Sen. John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, speaks during a press conference inside the U.S. Capitol on March 20, 2024. Thune, a Republican, officially became majority leader Friday. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — U.S. Senate Republicans unveiled Monday that they plan to raise the country’s debt limit by $5 trillion in the “big, beautiful bill,” a full $1 trillion more than House GOP lawmakers proposed in their version.
The provision is tucked into the Senate Finance Committee’s 549-page section of the package, which also includes tax law changes and how Republicans in the upper chamber plan to rework Medicaid.
The bill is one of 10 the Senate will bundle together in the days ahead before bringing the full package to the floor for debate and amendment votes.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., hopes to approve the legislation before the Fourth of July break, but because the chamber is changing the House bill in numerous ways, it will have to go back across the Capitol.
Given the extremely narrow majorities in each chamber, GOP leaders cannot lose more than a handful of their own members and still have the measure make it to President Donald Trump for his signature.
Earlier debt limit suspension expired Jan. 1
The debt limit change released Monday could frustrate some far-right members of the party, who believe it sends the wrong message about how the mega-bill will affect the country’s fiscal future.
Congress must raise the debt limit by a dollar amount or suspend it through a future date before the Treasury Department runs out of accounting maneuvers known as extraordinary measures.
The previous debt limit suspension, which was agreed to by both Democrats and Republicans, expired on Jan. 1, leaving the Treasury Department to move money around to keep paying all of the country’s bills in full and on time.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent wrote to congressional leaders in May, urging them to address the debt limit before leaving on their customary August recess.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that lawmakers have until sometime between mid-August and the end of September to address the debt limit before default would hit.
Traditionally, the White House and congressional leaders from both political parties negotiate a debt limit deal. But GOP leaders are hoping to raise the debt limit in their mega-bill since that avoids having to make any concessions to Democrats in order to avoid a default on the debt.
(Dorothy Kozlowski/University of Georgia Marketing)
Historic Athens is in the process of gathering feedback from community members related to the proposed adaptive reuse of the former University of Georgia President’s House.
The Board of Regents has accepted a proposal to turn the building into a hotel. Denise Sunta is the engagement coordinator at Historic Athens. She says, “Having a hotel there instead of a residence will change kinda the way that Prince Avenue will look and will feel in regards to having more people kind of coming in and out of that hotel. We also want to ensure we aren’t passing by an opportunity to allow this space to remain in the community – contribute to the community and the economy – while still holding on to that piece of history.”
The property, also known as the Grant-Hill-White-Bradshaw House was constructed in 1856 and was included on the 2023 Places in Peril list.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA
Family and friends shared Ramon Diaz-Soria's photo on social media, hoping someone would find him after he went missing while boating with friends on Lake Lanier. (Facebook)
Divers Sunday evening recovered the body of a 27-year-old Atlanta man who drowned in Lake Lanier over the weekend.
Ramon Diaz-Soria disappeared Saturday afternoon after jumping into the lake from a boat in a residential cove just north of Vanns Tavern Park in Forsyth County. Witnesses said he was wearing a life jacket, but it wasn’t properly fastened.
“Once in the water, he went under and did not resurface, leaving his life jacket floating on the surface,” said Georgia Department of Natural Resources Public Affairs Officer Mark McKinnon.
Family and witnesses told authorities Diaz-Soria was unable to swim.
Rescue teams from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, along with Forsyth and Hall County emergency crews, began searching immediately but had to suspend operations after dark, McKinnon said. The search resumed early Sunday morning, June 15.
Using advanced SONAR equipment, game wardens located Diaz-Soria’s body Sunday in 60 feet of water. Divers with Forsyth County Fire/EMS helped recover his body around 7:30 Sunday evening.
Stephens County Junior Academy graduates celebrate their achievements and a week of fun and learning with local first responders. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
The Stephens County Sheriff’s Office wrapped up its 2025 Junior Deputy Academy on Friday with a cookout, a graduation ceremony, and a lot of proud parents snapping photos.
More than 40 elementary-aged kids took part in the weeklong program designed to teach them about public safety—through hands-on experiences, friendly competitions, and just the right amount of summer fun.
Throughout the week, students met with first responders and public safety professionals who shared insights into their jobs and the tools they use every day. From climbing inside an AirLife helicopter to checking out the gear used in the county’s newest ambulance, the kids got an up-close look at the life-saving equipment that serves Stephens County.
