Looming cuts to energy aid fuel fear of 'deadly' summer in US

US President Donald Trump is seeking to end a decades-old energy assistance programme used by six million people, amid the second-warmest global temperatures on record and US electricity prices that are expected to rise more than ever in coming months.
Experts warn the confluence, worsened by climate change that makes summer heat more intense and longer-lasting, could mean a deadly season for poor communities.
The staff at the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance programme, known as LIHEAP, was fired in April amid mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The following month, Trump's budget proposal recommended eliminating LIHEAP altogether, calling it "unnecessary because States have policies preventing utility disconnection for low-income households."
Residents say they are not sure how they will keep cool.
"My air conditioning is my number one priority," said Venus Little, who lives in a low-income apartment complex in Washington, DC, where the windows open only a crack.
Little, 58, has been using LIHEAP for years, ever since the single mother of three had her electricity cut off.
Now president of her tenants' association, she worries about the effects of LIHEAP cuts at the 284-unit complex, where renters already struggle with "sky-high" utility rates.
"That programme has made a lot of difference in a lot of tenants' lives," she said. "I can't even find the words. It's cold-hearted."
The programme's future rests with federal lawmakers as they seek to accommodate Trump's expansive effort to shrink the government.
HHS did not respond to a request for comment.
"This isn't just cutting LIHEAP. You're cutting the financial infrastructure of low-income families," said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA).
"It's the elderly, the disabled, families with young children – these are very vulnerable families."
Utility rates have been rising faster than inflation, he said, with one in six US households behind on utility bills and collectively owing some $21 billion – the highest number Wolfe and his colleagues have tracked.
Prices for cooling could hit record highs in coming months, NEADA said in an outlook co-published in May, warning that for poor households, the summer could be "deadly".
Heat does kill. In New York, an estimated 350 residents die each year due to extreme heat, according to the city's 2024 Heat-Related Mortality Report.
Lack of access to air conditioning at home is the most significant risk factor, it said.
People in 'danger'
When LIHEAP was created in the 1980s, it was intended primarily to help with heating during cold months but since then, summers have become more blistering.
Heat waves in 2023 led to more than 2,300 deaths nationwide, a 117% increase since 1999, according to a study last year of federal data.
The share of low-income families using central air conditioning rose from 8.5% in 1979 to more than half in 2020, according to federal statistics, with cooling expenditures growing almost six-fold from 1985 to 2022.
Last year LIHEAP was funded at about $4 billion, and local officials say there is no way states or cities could replace the federal money even as they play larger roles in funding energy efficiency and other efforts to bring down electricity prices.
"We need their partnership – it's devastating," said Lorig Charkoudian, a state delegate in the Maryland General Assembly.
"People are in danger this summer," she said.
"If people can't keep their electricity running to get air conditioning, there will be people who will end up in the hospital, complicating their medication situation at a much higher financial cost to society than the cost of LIHEAP."
Although Washington and 17 states ban utilities from shutting off electricity during summer months, 33 states have no such protections, according to the NEADA.
In Washington, lawmakers also are seeking to ban evictions during heat waves, similar to rules under freezing temperatures.
Texas city mandates air conditioning
In Austin, Texas, residents have a new rule on their side this summer: a mandate that all residences have working air conditioning.
One of a rising number of cities to take such a step, Austin has seen record heat waves in recent years and a rise in heat-related health cases.
Tenants pressured landlords to take action on cooling, said Vanessa Fuentes, Austin mayor pro tem and a city council member.
Fuentes spearheaded the new law, which she said empowers renters "to report to the city and file a complaint that air conditioning has not been installed or properly updated" when temperatures rise above 29 degrees Celsius).
Some landlords have expressed concern over the expense of upgrading older buildings and say existing laws sufficed.
Fuentes said Austin has a publicly owned utility and is able to provide assistance not dependent on LIHEAP, but the surrounding county works with the federal programme and is home to many of the area's lowest-income families.
Federal cuts "will make it harder for them to keep the lights on and stay safe in their homes," Fuentes said.

