标签： North America

U.S. law enforcement authorities have launched an investigation into an unusual, large-sized marking etched into the grass of Washington DC’s National Mall that spells out the numerical sequence 8-6-4-7, a code that has become associated with anti-Donald Trump rhetoric in recent political discourse.

For context, the two-digit number “86” has long circulated as American slang meaning to forcibly remove or eliminate a person or thing. Current Trump administration officials have publicly asserted that the full 4-digit sequence, which ends in 47—Trump’s official designation as the 47th U.S. president—functions as a coded call to incite violence against the sitting president.

The U.S. Park Police confirmed in an official statement that officers first responded to a formal report of vandalism at the site at approximately 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time Thursday, which translates to 16:30 GMT. As of the latest update, investigators have not yet confirmed what caused the discoloration of the grass that created the visible numbers. Officials confirmed that grass samples have been collected for forensic testing, and the probe remains active and ongoing.

Photographs captured at the site show clear markings for the numbers 8, 6, and 7, but the third digit 4 is faint and not distinctly visible in existing imagery. The location of the marking places it just a short distance from the National World War II Memorial, one of the most visited historic landmarks on the National Mall.

This ongoing investigation comes at a moment of already heightened political tensions, as federal prosecutors are currently pursuing criminal charges against former FBI Director James Comey over a separate social media post that featured the same 8-6-4-7 sequence arranged out of seashells on a beach. Comey faces multiple felony charges tied to allegations that the post constituted a criminal threat to kill President Trump. Comey has forcefully denied all wrongdoing, dismissing the prosecution as a blatant politically motivated attack targeting his opposition to the Trump administration.

The coded number sequence has been adopted repeatedly by Trump’s political opponents over the course of his second term, appearing at multiple anti-administration protests across the country. The faded marking on the National Mall, which is most notable for the clear visibility of the leading 8 compared to the other three digits, emerged amid a high-profile citywide beautification initiative for federal monuments and public spaces that is being personally led by Trump. The initiative includes $13.1 million in allocated funding—equal to roughly £9.6 million—for renovations to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as well as a controversial plan to construct a large commemorative arch decorated with gilded sculptures of iconic American symbols including lions and eagles.

U.S. President Donald Trump has tapped Jay Clayton, the top federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, to serve as the nation’s highest-ranking intelligence chief, filling a vacancy that opened after his first nominee failed to win congressional support over insufficient intelligence experience.

Clayton, who currently holds the top prosecutorial role in one of the country’s most high-profile judicial districts, is already overseeing a number of major national and international cases. Most prominently, he leads the drug trafficking prosecution against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. His office has also taken charge of reviewing documents tied to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and prosecuted an Iraqi national charged with planning terrorist attacks on U.S. soil on behalf of the Iranian government.

Before taking on his current role as U.S. Attorney, Clayton held leadership positions at the top-tier global law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, and previously chaired the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the federal regulator that oversees U.S. stock markets. In a public post shared to his social platform Truth Social, Trump lauded Clayton’s professional standing, noting that “Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay.” He also urged the U.S. Senate to move quickly to approve the nomination.

The nomination comes after Trump’s initial pick for the role, Bill Pulte, faced widespread bipartisan pushback on two key fronts: Pulte had no prior professional experience in intelligence gathering, and lawmakers raised alarms that he had abused his position as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency to target Trump’s political opponents. Pulte was accused of making criminal referrals for alleged mortgage fraud against individuals Trump deemed enemies, though none of those referrals have resulted in convictions. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office has since launched an investigation into whether Pulte altered FHFA’s investigative processes to carry out the political targeting.

The outgoing director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, will wrap up her tenure on June 30, leaving a pressing timeline for Senate confirmation. Unlike the first nomination, Clayton’s pick has already earned bipartisan praise from key Senate lawmakers. Republican Senate Whip John Thune described Clayton as “a very qualified professional with a great skill set for managing a complex problem set.” Mark Warner, the top Democratic member of the Senate committee that will hold a confirmation vote on Clayton, also endorsed his qualifications, calling him “very qualified.”

According to reporting from The New York Times, CIA Director John Ratcliffe had publicly advocated for Clayton to take the lead of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees all 18 U.S. federal intelligence agencies, making it the country’s top civilian intelligence leadership role.

More than three months into open conflict between the United States and Iran, the strategic Persian Gulf outcrop of Kharg Island has reemerged as a critical flashpoint, driven by shifting public rhetoric from former President Donald Trump over potential seizure of the facility that underpins Iran’s entire oil export economy.

