Good morning. Here’s a look at three stories shaping the national conversation—from behind-the-scenes coaching on Iran, to a major airport evacuation, to an eyebrow-raising moment at a high-profile memorial service.
Graham’s Reportedly Behind the Push Toward Iran
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham has spent weeks quietly traveling through the Middle East, building the case for American military action against Iran—and, according to reports, even helping shape the pitch that ultimately reached President Donald Trump.
Graham told the Wall Street Journal that during recent visits to Israel he met with members of the country’s intelligence services, gathering information he suggested American officials had not shared with him directly. The senator also maintained close contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, advising him on how to present intelligence to Trump in a way that would resonate.
That intelligence presentation reportedly helped persuade the president to green-light military action against Iran.
Israeli outlet Israel Hayom described Graham as one of four central figures behind the campaign that ultimately led to the strikes. After touring the region, Graham even returned to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate with a message he said he had heard from Gulf leaders: they wanted the United States to act against Tehran.
The senator’s lobbying effort reportedly began soon after the 2024 election, when he raised the idea during a round of golf with Trump. Over the following months, Graham teamed up with retired Gen. Jack Keane and conservative writer Marc Thiessen to regularly press the case in calls to the White House.
Graham also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the strikes, reportedly seeking regional backing even while U.S.–Iran negotiations were still underway.
Not everyone in Trump’s orbit was pleased. Republican Sen. Rand Paul joked that Congress should consider limiting how often Graham can visit the White House or golf with the president. Public opinion appears skeptical as well—recent polling found only about a quarter of Americans supported the strikes.
Graham, however, appears unfazed. Asked about criticism, he shrugged it off, noting he has already pitched additional military options—including targeting Iranian and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.
Bomb Threat Empties Kansas City International Airport
Thousands of travelers were forced onto the tarmac Sunday after a bomb threat prompted a massive evacuation at Kansas City International Airport.
Airport officials said the threat was reported around 11:15 a.m. local time, triggering an immediate clearing of the terminal. Flights that had already landed were held on taxiways while law enforcement swept the facility.
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation joined local police in the response. Authorities also shut down nearby highway exits and temporarily grounded flights as passengers were directed outside between Terminal A and Terminal B.
Traveler Logan Hawley said he was preparing to board a flight to Texas when airport workers suddenly began shouting evacuation orders.
“Immediately evacuate,” Hawley recalled hearing, as police and K-9 units flooded the terminal. He estimated roughly 2,000 people were moved onto the tarmac during the operation.
Passengers were allowed back inside shortly before 1:45 p.m., after more than two hours outside. Flight data showed 127 delays and two cancellations linked to the disruption, while several inbound flights were diverted.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later said the airport had been cleared and normal operations were resuming, praising the coordinated response by federal and local authorities.
Jackson’s Son Pushes Back at Presidential Tributes
At the memorial service for civil rights icon Jesse Jackson, one of the most striking moments came not from the dignitaries paying tribute—but from the reverend’s own son.
Jesse Jackson Jr. delivered a pointed response to the speeches given by former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, telling mourners that despite their praise, the trio never truly understood his father.
“Yesterday I listened for several hours of three United States presidents who do not know Jesse Jackson,” he said during Saturday’s service.
Jackson Jr. argued that his father’s legacy cannot be fully explained through traditional politics or the leaders who passed through Washington during his lifetime. Instead, he said, the elder Jackson maintained a complicated—and often tense—relationship with the political establishment because of his unwavering commitment to those on the margins of society.
“He maintained a tense relationship with the political order,” Jackson Jr. said, emphasizing that the conflict was not about party or race but about principle. Representing “the disinherited, the damned, the dispossessed, the disrespected,” he said, required a prophetic voice that could not be contained by Democratic or Republican agendas.
The remarks stood in contrast to the tone of the earlier speeches, which highlighted Jackson’s influence on modern Democratic politics and the broader civil rights movement. Obama warned about threats to democratic institutions, while Clinton reflected on their personal friendship and conversations during his presidency. Biden also spoke about overcoming a childhood stutter, a story that included a remark about being “a hell of a lot smarter than most of you,” which drew backlash online.
Jackson Jr.’s comments echoed a message he had delivered shortly after his father’s death: that the services should rise above partisan politics.
Following the passing of the civil rights leader at age 84 in Chicago, he urged attendees from across the political spectrum to come simply to honor the man and his work.
“Come respectful, and come to say thank you,” he said at the time. “His life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be an American.”
The memorial drew a long list of political and civil rights figures—including Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Al Sharpton and Gavin Newsom.
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