The students heard from AirLife operators and got to look around their helicopter to see the equipment they use to help safe lives. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)Day campers heard from Stephens County EMS Director Bryon Bennett and checked out some of the life-saving equipment his team uses on their new ambulance. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
They also learned about jail operations, 911 dispatching, water safety, crime scene investigations, and more. Demonstrations from the Georgia State Patrol’s Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team, the Toccoa Fire Department, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers brought the lessons to life. State troopers even walked the junior deputies through mock traffic stops and showed them how drones are used to reconstruct crash scenes.
Students met troopers from Georgia State Patrol Post 7 in Toccoa, including Post Commander Roger Fuller and Specialized Collision Reconstruction Team (SCRT) members. They saw how a GSP SCRT member operates a drone for accident reconstruction and performed mock traffic stop scenarios with guidance from state troopers. (Stephens County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook)
But it wasn’t all serious business. The week featured dodgeball matches against firefighters and deputies, snow cones from Kona Ice, a swimming day at the Toccoa City Pool, and a BB rifle shooting competition—where the girls especially showed off their sharpshooting skills. Students also had a chance to try on “drunk goggles” and attempt an emergency driving course to better understand the dangers of impaired driving.
Stephens County SO Junior Deputy Academy 2025
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(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
Academy members tried on "drunk goggles" to better understand why impaired driving is dangerous. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
Students cooled down with Kona Ice and learned about the Toccoa Fire Department's work, which included a live demonstration with the fire hose. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
Representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers instructed students in water safety. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
After a busy morning of learning, students spent the afternoon at the Toccoa City Pool / Doyle Street Pool practicing their water safety skills. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
Students participate in a BB rifle shooting competition. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
Students also got a pep talk from Heroes In Force before the famous Junior Deputy Academy cook-out and graduation ceremony. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
(Stephens County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)
Throughout it all, the junior deputies were encouraged by school resource officers, Sheriff’s Office Explorers, and visiting heroes from the community. On the final day, Stephens County Sheriff Rusty Fulbright handed out certificates and awards, including the Top Junior Deputy Award and Sharp Shooter Award.
“These kids came in with energy and curiosity, and they left with a better understanding of what it takes to keep their community safe,” said Fulbright. “We’re proud of each and every one of them.”
The Banks County Sheriff’s Office wrapped up its Junior Deputy Camp earlier in June. Beyond providing a fun summer camp experience, organizers say these events give first responders a chance to inspire the next generation of public servants.
Hilary Harris Klein, senior counsel for voting rights at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, addresses the redistricting committee. (Photo: NCGA videostream)
(NC Newsline) — A panel of three federal judges will consider whether the election districts North Carolina Republicans approved for congressional and legislative seats diminish Black voting power in violation of the Constitution and federal law.
Black and Latino voters, the state NAACP, and Common Cause are suing over districts drawn in 2023 and used in last year’s elections.
Two separate lawsuits filed in December 2023 – the first over congressional districts and the second over congressional and legislative districts – were consolidated for the trial that begins Monday in Winston-Salem.
The focus is on six of 14 congressional districts, nine of 120 state House districts, and five of 50 state Senate districts.
The lawsuit contends Republicans “drew minority voters into and out of districts based on their race” to decrease minority voting power and increase Republican power.
During the 2023 redistricting debates in the legislature, Republicans said repeatedly that they did not use racial data in creating the districts. The Senate redistricting criteria allowed partisan advantage to be considered.
In court filings, lawyers for Republican legislators suggested that the lawsuits dress partisan gerrymandering claims “in racial garb.”
The state Supreme Court and the US Supreme Court have ruled that they do not have a role in judging partisan gerrymandering. That leaves racial gerrymandering as a key reason North Carolina election district maps can be challenged.
The trial will produce no evidence of racial motive, the Republicans’ lawyers wrote.
“Legislative denials of racial motive may be discredited only based on compelling, contrary evidence. None is available.”
The shape of congressional and legislative districts helps determine which party holds power in Raleigh and in Washington.
Using a congressional district map drawn by a special master for the 2022 elections, Democrats won seven of the state’s 14 congressional seats and Republicans won seven.
Republican legislators were able to redraw the map for last year’s elections. The 2024 districts produced a North Carolina congressional delegation of 10 Republicans and four Democrats.
“Redistricting is about power. Who gets it. Who keeps it, and who ultimately gets left out,” Da’Quan Love, executive director of the state NAACP, told reporters Thursday.
“Too often, Black communities in our state are carved up, silenced, and sidelined by maps drawn not to represent us, but to restrict us,” he said. “When politicians use gerrymandering to divide our neighborhoods and weaken our votes, they’re not just manipulating the process, they are rigging the outcomes.”
The lawsuit challenges Congressional District 1 in the northeast, Congressional District 5, which is mostly in the northwest, District 6 and District 10 in the Piedmont, and Districts 12 and 14 in Mecklenburg and counties to the west.