In an early Thursday post on his Truth Social platform, Trump escalated aggressive rhetoric against Tehran, claiming the US would seize Kharg Island and other key Iranian oil infrastructure assets in the “not too distant future,” assuming full control over Iran’s entire oil and gas markets. He even suggested a major strike on Iran could come that same night. Hours later, however, during an interview on Fox News, the president softened his stance, clarifying that seizing the strategic terminal has long been his “preference” — a move he claimed would generate massive economic profit for the US — but he acknowledged doubts that the American public has the “stomach” for a large-scale ground operation, and ruled out deploying American boots on the ground. Shortly after that interview, Trump announced he was canceling planned airstrikes on Iran, citing incremental progress in ongoing negotiations with Tehran.

This is not the first time Trump has publicly floated seizing Kharg Island. Two months ago, shortly after the outbreak of US-Iran hostilities, Trump first stated he wanted to take control of Iran’s oil reserves and was actively evaluating a plan to seize the island. On March 13, US forces launched large-scale airstrikes across Kharg Island, with Trump claiming American warplanes had “totally obliterated” every military target on the outcrop, but deliberately held off on striking the island’s critical oil processing and export infrastructure.

Located just 15 nautical miles off Iran’s southern coast, Kharg Island is far more than a small rocky outcrop: it is the undisputed economic lifeline of Iran. Ninety percent of Iran’s total crude oil exports pass through the island’s purpose-built terminal, pumped via underwater pipelines from mainland oil fields and loaded onto ultra-large crude carriers capable of carrying up to 2 million barrels of oil. Unlike Iran’s shallow mainland coast, Kharg Island’s proximity to deep Gulf waters allows these massive vessels to dock directly at its long jetties, from which they transit through the Strait of Hormuz to the island’s largest export market, China. Beyond national revenue, the terminal also provides a critical stream of income to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Iranian military and paramilitary force leading much of the country’s combat operations.

Speculation about a potential US ground operation to seize the island has circulated for months. In a March interview with the *Financial Times*, Trump reiterated his interest in seizing the facility, noting “we could take it very easily” because he did not believe Iran had sufficient defenses to repel a US attack, but acknowledged that any long-term occupation would require a sustained US military presence. Multiple sources confirmed to CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that Pentagon planners have already drafted detailed contingency plans for deploying ground forces to Kharg Island. While both the Pentagon and White House have refused to publicly comment on specific deployment plans or operational timelines, they have repeatedly confirmed that a ground seizure remains an active military option on the table.

Security analysts agree that seizing Kharg Island would deliver a devastating blow to Iran’s war capacity. As BBC Security Brief analyst Mikey Kay explains, taking control of the terminal would effectively cut off a core economic lifeline for the IRGC, severely restricting the organization’s ability to fund and sustain ongoing combat operations. Beyond crippling Iranian oil exports, a US seizure would also give the American military a strategic forward operating base from which to launch additional strikes against targets on the Iranian mainland, and could provide Washington with critical leverage to force Tehran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to global commercial shipping.

That said, military analysts warn that any attempt to seize and hold the island would face significant operational challenges. Aaron Maclean, national security analyst for CBS News and host of the *School of War* podcast, notes that any US landing force would need to travel long distances to reach the island, whether via naval amphibious assault or airborne insertion, creating exposed vulnerability before troops can secure a beachhead.

Iranian officials have issued stark public warnings about any attempt to seize the island or attack Iran’s energy infrastructure. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has stated that Iranian forces are “waiting for American soldiers” and would “rain fire” on any invading ground force. A senior Iranian military official also told local media that Iran would target all commercial shipping in the Red Sea in the event of a US ground invasion.

In response to persistent threats of attack and seizure, Iran has significantly reinforced its defenses on Kharg Island in recent months, US intelligence sources confirmed to CNN. Tehran has deployed additional military personnel and advanced air defense systems to the outcrop, including shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, and has laid extensive underwater traps surrounding the island, including anti-personnel and anti-armor mines to repel amphibious landings.

Trump has repeatedly stated he has held off on targeting the island’s oil export pipelines to avoid long-term damage to Iran’s civilian economy, telling reporters in mid-March that “we can do that on five minutes’ notice. It’ll be over. Just one simple word, and the pipes will be gone too. But it’ll take a long time to rebuild that.”

Following the March 13 airstrikes, US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed that its forces had targeted more than 90 separate Iranian military sites on the island, including naval mine storage facilities, missile bunkers, and other military installations, while deliberately preserving all oil infrastructure. Iranian state media corroborated that the terminal’s critical oil export facilities suffered no damage, noting that strikes were limited to air defense positions, a naval base, an airport control tower, and a helicopter hangar. Ehsan Jahanian, political deputy to the governor of Iran’s Bushehr province, told the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency that oil exports continued uninterrupted immediately after the strike. Iranian military officials issued a stark warning after the attack: any strike on Iranian energy infrastructure would result in the immediate destruction of all oil and energy assets belonging to companies working with the United States across the region. The US conducted a second round of airstrikes on Kharg Island’s military targets in early April, again holding off on striking oil and gas infrastructure, and Iranian state media reported that the terminal’s critical maritime export facilities suffered only minimal damage.

