By: Ark-La-Tex Staff Writer
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, stated that Iran retains the capacity to resume uranium enrichment within a matter of months, if it chooses to do so.
In an interview with CBS News, Grossi said that while recent military strikes caused significant damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, they did not completely eliminate its enrichment capabilities. His remarks follow claims made by President Donald Trump that the strikes had “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites.
“Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there,” Grossi noted. According to the IAEA, Iran still has the technical and industrial means to restart centrifuge operations and uranium enrichment.
On June 13, Israel launched strikes on nuclear and military facilities in Iran, citing concerns over Iran's enrichment activities. The United States subsequently conducted its own strikes on three key sites: Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. Since then, there has been limited independent verification of the extent of the damage.
A preliminary Pentagon assessment, reportedly leaked earlier in the week, suggested that the strikes may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by several months. The accuracy of this assessment may be revised pending additional intelligence.
Iran has offered differing accounts of the impact. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed the strikes had limited effect, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the damage as “excessive and serious.”
Meanwhile, Iran’s relationship with the IAEA has come under further strain. On Wednesday, Iran’s parliament approved a measure to suspend cooperation with the agency, citing concerns over impartiality. Iran has declined to grant the IAEA access to inspect the damaged facilities. Araghchi later stated that requests for inspection were unwarranted and potentially politically motivated.
Grossi expressed interest in continuing diplomatic dialogue, stating: “I have to sit down with Iran and look into this, because at the end of the day, this whole thing, after the military strikes, will have to have a long-lasting solution, which cannot be but a diplomatic one.”
Iran continues to assert that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes. Under the terms of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran was restricted from enriching uranium beyond 3.67% and barred from enrichment at the Fordo site for 15 years. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018, reinstating sanctions. Iran began reducing compliance in response, including resuming enrichment at Fordo and producing uranium enriched to 60%, close to weapons-grade, by 2021.
The current ceasefire between Iran and Israel remains in effect, though both sides have expressed reservations. Iranian officials have indicated they are prepared to respond to further military actions if necessary.
The IAEA continues to monitor developments and encourages diplomatic solutions to address concerns over nuclear proliferation and regional stability.
By: Ark-La-Tex Staff Writer
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Friday that federal judges do not have the authority to issue injunctions that apply nationwide, though the decision did not determine whether a proposed change to birthright citizenship policy could soon take effect.
The Court’s majority opinion, authored by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, stated that lower courts must limit their rulings to the parties involved in each case and not issue universal orders. The justices emphasized that courts are intended to resolve individual legal disputes, not oversee broad executive actions.
The policy in question involves an executive order that would deny U.S. citizenship to children born on American soil to parents who are in the country temporarily or without legal status. Enforcement of this policy is currently paused and cannot proceed for at least 30 more days, per the Court’s decision.
The ruling sends the matter back to the lower courts, where judges must revise their existing orders in line with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of judicial authority. It remains unclear how the decision will impact the broader legal status of the birthright citizenship policy, particularly in the 22 states that have challenged it.
Both the current and previous presidential administrations had expressed concerns over the expanding use of nationwide injunctions, arguing that such rulings exceed judicial authority. More than 40 of these injunctions have been issued since early 2025. The Supreme Court has typically avoided addressing them directly, but made an exception in this case.
Justice Barrett wrote: “When a court concludes that the Executive Branch has acted unlawfully, the answer is not for the court to exceed its power, too.” Her opinion reinforced the idea that federal courts should not assume a supervisory role over executive actions beyond the scope of the case before them.
The decision has received varied responses. Some view it as a reaffirmation of judicial restraint and the constitutional separation of powers. Others expressed concern that it may allow executive actions to take effect despite being ruled unconstitutional by lower courts.
In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by two other justices, argued that the decision could limit the ability of courts to block enforcement of potentially unconstitutional policies. She noted that the executive order in question had already been challenged and found legally problematic by multiple judges.
The Supreme Court’s ruling did not resolve the legal status of the birthright citizenship policy itself. Instead, it focused on whether courts can issue nationwide blocks while a case is still being litigated. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in a concurring opinion, noted that lower courts might still be able to address the full impact of certain policies by considering “nationwide classes” of affected individuals.
Following the ruling, plaintiffs, including civil rights organizations and multiple states, filed new court documents aimed at maintaining broader protections. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell expressed confidence in continuing to challenge the policy and uphold the current interpretation of the 14th Amendment.
Birthright citizenship, based on the principle of jus soli (“right of the soil”), has been part of U.S. constitutional law since the adoption of the 14th Amendment after the Civil War. A landmark 1898 Supreme Court ruling confirmed that nearly all children born in the U.S. are citizens, with few exceptions (such as children of foreign diplomats or those born to enemy forces in wartime).
The current legal debate centers on the phrase “subject to the jurisdiction” of the U.S., which the administration argues excludes certain noncitizen parents. Critics argue that this interpretation deviates from longstanding legal precedent and could redefine citizenship eligibility.
The Supreme Court’s decision means that, for now, lower courts must revise how they apply their rulings while ongoing legal challenges to the policy continue. The Court also confirmed that the administration may announce how it would implement the policy in the future if it is ultimately upheld.
by Dr. Kirkpatrick Williams
In parts of rural upstate New York, schools have reported having more than 1,100 students per mental health provider. In regions with limited access to transportation and outside resources, school-based counselors and social workers often serve as the primary support system for students’ mental health needs.
