The Daily Brief - Apr. 9, 2026
The latest on the Iran war, the Pam Bondi subpoena, the Artemis II lunar mission and more
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Iran War
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that he has authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon, with talks expected to focus on disarming Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group. The AP reported that negotiations could begin next week at the State Department in Washington. Lebanon has not publicly responded.
Yesterday, Israel carried out what its military called its largest coordinated strike on Lebanon since the strikes on the nation began on March 2. The Israeli military said it hit 100 Hezbollah targets in 10 minutes across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 203 people were killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the latest strikes. A total of 1,739 people have been killed and 5,873 injured in Lebanon in just over five weeks since the war began, according to Lebanese officials.
The strikes came hours after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with both Iran and mediator Pakistan saying Lebanon was included in the deal. Netanyahu and President Trump both said it was not, with Trump calling Lebanon “a separate skirmish.” European leaders demanded Lebanon be included. Iran, citing the strikes on Lebanon, said it would not reopen the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil passes — until Israel stops attacking Lebanon.
Hezbollah was founded during Lebanon’s civil war (1975–1990) to resist Israel’s 1982 invasion. The group has maintained close ties with Iran as a key part of what Tehran calls its “Axis of Resistance,” an informal network of Iran-backed militant groups across the Middle East. After Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing more than 1,000 people and kidnapping about 250, Hezbollah opened a second front in the conflict by launching rockets into northern Israel. Israel responded with strikes in Lebanon and a ground invasion in October 2024.
Despite a ceasefire in November 2024, hostilities resumed. When US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel. Days later, Israel invaded southern Lebanon, displacing more than a million people — roughly a fifth of the country’s population — to establish what it calls a “buffer zone,” and has launched a wave of attacks on Lebanon ever since.
Bondi Subpoena
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not comply with a bipartisan subpoena to testify before the House Oversight Committee on April 14 about the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.
“The Department of Justice has stated Pam Bondi will not appear on April 14 for a deposition since she is no longer attorney general and was subpoenaed in her capacity as attorney general,” a committee spokesperson said. The committee said it will contact Bondi’s personal counsel to schedule a new date.
Both parties pushed back. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) said Bondi was subpoenaed by name, not by title, and must still appear. Ranking member of the committee, Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), threatened contempt of Congress charges if she does not testify.
Melania Trump Denies Epstein Ties
First Lady Melania Trump denied any ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in an on-camera statement at the White House today, saying the “lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today.” Her full remarks were posted on the White House website.
It was not immediately clear what prompted her to issue the remarks.
Trump said she was never friends with Epstein or his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, though she acknowledged moving in overlapping social circles in New York and Florida. She addressed an email she sent Maxwell in 2002 — released as part of the Justice Department’s Epstein files — in which she wrote, “Dear G! How are you? Nice story about JE in NY mag.” The email, which was signed “Love, Melania,” also asked about Palm Beach. Trump called it nothing more than “casual correspondence” and a “trivial note.”
“I am not Epstein’s victim,” she said. She also denied that Epstein introduced her to Donald Trump.
The First Lady called on Congress to hold a public hearing for Epstein’s abuse survivors. “Give these victims their opportunity to testify under oath in front of Congress, with the power of sworn testimony,” she said.
Newsbreak
Time to Eat is about simple, comforting recipes that feel familiar yet unique and envision “healthy food” in a whole new way. Rather than focusing on restriction or deprivation, Kat Ashmore asks: What can we add to our plates? Even better, the recipes don’t require strenuous prep work or hours in the oven — they’re meals you could make as easily on a hectic Tuesday night as you could on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Artemis II Prepares for Splashdown
NASA’s four-member Artemis II crew is preparing for the most critical phase of its mission: the return to Earth. The crew successfully fired Orion’s thrusters yesterday to fine-tune the spacecraft’s trajectory after a lunar flyby, and a splashdown is expected tomorrow at approximately 8 p.m. EDT in the Pacific Ocean.
When Orion re-enters the atmosphere at around 25,000 miles per hour, friction will generate temperatures of about 5,000°F. A specially designed heat shield will absorb and deflect that heat. NASA said the astronauts will also test garments designed to stabilize blood pressure as their bodies readjust to Earth’s gravity after days in space.
The San Diego-based transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha is heading toward the expected splashdown site to retrieve the crew.
Ex-Army Employee Charged With Leaks
A former employee of the Army’s elite Delta Force unit at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, was charged yesterday with transmitting “classified national defense information” to a journalist.
Courtney Williams, 40, worked in a support role for the US Army’s elite Delta Force unit from 2010 to 2016 and held a top-secret security clearance. The FBI arrested her on Tuesday, and a grand jury indicted her yesterday on one count of unlawfully transmitting classified information. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The DOJ has alleged Williams disclosed classified military tactics to journalist Seth Harp, who published some of the material in a Politico article and a book, The Fort Bragg Cartel, in August 2025. Williams told Harp she experienced sexual harassment and gender discrimination during her time at the unit, calling it “living hell.” According to the indictment materials, after the book’s publication, Williams texted Harp expressing concern about the amount of classified information it contained.
Harp, in a post on X, called Williams a “courageous whistleblower” who exposed widespread harassment in Delta Force. He accused the Justice Department of prosecuting her in retaliation for her critical comments about the unit.
Automatic Draft Registration
Beginning in December, the Selective Service System will automatically register eligible young men for a potential military draft. Previously, individuals were responsible for registering themselves. The system will use Social Security data, state motor vehicle records, and immigration records.
Currently, nearly all male US citizens and immigrants ages 18 to 25 must register within 30 days of turning 18 or arriving in the country. Failure to register is a felony punishable by up to $250,000 in fines and/or five years in prison. Non-immigrant males on non-immigrant visas are exempt from this requirement.
The rule change follows Congress’s approval of the National Defense Authorization Act, which Trump signed in December 2025.
Utah Voter Registration Records
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson has sent letters to more than 300,000 registered voters who had previously opted to keep their registration records private, notifying them that their information will soon become public.
Under a law signed last month by Gov. Spencer Cox, voter name, address, age range, party affiliation, and election participation history — but not how a person voted — will be available to anyone who requests voter registration lists for a fee. Utah has more than 1.7 million active registered voters. State Republican lawmakers who sponsored the legislation said the law restores a public default and brings Utah in line with federal voter transparency requirements.
Voters considered “at risk” — including victims of domestic violence, law enforcement officers, military members, public figures who have received threats, and those protected by court orders — are exempt from Cox’s order, but they have to apply to keep their records private.
So any random creep could find where you live. Great