Politics

US strikes Iran again as Tehran retaliates; Kirk murder suspect heads to trial

U.S. forces are striking Iran again — and Tehran is firing back across the region, reigniting a war that had gone quiet for a month as Trump threatens an even harsher response.

Plus, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk is headed to trial, with a Utah judge handing prosecutors another major win by allowing them to continue pursuing the death penalty.

And Lindsay Clancy’s jury returns for a fifth day after telling the judge it can’t reach a unanimous verdict, putting the possibility of a mistrial increasingly into focus.

These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026.

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Iran retaliates across Middle East as Trump threatens even harder US strikes

Iran fired back overnight after a new round of U.S. strikes reignited the fighting. Jordan’s military said it detected 13 ballistic missiles overnight, intercepting 10, while three fell in remote areas.

No deaths or injuries were reported. However, Iranian state media claimed U.S. forces were killed in the attack, but an American official told CBS News that the claim is false.

Bahrain also said it intercepted Iranian drones overnight.

The attacks follow a new round of U.S. strikes against Iran on Tuesday. U.S. Central Command said it targeted air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities, and communications sites.

Before Iran’s latest retaliation, President Donald Trump warned Tehran not to fire back. He said Iran would be “hit again at a much harder and higher level.”

Trump then warned an even bigger attack is “waiting in the wings,” adding that when it is over, “There will be very little left of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Markey wins Massachusetts Democratic primary and calls for Trump to be impeached

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey will get a shot at a third full term after winning Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Massachusetts.

The 80-year-old defeated Rep. Seth Moulton, who made generational change central to his campaign, arguing it was time for new leadership in Washington.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Markey has been a fixture in Massachusetts politics since the 1970s and was first elected to the Senate in 2013 after nearly four decades in the House.

In his victory speech, the Senator called for passing his transgender bill of rights, abolishing ICE and ending the war in Iran. He also called for Trump’s impeachment.

“We need to submit a progressive Democratic majority, one that will use its political capital to take on the bosses, the billionaires, and the wannabe kings,” Markey said. “And after we win, we will remove Donald Trump from the White House, restore and rebuild and expand our vision for a democracy and an economy that works for every single person.”

Moulton conceded Tuesday night and said Markey now has his full support. Markey will face Republican John Deaton in November.

He wasn’t the only longtime Massachusetts Democrat to turn back a younger challenger. Rep. Stephen Lynch, 71, won renomination over 39-year-old attorney Patrick Roath, a former aide to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

Charlie Kirk murder suspect to stand trial, could face the death penalty if convicted

A Utah judge ruled the man accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk will stand trial, with prosecutors allowed to seek the death penalty.

District Judge Tony Graf said there is enough evidence to “support a reasonable belief” that 23-year-old Tyler Robinson shot and killed Kirk. His decision follows final arguments by the prosecutors and the defense at a preliminary hearing.

Fourth District Court Judge Tony Graf speaks during a preliminary hearing for Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of fatally shooting Charlie Kirk, at the 4th District Court on September 1, 2026, in Provo, Utah. (Francisco Kjolseth-Pool/Getty Images)

Much of Tuesday’s argument centered on an aggravating factor that could make Robinson eligible for the death penalty if convicted. The defense argued prosecutors failed to show the shooting put others around Kirk at risk of death.

Prosecutors said the crowd surrounding Kirk showed just the opposite.

”On Sept. 10, 2025, the defendant, Tyler James Robinson, shot and killed Charlie Kirk because he disagreed with him,” Ryan McBride, Deputy Utah County Attorney, said. “And he did it by firing a high-powered rifle into a group of thousands who surrounded Charlie Kirk, literally on all sides. And he, like any rational person, knew that that would create a great risk of death to all those around Charlie Kirk.”

Graf agreed there was a risk of death to others, allowing prosecutors to continue pursuing the death penalty.

After the ruling, Robinson’s attorneys entered not guilty pleas on all counts, including aggravated murder.

Meanwhile, Kirk’s family called the ruling “an important step in our family’s pursuit of justice.”

Clancy jurors enter fifth day as deadlocked panel returns for deliberations

The Lindsay Clancy murder trial jury will resume its fifth day of deliberations after failing to reach a unanimous decision on Tuesday.

Judge William Sullivan encouraged jurors, who had been deadlocked for four days, to continue their deliberations, citing the lengthy trial and the extensive evidence, including over 80 witnesses and 300 exhibits.