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Indianapolis Star

29 minutes ago

• Indianapolis Star

Live updates: Iran warns it 'reserves all options' after US airstrikes on nuclear sites

The United States joined Israel's war with Iran after President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on three nuclear targets, winning praise and condemnation from members of Congress and new defiance from Tehran. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Trump said in a live address on June 21, threatening further U.S. strikes if Iran failed to accept a diplomatic solution. Bombs and missiles launched from U.S. warplanes hit nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. No U.S. personnel were injured in the operation, which struck Iran well after midnight on June 22 local time. With 40,000 troops in the Persian Gulf region, the United States faces potential Iranian reprisals in the days ahead. Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, warned that the country "reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people," saying America's strike was "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences." "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior," he said on social media. Trump's move was assailed by some conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats in Congress as illegal, while others praised him after more than a week of Israeli airstrikes on Iran and retaliatory missile fire wreaking havoc in Israel. "There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," Trump said. More: U.S. hits Iran nuclear facilities, braces for counterattack Multiple explosions were heard in central Israel, including over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in the early hours of June 22. Israel's military said sirens that sounded across the region were "due to another Iranian missile launch." Millions of people in the country entered safe rooms and bomb shelters as explosions rang out. The health ministry said 86 people were injured overnight. It was not immediately clear how many missiles had pierced Israel's air defense systems, but police confirmed at least three impact sites in residential areas in central and northern Israel. Video from Tel Aviv and the port city of Haifa further north showed rescue teams combing through debris, apartments reduced to rubble, mangled cars along a street filled with debris and medics evacuating injured people from a row of blown out houses. Iran reserves all options to defend itself after U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities, Araqchi shared on X, saying the attacks were "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences." "Each and every member of the UN must be alarmed over this extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior," he said. The U.S. attacks against three of Iran's nuclear facilities, following Israeli attacks over the previous week, prompted questions about the potential risks of radiological or chemical releases. Both "The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists" and the International Atomic Energy Agency have previously stated the offsite risks are low from attacks at Fordow and Natanz. But in a June 20 post, François Diaz-Maurin, an associate editor for nuclear affairs at the atomic bulletin, termed the offsite risk at Isfahan "moderate," because it's one of the "most important sites for Iran's nuclear program." However, the International Atomic Energy Agency said June 22 there had been no increase in off-site radiation levels reported. The nuclear complex in Isfahan, a key site of the Iranian nuclear program, has repeatedly been attacked and extensively damaged before June 21, said Rafael Mariano Grossi, agency director. "Based on our analysis of the nuclear material present, we don't see any risk of off-site contamination," Grossi said. – Dinah Pulver The Pentagon's attack on Iran's nuclear facility employed its most powerful bunker-buster bomb as well as Tomahawk cruise missiles fired from submarines, according to a U.S. official. Pentagon planners coordinated the attack with Israel to enter Iran's airspace, said the official who had been briefed on the mission but was not authorized to speak publicly. B-2 bombers dropped GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, the first time they have been used in combat. The stealth bombers were accompanied by other aircraft, the official said, though it was unclear the type of warplane. The Pentagon's most sophisticated fighter, the F-22, was a likely candidate. Trump declared the attack a success, saying Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities had been completely "obliterated." The official, however, said battle-damage assessments had not reached a firm conclusion. − Tom Vanden Brook Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is the latest lawmaker to take to social media in the hours after Trump's strikes on Iran to weigh in on the move, calling it "grounds for impeachment." "The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," she said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, published shortly after Trump's White House address. Congress is the only branch of government that has the power to declare war, however, presidents have engaged in foreign conflicts in recent decades under the executive authority to authorize defensive strikes. "He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations," Ocasio-Cortez said. "It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment." − Kathryn Palmer Tehran could respond to Trump's strikes by launching counterattacks on U.S. military bases in the Middle East, current and former U.S. officials say. American bases in Gulf countries and Iraq and Syria could become targets, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro told USA TODAY before Trump attacked Iran. Iran could also target regional energy facilities and block oil and gas shipments from crossing the Strait of Hormuz, said Shapiro, the former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East in the Biden administration. Roughly 40,000 American troops are stationed in the region. Trump warned in a Truth Social post of "far greater" force against Iran if it pursues retaliation. − Francesca