In the Piedmont, Republican legislators sliced heavily Democratic Guilford County into pieces and divided them among majority-Republican districts. No Democrat, including Democratic incumbent, chose to run in the new Republican District 6.
The Senate districts challenged are in Mecklenburg County and in the Eastern and northeastern parts of the state.
House districts challenged include those in the eastern and northeastern parts of the state, Forsyth, Wake, Vance, and Granville.
The hoped-for outcome is for the court to require the legislature to redraw the maps, said Hilary Harris Klein, a lawyer with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, told reporters this week. The SCSJ is representing the state NAACP, Common Cause, and individual voters.
This photo made available by the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office shows Vance Luther Boelter, the man accused of assassinating the top Democrat in the Minnesota House, as he was arrested late Sunday, June 15, 2025. (Ramsey County Sheriff's Office via AP)
BELLE PLAINE, Minn. (AP) — The man suspected of killing a Minnesota lawmaker and wounding another crawled to officers in surrender Sunday after they located him in the woods near his home, bringing an end to a massive, nearly two-day search that put the entire state on edge.
Vance Boelter was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder. He is accused of posing as a police officer and fatally shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their home early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Authorities say he also shot Sen. John Hoffman, a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette. They were injured at their residence about 9 miles (about 15 kilometers) away.
“One man’s unthinkable actions have altered the state of Minnesota,” Democratic Gov. Tim Walz said at a news conference after Boelter’s arrest.
A Sibley County Sheriff’s Deputy blocks the road where the suspect involved in the shooting of two state lawmakers vehicle was found Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Faxon Township, Minn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
The search for Boelter was the “largest manhunt in the state’s history,” Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley said. It began when Brooklyn Park officers went to check on Hortman’s home and saw her husband gunned down before the shooter fled.
Authorities on Sunday located a vehicle Boelter was using abandoned in rural Sibley County, where he lived, and a police officer reported that he believed he saw Boelter running into the woods, Bruley said. Police set up a large perimeter and called in 20 different tactical teams, divvying up the area and searching for him.
During the search, police said they received information confirming someone was in the woods and searched for hours, using a helicopter and officers on foot, until they found Boelter. He surrendered to police, crawling out to officers in the woods before he was handcuffed and taken into custody in a field, authorities said.
A targeted attack
(Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
Drew Evans, superintendent of the state Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, said the violence likely would’ve continued had Brooklyn Park offices not checked on Hortman’s home, causing Boelter to flee.
The Hoffmans were attacked first at their home in Champin early Saturday. A criminal complaint unsealed after Boelter’s arrest indicated their adult daughter called 911 just after 2 a.m. to say a masked person had come to the door and shot her parents.
After police in nearby Brooklyn Park learned that a lawmaker had been shot, they sent patrol officers to check on the Hortmans’ home.
Brooklyn Park police officers arrived just in time to see Boelter shoot Mark Hortman through the open door of the home, the complaint says. It says they exchanged gunfire with Boelter, who fled inside the home before escaping the scene. Melissa Hortman was found dead inside, the complaint said.
Authorities said Boelter posed as a police officer, even allegedly altering a vehicle to make it look like a police car.
No details on motive
Authorities did not give a motive as they announced Boelter’s arrest.
This photo provided by Minnesota State Patrol shows writings in the fake police car law enforcement officials believe a suspect used in the shooting of two Democratic legislators in Minnesota on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Minnesota State Patrol via AP)
A list of about 70 names was found in writings recovered from the fake police vehicle that was left at the crime scene, said two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation. The writings and list of names included prominent state and federal lawmakers and community leaders, along with abortion rights advocates and information about healthcare facilities, according to the officials.
A Minnesota official told AP lawmakers who had been outspoken in favor of abortion rights were on the list. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing.
Boelter is a former political appointee who served on the same state workforce development board as Hoffman, records show, though it was not clear if or how well they knew each other.
Around 6 a.m. Saturday, Boelter texted friends to apologize for his actions, though he didn’t say what he had done.
“I’m going to be gone for a while. May be dead shortly, so I just want to let you know I love you guys both and I wish it hadn’t gone this way,” he wrote in messages viewed by AP.
“This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,” Walz said Sunday.
On Sunday evening, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar shared a statement from Yvette Hoffman expressing appreciation for the outpouring of public support.
“John is enduring many surgeries right now and is closer every hour to being out of the woods,” Yvette Hoffman said in a text that Klobuchar posted on social media. “He took 9 bullet hits. I took 8 and we are both incredibly lucky to be alive. We are gutted and devastated by the loss of Melissa and Mark.”
