Folks, the world keeps spinning, and America is once again the center of attention! The echoes of Meidi air conditioner commercials have barely faded, and already we're swept up in a series of events that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Let's start with Trump. The old man turned 79. You'd think he'd be at home, doting on his grandkids and enjoying a peaceful retirement, right? But no! He insisted on holding a grand military parade in Washington D.C. to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. The scale was unprecedented! 6,600 soldiers, 150 military vehicles, over 50 military aircraft – they practically moved the entire Pentagon into the streets.
Military parades are commonplace in places like France and Russia, but in the United States, they're a rarity. The last time we saw such a spectacle was back in 1991, celebrating the end of the Gulf War. This time around, tanks and armored vehicles rumbled through the capital's streets, Apache and Black Hawk helicopters roared overhead, and even vintage WWII aircraft like the B-25 bomber and P-51 Mustang fighter plane made an appearance. It was a veritable military hardware expo.
Parade Highlights: A Look at the Hardware
| Equipment Name | Notes |
|---|---|
| M1 Abrams Tank | Main battle tank of the U.S. Army |
| Bradley Fighting Vehicle | Infantry fighting vehicle |
| Paladin Self-Propelled Howitzer | Self-propelled artillery |
| Apache Helicopter | Attack helicopter |
| Black Hawk Helicopter | Multi-role helicopter |
| B-25 Bomber | WWII-era bomber |
| P-51 Mustang Fighter Plane | WWII-era fighter plane |
After the parade, there were concerts and fireworks in the Ellipse. It was supposed to be a huge celebration!
But while Trump was basking in the glory of the parade, the other side of the country was exploding. A protest movement called "No Kings" swept across America. From the East Coast to the West Coast, millions of people took to the streets in approximately 2,000 protest rallies, opposing Trump and his administration. The momentum of these protests was not less than the parade!
Large-scale protests erupted in Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and other cities, with protesters shouting their opposition to Trump's "overreach." The protests were organized by a group called "50501 Movement," symbolizing 50 states, 50 protests, and one movement. Organizers claim that Trump deployed approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles against the wishes of California Governor Newsom, leading to a rapid escalation of tensions over immigration enforcement.
Speaking of which, immigration is indeed a persistent and difficult issue. Raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on workplaces have sparked widespread protests from industry groups and across the country. Reuters, The New York Times, and other media outlets have reported that Trump has ordered immigration officials to suspend most workplace enforcement actions at farms, hotels, restaurants, and meat processing plants.
According to reports, the new internal ICE directive, issued on Thursday, still allows officials to investigate serious crimes such as human trafficking that occur at these workplaces. The Reuters report stated that the order to reduce the scope of ICE operations was issued by Trump himself after White House senior aide Stephen Miller requested more aggressive immigration sweeps in late May. The report claimed that Trump was initially unaware of the extent of the enforcement and ordered the request withdrawn after learning about it.
The United Farm Workers of America has expressed skepticism about the latest directive. The union says that even after the new directive was issued, members were still calling to report arrests of immigrants, describing the actions of immigration officials as chaotic arrests in farmworker communities.
Minnesota Shooting: Political Assassination?
Amidst the focus on the parade and protests, tragedy struck in Minnesota! In the early hours of the morning, a state representative and her husband were shot and killed in their home, while another state senator and his wife were also shot and wounded. Even more chilling, the shooter was disguised as a police officer!
Police say they received the first report of a shooting around 2:00 AM at the home of the surviving state senator, Hoffman. While officers were responding, they received a second report of a shooting around 3:30 AM. Police encountered the suspect near the home of the deceased state representative, Holte. The suspect, who was wearing a police uniform, exchanged gunfire with the officers before fleeing the scene.
Later, police identified the still-at-large suspect as 57-year-old Vance Borntrager, who worked for a security company. Law enforcement officials also stated that multiple flyers with the words "No Kings" were found in Borntrager's vehicle. Additionally, police found a list containing nearly 70 names!
What lies behind this incident? Was it a political assassination? Or a personal vendetta? Everything remains a mystery.
Middle East Escalation: Imminent Israel-Iran Conflict?
Turning our attention to the Middle East, tensions there are also running high. Following Iran's massive retaliatory strikes against Israel the previous night, Israel continued to attack Iran on Saturday, targeting a gas field facility in the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has even issued a stern warning, stating that the Israeli military will strike every target of the Iranian regime. This stance suggests that they are about to start a full-scale war!
