Iran war has cost $25B, Pentagon says. And, SCOTUS strikes blow to Voting Rights Act

"The Pentagon estimates the war in Iran has already cost $25 billion, according to Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst. Hurst testified before the House Armed Services Committee yesterday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who offered no indication of when the war might end during his combative testimony."

"Retired Navy Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan says the U.S. could keep the blockade in place indefinitely. Iran also believes it can maintain the blockade by using a mix of mines at sea and drones and missiles from the shore."

"The U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Louisiana's 2024 election map was an 'unconstitutional racial gerrymander.' The justices' 6-3 decision fell along partisan lines."

"Experts expect the ruling to reduce minority representation across all levels of government. The court's ruling reinterprets the longstanding protections against racial discrimination in Section 2."

The Pentagon's war in Iran has incurred costs of $25 billion, according to Comptroller Jay Hurst. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided no timeline for the war's conclusion. Both the U.S. and Iran maintain blockades in the Strait of Hormuz, causing shipping traffic to halt. Retired Navy Vice Admiral Kevin Donegan suggests the U.S. could sustain its blockade indefinitely. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Louisiana's 2024 election map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, impacting minority representation and reinterpreting protections under the Voting Rights Act.

Read at www.npr.org