Chambers The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, blasted Trump's attack as an "illegal and unjustified act of war" that favors the wishes of Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu over the American people and threatens to drag the United States into a wider conflict. "We condemn President Trump's illegal and unjustified act of war against Iran," CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad said in a statement. "This attack, carried out under pressure from the out-of-control Israeli government, took place despite the longstanding conclusion by our nation's intelligence community that Iran was not seeking nuclear weapons." "Just as President Bush started a disastrous war in Iraq pushed by war hawks, neoconservatives, and Israeli leaders like Netanyahu, President Trump has attacked Iran based on the same type of false information put forward by those who consistently seek to drag our nation into unnecessary and catastrophic wars," Awad said. – Josh Meyer Hours after the U.S. military launched strikes against three nuclear sites in Iran, Trump addressed the nation from the White House calling the operation a "spectacular military success." He said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will hold a press conference at 8 a.m. on July 22 at the Pentagon. Trump said the mission's objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the "world's number one state sponsor of terror." "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill," said Trump. "Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes." – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy Terror alert levels should be elevated in the near term, even in major cities outside the Middle East and anywhere Iran may have sleeper cells, said Andrew Borene, a former senior official at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the National Counterterrorism Center. "What happens next is largely going to be driven by Tehran's next moves. Their shadow wars have never been confined to missiles, drones, and cyber attacks," said Borene, who is now executive director for global security at private intelligence firm Flashpoint. Offensive cyber operations on critical infrastructure, or terrorist attacks by Iranian proxies, also could rapidly derail hope for de-escalation and diplomacy in the near term, Borene said. – Josh Meyer "There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' Trump said. He noted that there are many other targets in Iran. "If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said. – Sarah Wire Law enforcement in New York and Washington both increased police presence at places of worship and other sensitive sites as Americans reacted to the strikes. "At this time, there are no known threats to the District," Washington's Metropolitan Police Department shared in a post on X. "However, MPD has maintained an increased presence at religious institutions across the city." Similarly, the New York Police Department said it's "deploying additional resources to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across NYC." – Marina Pitofsky "Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace," Trump said in his address to the nation. "If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." He then described tactics of the regime. "For 40 years, Iran has been saying, 'Death to America,' 'Death to Israel,'" he said. "They have been killing our people, blowing off their arms, blowing off their legs with roadside bombs. That was their specialty." The president appeared to be referring to attacks launched by Iran-backed militants in the years after the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. – Erin Mansfield Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump for bombing three Iran nuclear sites, saying the decision could lead the Middle East toward a future of "prosperity and peace." "America has been truly unsurpassed," Netanyahu said in a video statement. "It has done what no other country on earth could do. History will record that President Trump acted to deny the world's most dangerous regime the world's most dangerous weapons." – Erin Mansfield Fordow is an Iranian underground uranium enrichment facility located about 80 to 90 meters deep inside a mountain, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. More: US bombs Iran: What to know about possible weapon, the 'bunker buster' It is located 20 miles north of the Iranian city of Qom. Fordow was one of three nuclear sites, including Natanz and Isfahan, that were struck by US military operations on July 21 to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon. "A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow," Trump wrote on Truth Social. – Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri in the early morning hours of June 21. The warplanes are known not only for their stealth technology but also for their ability to fly long-range and carry the big "bunker buster" bombs used in the June 21 mission. With design and materials that limit its ability to be detected by enemy radar, the B-2 is thought to be the only aircraft equipped to carry the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, known as the "bunker buster." The entire fleet of B-2 stealth bombers is based at Whiteman, southeast of Kansas City, with the 509th Bomb Wing, part of the Air Force Global Strike Command. Fox News reported six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Iran's Fordow nuclear site. – Dinah Pulver Democratic members of Congress expressed outrage over the strikes, which they said they learned about from social media. "According to the Constitution we are both sworn to defend, my attention to this matter comes BEFORE bombs fall. Full stop," said Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, in a post on X. Virginia Rep. Eugene Vindman said Trump's handling of the situation was "disgraceful." He asserted in a post that the U.S. was now at war with Iran. "And so the United States goes to war with Iran without so much as a by your leave to the American people," he said. "No statement, other than on social media; no notice to Congress; no serious deliberation." He added: "This is the stuff of autocrats. Disgraceful." War is something