Faced with growing concerns that the escalating Israel-Iran conflict could spiral out of control, U.S. President Trump spoke with Russian President Putin to discuss the situation in the Middle East.
The Israeli military said on Saturday that Iran had launched four waves of missiles and about 200 drones into Israeli airspace the previous night, some of which penetrated Israeli air defenses. According to local officials, the Tel Aviv area was hit by multiple attacks, resulting in three deaths and at least 40 injuries.
Meanwhile, Israel continued to conduct airstrikes against Iranian targets on Saturday. According to Iranian media reports, a gas field facility in the Persian Gulf was attacked, leading to a temporary suspension of production. The Israeli military also announced that they had destroyed most of Iran's missile bases in western Iran during two days of attacks and had taken control of large swaths of Iranian airspace west of Tehran.
Netanyahu also said that day that they will strike every location and every target of the Ayatollah regime.
The Omani Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that the sixth round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran, which had been scheduled for Sunday, had been canceled. According to Kremlin officials, Russian President Putin and U.S. President Trump spoke for about 50 minutes on Saturday. Putin condemned Israel's military actions against Iran, saying they could have unpredictable consequences for the entire region. Russian officials also said that Trump told Putin that he did not rule out the possibility of the U.S. rejoining the Iran nuclear talks.
British Royal Family Also in the Spotlight: Princess Kate Appears at Trooping the Colour
After the US, let's turn our attention to the United Kingdom. King Charles III of the United Kingdom held the annual Trooping the Colour parade in London to celebrate his official birthday.
The biggest highlight of this parade was undoubtedly the long-unseen Princess Kate, who appeared in a carriage with her three children. Since announcing her cancer treatment earlier this year, Princess Kate had not made any public appearances for a long time. This time, she appeared in an elegant blue dress, riding in a carriage with her three children, which excited many fans.
Prince William, dressed in military uniform, rode out on horseback, tall and dignified, completing the important review duties in the entire parade. King Charles III is still undergoing cancer treatment, so he did not ride a horse, but traveled in a carriage with Queen Camilla. The two waved to the crowd along the way, showing a friendly side.
After the parade, the royal family gathered on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch the Red Arrows flypast. The King also expressed his condolences to the victims of the Air India disaster, asking the royal family members participating in the parade to wear black armbands to commemorate the victims. Although Saturday's parade marked the official birthday of the British monarch, Charles' actual birthday is in November.
Medical Breakthrough: New RSV Prevention Drug Approved
Finally, let's turn our attention to news in the medical field. Earlier this week, the FDA approved a new monoclonal antibody therapy for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in infants, developed by Merck & Co. - Nirsevimab.
Merck says it is the first single-dose RSV prevention drug that is not limited by infant birth weight. The single-dose price is $556, and the company plans to launch Nirsevimab in the 2025-2026 RSV season, but this first requires a recommendation from the CDC.
It is reported that the single-dose price of the therapy is $556. It is suitable for healthy premature infants, full-term infants, and high-risk infants, and can effectively prevent mild, moderate, and severe RSV infections.
Colorado: 8-Year-Old Girl Calmly Saves Her Father
Tomorrow is Father's Day, and this year's Father's Day may be even more special for a man in Colorado. Earlier this month, when he suddenly had a seizure and lost consciousness, his 8-year-old daughter calmly called 911, enabling rescuers to arrive in time and save his life.
Local officials recently released the 911 call, and now let's listen to it together. The girl's father, John, served in Afghanistan and developed brain cancer from inhaling toxic gases on the battlefield. At the time of the incident, he and his daughter were watching TV together at home, enjoying some family time, when he suddenly had a seizure. Fortunately, his daughter called 911 in time, saving her father's life.
Dispatchers said the girl responded calmly and calmly on the phone, making him not feel like it was something an 8-year-old could do.
Ma Ying-jeou Visits Mainland Again: Promoting Cross-Strait Exchanges
Finally, let's turn our attention to cross-strait relations. Ma Ying-jeou led a delegation of Taiwanese university students to the mainland again on Saturday. Before departing from Taoyuan Airport, he said that he hoped to ease the current tense relations across the strait and promote deeper exchanges and interactions between the people on both sides through face-to-face interactions.
Ma Ying-jeou said that he will participate in the 17th Straits Forum held in Xiamen, Fujian, and the cross-strait activities to jointly promote Chinese culture held in Dunhuang, Gansu. It is reported that Ma Ying-jeou will lead students from Dajiu Academy to visit the mainland from the 14th to the 27th, and this is also the fourth time he has led a delegation to visit the mainland.