Analysts warn that any large-scale US operation to destroy or seize Kharg Island’s oil infrastructure would represent a dramatic escalation of the conflict, with massive global consequences. A successful seizure or destruction of the terminal would immediately take most of Iran’s oil exports off the global market, sending already elevated international crude prices soaring even higher. It would also almost certainly prompt Iran to expand its ongoing drone campaign against Gulf Arab states and commercial shipping, potentially striking critical civilian infrastructure including desalination plants that supply drinking water to millions of people across the Gulf region.

Last June, a shocking act of targeted political violence left a Minnesota state legislator and her spouse dead, and another lawmaker and his wife injured. Now, almost a year after the attack, the man charged with carrying out the shootings has entered a guilty plea as part of a negotiated deal that removes the possibility of capital punishment, according to multiple United States media reports.

Vance Boelter, the 57-year-old suspect, formally confessed to pulling the trigger that killed Representative Melissa Hortman, 52, and her husband Mark Hortman, 55, at the couple’s private residence in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The attack did not end there: Boelter is also alleged to have traveled to the home of fellow state legislator John Hoffman minutes later, where he shot Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Both survived the assault despite sustaining serious injuries.

Under the terms of the federal plea agreement, Boelter pleaded guilty to six criminal charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and multiple counts of stalking, prosecutors confirmed. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office had previously announced they would not pursue a death sentence, clearing the way for the negotiated deal. Prosecutors are now recommending that the court hand down a sentence of two consecutive life sentences plus an additional 40 years of prison time, local Minnesota news outlets have confirmed.

Crucially, the plea deal only applies to federal charges brought in the case. State-level charges against Boelter are still pending, and Minnesota state officials confirmed that the judicial process for those counts will move forward independently in the coming months.

In the wake of the guilty plea, family members of the slain lawmaker spoke publicly about their ongoing grief, describing the attack as a devastating, unfathomable loss to their family and to the state of Minnesota. In the months after the shooting last year, thousands of Minnesotans gathered across the state to pay their respects to Hortman, a 16-year veteran of the state legislature who was widely praised for her work on climate policy and public education reform.

In a moment that blends high-profile combat sports with the pinnacle of U.S. political space, a BBC White House correspondent has gained early access to the one-of-a-kind temporary venue set to host a groundbreaking Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bout on June 14.

Bernd Debusmann, the outlet’s veteran White House reporter, was offered an exclusive preview tour of the custom-built arena, which marks an unprecedented coming-together of professional mixed martial arts and the grounds of the U.S. executive residence. The event, set to take place on June 14, will be the first major professional MMA event hosted on White House property, making the construction of the temporary facility a historic undertaking that has drawn attention from both political and sports circles.

During the tour, Debusmann got an up-close look at the preparations underway to convert a section of the White House grounds into a fully functional fight venue, with work ongoing to finalize seating, the octagon fighting area, and broadcast infrastructure ahead of the upcoming matchup. The unusual placement of a professional sports event at the White House has already sparked widespread curiosity, as the location is most commonly associated with state visits, policy announcements, and official presidential functions rather than high-octane combat sports competitions.

The U.S. Department of Defense headquarters at the Pentagon was placed under partial lockdown Wednesday after building systems picked up a potentially dangerous irregularity in indoor air quality, triggering an immediate response from hazardous materials crews and local emergency services.

Pentogon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed the incident in an official statement, noting that the detection of the air quality issue prompted precautionary action while authorities work to assess the severity of the hazard. Per standard safety protocols, a shelter-in-place order has been issued for all personnel in the affected sections of the massive building, Parnell added.

Local emergency response agency Arlington Fire & EMS confirmed its involvement in the operation via a social media post, stating that the department is on-site supporting the Pentagon’s response to the reported hazardous materials incident. According to reporting from multiple U.S. mainstream media outlets, uniformed police officers deployed inside the building have been outfitted with full gas masks and complete chemical protective suits as they conduct on-site operations.

As the central headquarters of the U.S. national defense apparatus, the Pentagon houses more than 20,000 civilian and military government employees across its sprawling campus in Arlington, Virginia, making any safety incident at the site a high-priority emergency for federal and local authorities. As of the latest update, authorities have not released additional details on the source of the air quality issue, nor have there been any reports of injuries or confirmed toxic exposure among personnel.