FORTIFYING DEFENSES: Iran is reportedly ramping up its defenses of Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf in anticipation of a possible U.S. invasion as indirect talks between the two sides appear to off to a rough start.
CNN reported Wednesday that Tehran has been planting traps and moving additional military personnel and air defenses to Kharg Island in recent weeks. That includes shoulder-fired, surface-to-air guided missile defense systems, multiple people familiar with U.S. intelligence told the outlet.
That raises the risks to U.S. personnel should Trump decide to deploy boots on the ground to seize the strategic oil export hub, in a bid to force Iran to meet American demands to end the war.
Iran rejected an initial 15-point ceasefire proposal from the U.S. on Wednesday and offered its own counterproposal, laying out five main conditions required for the war to come to an end.
The conditions include an end to the acts of "aggression," ensuring the war won't recur, a payment of damages and reparations, the end of the war on all fronts involving all resistance groups and Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
Discussions in some form appear to be taking place after weeks of no dialogue, but the extent of them remains unclear. The Hill's Niall Stanage reports Iran has sent a clear message of defiance in the past 24 hours, complicating Trump's apparent efforts to find an off-ramp out of the war.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night that Trump has told aides he is anxious to wrap up the war in the coming weeks. At the same time, the Pentagon this week sent 2,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East for a potential ground operation.
Trump said Wednesday at the National Republican Congressional Committee's annual fundraising dinner that he avoids using the word "war" to describe the conflict in Iran.
"I won't use the word 'war' because they say if you use the word 'war,' that's maybe not a good thing to do," he told the GOP lawmakers in attendance.
Iranian leaders are also signaling they no longer want to negotiate with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, viewing them as "backstabbing" and unserious about ending the conflict. Instead, they are hoping to work with Vice President Vance, who is seen as more skeptical of the war.
▪ The Hill: Lawmakers want answers as troops sent toward Iran.
▪ The Hill: Iran war threatens chip supply chain.
PLATFORMS LIABLE: A jury found the social media giants Meta and YouTube liable for negligence Wednesday over children's safety online in a landmark trial.
The case in Los Angeles Superior Court is a consolidation of thousands of lawsuits that individuals, school districts and states have brought against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, and YouTube, owned by Google.
The Hill's Miranda Nazzaro reports the ruling marks a major blow against social media companies, with potential implications for hundreds of similar lawsuits against technology companies across the country.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by a 20-year-old identified as K.G.M., who alleged she became addicted to social media platforms after starting to use them as a kid. Lawyers for the plaintiff said her social media use caused her to develop worsening depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia and suicidality.
Jurors deliberated for more than 40 hours, capping a trial that lasted nearly two months. Ten of the jurors voted in favor of the plaintiffs on all seven counts, while two backed the defense.
The jury ultimately found Meta and Google were negligent in the design or operation of Instagram and YouTube, respectively, and this was a "substantial" factor in harming the plaintiff. They found the companies knew or should have known of the dangers, that their products would likely be used by minors and that they failed to adequately warn of the dangers.
The jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million in compensatory damages. Meta is expected to pay 70 percent of that, and YouTube is expected to cover 30 percent. The total penalty could grow.
"For years, social media companies have profited from targeting children while concealing their addictive and dangerous design features," the plaintiffs' lawyers said in a statement Wednesday. "Today's verdict is a referendum — from a jury, to an entire industry — that accountability has arrived."
A Meta spokesperson said the company "respectfully disagrees" with the verdict and is evaluating its options. A Google spokesperson reportedly said the company plans to appeal, arguing that YouTube is a streaming platform and not a social media site.
The ruling came just a day after a jury found Meta liable in a separate case in New Mexico, ordering it to pay $375 million for compromising children's online safety.
▪ CNBC: New Mexico seeking changes to Meta's platform.
▪ The Hill: OpenAI shutting down video generator.
FIRST IN THE HILL: Two Democratic lawmakers are introducing legislation to prevent the Trump administration from using funds for military action against Cuba without authorization from Congress.
The Hill's Laura Kelly reports Reps. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) introduced the bill, which provides an exception for the president to use force if there is an imminent threat.
The bill's introduction comes as Trump has openly mused about wanting to "take" Cuba. The U.S. and Cuban governments have been engaged in talks, but hard-line conservative lawmakers have been pushing for the administration to overthrow the regime.
Read more from Kelly's reporting here.
▪ The Hill: Venezuelan, Cuban hard-liners call for regime change.
INSULIN DEAL: A bipartisan group of senators have reached a deal to place a cap on the cost of insulin for people using private insurance at $35 per month.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and John Kennedy (R-La.) on Wednesday introduced the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act, which would waive deductibles and limit cost sharing to $35 or 25 percent of the list price every month for people with diabetes.
The Inflation Reduction Act, which former President Biden signed into law in 2023, included a $35 monthly cap on insulin for Medicare Part D enrollees, and it was later expanded to include Part B enrollees.
The Hill's Joseph Choi noted these moves, along with voluntary price cuts from insulin manufacturers, have been credited with lowering the cost of the drug in recent years.
But placing a cap on the cost for those with private insurance would potentially lower it even more. If signed into law, the legislation would go into effect in 2027.
▪ The Hill: Group floats 'Medicare by Choice' as Dem health care alternative.
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