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The war with Iran keeps spreading. Twelve straight nights of strikes have opened new fronts as President Donald Trump issues another warning that could raise the stakes even further.
Plus, the Secret Service says threats are surging, and now one of Vice President JD Vance’s own agents is under investigation.
And Congress takes aim at lawmakers’ stock trades, then turns the bill into a partisan fight.
These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Thursday, July 23, 2026.
Houthis claim attacks on Saudi tankers as US hits Iran for 12th straight night
The war has spread beyond Iran. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea as the U.S. carried out a 12th straight night of strikes inside Iran.
Saudi Arabia said a vessel owned by a Saudi company was struck while transiting the Red Sea, though all crew members are safe. The attack comes days after the Houthis threatened to block Saudi shipping through the Red Sea, raising new concerns about global oil supplies.
Meanwhile, Iran has launched more retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. bases in Bahrain and Jordan.
Iranian officials also claimed they hit at least one tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, saying a second ship turned back after the first caught fire.
Trump warned the U.S. will “bomb and destroy” an Iranian bridge or power plant every time Iran targets a ship in the strait.
Overnight, American forces completed a 12th consecutive night of strikes with CENTCOM saying the targets included Iranian maritime capabilities, missile and drone sites, coastal surveillance systems and air defenses aimed at reducing Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.
Trump attends solemn transfer at Dover Air Force Base as fallen troops return home
Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday to honor four American service members killed in recent attacks: 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan of Hawaii, Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Texas, Sgt. Angel Ramper-Sad of New York and Sgt. Michael Swinton of North Carolina.
The president stood in silence as soldiers carried four flag-draped transfer cases from a military aircraft during a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base, one of the military’s most solemn traditions.
The four soldiers were killed in separate Iranian attacks in Jordan and Iraq while serving in air defense units responsible for protecting U.S. forces from incoming missiles and drones.
After meeting privately with the families, Trump traveled to Georgia aboard Air Force One, bringing with him Feehan’s parents after learning they were headed to the same event.
There, he introduced them to the crowd and reflected on the loss of their son.
“I attended the dignified transfer ceremony for four great U.S. service members killed in the conflict with Iran. They returned to American soil at Dover. One of the families happened to be traveling to Georgia — beautiful family, beautiful wife and husband, and brother-in-law — and I said, ‘I’m going to Georgia too. Where are you going?’ Just well after this, sir. They lost their beautiful son. ‘We’re going to Georgia.’ I said, ‘So, if you want, I’ll give you a ride on Air Force One.’ And they said, ‘Wow. Wow.'”
President Donald Trump
Since the war began in late February, 18 U.S. service members have died.
Jim Jordan refers Jack Smith to DOJ alleging false testimony to Congress
House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has asked the Justice Department to criminally investigate former special counsel Jack Smith.
Jordan sent a letter to the Justice Department on Wednesday requesting a criminal investigation, alleging Smith knowingly made false statements during a closed-door congressional deposition last year.
Jordan argued newly released Justice Department records contradict Smith’s testimony that his investigative team did not obtain or review the contents of lawmakers’ text messages during its Trump investigation.
Smith’s attorneys reject the allegation, calling his testimony “unimpeachably truthful” and arguing the referral mischaracterizes his answers.
A Justice Department spokesperson told NBC News the department will “investigate all evidence of criminal conduct.”
Secret Service sidelines agent following leaking involving Vance’s security detail
A Secret Service agent assigned to Vance’s security detail is now on administrative leave as the agency investigates an alleged leak of sensitive information about the vice president’s travel.
CNN reported the agent is suspected of providing information for a recent news story that described frustration within Vance’s protective detail and included specific details about his upcoming travel plans, including a Marine Corps helicopter trip with his son that was later canceled.
The report sparked concern inside the Secret Service, the FBI and the White House, according to CNN, because it disclosed operational security details.
The Secret Service’s internal affairs division will lead the investigation. It’s unclear whether the agent could face disciplinary or criminal charges.
CNN reported the Secret Service has not commented.
