Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,011 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• NBA Finals Champion

• Brother and sister political race

• Cost Wars: Hotels vs. Airbnbs

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Big Stories

US Bombs Iran

The US has launched its first strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

• US B-2 stealth bombers struck three Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday in "Operation Midnight Hammer," an 18-hour mission involving 125 aircraft and 420,000 pounds of explosives. Iran never detected the incoming attack, which used 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs in their first combat deployment.

• Trump's Thursday announcement of a 'two-week decision timeline' was actually misdirection as decoy B-2s from Missouri flew west toward the Pacific while the real strike force secretly approached Iran from the east via the Mediterranean. Just before the B-2s entered Iran, a US submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at key targets as part of the coordinated assault.

• Trump decided to strike after Israel proved unable to destroy Iran's deep underground Fordow enrichment site with conventional weapons. Iran claims it evacuated the nuclear sites beforehand and transferred enriched uranium reserves, though Trump said the facilities were "completely and totally obliterated" in a televised address.

• Iran's parliament voted Sunday to approve closing the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway carrying 20% of global oil supplies, in retaliation for the US strikes. Though the final decision rests with Iran's Supreme Leader, oil prices spiked 9% and roughly 50 tankers scrambled to leave the area.

Shadow Vaccine Committee

Leading medical organizations are forming a shadow vaccine advisory committee to counter Health Secretary RFK Jr.'s influence over federal vaccine policy.

• Infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm is launching the "Vaccine Integrity Project" with support from the American Academy of Pediatrics and other major medical groups to provide alternative vaccine recommendations.

• The move responds to RFK Jr.'s firing of all 17 members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, replacing them with appointees who have anti-vaccine histories, including one who served as an expert witness against vaccination mandates. The committee's recommendations guide school vaccination requirements and insurance coverage, making RFK Jr.'s appointees influential over which shots American children receive.

• States are already choosing sides, with Wisconsin defying RFK Jr.'s decision to stop recommending COVID vaccines for healthy children and pregnant women. Insurance companies traditionally follow official federal guidance but could shift to the alternative recommendations, potentially creating competing vaccine advisory systems.

NBA Champs

The Oklahoma City Thunder have won their first NBA championship.

• Oklahoma City defeated the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 Sunday night to capture the franchise's first NBA title since moving from Seattle in 2008. The Thunder completed a dominant season in which they posted a league-best 68 wins, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his first MVP award.

• The game's turning point came when Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter after scoring 9 of the team’s first 16 points. Indiana led 48-47 at halftime but couldn't keep pace without their leading scorer, who had powered multiple playoff comebacks this season.

• Oklahoma City outscored Indiana 34-20 in the third quarter to seize control, turning the Pacers' one-point halftime lead into an 81-68 deficit. Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for the Thunder with 29 points and 12 assists and added NBA Finals MVP to his resume.

Quick Stories

US News

• Brother and sister Randolph Bracy and LaVon Bracy Davis are running against each other in Tuesday's special Democratic primary for a Florida state Senate seat representing metro Orlando. (More)

• Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed new legislation Saturday requiring Ten Commandments displays in all public school classrooms, making Texas the largest state with such a mandate. (More)

• A gunman opened fire during Sunday service at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan. The church security guard, wounded in the leg, shot and killed the attacker. No one in the congregation was hurt. (More)

World

• NATO's 32 member allies agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade, appeasing Trump administration demands while addressing growing threats from Russia and China. (More)

• The Bayesian superyacht that sank off Sicily, killing tech magnate Mike Lynch and six others, was successfully raised from the seabed Saturday and transported to port for investigation. (More)

• A suicide bomber killed at least 22 people and wounded 63 others on Sunday at a Greek Orthodox church in Damascus, Syria. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed mixed on Friday (S&P -0.22%, Nasdaq -0.51%, Dow +0.08%). The S&P finished in the red for the third consecutive trading day. (More)

• Bitcoin dropped below $100,000 for the first time in over a month on Sunday, falling 4% to $99,300 following US airstrikes on Iran. Total crypto markets tanked 7% overall on Sunday. (More)

• FedEx founder Fred Smith, who revolutionized express delivery, died at age 80. The Marine veteran built the company into a global logistics giant that makes 17 million shipments per business day. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• The Houston Rockets acquired 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant from Phoenix in a blockbuster trade Sunday, sending Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and six future picks. (More)

• Shohei Ohtani made his second pitching start for the Dodgers on Sunday, throwing one hitless inning with two strikeouts against Washington while continuing his recovery from 2023 UCL surgery. (More)

• UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones announced his retirement Saturday while facing a criminal summons for leaving the scene of an accident. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Ocean waters are turning greener near the poles and bluer near the equator as phytoplankton shifts, potentially affecting marine food webs and global fisheries. (More)

• University of Alaska scientist Gunther Kletetschka proposes that time works differently than we think, suggesting it has three directions instead of one, which could help solve major mysteries about how the universe works. (More)

• Tesla launched its robotaxi service in Austin on Sunday with driverless Model Ys charging a flat $4.20 fee. (More)

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