Brightly colored flowers and small American flags were placed Sunday on the gray marbled stone of the Minnesota State Capitol along with a photo of the Hortmans. People scrawled messages on small notes including, “You were our leader through the hardest of times. Rest in Power.”
Pam Stein came with flowers and kneeled by the memorial. An emotional Stein called Hortman an “absolute powerhouse” and “the real unsung hero of Minnesota government.”
By Obed Lamy, Steve Karnowski, Mike Balsamo and Alanna Durkin Richer
J.J. Spaun celebrates with the trophy after winning the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun endured the toughest test in golf on the toughest course in America in the worst kind of conditions. And then he turned this miserable, wet Sunday at Oakmont into a finish as memorable as any in the U.S. Open.
The champion not many expected delivered two shots no one will forget.
For all the mess Oakmont became in a series of downpours, for all the bad breaks and bad lies and bad shots that cost so many contenders, Spaun overcame a start that would have ended hopes of more seasoned players and weathered the pressure to claim his greatest prize.
“I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,” said Spaun, who finished last year at No. 119 in the world and moved up to No. 8 with his U.S. Open victory. “I always had aspirations and dreams. I never knew what my ceiling was. I’m just trying to be the best golfer I can be.
Five players shared the lead with an hour to go. Four players were still tied as the U.S. Open made its way to the final four holes that frustrated Sam Burns and Tyrrell Hatton, and crushed the hopes of Adam Scott and Carlos Ortiz.
The last man standing was Spaun, the 34-year-old Californian with an eerie resemblance to the late Pittsburgh Steelers great Franco Harris.
Never mind that Spaun lacked the pedigree of so many players groomed in elite competition, that he had only one PGA Tour title until Sunday, was playing in only his second U.S. Open and had never cracked the top 20 in his previous eight majors.
The ending was magical. The road leading to his U.S. Open title was hard work and resiliency, especially Sunday. One shot behind to start the final round, he had five bogeys in six holes, including a shot that hit the pin on No. 2 and caromed 35 yards back into the fairway, turning birdie into a bogey.
“It felt like as bad as things were going, I just still tried to just commit to every shot. I tried to just continue to dig deep. I’ve been doing it my whole life,” Spaun said. “I think that’s been the biggest difference this year has been being able to do that. Fortunately, I dug very deep on the back nine, and things went my way, and here we are with the trophy.”
It was calamity for so many others.
Burns had a two-shot lead going to the 11th tee, made a double bogey from a divot in the first cut on No. 11 and from a lie in the fairway on No. 15 so wet he thought he deserved relief. He shot 78.
“It’s a tough golf course, and I didn’t have my best stuff, and clearly it showed,” he said.
Scott, trying to become the first player to go more than 11 years between major titles, was tied for the lead with five holes to play. One of the best drivers could no longer find the fairway. He played them in 5 over and shot 79.
“I missed the fairway. I hadn’t done that all week really. Then I did, and I paid the price and lost a lot of shots out there,” Scott said.
Ortiz and Hatton also slashed away in slushy lies, all making mistakes that cost them a chance to survive this beast of day.
The rain that put Oakmont on the edge of being unplayable might have saved Spaun.
He was four shots behind and facing the tough ninth hole. And then came a rain delay of 1 hour, 37 minutes.
“The weather delay changed the whole vibe of the day,” Spaun said.
Remarkably, he made only one bogey the rest of the way.
But oh, that finish.
MacIntyre, the 28-year-old from Oban toughened by the Scottish game of Shinty, became the new target. He also struggled at the start and fell nine shots behind at one point. But he birdied the 17th and split the fairway on the 18th for a key par, a 68 and the clubhouse lead.
Three groups later, Spaun delivered what looked like the winner on the 17th, a powerful fade that rolled onto the green like a putt and settled 18 feet behind the cup.
On the final putt, he was helped by Viktor Hovland being on the same line and going first. Spaun rapped it through the soaked turf, walked to the left to watch it break right toward the hole and watched it dropped as thousands of rain-soaked spectators erupted.
He raised both arms and tossed his putter, jumping into the arms of caddie Mark Carens.
The celebration carried into those who lost the battle.
Hatton was talking with reporters, bemoaning a bad break on the 17th ended his chances of winning. He watched the Spaun’s putt and it brightened his mood.
“Unbelievable. What a putt to win. That’s incredible,” he said. “I’m sad about how I finished, but I’m very happy for J.J. To win a major in that fashion is amazing.”
Hovland, who shot 73 to finish third, saw it all — the putt at the end, the bogeys at the start.
