsitals advertising birth tourism packages to Mexican mothers have been exposed, with former Rep. Mayra Flores releasing information showing that multiple facilities are offering steeply discounted childbirth packages to foreign nationals while American mothers face dramatically higher bills. President Trump has demanded a re-hearing on birthright citizenship in response to the evidence of extensive birth tourism operations.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered an investigation into Mission Regional Medical Center after Spanish-language billboards were seen in Mexico promoting fixed-price maternity packages for expectant mothers seeking to give birth in the United States, thereby ensuring that their children would be American citizens. Flores says the practice is not isolated in Texas to just Mission Regional Medical Center. “Let’s be clear: Mission Hospital isn’t the only one giving visa holders drastically cheaper birth-delivery prices,” Flores wrote on X. “Valley Baptist in Harlingen is quoting them around $6K while American mothers are hit with bills over $25K. This isn’t an isolated case — multiple hospitals are doing it, and everyone knows it.”
The Spanish-language billboards were seen in Reynosa, Mexico, advertising childbirth packages at Mission Regional Medical Center. The advertisements offered natural delivery for $3,950 and Cesarean section for $5,525.
The billboards directed prospective patients to a website called “Have My Baby in Texas,” which has since been taken offline following public backlash. Abbott has called birth tourism an “illegal practice” that exploits Texas and directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to investigate whether Mission Regional violated state law. He also instructed regulators to refer any evidence of wrongdoing for potential civil or criminal enforcement.
“American citizenship is not for sale and Texas will not permit our healthcare system to be used as a magnet for birth tourism,” Abbott told Chron. Mission Regional has denied any wrongdoing, saying it advertised healthcare services like hospitals across the country and does not “support or facilitate any unlawful activity.” The hospital added that the maternity marketing materials have been retired to avoid “unintended misunderstanding.”
Flores’s allegation regarding Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen suggests the pricing disparity extends beyond Mission Regional, claiming visa holders are quoted childbirth costs of roughly $6,000, while insured or self-pay American mothers can receive bills exceeding $25,000.
Trump says US will blockade Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and charge ships for safe passage
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says the United States is “reinstating” a blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and will charge other ships for safe passage. He made the announcement in a post on social media Monday, after another exchange of fire between the United States and Iran. A fifth of the world’s oil and gas passed through the critical waterway before Iran asserted control over it after the start of the war. Trump said the toll would help cover safety and security costs. The conflict has intensified, raising fears of a return to all-out war and further disruption to the global economy. The International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency, said it opposes tolls.
Darline Graham Nordone, sister of Lindsey Graham, chosen to fulfill remainder of his US Senate term
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has named Darline Graham Nordone as her late brother Lindsey Graham’s temporary replacement in the U.S. Senate. Graham died at age 71 over the weekend. Nordone will serve the remaining months of his term, which ends in January. A special election next month will determine the new Republican nominee for Graham’s seat. The open seat has sparked interest among South Carolina’s conservatives. A special primary election is scheduled for August 11, with a runoff on August 25 if needed. The general election will take place on November 3.
12 states challenge Paramount’s takeover of Warner, say merger would ‘extinguish competition’
NEW YORK (AP) — Twelve states are suing to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery. They argued in a lawsuit Monday that the $81 billion merger would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers across the U.S. The office of California’s attorney general is leading the coalition. It alleges that the proposed merger would lead to higher prices, lower quality, and less content for movies and the television landscape. Paramount maintains that merging with Warner will be good for competition. The company says it will “vigorously defend” the transaction.
No relief from the heat as many US cities will see record overnight temperatures
Another round of sweltering heat is in store for much of the U.S. this week. The National Weather Service predicts that more than 90 temperature records across the U.S. will be tied or broken this week through Wednesday. Most of those will be overnight heat records. Health experts say that overnight temperatures that fail to cool down are even more dangerous than when daytime temperatures soar. Over the next few days, cities in the Midwest and Northeast known for more record-breaking cold are likely to see record-setting nighttime temperatures. Those include Fargo, North Dakota; International Falls, Minnesota; and Portland, Maine.
Ukraine and 9 other countries announce a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missiles
PARIS (AP) — Ukraine and nine other countries have announced a coalition to protect Europe from ballistic missiles, taking advantage of Kyiv’s experience of fighting Russia. Monday’s agreement came at a meeting in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The countries said in a statement that “our goal is to build a shared ballistic missile defense capability for Europe.” Zelenskyy was asking two dozen European leaders for help developing measures against Russia’s ballistic missiles, which have pummeled his country since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in 2022. The statement gave no time frame for setting up the defense system, and said the plan remains open to other countries.