only Congress can formally declare. Lawmakers have also passed resolutions that authorized the use of military force like when the U.S. invaded Iraq. Trump has not said whether he plans to continue the bombing campaign, which he described as a "military operation" in a post on the attack. At least one Democrat came to Trump's defense, however: Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. "As I've long maintained, this was the correct move by @POTUS. Iran is the world's leading sponsor of terrorism and cannot have nuclear capabilities. I'm grateful for and salute the finest military in the world," Fetterman said. Democratic Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement that was critical of Trump that Congress should "fully and immediately" be briefed in a classified setting. – Francesca Chambers The Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. The president is the commander in chief of the military, which means he carries out wars that Congress approves. However, presidents of both political parties have perennially used the U.S. military to bomb or invade countries without formal approval from Congress. There have even been allegations that the Korean War and the Vietnam War were illegal. Congress attempted to limit presidents from using this type of power when it passed the 1973 War Powers Act. Trump was most recently criticized for potentially violating the War Powers Act when he bombed the Houthis in Yemen, notoriously discussed on the SignalGate chat that embarrassed top officials in his administration. – Erin Mansfield B-2 bombers conducted a series of strikes on targets in Iran, according to a senior Defense Department official. There were no casualties. Measures to protect the nearly 40,000 U.S. troops in the region have been incrementally increased over the last two weeks, said the official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Army has been at third of four levels of alert at most places in the region, the official said. – Tom Vanden Brook More: U.S. hits Iran nuclear facilities, braces for counterattack President Trump posted on Truth Social that he will be speaking to the nation at 10 p.m. ET on June 21. "I will be giving an Address to the Nation at 10:00 P.M., at the White House, regarding our very successful military operation in Iran," Trump wrote. "This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!" – Swapna Venugopal Trump's decision came under immediate criticism from at least one Republican in Congress: Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie. The lawmaker shared Trump's post on social media with the message, "This is not Constitutional." Massie had previously introduced a bill to prevent Trump from going to war with Iran without congressional authorization, which drew cosponsors that included progressive Democrats such as Rep. Ro Khanna of California. The GOP lawmaker was one of two members of Trump's political party who voted against his tax bill in the House of Representatives last month. Trump called him a "grandstander" ahead of the vote and said he should be "voted out of office." GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, an ally of Trump's, publicly pushed for the United States to stay out of the war, a half hour before Trump announced the attack. "Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in another foreign war," she said in a post on X. Greene has been one of the most outspoken opponent's within MAGA of American military involvement in the conflict that exploded on June 13 when Israel attacked Iranian nuclear sites. "There would not be bombs falling on the people of Israel if Netanyahu had not dropped bombs on the people of Iran first," she said on June 21. "Israel is a nuclear armed nation. This is not our fight. Peace is the answer." – Francesca Chambers Earlier in the day, the State Department began evacuating American citizens and permanent residents from Israel and the West Bank, U.S Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee announced on social media. "The Department of State has begun assisted departure flights from Israel," Huckabee wrote in a post on X on June 21 asking people seeking government assistance to fill out a form. – Swapna Venugopal The strikes followed days of Israeli bomb and drone strikes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aimed at disrupting Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon, to which Iran responded by launching missiles at Israeli civilian targets. Netanyahu had been pressing Trump to enter the war, knowing the Pentagon possesses the ability to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment capability. In his first term, Trump pulled out of the Iran deal brokered by President Barack Obama in 2015, saying it did not do enough to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. As the war between Iran and Israel has spiraled in recent days, he has repeated that Iran "cannot" get a nuclear weapon. Iran has threatened that the United STates would suffer "irreparable damage" if it becomes directly involved in the conflict. The country "should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage," Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on June 18. The U.S. Air Force has the unique capability to destroy deeply buried, fortified structures like those that house Iran's nuclear facilities. The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, has a "high-performance steel alloy" warhead case that allows the weapon to stay intact as it burrows deep into the ground, according to Pentagon documents. In 2012, the Air Force conducted five tests of the weapon at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Data and visual inspections showed that each bombing run "effectively prosecuted the targets." More: Israel wants to demolish Iran's nuclear facilities. Does it need US military help? There's only one warplane in the Air Force that can carry the bomb. Each B-2 Spirit stealth bomber based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri can hold two of the penetrators. Israel had sought the Pentagon to drop the bombs because their penetrating weapons cannot reach the depth necessary to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. – Tom Vanden Brook

