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Today: Congress frets Iran plans, TikTok deadline extended, food stamps in focus

12:30 REPORT 12:30 REPORT Thursday, June 19 | By Cate Martel Today in DC: 🌤️ 87°  Sign up Happy Thursday — It's Juneteenth! It's a fairly quiet day in Washington for the federal holiday, but it's a workday at the White House. Oh, and today is the last full day of spring! 🌷 In today's issue: Trump disputes Iran attack plan report Israel vows to escalate after hospital attack Congress frets over Middle East involvement TikTok ban deadline extended for third time Thune seeks Medicaid deal with holdouts 🌍 IRAN LATEST A penny for your thoughts: AP President Trump pushed back on The Wall Street Journal's reporting that he has OKed an attack plan against Iran. "The Wall Street Journal has No Idea what my thoughts are concerning Iran!" Trump posted on Truth Social this morning. The gist of that WSJ report: Trump reportedly told senior aides he approved an attack plan for Iran but is holding off on giving the final "OK" in order to give Iran one last chance to abandon its nuclear program. What do we know about Trump's thinking?: He is keeping his strategy under wraps while Israel and Iran exchange missile barrages. "Nobody knows what I'm going to do," Trump stressed to reporters on Wednesday. The latest in the Middle East: Israel has vowed to intensify its attacks after Iran targeted a civilian hospital in southern Israel on Thursday. Dozens of people were left with minor injuries, but the strike caused "extensive" damage. 📸 Photos of the hospital Israel revealed today that it has also targeted "key sites" related to Iran's nuclear capabilities. And Israel's military has ramped up its rhetoric against Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, days after Trump threatened to target him. Happening on Friday: Iranian officials will meet with foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Germany and France, plus the European Union foreign policy chief. 🗨️ Follow today's live blog The U.S. has begun Israel evacuations: The State Department has begun evacuating nonessential government diplomats and their families from Israel, according to The Associated Press. This comes days after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced he would no longer travel to Israel for a planned address.  How do lawmakers feel about potential U.S. involvement?: Senators in both parties are nervous about the possibility of Trump inserting the U.S. in the Israel-Iran conflict. There is broad support for Israel on Capitol Hill, but the fear of a broader war in the Middle East has lawmakers on edge. Read Al Weaver's reporting 📱️NEW THIS MORNING TikTok has another 90 days: President Trump has extended the deadline for TikTok's parent company to divest from the app in order to avoid a U.S. ban. The new deadline: Sept. 17 Trump posted on Truth Social: "I've just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025). Thank you for your attention to this matter!" 📸 Screenshot of the executive order Keep in mind: This is the *third* extension Trump took office in January. ⏱️ ON CAPITOL HILL We're entering the 'pretty please' stage: Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is aggressively trying to woo the Senate Republicans who are uncomfortable with the tax and spending bill's proposed Medicaid cuts.  Thune's goal is to bring the Senate's version of the "big, beautiful bill" to the floor next week, which is becoming an ambitious timeline considering the obstacles. What's happening behind the scenes?: Thune and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) are having discussions about the specifics of the Medicaid cuts. GOP holdouts' concerns: They're concerned that Medicaid's costs would shift too much to the states and onto lower-income Americans. There are also concerns about the Medicaid work and eligibility requirements. How these negotiations may play out: "Republican sources familiar with the negotiations say they expect Senate GOP leaders and the holdouts to work out some sort of deal to provide direct financial assistance to rural hospitals that would be in danger of closing if the Senate bill passes in its current form." Read the reporting from The Hill's Alexander Bolton Keep in mind, they're getting pressure from the top: White House chief of staff Susie Wiles attended Republicans' lunch on Wednesday, where she said Trump expects the bill to be on his desk by July 4.  ➤ CAUGHT IN THE CROSSHAIRS — FOOD STAMPS: For food stamp recipients, Congress may soon end the work requirement exemptions for veterans, homeless people and youth who were in foster care. The gist: House Republicans kept those exemptions in their bill, but Senate Republicans removed that language in their version. Read more Watching this was a wild ride: Media personality Tucker Carlson published his fiery nearly two-hour interview with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) where the two high-profile conservatives sparred over the U.S.'s Iran policy. The Hill's Dominick Mastrangelo pulled together five takeaways from the contentious discussion: Carlson presses Cruz on AIPAC Carlson doesn't think Iran wants to harm Trump Cruz knocks Carlson for breaking with Trump Carlson demands Cruz apologize for defending Ukraine Cruz seeks to discredit Carlson after interview Keep in mind: On Cruz's "Verdict" podcast, he argues that Carlson "has gone bat-crap crazy [on foreign policy]. He's gone off the rails. He is suddenly a hardcore isolationist." 💻 Watch the full interview And if you missed 📹 the viral preview of the interview, it's worth watching. COMING UP The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EST) Today: Former President Biden attends a Juneteenth celebration (AP) 1 p.m. White House's Karoline Leavitt briefs reporters. 💻 Livestream 2:30 p.m. Trump swears in the new U.S. ambassador to Ireland Monday: The Senate returns. 📆 Monday's agenda June 24-25: A NATO summit. What to expect 📰 ️OTHER NEWS Student visas, but with a caveat: The State Department says it will restart the student visa application process. However, applicants will be asked to make their social media profiles public for vetting. The State Department plans to look for those "who pose a threat to U.S. national security," which The Hill's Lexi Lonas Cochran notes is the same phrase it has applied to pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses. Read more: What we know about the new student visa interview process 🐝 INTERNET BUZZ 🍸 Celebrate: Today is National Martini Day!   🧯 A SpaceX rocket exploded: A SpaceX rocket exploded during a static fire test late Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal obtained wild footage of the explosion. 📹 Watch   🫗 Cannabis-infused drinks are having a moment: "States are rushing to ban or restrict sales of intoxicating cannabis drinks that have exploded in popularity in a market lacking many of the regulations imposed on marijuana," reports The Washington Post's Shannon Najmabadi. 👋 AND FINALLY… To focus your attention on something light, watch these turtles patiently wait in a queue.  Stay Engaged  📺 Miss yesterday's newsletter? Catch up with a 1-minute video. I love hearing from you — send your feedback, tips and favorite cookie recipes 🍪 to cmartel@thehill.com. Check out more newsletters here. See you next time! Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe |  View Online  | Sign Up for Other Newsletters 400 N Capitol Street NW Suite 650, Washington, DC 20001 © 1998 - 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.