“I brought you back out because I know that this was a long trial, all right? I know there were over 80 witnesses; there were over 300 exhibits. But because of that, I’m gonna ask you to go back out, keeping in mind all the instructions that I gave you to go out and to continue your deliberations at this time,” Sullivan said.

After about five additional hours of deliberation, the jury asked to go home.

Outside court, Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, downplayed the deadlock, saying, “I don’t know that it’s a good sign or a bad sign or any sign. It’s that they’re working hard to try to come to a decision.”

Kevin Reddington, lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, speaks to members of the media. (Dave Zajac/Connecticut Post via Getty Images)

Clancy does not deny killing her three young children in 2023 but claims she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, making her not criminally responsible. Prosecutors contend she was not psychotic and planned the killings.

The case has also seen support from Clancy’s advocates, many dressed in pink, who argue the mental health system failed her, citing numerous instances where she sought help after expressing thoughts of harming herself and her children but was turned away.

Supporters of Lindsay Clancy gather outside of Plymouth Superior Court. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Mary Petitto, speaking at the support rally, said, “The Massachusetts system — healthcare system — failed Lindsay. She reached out for help multiple times. She told them that she was having thoughts of harming her children and harming herself, and she was turned away countless times at countless locations.”

The jury returns to deliberations this morning, and if they remain unable to reach a unanimous verdict, the judge may declare a mistrial.

Democrats seek probe after DHS obtained journalist’s records without court approval

Federal agents secretly obtained six months of a journalist’s phone records using a legal demand that didn’t require a judge’s approval. Now, two Democratic lawmakers want the government’s watchdog to investigate how those powers are being used.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., have asked the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the Department of Homeland Security’s use of administrative summonses. The lawmakers argue DHS is using a power intended for customs investigations to obtain personal information and is asking companies to hide the record-seeking from its customers.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., (left) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. (right) (Heather Diehl | Jim Vondruska via Getty Images)

Wyden and Jayapal say those secrecy demands carry “no force of law,” but are often effective at keeping people from knowing the government has accessed their data.

One example involves Minneapolis journalist Georgia Fort. The Guardian reported that Homeland Security secretly obtained six months of Fort’s phone records.

The agency also sought information from Google about Fort and journalist Don Lemon after a judge twice rejected a search warrant application for that information. Both Fort and Lemon face criminal charges after covering an anti-ICE protest at a church in Minnesota.

The lawmakers want the GAO to examine how DHS and other federal law enforcement agencies are using these demands. The GAO said it has received the request and is reviewing it.

USS Lincoln crew enjoys port call in Thailand after extended deployment

For the crew of the USS Abraham Lincoln, Wednesday brought something they had gone more than nine months without: a full port visit.

The carrier arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand, after 286 days since departing San Diego last November. The ship houses about 5,000 service members.

Originally heading from California for a Pacific deployment, the Lincoln’s mission shifted to the Middle East to support operations against Iran. It was relieved by the U.S.S. George Washington in August, allowing it to begin its long voyage back home.

The extended deployment has raised concerns about conditions aboard the ship, including reports of food and hygiene shortages and crew members’ mental health issues after months without a port visit.

A Navy official told Straight Arrow that carrier strike group maintenance, training and deployment follow a 36-month rotation. The official also emphasized the Navy’s commitment to supporting sailors’ mental, emotional and spiritual well-being throughout deployments.

The crew now has four days in Thailand for rest before continuing their voyage to San Diego.


More from Straight Arrow:

With the data center surge, zoning has simultaneously become a steep hill for proponents and a potent weapon for opponents.
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

How local zoning laws could decide the data center revolution

Keri Silvyn represents a developer building data centers in Pima County and Marana, Arizona, a role that involves guiding clients through the reclassification of property reserved for homes or farms. Lately, however, the Tucson attorney also finds herself confronted with angry residents opposed to plopping the dreary, hulking structures in their community.

Lawyers like Silvyn have represented data center builders for as long as those facilities have existed. The process was straightforward. Then opponents started packing public meetings.

Their critiques involve excessive noise and the colossal supply of electricity needed to keep the centers humming. For her part, Silvyn sees an underlying opposition to artificial intelligence in their criticisms, and hearings on zoning laws give them a chance to voice their frustration.

“Land use is sometimes the spot where people air their grievances,” she said.

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