One such initiative in the Finger Lakes region, coordinated by Hennessey Lustica of the Seneca Falls Central School District, aimed to expand the mental health workforce by hiring and training school psychologists, counselors, and social workers through federal grant funding. That effort, along with similar programs across the U.S., is now at risk following a recent decision to end federal mental health grants for schools.
The $1 billion in grants was originally created through legislation passed in 2022, aimed at addressing school-based mental health following the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting. The program provided financial support to districts to increase access to mental health professionals, particularly in underserved and rural areas.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, the decision to cancel current grants stems from concerns about program compliance with civil rights law. While some recipients, including Lustica, have been informed of violations, the specific issues cited in individual cases have not always been disclosed in detail. The department has stated that future grant cycles will be restructured and reissued to ensure alignment with federal guidelines.
Education Department spokesperson Madi Biedermann said the goal is to ensure that public funding supports programs rooted in evidence-based practices aimed specifically at improving student mental health outcomes.
In response, Lustica expressed concern over the effect the grant cancellations may have on students, especially in rural areas. She noted that more than 20,000 students across the 21 school districts her program supports may lose access to mental health resources. Lustica and others plan to appeal the decision.
Several states have also been affected. California’s West Contra Costa Unified School District will lose nearly $4 million in funding. Birmingham City Schools in Alabama will not receive the remaining portion of its $15 million grant. In Wisconsin, the state Department of Public Instruction expects to lose $8 million in projected funds intended for staff retention and career development programs in school mental health.
Wisconsin State Superintendent Jill Underly called the decision concerning, particularly in light of growing demand for mental health services in schools.
During recent House and Senate hearings, lawmakers inquired about the grant cancellations. Education Secretary Linda McMahon indicated that school mental health remains a department priority and that the grants will be rebid to ensure they meet all legal requirements.
Programs supported by these grants have trained mental health professionals and placed them in schools. In New York, nearly 180 students completed training through the program managed by Lustica, and approximately 85% of those graduates have been hired into underserved areas.
Graduate student Danielle Legg, who worked in a local district under the grant program, said access to mental health services in some areas is limited to what students receive in school, as many families face financial and transportation challenges.
Susan McGowan, a school social worker in Geneva City School District, emphasized the impact these grants had in helping fill difficult-to-staff positions and supporting students, teachers, and school culture overall.
“The loss of these training pipelines could reduce the capacity of schools to respond to student mental health needs,” she said.
Advocates for school mental health programs continue to monitor developments and await details on how future funding may be restored or restructured.
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By: D.D. Reese
A cybercriminal group has recently targeted computer networks within the aviation industry, affecting multiple airlines in the United States and Canada, according to statements from the FBI and cybersecurity experts assisting with the response.
While the breaches have not impacted airline flight operations or safety systems, the incidents have raised concerns among cybersecurity officials, particularly due to the group’s reputation for aggressive tactics. The group, known as “Scattered Spider,” has previously been linked to cyberattacks in other major sectors, including insurance and retail.
According to a public statement issued by the FBI on Friday, the group typically gains unauthorized access to corporate networks, exfiltrates sensitive data, and at times deploys ransomware for extortion purposes. The agency confirmed that it is actively coordinating with aviation stakeholders to manage the current situation and support affected organizations.
Airlines including Hawaiian Airlines and Canada’s WestJet have acknowledged recent cybersecurity incidents but did not name any specific group. Both airlines reported that their core operations were not disrupted and that internal investigations are ongoing.
WestJet first reported a “cybersecurity incident” approximately two weeks ago, which affected access to specific services and software, including its mobile app. Hawaiian Airlines has also stated that they are continuing to assess the scope of the breach.
Experts note that the limited operational impact may be due to strong internal network segmentation and business continuity planning. “This likely reflects good network architecture and resiliency,” said Aakin Patel, a former chief information security officer at a major U.S. airport.
According to the Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Aviation ISAC), the threat landscape has broadened beyond airlines themselves to other parts of the aviation ecosystem, such as contractors and vendors. Jeffey Troy, the group’s president, emphasized that members remain alert to financially motivated attacks and broader cybersecurity risks tied to global events.
While the airline breaches are under review, the industry also dealt with unrelated technical issues on Friday, when an IT outage affected some passengers at American Airlines. There is no indication that the outage was linked to malicious activity.
Cybersecurity teams at major airlines are closely monitoring the situation, and several are working with external experts, including cybersecurity firm Mandiant, a Google subsidiary, to improve protections, particularly around customer service call centers. One of the techniques reportedly used by the attackers involves impersonating employees to gain access through support channels.
“Call centers are essential to airline support operations and may be vulnerable entry points,” Patel said.
Scattered Spider gained widespread attention in 2023 following high-profile breaches at MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment. The group is known to focus on specific industries for extended periods and has recently been linked to incidents involving companies in the insurance and retail sectors.
Mandiant Chief Technology Officer Charles Carmakal confirmed that the group’s approach has remained consistent over time and that several incidents within the airline and broader transportation sectors share characteristics with the group’s known tactics.
Industry response efforts are ongoing, and authorities continue to assess the full scope of the breaches. The FBI encourages organizations within the aviation sector to review their security protocols and report any suspicious activity.
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