“After his start, it just looked like he was out of it immediately,” Hovland said. “Everyone came back to the pack. I wasn’t expecting that really. I thought I had to shoot maybe 3-under par today to have a good chance, but obviously the conditions got really, really tough, and this golf course is just a beast.”
Hatton (72) and Ortiz (73), both part of LIV Golf and in serious contention at a major for the first time, tied for fourth along with Cameron Young (70). The consolation for Ortiz was getting into the Masters next year.
Scottie Scheffler, 10 shots behind early in the final round, was somehow still part of the conversation on the back nine. But he missed far too many birdie chances even three-putting from 12 feet no the 11th hole. The world’s No. 1 player finished with a 70 to tie for seventh with Jon Rahm (67) and Burns, his best friend who will feel the sting.
He had a double bogey by missing the green into a bad lie on the slope of a bunker. He missed a pair of 6-foot birdie putts to seize control. And when he made a mess of the 15th for another double bogey.
Through it all, Spaun emerged as a U.S. Open champion hardly anyone saw coming — not at the start of the year, not at the start of the round.
The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept missiles over Tel Aviv, Israel, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel and Iran traded more missile attacks Sunday despite calls for a halt to the fighting, with neither country backing down as their conflict raged for a third day.
Iran said Israel struck its oil refineries, killed the intelligence chief of its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and hit population centers in intensive aerial attacks that raised the death toll in the country since Israel launched its major campaign Friday to 224 people. Health authorities also reported that 1,277 were wounded, without distinguishing between military officials and civilians.
Israel, which has aimed its missiles at Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear programand military leadership, said Iran has fired over 270 missiles since Friday, 22 of which slipped through the country’s sophisticated multi-tiered air defenses and caused havoc in residential suburbs, killing 14 people and wounding 390 others.
In an indication of how far Israel was seemingly prepared to go, a U.S. official told The Associated Press that President Donald Trump nixed an Israeli plan to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who serves as a religious authority and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Israel, the sole though undeclared nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, has said this attack — its most powerful ever against Iran — was to prevent the country from developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran turns metro stations, mosques into bomb shelters
Israeli security forces inspect a destroyed building that was hit by a missile fired from Iran, near Tel Aviv, Israel, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Claiming to operate almost freely in the skies over Iran, Israel said its attacks Sunday hit Iran’s Defense Ministry, missile launch sites and factories producing air defense components.
Iran also acknowledged Israel had killed three more of its top generals, including Gen. Mohammad Kazemi, the Revolutionary Guard intelligence chief.
But Israeli strikes have increasingly extended beyond Iranian military installations to hit government buildings including the Foreign Ministry and several energy facilities, Iranian authorities said, most recently sparking huge fires at the Shahran oil depot north of Tehran and a fuel tank south of the city.
Those new targets Sunday, coming after Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars, the world’s largest natural gas field, raised the prospect of a broader assault on Iran’s heavily sanctioned energy industry that remains vital to the global economy and markets.
Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh and other Iranian diplomats shared photos of the Foreign Ministry’s offices and library laid to waste by flying shrapnel.
Iran’s state TV broadcast footage of a dust-covered man carrying a baby away from the ruins of a residential building and a woman covered in blood making panicked phone call from the site of an Israeli missile strike in downtown Tehran. The spokesperson for Iran’s Health Ministry, Hossein Kermanpour, said 90% of the 224 people killed were civilians.
The Washington-based rights advocacy group, called Human Rights Activists, reported a far higher death toll in Iran from Israeli strikes, saying the attacks have killed at least 406 people and wounded another 654. Iran routinely has undercounted casualties in recent crises, such as the 2022 mass demonstrations over mandatory hijab laws after the death of Mahsa Amini.
State TV reported that metro stations and mosques would be made converted into bomb shelters beginning Sunday night. Tehran residents told of long lines at gas stations and cars backed up for hours as families fled the city.
Traffic police closed a number of roads outside the city to control congestion. Energy officials on state TV sought to reassure the jittery public there was no gasoline shortage despite the long lines.
Iranian state-linked media acknowledged explosions and fires stemming from an attack on an Iranian refueling aircraft in Mashhad deep in the country’s northeast. Israel described the attack on Mashhad as the farthest strike it has carried out in Iranian territory.
The death toll rises in Israel
Air raid sirens sounded across Jerusalem and major Israeli cities, sending Israelis scrambling to bomb shelters in the seaside metropolis of Tel Aviv and the northern port city of Haifa.
The Israeli military reported that almost two dozen Iranian missiles had slipped through the vaunted Iron Dome aerial defense system and struck residential areas.
Early Sunday, Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service reported that at least six people, including a 10-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl, were killed when a missile smashed into a high-rise apartment in Bat Yam, a coastal city south of Tel Aviv.