Miami Herald

32 minutes ago

• Miami Herald

Florida Democrats look to stop the bleeding during annual political conference

A question loomed over Democratic party leaders and volunteers on Saturday as they pumped hip hop through the speakers at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood: can Florida Democrats find a way to win next election season? Democrats in Florida have faced stinging losses on the ballot, especially over the past six years. Some point to fundraising issues as the cause. Others point to shrinking voter registration numbers. At Leadership Blue, an annual Democratic conference, several elected officials and party leaders agreed on one thing: they have a messaging problem, and President Donald Trump might help them solve it. Democrats mentioned immigration, tariffs and potential cuts to healthcare as issues that have caused division in Florida districts that voted Republican. Deportations in South Florida were central to the discussion, with issues like revoking Temporary Protected Status, instating travel bans and targeting immigrants who have not committed crimes roiling Hispanic communities. 'I think what's happening from the federal government being compounded by the state government, in terms of immigration, gives us an opening,' said Samuel Vilchez Santiago, chairman of the Orange County Democrats. Last year, Trump and Florida Republicans put a message out that they were for the working class, said Santiago, who is Venezuelan-American. He said Hispanic communities in Florida, many of which helped the Republican Party win competitive districts in Miami-Dade County, believed Trump would deliver on promises to lower the cost of living. But Democrats say Trump has failed to deliver, and they plan to take advantage of it. Those unfulfilled promises, combined with growing negative sentiment toward immigration enforcement, may give them an edge during next year's midterms, Santiago said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who paid a visit to Leadership Blue, felt the same. Beshear, a Democratic governor in a red state, thinks Florida Democrats have a way to portray themselves as people that can bring change. 'What you'll start seeing is people who don't just feel regret, but they feel betrayal,' Beshear said, speaking about Trump's campaign promises. 'Because someone who told them they were focused on them is now telling them their kids have too many toys.' As a whole, though, some admit they could have done better with reaching out this past election cycle. Millie Herrera, a longtime Democrat and part of the party's budget and finance committee, thinks the party could improve in reaching out to every Hispanic community in Florida. Herrera, who is Cuban-American, thinks it's time to organize locally and year-round, rather than just during election season. In her Hialeah community where she runs a small business, she said she often hears Hispanic people say that Trump had promised to only deport criminals. The Democrats knew that wasn't true, she said, but failed to communicate that. This time, she is confident they will do better. 'We have always been for working people,' Herrera said. 'We have always been for immigrant communities. Maybe what we need to concentrate in our message is reminding them who has been there for us.' Present at Leadership Blue and handing out blue jolly ranchers to attendees, David Jolly, the former Republican congressman who announced his run for governor of Florida as a Democrat on June 5, said Florida is ready for a change and ready to build a coalition that leads with democratic values. While previously acknowledging Democrats have failed voters in the past, Jolly is hopeful Florida is ready for a change: A Democrat governor. 'This is a Democratic party that is united, and united to win,' Jolly said. Recent ups and downs Wins have been hard to come by for Florida Democrats. In April, Democrats witnessed defeats in two special elections for Florida congressional seats despite creating a stir by outraising Republican candidates. But even in defeat, Democrats celebrated because they outdid their previous numbers in both districts, viewed as deep-red and won in November by Trump by over 30 points. Josh Weil and Gay Valimont, running to representdistricts on the eastern coast of Florida and Pensacola, respectively, narrowed the gap to under 20 points each in their races. At the time, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power likened the Democrats' campaigns to 'setting millions of dollars on fire.' But Democrats see it differently. Because they overperformed, Santiago said, it's a sign that grassroots fundraising is the right path for the party. Weil raised around $15 million, with the majority of it coming from donations that were $200 or less. Weil, who launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate last week, said the last couple of years have been tough. As a public school teacher and single father navigating the rising costs of living, he said Floridians are unsatisfied. 'People are really disappointed in what they have right now, particularly in our red districts here in Florida,' Weil said. But becoming competitive again in Florida will be a challenge. Florida Democrats have increasingly lost ground in a state that was once considered purple. Over the past six years, Republicans have won by wider and wider margins in elections for both state and national office. The 2018 midterms were the last to deliver something resembling success for the Florida Democrats. They gained two Congressional seats, seven Florida Legislature seats and one statewide seat — with current party Chairwoman Nikki Fried winning the race for commissioner of agriculture. Since then, Republicans have surged in the state, securing super-majorities in the Florida Legislature, expanding GOP dominance in the Florida congressional delegation and ending the days when Florida was known as the nation's largest swing state. Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis — who likes to compare the Florida Democratic Party to roadkill — both won their most recent races in the state by double digits. In November, Miami-Dade County voted Republican for the first time in a presidential election since 1988. Alongside Miami-Dade, other left-leaning metro areas in the state swung red as well: Hillsborough County, Pinellas County, Duval County and Osceola County. Pouring salt on the wound, state Sen. Jason Pizzo, who served as the Senate Democratic leader in the Florida Legislature, told his colleagues earlier this year that he was changing his party affiliation, saying the Democratic Party is 'dead' in Florida. Pizzo now says he'll run for governor as an independent candidate. Still, Fried — who said Pizzo's resignation as party leader was 'one of the best things to happen to the party in years' — said Democrats in Florida are united and the party's message is succinct. She said she wants people to know that the Democrats are not giving up on them. Despite disdain or criticism from former members of the party, Fried said the party embraces a culture of respect where everyone is welcome, feels seen, is listened to and has a say. 'We talk with one voice, and we really have created a coalition in our state that people feel like you don't have to always agree with everybody inside the party,' Fried said. 'That's what the benefit of being a Democrat is — we are a big tent, which means there's going to be different sides of the spectrum.'

