WTF Just Happened Today

Thursday, June 20, 2019

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1/ Trump warned that Iran "made a very big mistake" after its military claimed responsibility for shooting down an American drone in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed the drone "violated" Iranian airspace, while U.S. military claimed the unmanned aircraft was taken down in "an unprovoked attack on a U.S. surveillance asset" over international airspace. Trump called the action "a new fly in the ointment" and a "very foolish move," saying the "this country will not stand for it, that I can tell you." Trump added that it also could have been a "mistake" by someone "loose and stupid." A top Iranian commander, meanwhile, warned that Iran was "fully ready for war." And, when asked whether the U.S. would attack Iran, Trump responded: "You'll soon find out." (ABC News / Associated Press / New York Times / Politico / The Guardian / NBC News / CNN / CNBC)

2/ The Senate voted to block the sale of $8.1 billion in munitions to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In back-to-back votes, the Senate passed three measures to block Trump from using his emergency authority to complete the arms sales, but fell short of the support needed to overcome a pledged veto. Trump is expected to veto the Senate's resolutions. (New York Times / Politico / Wall Street Journal / Washington Post)

3/ A federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration's family planning "gag rule" can immediately take effect nationwide. The ruling lifts national injunctions ordered by lower federal courts in Oregon and Washington state, as well as a statewide injunction in California, allowing the Trump administration to strip federal Title X funding from any clinic that provides abortions or abortion referrals. Planned Parenthood faces a cut of $60 million in Title X funds. (Washington Post / Politico)

4/ A watchdog group filed a complaint claiming Ivanka Trump violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from engaging in elections in their official capacity. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington cited a tweet from Ivanka Trump two days before Trump's 2020 campaign launch that included the campaign slogan "Make America Great Again" and stated "the best is yet to come." (The Guardian /