Daniel Hadad, a local police commander, said 180 people were wounded and seven missing in Bat Yam. Residents appeared dazed, staggering through the rubble of their homes to retrieve personal belongings while rescuers sifted through twisted metal and shattered glass in their search for more bodies.
Another four people, including a 13-year-old, were killed and 24 wounded when a missile struck a building in the Arab town of Tamra in northern Israel, emergency authorities said, while a strike on the central city of Rehovot wounded 42 people.
A man looks at flames rising from an oil storage facility after it appeared to have been struck by an Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran, early Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
The Weizmann Institute of Science, a center for military and other research also in Rehovot, reported “a number of hits to buildings on the campus” and said no one was harmed.
An oil refinery was damaged in the northern Israeli city of Haifa, the firm operating it said. Israel’s main international airport and airspace was closed for a third day.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said if Israeli strikes on Iran stop, then “our responses will also stop.”
Netanyahu says conflict could result in regime change in Iran
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, he said regime change in Iran “could certainly be the result” of the conflict. He also claimed, without providing evidence, that Israeli intelligence indicated Iran intended to give nuclear weapons to Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Iran has always said its nuclear program was peaceful, and the U.S. and others have assessed that it has not pursued a nuclear weapon since 2003.
But Iran has enriched ever-larger stockpiles of uranium to near weapons-grade levels in recent years and was believed to have the capacity to develop multiple weapons within months if it chose to do so.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive nuclear talks, said Washington remained committed to the negotiations and hoped the Iranians would return to the table.
The region is already on edge as Israel seeks to annihilate the Palestinian militant group Hamas, an Iranian ally, in the Gaza Strip, where war still ragesafter Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel.
‘Many months’ to repair nuclear facilities
In Iran, satellite photos analyzed by AP show extensive damage at Iran’s main nuclear enrichment facility in Natanz. The images captured Saturday by Planet Labs PBC show multiple buildings damaged or destroyed. The structures hit include buildings identified by experts as supplying power to the facility.
U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to be hit, but the loss of power could have damaged infrastructure there, he said.
Israel also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, said four “critical buildings” were damaged, including a uranium-conversion facility. The IAEA said there was no sign of increased radiation at Natanz or Isfahan.
An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity Sunday in line with official procedures, said it would take “many months, maybe more” to restore the two sites.
By Jon Gambrell, Natalie Melzer and Tia Goldenberg Associated Press
Herbert Earnest “Sonny” Owen, Sr., age 85, of Mt. Airy, Georgia passed away on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
Mr. Owen was born on February 8, 1940 in Habersham County, Georgia to the late Earnest Augustus Owen and Celeste Duckett Owen. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 57 years, Sandra Nation Owen. Mr. Owen was a cattle farmer, working side by side with his son, Herbert for over 50 years. Sonny will be remembered as a loving father, and as grandfather, and great-grandfather. He had the great pleasure to be called “Pa Sonny” by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Herbert Owen, Jr. and Gina Owen, of Baldwin; son, Aaron Anthony “Ron” Owen, of Conyers; grandchildren and their spouses, Brandi Owen Wilbanks and Kyle and Brian Owen and Emily; great-grandchildren, Owen Wilbanks, Emory Wilbanks, Kate Wilbanks, and Henry Wilbanks.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at Whitfield Funeral Home, South Chapel, with Rev. Jerrell Beatty officiating. Interment will follow in the Owen Family Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 12:00 p.m. to 1:45 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, 1015 at the funeral home prior to the service.
Flowers are accepted or special memorials may be made to one’s favorite charity.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, South Chapel at 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Telephone: 706-778-7123.
Shane Van Gisbergen celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Hermanos Rodriguez race track in Mexico City, Sunday, June 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Very little went right for Shane Van Gisbergen in the buildup to NASCAR’s first international Cup Series points-paying race of the modern era.
A mechanical issue on takeoff forced his team charter to abort the initial journey to Mexico City. He arrived at the venue Friday, a day late, and after winning the pole Saturday, the New Zealander fell seriously ill.
He was sleeping on the floor of his hauler before Sunday’s race, unsure he’d be able to physically complete the 100-lap event at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
But there’s something special about the Kiwi and new venues, especially in the rain, and he salvaged the weekend by winning on the road course to earn an automatic berth into NASCAR’s playoffs.
Van Gisbergen led 60 of 100 laps and beat Christopher Bell by 16.567 seconds.
“I tried to treat it like when I go to Asia, just drink bottled water and be careful in the shower and brush your teeth with bottled water, but I just went downhill,” Van Gisbergen said. “Couldn’t keep anything in. Everything just went straight through me. I felt really queasy and my mind was there, but my body just had so much pressure in my stomach. Crazy weekend and everyone dug deep.”
