Morning Briefing

Good morning, today's top global stories focus on President Trump delivered a primetime address on election integrity, U.S. airstrikes against Iran escalated, and dangerous floods hit parts of Texas. Bitcoin dropped below $63,000, slipping to intraday lows of $62,640 as escalating geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran triggered a broad risk-off wave across financial markets.

🗳️ National Politics

• Primetime Address: President Trump focused heavily on claiming vulnerability in U.S. voting systems. Election experts and unclassified documents provided no evidence to support these claims. 
• White House Briefing: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt held her first media briefing following her maternity leave, discussing the administration's broader policy agenda. 
• Immigration Pivot: ICE lifted its short-lived pause on vehicle traffic stops after criticism from President Trump. The initial pause followed the fatal shooting deaths of two immigrants by federal officers. 

🌐 Global Conflicts

• U.S.–Iran War: Hostilities and strikes between the U.S. and Iran have intensified. Iran announced that its civilian infrastructure was hit by recent U.S. strikes and expanded its operations into Syria and Bahrain. 
• Strait of Hormuz: Regional tensions remain critical following Iran's indefinite closure of the key shipping strait, which prompted the heavy wave of U.S. counter-airstrikes. 

📉 Business & Markets

• Tech Sell-off: Nasdaq futures plunged 2% as a major global semiconductor and microchip sell-off shook up the market.
• SpaceX Delay: SpaceX experienced premarket stock declines following an aborted Starship test flight. 

Weather & Environment

• Texas Flooding: Severe, dangerous flash floods are sweeping across multiple areas of Texas, prompting active local emergencies. 

📉 Price Action & Market Strain

Bitcoin dropped below $63,000, slipping to intraday lows of $62,640 as escalating geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran triggered a broad risk-off wave across financial markets.