Morning Brief: Israel Bombs Iran, The Money Behind L.A. Riots & Sanctuary State Govs Get Grilled

Israel launches preemptive airstrikes against Iran after nuclear talks break down. Leftist groups bankroll the L.A. riots and No Kings protests, and sanctuary state governors get blasted by Congress.

It’s Friday, June 13, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.

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“Bomb Bomb Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran”

Topline: Israel strikes targets across Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear missiles – how is the U.S. reacting?

Israel launched a massive air attack across Iranian territory on Thursday night after U.S.-Iran nuclear talks stalled. Israel targeted missile sites, as well as military command centers, research facilities, nuclear scientists, Iranian military leaders, and other high-ranking Iranian officials. Israel has also closed its airspace and declared a state of emergency in preparation for retaliatory strikes — an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said that only “necessary” business should be conducted on Friday.

Hours before the attack, the United States had ordered non-essential personnel out of the Middle East over tensions with Iran. “[American personnel] are being moved out because it could be a dangerous place, and we’ll see what happens,” President Trump said on Thursday. “[Iran] can’t have a nuclear weapon. Very simply, they can’t … we’re not going to allow that.” President Trump has denied any American involvement in the strike, and despite the evacuation efforts in response to the possibility, the Trump administration was adamant in its warning to Iran not to direct its ire against the United States.

“Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Thursday. “Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense…President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”

President Donald Trump on Friday urged Iran to reach a nuclear agreement to avoid further military conflict following Israel’s overnight strikes on Iran.

“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal,” Trump said. “Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!”

Later Friday morning, Trump posted on social media: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance.”

On Thursday, a United Nations watchdog passed a censure vote against Tehran for the first time in two decades. The board of the International Atomic Energy Agency said Tehran was out of compliance with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations. In response to the censure vote, Tehran said it will be activating a third nuclear enrichment facility.

It’s unclear how long it would take Iran to assemble a nuclear weapon, although some estimates suggest they could do so in a few months. Iranian proxies like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis have routinely attacked the state of Israel for years and killed thousands of its citizens – Iran has also launched hundreds of drones and missiles directly at Israel last year. Israel is roughly the size of New Jersey, and even a handful of nuclear bombs could obliterate its major population centers. The Iranian regime has not been shy about calling for the destruction of Israel, as well as the United States.

“A nuclear Iran represents an existential threat to Israel,” U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said. “As does Iran with a large amount of missiles.”

The operation to disable Iran’s nascent nuclear capabilities is expected to take several days. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the campaign would continue “as long as it takes.”

Who’s Funding the Rioters?

Topline: The FBI zeroes in on the groups bankrolling the nationwide anti-ICE violence.

As the riots in Los Angeles have resulted in the deployment of military forces, focus has turned to the groups organizing these violent protests, especially Indivisible, an activist organization funded by leftist billionaire George Soros. National Guard troops have been deployed to protect federal buildings and federal employees so ICE can do its work. 

A Daily Wire investigation found that Neville Singham, a tech billionaire living in Shanghai, is a key backer of the anti-ICE movement. He has been described as a financier of pro-Chinese Communist Party propaganda. He has allegedly funneled more than $20 million to radical groups linked to these riots and the anti-Israel protests.

Another key backer is Indivisible, a 501(c)(4) that has openly acknowledged its involvement and organized Tesla protests last month. The group has received some $9 million from George Soros’ foundation. It has received funding from Democratic fundraising platform Act Blue and the Barbara Streisand Foundation.

Authorities are now starting to arrest some of the leaders facilitating the unrest.

“We have made it a huge priority to try to identify, locate, and arrest those who are involved in organizing, supporting, funding, or facilitating these riots,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told Fox News. “It appears they’re well orchestrated and coordinated and well funded.”

Around 1,800 “No Kings” protests backed by many of the same groups are scheduled for Saturday in 1,500 cities to coincide with Flag Day and President Trump’s birthday.

Sanctuary State Governors Grilled On Capitol Hill

Topline: Sanctuary state governors face tough questions on Capitol Hill.

Three Democratic governors, Kathy Hochul of New York, JB Pritzker of Illinois, and Tim Walz of Minnesota — who was Kamala Harris’ running mate — appeared together before the House Oversight Committee on Thursday to testify about their states’ sanctuary policies. This hearing played out as anti-ICE protests continue in Los Angeles and other cities.

At one point during the hearing, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) read off a list of horrific crimes committed by illegal migrants to Governor Hochul, who struggled to respond:

STEFANIK: “Well, this is an illegal migrant in New York because of your sanctuary state policies. Do you know what crime he committed?”

HOCHUL: “I’m not familiar at this moment.”

STEFANIK: “I bet you’re going to be familiar when I remind you. He found a sleeping woman on the subway, lit her on fire, and burned her alive. This is in Kathy Hochul’s New York. And as I’m sure you are aware, and I’ll remind you, that ICE issued an order to detain this violent criminal, but that was rejected by New York officials due to sanctuary state laws. Now, do you know who Raymond Rojas Basilio is?”

HOCHUL: “I just want to say this. These crimes are horrific. In all of these cases, we worked with ICE–“

STEFANIK: “–Because of your sanctuary state policies, you did not in this case. They are walking on the streets because of your policies and your executive order that you signed three times.”

At another point, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) tried to get Governor Walz to answer whether he agreed with his own Minnesota attorney general, who said it was unlawful for counties to hold illegal migrants in custody for ICE, even with an immigration warrant.

BIGGS: “That’s his statement. It’s not yours. I just want to know if you agree with him.”

WALZ: “Well, I know you know this, congressman, that all 87 Minnesota counties follow federal law. … The attorney general is elected independently in Minnesota. Nothing in his opinion–“

BIGGS: “So are you telling me you disagree with him? I just want you to answer the question.”

Then, in an exchange with Rep. James Comer (R-KY), Governor Pritzker balked at answering whether he thinks a Guatemalan man who was arrested for crashing into two young women at a traffic light while driving drunk had a right to be in the country illegally. That migrant is also under federal indictment for having a fraudulent permanent resident card, Social Security card, and a passport.

COMER: “Should that criminal have been here in the first place? Did he have a right to be in this country illegally?”

PRITZKER: “If the person is a criminal of any sort, then they ought to be, uh–”

COMER: “So that person had a right to be in the United States?”

PRITZKER: “They ought to be given their due process rights, and they ought to be convicted.”

Hannah Davis, policy analyst at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), told The Daily Wire that the number of sanctuary jurisdictions within the United States has risen rapidly in recent years.

“In 2018 was when FAIR did its last report and we found a little over 550. So it’s been a few years, but as of May of 2025, we found 1,003 sanctuary jurisdictions across the U.S.,” Davis said. “What began as a small movement initially surrounding the concept that non-citizens should be able to report crimes to local law enforcement without fear of deportation has been emboldening radical opposition to the enforcement of federal immigration policy.”