Secret Service warns threats growing, says cases are up 40% from last year
The Secret Service said it’s facing the most challenging threat environment in modern history, and the numbers help explain why.
The Secret Service said it has opened about 10,000 threat cases since January, up 40% from a year ago. Director Sean Curran said the surge includes more online threats, lone actors, foreign threats and mental health-related cases. Curran called the current security environment the most volatile he’s seen in his 24 years with the Secret Service.
“It’s no secret there are things happening around the globe that are always going to impact how we move, and that’s how we evaluate what our security plan is going to be. You know, we do base that off of what’s happening,” Curran said.
The warning comes as the agency prepares for Friday’s rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Dinner, moved to the Waldorf Astoria after April’s shooting outside the original venue, the Washington Hilton.
Curran defended the security plan used that night, saying officers stopped the armed suspect exactly where he was supposed to be, at the security checkpoint, more than a football field from the dinner itself. He said the Secret Service expects dangerous people to reach screening areas, which is why those layers of security are in place.
“We will always evaluate every site, and right now we have an advanced team there. They will take it back and set up a plan to set that site up for success, just like we did at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Hilton. That is a success; that is why we set up checkpoints; that is why we have our teams, our special teams in place, because we do plan for that,” Curran said.
Officials also said Iran continues to be a factor in Trump’s security, while warning that drones are quickly becoming one of the agency’s biggest concerns.
The Secret Service said it has expanded its counter-drone capabilities since the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, and now deploys those systems alongside the president, calling it only a matter of time before the U.S. faces a major drone threat.
House passes stock trading bill as voter‑ID clash splits parties
The House passed a bill to curb stock trading by members of Congress, but it did so with almost no Democratic support.
The bill would prohibit members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children from buying or selling individual stocks. They could keep the shares they already own, reinvest any dividends and would have to give at least seven days’ notice before selling stocks or face fines.
The measure passed 232 to 198, largely along party lines, after Republicans added a federal voter ID requirement that drove away nearly every Democrat. The bill also exempts the president from the trading ban.
It now heads to the Senate, where lawmakers in both parties have raised concerns about trading restrictions, the voter-ID provision or both.
Louvre welcomes visitors back without its famous jewel collection
After thieves stole more than $100 million in jewels from the Louvre in Paris last fall, the famous Apollo gallery has finally reopened, but most of its treasures are gone.
Visitors returned to the Apollo gallery on Wednesday for the first time in nine months.
But they won’t find the collection of crowns, diamonds and other royal jewels that made the gallery famous. Museum officials have removed the remaining treasures — along with their display cases — leaving visitors to admire the gallery itself, with its elaborate ceilings, sculptures and 17th-century decor.
The October heist included more than $100 million in jewels, including a gold crown set with diamonds and emeralds.
Police have arrested 11 people, but most of the stolen items remain unrecovered. The pieces that weren’t stolen are now locked in a secure, windowless vault.
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Big tech pitches AI for teacher burnout. Educators call it a Band-Aid
From frequent burnout, increased workload and student behavioral problems, America asks a lot of its teachers. It’s little surprise the nation is grappling with a massive educational labor crisis. More than 400,000 teaching positions across the country are either vacant or filled with underqualified staff, according to data from the Learning Policy Institute.
Martina Meijer, an elementary school teacher from Brooklyn, New York, has witnessed the strain firsthand. Over her 18-year career, she has watched class sizes swell beyond state limits, administrative burdens skyrocket and underfunded schools forced to misassign teachers to subjects outside their training.
Artificial intelligence giant Anthropic believes it has a tool to ease that burden. The company recently unveiled Claude for Teachers, a specialized initiative designed to offset the heavy administrative load teachers carry. In its announcement, Anthropic claimed it built the program to “close the gap between educational best practices and what a teacher’s week allows.”
Meijer, however, remains skeptical, telling Straight Arrow that introducing more AI into the classroom fails to address the structural issues plaguing public education. To her, the technology represents another misallocation of public funds that the state should direct toward human staff and labor solutions.
“What this is, is essentially the Department of Education being willing to put money toward something as long as it’s not addressing the underlying labor issues,” she said.