It was the second Cup Series victory of his career. He won in his NASCAR debut at the inaugural 2023 street course race in Chicago — a victory that changed his career trajectory. Van Gisbergen left Australia V8 Supercars, where he was a multiple champion, for a full-time move to NASCAR.
Although he had success in the Xfinity Series — he won three races last year as Trackhouse Racing developed him for a Cup Series ride — Van Gisbergen has struggled this year at NASCAR’s top level.
He started the race ranked 33rd in the Cup standings with only one top-10 finish through the first 15 races of the season. But his victory in Mexico City revived his season and gives him a shot to race for the Cup Series championship.
“It means everything to us, this is why I’m here,” Van Gisbergen said. “I am getting better and more competitive. We’re really making a lot of progress.”
Van Gisbergen celebrated in his traditional rugby-style way — he drop-kicked a signed football into the grandstands and then said he had recovered enough to enjoy “some Red Bulls mixed with adult beverages” later Sunday.
Van Gisbergen benefitted from an early pop-up rain shower on the first lap of the race because he’s an exceptionally skilled driver on a wet surface. His win at Chicago was in monsoon-like conditions.
Trackhouse now has two of its drivers — Ross Chastain and Van Gisbergen — locked into the playoffs. But it was a bit of a disappointment for Daniel Suarez, the Monterrey native who thrilled the hometown crowd with a win in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, as he failed to challenge his teammate for the win and finished 19th.
“I wish I was in the mix fighting for it a little more, but it just wasn’t in the cards,” Suarez said. “Every single thing about this weekend exceeded my expectations, the people, the fans, the sponsors, the excitement, the energy.
“I had expectations for this weekend, not the results but, like, the event, and I can tell you that I personally exceeded those expectations,” he added. “So very, very happy for that. Very blessed. I hope that we can do it many more times.”
Suarez, who appeared to be blinking back tears as he sang along with the Mexican national anthem in pre-race ceremonies, desperately wanted the home win in this contract year with Trackhouse. He was the face of this event as NASCAR ventured outside the U.S. with its top series for the first time since 1958.
Bell finished second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing. He was followed by Chase Elliott in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Alex Bowman, who hurt his back in a crash last week at Michigan, withstood the pain for a fourth-place finish in his Hendrick Chevrolet.
Michael McDowell of Spire Motorsports was fifth and followed by John Hunter Nemechek in a Toyota for Legacy Motor Club. Chase Briscoe of JGR was seventh and followed by Cole Custer for Haas Factory as the highest-finishing Ford driver. William Byron of Hendrick was ninth and Chris Buescher of RFK Racing rounded out the top 10.
Chevrolets took five of the top-10 positions, including the victory.
Stenhouse vs. Hocevar
The ongoing feud between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carson Hocevar continued after the race as a furious Stenhouse reached inside Hocevar’s cockpit on pit road.
He seemed to grab at Hocevar as he spoke to him, then slapped at his helmet as Stenhouse walked away. It wasn’t clear what Stenhouse was upset about, but he’s been furious with Hocevar for three consecutive weeks, dating to contact between the two at Nashville.
Hocevar’s in-car camera captured the audio of the confrontation.
“I’m going to beat your (butt),” Stenhouse threatened. “You’re a lap down, you’ve got nothing to do. Why you run right into me? It’s the second time. I’m going to beat your (butt) when we get back to the States.”
Hocevar said after the race he couldn’t really hear Stenhouse.
“I know he was very mad and I was very apologetic,” Hocevar said. “I got in the marbles and slid a lot longer than I expected to. Number one, not somebody I would ever want to hit again. But number two, I was basically just logging laps. I tried to turn left and avoid him. Just a really sloppy day for me.”
Gordon gives command
NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon was selected to give the command for drivers to start their engines and admitted before the race he’d done some practicing.
Why? Because he incorporated both English and Spanish in his delivery of the most famous words in racing.
“Hola Mexico!” Gordon shouted. “Pilotos start your engines!
Up Next
NASCAR races next Sunday at Pocono Raceway, where Ryan Blaney won last year.
Bobby Lee Barrett, beloved husband, father, brother, and papa, passed away peacefully on June 14, 2025, surrounded by those who loved him the most.
Born on March 21, 1941, in Jackson County, he was the son of the late Grady and Mattie Parr Barrett. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by son; Otis Parr; brothers and sisters- in-law; Jimmy, James, Donnie, Billy Joe (Sandra), & Rev. Johnny (Drucilla) Barrett; sisters and brothers-in-law; Mildred (George) Filyaw, Joyce (Doug) Thompson, Betty (Jerry) Williamson. Sister-in-law and spouse, Vickie Saunders (Van). Great-granddaughter, Adilyn Faith Turner.
