US strikes Iran again; California chemical threat keeps thousands out

Fighting flares up again, new U.S. strikes, an Iranian drone claim, and the Strait of Hormuz is sitting right in the middle of it

Plus, the biggest danger may be backing off, but thousands of people in California still cannot go home as crews keep watch on a troubled chemical tank

And President Trump is headed back to the doctor today, why his third medical visit in just over a year is getting attention

The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli

This morning, new military action is adding fresh strain to efforts to end the fighting between the United States and Iran

On state TV, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard says it shot down a U.S. drone overnight and fired on other aircraft, it said, entered Iranian airspace

Iran's supreme leader also warned that countries across the region will, quote, no longer serve as shields for U.S. bases

U.S. officials say American forces carried out what they called self-defense strikes, targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats

they said were trying to place mines in the Strait of Hormuz. The military action comes while negotiations between Washington and Tehran continue

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday night there will not be a deal without a full reopening of the Strait

Well, the Strait's have to be open. They're going to be open one way or the other. So they need to be open

What's happening there is unlawful. It's illegal. It's unsustainable to the world. It's unacceptable

I don't know of any country in the world. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed that 32 vessels, including oil tankers

moved through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours. And reports from Qatar media say at least one Iranian official has discussed reopening the strait in phases

Out west, crisis averted at least the biggest one. Thousands of people in Southern California still cannot go home

even after officials said they have backed away from what they called a potential catastrophic explosion at a chemical facility near Los Angeles About 16 people are still under evacuation orders around the GKN Aerospace Facility in Garden Grove about 30 miles south of Los Angeles

Officials say the worst case scenario is now mitigated after crews spent days cooling an overheated chemical tank

They're expected to reassess conditions again today. But the danger is not completely gone

Authorities say a smaller explosion or a toxic release remain possible concerns

The tank holds about 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, or MMA, a chemical used to make plastics that can cause health problems with significant exposure

Meanwhile, Orange County's district attorney has opened a criminal investigation to determine how the failure happened at the facility

And California Governor Gavin Newsom says President Trump has signed an emergency declaration to expand federal support for the area

Politics now. Texas voters are heading to the polls today in what has turned into a high-stakes Republican Senate showdown

And President Trump is now firmly in the middle of it. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and longtime Republican Senator John Cornyn spent more than a year battling for the GOP nomination

But the race took a major turn when Trump stepped in with a late endorsement of Paxton

Trump called Paxton a, quote, true MAGA warrior on Truth Social last week

and has framed him as the candidate more closely aligned with his movement

Cornyn has spent the campaign trying to make the case that he's delivered for conservatives

while also reminding voters that he's backed Trump policies nearly all of the time in the Senate

His allies have also leaned heavily into attacks on Paxton, arguing the attorney general's past legal and political controversies could create problems in a general election

Trump reinforced his support again last week, predicting Paxton would win. I believe the Texas candidate, who's Ken Paxton, I think he'll win

I think probably he'll win very substantially. And I think he'll go on to defeat a very defective candidate

a candidate that believes in six genders and he takes it to Jesus Christ and he wearing a mask six months ago That candidate Trump is referring to is Democrat James Tallarico

who in November will face off against today's winner. And while today's runoff tops the Texas ballot

voters are also deciding several closely watched House races shaped by the state's recent redistricting fight

Another shooting near the White House is now being used as an argument

to push a major security project forward. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is asking a federal court to let reconstruction resume

on the proposed White House ballroom. In a court filing Sunday, Blanche said the weekend shooting near a Secret Service checkpoint

shows the need for higher security measures around the White House complex

Authorities say a gunman opened fire Saturday night before Secret Service officers returned fire

and killed him. A bystander was also hit. An appeals panel has already stepped in to allow

construction work to keep moving forward. The administration says the project is designed to

better protect presidents, their families, staff, foreign leaders, and visiting guests. Court documents say the plans include a drone-resistant roof, missile-resistant support

structures, ballistic and blast-resistant glass, plus bomb shelters and on-site medical facilities

President Trump is back at Walter Reed Medical Center today, and the visit is likely to bring fresh attention to questions about his health

The White House says the president is scheduled for a routine medical and dental exam

But this is Trump's third in-person visit to the doctor in just over a year

and it follows months of questions surrounding his health and fitness. Trump turns 80 next month and has regularly pointed to his energy and packed schedule

as proof he remains in strong health. Visible swelling in the president's legs drew attention last year

The White House later disclosed Trump had chronic venous insufficiency, a condition tied to blood flow in the veins that doctors said was not considered serious

Recurring bruising on Trump's hands also sparked questions. The White House has said the bruising is linked to frequent handshaking and aspirin use while some outside physicians have continued pushing for more detailed information The administration has pushed back hard on health speculation

Over the weekend, Communications Director Stephen Chung highlighted Trump's work schedule, writing the president was, quote, still in the Oval Office working hard for the American people

late on Saturday night. The White House has repeatedly said the president remains in excellent

health. It is expected to release details from today's evaluation once it's complete

Finally this morning, it's a sweep. The New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999

after finishing off Cleveland in four straight games. The Knicks crushed the Cavs 130-93 in Cleveland last night to complete the series sweep

Star guard Jalen Brunson finished with 15 points and five assists and took home Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors

And even though the game was in Cleveland, there was plenty of blue and orange in the building

And Knicks fans got louder as the night went on. And as it became clear, their team was punching its ticket to the finals

New York has not won an NBA title since 1973. Clyde, the Clyde Frazier era

Now the Knicks wait to see who's next. The winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs series, which is tied at two games apiece

The NBA finals tip off June 3rd, and it's a pretty safe bet

Madison Square Garden is going to be a hard ticket to get with all those celebrities sitting courtside

All right, before we head out, here's what we're tracking today. Texas voters are back at the polls in several key runoff races

including that closely watched Republican Senate battle we've just been talking about

At 10, we'll also get a new read on the economy as the conference board releases its later Consumer Confidence Report

Later, President Trump heads to Walter Reed for that annual physical and dental exam

At 2, NASA will lay out new moon base plans as the agency updates its push toward a long-term presence on the lunar surface

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Go to san.com slash newsletters. Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Tuesday. We'll see you back here tomorrow

For all of us here at Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DeGrelli. Have a great day