After months of job cuts, leadership turnover and other turmoil at the Social Security Administration, the agency’s newly minted commissioner faced pointed questions from lawmakers about the future of the agency and its ability to pay Americans their benefits and protect their privacy. Frank Bisignano, who was sworn in last month as President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the agency, told lawmakers he intends to improve accuracy in payments and raise morale at the agency, which has already lost 7,000 workers since billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency embarked on a cost-cutting mission at the agency earlier this year.

More than 100 pro-Palestinian activists caused over $1.1 million in damages at a Belgian defense facility this week in a raid that inadvertently disrupted aid to Ukraine, not Israel. The group, affiliated with the “Stop Arming Israel” campaign, broke into the OIP Land Systems warehouse in Tournai around 4:50 a.m. Monday. Armed with hammers and spray paint, the vandals shattered windows, defaced equipment, and rendered dozens of armored vehicles temporarily inoperable. The company confirmed the vehicles were intended for Ukrainian forces fighting Russia—not for Israeli use. The raid took place at one of Europe’s largest private weapons storage facilities. OIP Land Systems has played a key role in supplying Ukraine’s military since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is forecasting a dramatic spike in Palm Beach property prices following Zohran Mamdani’s surprising victory in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary—an outcome that DeSantis believes will drive residents to flee the city.
Mamdani, originally from Uganda and affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America, emerged victorious Tuesday night in the Democratic mayoral primary, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who had widely been considered the frontrunner. Mamdani ran on a platform of expansive government services and progressive reforms. His win has prompted strong reactions from both sides of the political aisle, with growing fears that his leadership could trigger an exodus from New York City.

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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Thursday asked the Jerusalem District Court to postpone his testimony in his court case by two weeks due to security and political matters. “Following the [military] operation and regional and global developments, the Prime Minister is required to dedicate all of his time and energy to handling top-priority political, national, and security issues, which include, among other things, managing the fighting in Gaza and handling the issue of the hostages,” the request, submitted by Netanyahu’s lawyer, stated.

At a Thursday morning briefing alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized the press for latching onto an early intelligence report that appeared to cast doubt on the success of recent U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. He accused reporters of ignoring context and downplaying a mission that, according to the administration, achieved its goals.
Hegseth argued that the assessment, which suggested the damage from the strikes may have fallen short of expectations, had not been vetted across the intelligence community. He emphasized that other, more thorough evaluations presented a very different understanding of the impact from “Operation Midnight Hammer.”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, made a rare public appearance Thursday, claiming an unsubstantiated triumph over Israel and boasting that his regime had “delivered a hand slap to America’s face.” This marked his first public speech since Israeli and U.S. forces devastated key elements of Iran’s nuclear program, an operation President Trump labeled “total obliteration.”
Despite Iran’s massive losses, including the deaths of more than a dozen senior nuclear scientists and the destruction of three major uranium enrichment facilities, Khamenei insisted on calling the 12-day conflict a victory.