Bobby spent many years dedicated to his work at Yonah Packaging and Cornelia Textiles. A devoted family man, his greatest joy was found around the dinner table on Sundays, sharing food and laughter with his loved ones. During the week, he enjoyed the simple pleasures of life- watching The Price Is Right in the morning, Family Feud in the evening, and cheering on his favorite teams, the Atlanta Falcons, the Atlanta Braves and the Georgia Bulldogs, whenever they played. He was known for his kind heart, quiet strength, and the deep love he had for his family. Nothing made him happier than time spent with his grandchildren, especially if it came with a strawberry milkshake or a “Chicken-Fil-A” sandwich (as he called it) in hand.
Survivors include; his loving wife of 63 years, Brenda Lee Barrett; Sons and daughter in law, Keith and Linda Barrett, Chris Brown; Daughters and son in law, Tina and David Franklin, Kim Thompson; Grandchildren and spouses; Danielle Johnson (Chris), Brittany Jones (Day), Gary Turner (Jennifer), Jeff Turner, Kevin Rice (Christy), Samantha Mason (Lee), Charlee Brown (Dalton); Great Grandchildren; Blake and Hannah Johnson, Reagan Jones, Baileigh, Drayk, Braelyn, Archie Turner, Aubrey and Kaden Turner, MaCayla and Raelynn Rice, Kennedy, Westlyn and Langston Mason, Kason and Hazlee Cordell. Brothers and sisters-in-law, Jerry and Joyce Barrett, Terry and Judy Barrett, and Steve and Pam Barrett. Sisters in law, Beth Barrett and Barbara Barrett. Sisters in law and spouses, Dale and Keith Evans, Tracy and Chet Maxwell, Barbara Nash. Brothers-in-law and spouse, Chad and Sonja Bennett, Farris Lynch, and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
He leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and tradition that will live on in those who were lucky enough to know him. He will be deeply missed, lovingly remembered, and forever cherished.
The funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at New Vision Worship Center with Rev. Mickey Umbehant and Rev. Scott Ledbetter officiating. Cremation will follow the service. The family will receive friends at the church on Tuesday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Strickland Funeral Home of Lavonia is in charge of the arrangements. To sign the online guest register please visit stricklandfh.com.
Colorado Rockies' Ryan Ritter (8) bunts against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning of a baseball game, Sunday, June 15, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
ATLANTA (AP) — Ryan McMahon hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh and the Colorado Rockies overcame Grant Holmes’ 15-strikeout performance to beat the Atlanta Braves 10-1 on Sunday and avoid a series sweep.
The Rockies have lost 22 of 23 series this season. They swept Miami on the road from June 2-4 for their only series win so far this season.
Colorado right-hander Austin Gomber allowed two hits and no runs in five innings in his season debut.
The Braves trailed 1-0 despite Holmes not allowing a hit or a walk through five innings.
Holmes mishandled a grounder by Ryan Ritter in the third and made an wild throw to first base for another error, allowing Ritter to advance to third base. Braxton Fulford’s sacrifice fly to left field drove in Ritter.
Fulford’s single up the middle with one out in the sixth was Colorado’s first hit. Fulford added a three-run triple off Aaron Bummer in the eighth.
Gomber came off the injured list. He had been out since March 27 with a sore left shoulder. Jake Bird (2-1) allowed one run in the sixth.
Key moment
After McMahon’s homer off Holmes (3-6) gave Colorado a 2-1 lead, Jordan Beck added a two-run double in a six-run seventh. The Rockies’ six runs in the seventh were their most in a road inning since June 2, 2023, when they scored six in the eighth at Kansas City.
Key stat
One day after Rockies hitters set a nine-inning team record by striking out 19 times in a 4-1 loss to Atlanta, Colorado struck out 16 times. Holmes struck out 15 in 6 1/3 innings while allowing three runs, two earned.
The 35 combined strikeouts by Braves pitchers in back-to-back games fell one shy of the major-league record of 36 by Boston on April 29-30, 1986, against Seattle.
Up next
Colorado opens a four-game series at Washington on Monday. Left-hander Carson Palmquist, recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday, will start. The Braves are off Monday before beginning a three-game home series against the New York Mets on Tuesday night. Right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach is scheduled to start, followed by left-hander Chris Sale on Wednesday night.
“This cannot be the norm. It cannot be the way that we deal with our political differences,” Walz said Sunday.
