First Thing: Trump flip-flops on Hormuz toll and threatens Iran’s civilian infrastructure

A screengrab from a video said to show an Iranian missile being launched from an undisclosed location towards US targets in Bahrain and Kuwait. Photograph: Sepahnews.com/AFP/Getty Images View image in fullscreen A screengrab from a video said to show an Iranian missile being launched from an undisclosed location towards US targets in Bahrain and Kuwait. Photograph: Sepahnews.com/AFP/Getty Images First Thing: Trump flip-flops on Hormuz toll and threatens Iran’s civilian infrastructure US president says power plants and bridges could be targeted, which would probably constitute war crimes. Plus, the bear that raided an elderly couple’s fridge, and a stolen cat involved in a bank robbery Good morning. Donald Trump has threatened to expand US strikes on Iran next week to target civilian infrastructure including power plants and bridges if Tehran does not agree to a deal. Trump made similar comments in March. Destroying civilian infrastructure such as power and water facilities would be illegal under international humanitarian law and would probably constitute a war crime. The US president, meanwhile, has U-turned on a threat that ships would have to pay a 20% fee to the US for “security” in the strait of Hormuz. He said he had decided to scrap the toll “based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership”, and touted “massive” investments. He said the US would continue to blockade Iranian ports. How have Democrats responded to renewed hostilities? Senate Democrats blocked the advancement of a must-pass defense bill. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, said his party could not support advancing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as long as the fighting continued. Top House Democrats, meanwhile, have vowed to oppose a bid to cut US military aid to Israel as the party grapples with a rebellion among their voters over the party’s support for the Middle Eastern ally. ICE pauses vehicle stops after deadly shootings in Texas and Maine View image in fullscreen A makeshift memorial for Joan Sebastian Guerrero, who was fatally shot by ICE agents in Biddeford, Maine. Photograph: Ryan Murphy/Getty Images Federal immigration officials have been instructed to stop pulling over vehicles until further notice, according to a homeland security source, after two recent deadly shootings in Texas and Maine during which officials shot and killed immigrants in vehicles. Federal immigration officials, including officers with ICE and Customs and Border Protection, have shot and killed 11 people since January 2025. Five people fatally shot by ICE officials were in their vehicles. In most of the cases, DHS claimed people “weaponized” their vehicles against federal law enforcement officers, leading the officials to shoot. Claims by DHS officials were later disputed after footage of the separate incidents cast doubt on the department’s claims. Meta used AI to tag workers who took leave to be laid off, lawsuit claims View image in fullscreen The