Yahoo

35 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Starmer calls for ‘diplomatic solution' after US strikes Iran

Sir Keir Starmer has called for restraint after Donald Trump launched US air strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The Prime Minister said Iran's nuclear programme is a 'grave threat' which the US military action would 'alleviate'. There was no British involvement in the action but the Government was informed in advance of the strikes, which involved B-2 stealth bombers and submarine-launched missiles. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary David Lammy had sought to persuade Mr Trump's administration from holding off on joining Israel in striking Iran, arguing for de-escalation and a diplomatic process. But Mr Trump pushed ahead with the action anyway, which he claimed had 'completely and fully obliterated' key nuclear facilities. Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat. The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. We call… — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 22, 2025 The Prime Minister said: 'Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security. 'Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat. 'The situation in the Middle East remains volatile and stability in the region is a priority. 'We call on Iran to return to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis.' Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds would not say the UK supported the military action nor whether he believed the US strikes were legal. Asked on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg if the US action was a good thing, he said: 'The outcome. It isn't the means by which anyone in the British Government would have wanted to see this occur.' Pushed on whether the US strike was legal, he said: 'It is where we are today.' He said it would be 'naive' to think the risk of Iranian-backed terrorism in the UK will not increase as a result of the US and Israeli action. The Business Secretary told Sky News: 'This is not hypothetical. There is not a week goes by without some sort of Iranian cyber attack on a key part of UK critical national infrastructure. 'There is Iranian activity on the streets of the UK, which is wholly unacceptable.' He added: 'It's already at a significant level. I think it would be naive to say that that wouldn't potentially increase.' — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 22, 2025 The US attacked Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz which are linked to Iran's nuclear programme. The Tehran regime has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful but its uranium enrichment process has gone far beyond what is required for power stations. In an address to the nation from the White House, Mr Trump warned there could be further strikes if Iran retaliates: 'There will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran.' The strikes followed a build-up of US military equipment, with B-2 stealth bombers – which are the only aircraft to carry a 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb – reportedly used to target the underground facilities. The aircraft have previously used the UK-US airbase on Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos Islands, but it is understood that was not involved in these strikes. The attack on Iran also involved US submarines, which launched around 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Mr Trump's move towards military action came despite Sir Keir's pleas for diplomacy and his repeated calls for de-escalation. On Thursday the Prime Minister warned of a 'real risk of escalation' in the conflict, adding there had previously been 'several rounds of discussions' with Washington and 'that, to me, is the way to resolve this issue'. Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of #Iran concerning the #UnitedStates military aggression against Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the… — Foreign Ministry, Islamic Republic of Iran 🇮🇷 (@IRIMFA_EN) June 22, 2025 The Foreign Secretary urged the US to pull back from the brink on a visit to Washington for talks with counterpart Marco Rubio before heading to talks with Iran on Friday alongside European allies. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: 'By targeting Iran's nuclear sites, the US has taken decisive action against a regime that fuels global terror and directly threatens the UK. 'Iranian operatives have plotted murders and attacks on British soil. We should stand firmly with the US and Israel.' By targeting Iran's nuclear sites, the US has taken decisive action against a regime that fuels global terror and directly threatens the UK. Iranian operatives have plotted murders and attacks on British soil. We should stand firmly with the US and Israel. — Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) June 22, 2025 Reform UK leader Nigel Farage also backed Mr Trump's decision to strike Iran. He said: 'Iran must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons, the future of Israel depends on it.' Scotland's First Minister John Swinney called for diplomacy, saying the Middle East conflict has reached 'an alarmingly greater level of danger after the US attacks on Iran'. Iran launched a ballistic missile barrage against Israel in retaliation to the US action. The foreign ministry in Tehran issued a statement condemning 'the United States' brutal military aggression against Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities'. It added: 'The Islamic Republic of Iran is resolved to defend Iran's territory, sovereignty, security and people by all force and means against the United States' criminal aggression.'