Abigail Spanberger opened her general election bid for Virginia governor Wednesday using her high school alma mater near Richmond. “I grew up walking the halls of Tucker High School,” the former congresswoman says as she walks past a bank of lockers in her first ad since securing the Democratic nomination. Later, she notes her experience as a CIA case officer, then in the halls of Congress as a tough-minded, get-things-done lawmaker. The same kind of message is echoing in New Jersey from Rep. Mikie Sherrill, as she also makes a bid for governor. Both women are selling themselves as Democrats who can rise above the rancor of Donald Trump’s Washington.

President Donald Trump says he will decide sometime in the next two weeks whether the U.S. will be “directly involved” in Israel’s campaign against Iran. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the announcement during a Thursday press conference, reading a statement directly from Trump. “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks,” Leavitt quoted. PRESS SEC: “Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon.

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito paid respects to atomic bombing victims in Hiroshima as the city marks the 80th anniversary of the tragedy later this year. Naruhito, accompanied by his wife, Empress Masako, bowed deeply at the cenotaph for the atomic bombing victims and offered bouquets of white flowers. The atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, destroyed the city, killing 140,000 people. A second bomb dropped three days later on Nagasaki killed 70,000 more. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, ending World War II and its nearly half-century aggression in Asia. Naruhito has repeatedly stressed the importance to remember and keep telling the tragedy of the war to younger generations.

For years, Israel has targeted Iranian nuclear scientists, hoping to choke progress on Iran’s nuclear program by striking at the brains behind it. Now, with Iran and Israel in an open-ended direct conflict, scientists in Israel have found themselves in the crosshairs after an Iranian missile struck a premier research institute known for its work in life sciences and physics, among other fields. While no one was killed in the strike on the Weizmann Institute of Science early Sunday, it caused heavy damage to multiple labs on campus, snuffing out years of scientific research and sending a chilling message to Israeli scientists that they and their expertise are now targets in the escalating conflict with Iran.

In his most forceful statement to date, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz on Thursday openly called for the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declaring that the man behind Tehran’s military machine “cannot continue to exist” in the wake of Iran’s brazen missile strike on Israel on Thursday morning that left the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva and homes near Tel Aviv in ruins. Standing amid the wreckage of residential buildings in Holon, Katz unleashed a fiery warning: “Khamenei is the one personally giving the orders to fire on hospitals and civilians. This is not collateral damage — this is doctrine.

In response to numerous life-threatening situations and at the request of medical professionals, El Al airline has been authorized to operate special emergency medical flights during the upcoming Shabbos. These flights will be classified as “life-saving medical emergency flights.” After receiving approval from Israel’s Chief Rabbis, it was decided that the flights will depart to Israel from Larnaca and Athens. The list of passengers includes El Al travelers and others in urgent need of reaching Israel, all of whom have been approved by a senior specialist who oversees leading medical centers in Israel. The cases were deemed to involve life-saving situations or a threat to life. This measure has been officially approved by Israel’s Chief Rabbis.

Israel on Monday eliminated Major General Ali Shademani, the Iranian regime’s War-Time Chief of Staff and the most senior military commander after the Supreme Leader himself. The assassination marked the second decapitation strike on Iran’s top brass in less than a week. Shademani was killed Monday night in a covert Israel Air Force strike on a heavily guarded compound nestled in the mountains outside Tehran. The secluded location had been chosen by dozens of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers after they fled their main command center in the capital—wrongly believing they’d escaped Israel’s reach. Instead, Israeli intelligence tracked their every move. The IAF waited until the IRGC leadership was assembled at the so-called “safe house.” Then came the strike.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Soroka Medical Center on Thursday, following damage sustained in an Iranian missile strike in the morning. Accompanied by Health Minister Uriel Buso, Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, and Be’er Sheva Mayor Ruvik Danilovich, Netanyahu toured the affected areas of the hospital and met with staff and officials. During the visit, Netanyahu sharply contrasted Israel’s military actions with those of Iran, accusing the Islamic Republic of deliberately targeting civilians. “We are striking with precision — targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile infrastructure,” Netanyahu said.

In a long-awaited development, Israel’s Ministry of Transportation has released initial guidance for Israeli citizens who are currently stranded abroad and wish to return home. The announcement, issued late Wednesday, outlines steps for those with return tickets, as well as a special process for those without. Israeli citizens who already hold return tickets to Israel are advised to contact the airline on which they are booked. At present, only Israeli carriers are operating flights into the country. For those without return tickets, or those whose flights have been canceled, the Ministry has established a special Exceptions Committee.

A new billboard campaign in the heart of Times Square is turning heads and making a powerful statement: the phrase “Free Palestine,” far from a call for peace, is being exposed as a cover for deep-seated antisemitism and genocidal rhetoric. Launched Monday by the Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), the 30-day ad campaign features vivid, 10-second digital clips running six times per hour. Its aim is to raise national awareness about what CJV says is a growing threat to Jews and to the American social fabric. “We call upon all Americans to join us in speaking clearly about who and what the bloodthirsty ‘Free Palestine’ movement stands for, and the need to stamp it out,” said Rabbi Yaakov Menken, CJV’s executive vice president.